yterian religion is
the 'thorn' tree on which no 'grapes' grow; for that sect reject the
Holy Eucharist, containing the blood of Christ, of which the grape is a
figure. It is full of thorns, for it persecutes and stings the head of
the Savior in his representative the pope; and it produces no 'grape,'
no sacrament, no good works, no refreshing food or drink. Again: the
'thistle,' that produces no figs, is the Methodist religion; because,
though it has plenty of stings and prickles to wound the hand that
touches it, the very ass that goes the road can bite off its head. Or,
in other words, though ye Methodists are malicious enough, all your
malice is harmless to the church, and a very fool can refute or crop
the most formidable of your arguments."

This queer _private interpretation_ disconcerted the _learned_ boss and
his better half, and during the remainder of the service of the Devlins
they did not hear much more about the religious interpretations of these
professors of two contradictory sectarian creeds. The Devlins showed,
not only to the boss and his wife, that they knew more about the Bible
than themselves, but the minister, Mr. Waistcoat, was soon convinced, by
conversation with them, that they were not to be duped. The consequence
was, that the persecution to which Eugene was subjected was arrested for
a time; and it was not till after the Devlins were paid off that this
innocent child was again subjected to a series of punishments and brutal
treatment without parallel in the records of modern persecution.

Every Friday that the young confessor refused, after the example of holy
Eleazer, "to eat flesh, or go over to the life of the heathens," (2 Mac.
vi. 24.) he was compelled to go without food till the Sunday following.
He was flogged with a "black snake," till the blood flowed in rills,
every time he refused going to meeting. He was compelled to stand out
under rain and storm, scorching sun and chilling frost, during the time
the family spent in prayer. Yes, tied with a thong to the pump by his
little soft, white hands, the juvenile martyr had to bear the merciless
violence of the elements, or consent to share in the blasphemous prayers
of his persecutors! And, O God! worse than all, they robbed him of his
rosary, and of the little bunch of shamrocks which were the only legacy
of his dying mother to him, and which his sister Bridget and he took so
much pains to keep alive in a small glass vase brought from I