“Well, my experience and conviction are, that there is no real religion, but superstition or infidelity, in all the sects that I ever yet knew around here.  My experience is, that I led a very worthless and careless life, for which I expect God’s pardon; but I fear ye parsons will have a hard account to settle for the contradiction and confusion ye have introduced into the Christian religion.  Ye first attempted to make an infidel of me, by your glaring contradictions and hypocritical pretensions; and now, on the very brink of eternity, ye would deceive my soul into the delusion that I am fit for glory direct, in the blossom of my sins, ‘unhouselled, unanointed, and unannealed.’  Retire from my presence, ye deceivers, and make way for the minister of God’s church, who can absolve me from my sins in the person of Christ, give me his true body to repair the ruins in my own body and soul, and strengthen me, by the oil of faith, against the terrible struggle that I must encounter, and the awful journey over which I must pass.  O Lord,” he cried, “forgive these persecutors of my soul; and, O virgin mother of Jesus, obtain for me to confess my sins and repent ere I die.”

All were astonished at the foregoing impassioned speech of uncle Jacob.  The parson retired like an evil spirit exorcised by the powerful words of holy writ.  The room was empty, and the priest was soon after at the dying man’s bedside.  After a full, sincere, and humble confession, conditional baptism was administered; and, confirmed by all the rites of the church, purified by penance, strengthened by the holy eucharist, and healed by the holy unction of heaven, that pure soul passed away to God in two days after, having become speechless in about an hour after the administration of the sacrament.

“Now,” said the priest, addressing Paul, “did I not tell you God had some mysterious design in view by the succession of trials which he enabled you to pass through?  But for you, probably, this good soul would not have heard of the Catholic church; but for your mother’s death you could not be out here, where the malice of those who wanted to rob you of your faith sent you.  It is owing to the robbery of the money you possessed that your mother died; and, finally, but for the cruelty of the landlord and his injustice, you might be now at home in Ireland, and probably studying in Maynooth College.  See how God brings good from evil.  See how, as he made the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart contribute to the glory and miraculous power of Moses and Aaron, he continually makes use of the tyranny of the landlords of Ireland—­not inferior to the cruelty of Pharaoh or Herod—­to contribute to the spread of the faith, without which there is no salvation, among the generous and naturally good people of this vast country.”

“I understand it all now,” said Paul, “and thank God for all that has happened to us.”

“That’s right, my boy; you will be yet a priest, perhaps, yourself.  I must now prepare to return.”