* It is usual among the peasantry to form, about Michaelmas, small artificial cascades, called dams, under which they place long, deep, wicker creels, shaped like inverted cones, for the purpose of securing the fish that are now on their return to the large rivers, after having deposited their spawn in the higher and remoter streams.  It is surprising what a number of fish, particularly of eels, are caught in this manner—­sometimes from one barrel to three in the course of a single night!

“The creels are made, yer Reverence, though we did not set them yet; but on Tuesday night, sir, wid the help o’ God, we’ll be ready.”

“You can corn the trouts, Barny, and the eels too; but should you catch nothing, go to Pat Hartigan, Captain Sloethorn’s gamekeeper, and, if you tell him it’s for me, he’ll drag you a batch out of the fish-pond.”

“Ah! then, you’re Reverence, it’s himself that’ll do that wid a heart an’ a half.”

Such was the conversation which took place between the Reverend Philemy M’Guirk, and those of his parishioners in whose houses he had appointed to hold a series of Stations, for the week ensuing the Sunday laid in this our account of that hitherto undescribed portion of the Romish discipline.

Now, the reader is to understand, that a station in this sense differs from a station made to any peculiar spot remarkable for local sanctity.  There, a station means the performance of a pilgrimage to a certain place, under peculiar circumstances, and the going through a stated number of prayers and other penitential ceremonies, for the purpose of wiping out sin in this life, or of relieving the soul of some relation from the pains of purgatory in the other; here, it simply means the coming of the parish priest and his curate to some house in the town-land, on a day publicly announced from the altar for that purpose, on the preceding Sabbath.

This is done to give those who live within the district in which the station is held an opportunity of coming to their duty, as frequenting the ordinance of confession is emphatically called.  Those who attend confession in this manner once a year, are considered merely to have done their duty; it is expected, however, that they should approach the tribunal,* as it is termed, at least twice during that period, that is, at the two great festivals of Christmas and Easter.  The observance or omission of this rite among Roman Catholics, establishes, in a great degeee, the nature of individual character.  The man who,frequents his duty will seldom be pronounced a bad man, let his conduct and principles be what they may in other respects; and he who neglects it, is looked upon, by those who attend it, as in a state little short of reprobation.

     * That is, of confession—­so going to confession is
     termed by the priests.