, blasphemously familiar, which
this clerical mountebank made use of during a full half hour, that he
almost electrified the whole company by his half-mad gesticulations and
discourses. At length, when his legs began to fail, he got on his knees,
or rather on his _heels_--a posture the Irish call "on his _grugg_." He
prayed, and roared, and screamed, and he cried, as it were, shedding
tears, to the alarm of the oldest members of the family, who feared he
might burst a blood vessel, as he was a short-necked, plethoric, chunk
of a man; and to the infinite amusement of Murty O'Dwyer and the younger
members of the family, who, from the violence of the laughter that
seized them, were in danger of meeting that fate from which the former
wanted to save the parson.

This levity on the part of the youngsters did not escape the notice of
his _weeping_ reverence; and he no sooner recovered himself than he
administered a sharp reprimand to all concerned, but especially to
Murty.

"I pity men of your country," said he, addressing Murty,--who, it must
be recollected, had made very great improvement in his education since
we first introduced him to our readers,--"I pity men of your country, on
account of the ignorance in which they are kept by the soul-destroying
system of Popery that binds them down."

"Indeed, Mr. Gulmore," said Murty, "I am sorry you don't take some other
means, besides those not very enlightened prayers you have volunteered
to favor us with, to dispel and instruct our ignorance."

"Why, thou Papist boor, durst thou deny the power of prayer?"

"No, sir. I have great faith in prayer, especially the prayer of a 'just
man;' but God forbid that I should regard your eccentric, indeed, I
might say blasphemous, effusions as prayer! You talk of the 'ignorance'
of my countrymen! Ah, sir, I have no hesitation in saying the most
ignorant among them would be ashamed of such silly-acting and disgusting
cant as you have just now delivered."

"I blame you not," deluded Papist; "you have not felt the 'power of
prayer,' brought up in all the ignorance and idolatry of the 'scarlet
lady.' But it is not for you I prayed or wrestled with the Lord, but for
my beloved dove, this innocent victim of your idolatry and the hellish
arts of your church. Do you not feel the change of heart, Mary, my
love?" he said, approaching near to the girl. "Tell me, have I gained
thee? Has the Lord heard my groanings, and sighs, and petitions for thy