After Father Mathew’s visit, their trade fell away to such an extent that John McArdle, determined to hold his ground—­while still keeping the public house open, though the business was all but gone—­broke another door into the street, and made his parlour into a grocery and provision store.  This enterprise on his part was only necessary for a short time, as the abnormal enthusiasm in the cause of temperance which, for the time being, had swept all before it, had subsided to such an extent that McArdle, after a time, turned the room to its original purpose, and was able to resume his readings from the “Nation” to admiring audiences, as heretofore.

Yet, though so many fell away from their temporary exaltation, there were still large numbers who remained firm, and the lasting good from Father Mathew’s work was undeniable.

So popular was John McArdle’s house, that it was used as one of the lodges of the Ancient Order of Hibernians—­then very strong in Liverpool, and stout champions of country and creed.  In regard to this organisation, I find in the “Irish World” of New York a high tribute paid to them by the Very Rev. Thomas J. Shahan, of the Catholic University of America.  In his paper on “Hibernianism” he said there was a tradition in the Ancient Order that they first started in Ireland in the Penal days as a bodyguard to their poor parish priest when he said Mass in the open air.  Anyone who has spent most of his life in England, as I have done, can well understand that this is not simply an effort of this good priest’s imagination, for, over and over again I have seen the Hibernians among the first to come forward in defence of their priests and churches when these were threatened.  In the course of his paper Dr. Shahan quoted a letter from the Brethren in Ireland, Scotland and England to the Brethren in New York.  It sent instructions and authority to the few brothers in New York to establish branches of their Society in America.

These were the qualifications laid down:  Members must be Catholic and Irish, or of Irish descent.  They must be of good moral character, and were not to join in any secret societies contrary to the laws of the Catholic Church.  They were to exercise hospitality towards their emigrant brothers and to protect their emigrant sisters from all harm and temptation, so that they should still be known for their chastity all over the world.  The members of the Order in America were to be at liberty to make laws for the welfare of the Society, but these must be in accord with the teaching of the Church, and their working must be submitted to a Catholic priest.  The letter says—­“We send you these instructions, as we promised to do, with a young man that works on the ship and who called on you before.”  Directing that a copy of the document should be sent to another friend, then working in Pennsylvania, the letter concluded—­“Hoping the bearer and this copy will land safe and that you will treat him right, we remain your brothers in the true bond of friendship this 4th day of May, in the year of our Lord, 1837”—­