nd, what is more, the pride of an office which
ought always to be associated with humility, had got into his heart; the
vanity of learning, too, thin and shallow though it was, inflated him;
and the effect of both was a gradual induration of feeling--an habitual
sense of his own importance, and a notion of supreme contempt for all
who were more ignorant than himself.

After the first impression of pain and mortification had passed away
from the minds of his brothers and sisters, it was, however, unanimously
admitted that he was right; and ere long, no other feeling than one of
good-humor, mingled with drollery, could be perceived among them. They
were clearly convinced, that he claimed no more from strangers than was
due to him; but they certainly were not prepared to hear that he had
brought the exactions of personal respect so completely and unexpectedly
home to themselves as he had done. The thing, too, along with being
unreasonable, was awkward and embarrassing in the extreme; for there is
a kind of feeling among brothers and sisters, which, though it cannot
be described, is very trying to their delicacy and shamefacedness under
circumstances of a similar nature. In humble life you will see a
married woman who cannot call her husband after his Christian name; or
a husband, who, from some extraordinary restraint, cannot address his
wife, except in that distant manner which the principle I allude to
dictates, and habit confirms.

Denis, however, had overcome this modesty, and felt not a whit too
shamefaced to arrogate to his own learning and character the most
unhesitating manifestation of their deference and respect, and they soon
scrupled not to pay it.

The night of that evening was pretty far advanced, when a neighbor's
son, named Condy Callaghan, came to inform the family, that Denis, when
crossing the bog on his way home, had rode into a swamp, from which he
found much difficulty in extricating himself, but added, "the mare is
sunk to the saddle-skirts, and cannot get out widout men and ropes,"
In a short time a sufficient number of the neighbors were summoned
together, and proceeded to the animal's relief. Denny's importance, as
well as his black dress, was miserably tarnished; he stood, however,
with as dignified an air as possible, and, in a bombastic style,
proceeded to direct the men as to the best manner of relieving her.

"Asy, Dinny," said his brother, with a good-humored but significant
smile--"larn