The Cross and the Shamrock: Or, How To Defend The Faith. An Irish-American Catholic Tale Of Real Life, Descriptive Of The Temptations, Sufferings, Trials, And Triumphs Of The Children Of St. Patrick In The Great Republic Of Washington. A Book For The Entertainment And Special Instructions Of The Catholic Male And Female Servants Of The United States.Quigley, Hugh
Religion
The Cross and the Shamrock: Or, How To Defend The Faith. An Irish-American Catholic Tale Of Real Life, Descriptive Of The Temptations, Sufferings, Trials, And Triumphs Of The Children Of St. Patrick In The Great Republic Of Washington. A Book For The Entertainment And Special Instructions Of The Catholic Male And Female Servants Of The United States.
Quigley, Hugh
Catholics -- United States -- Fiction; Irish Americans -- Fiction
There was a complete suspension of the ordinary occupations on the farm
of Gulvert for near ten days, owing to the trials with which his family
was visited. The wife was still confined to her room, and continually
threatening her husband with the divorce, who, on his part, had no heart
to conduct the necessary work of his farm, he felt so dispirited at the
loss of his team and of the money out of which "his converts" had
tricked him. Add to this that there were very ugly rumors going the
round of the neighborhood in reference to the ill usage the little Irish
orphan met with. While he was living and in suffering, there was nobody
to sympathize with him or to say a word in his favor; but now, when that
sympathy could do him no good, according to the custom of modern
philanthropy, there was an abundance on hand, and the conduct of Shaw
Gulvert, as the agent of Parson Waistcoat, was censured by a thousand
tongues. This is characteristic of Protestant charity: when one is dying
of hunger, or forced to beg a crum of bread, she shuts her ears, and
points to the prison or poorhouse, as the only proper retreat for
whoever is compelled to commit the _sin_ of mendicity; but no sooner
does the victim of her own neglect or misdirected benevolence die, no
sooner is he out of the reach of all human relief, than the heralds of
Protestant charity gather round his tomb, to proffer their assistance,
aid, and liberality--like the Jews building the tombs of the prophets
put to death by their own malice.
This was the case in the instance here related. Some were for having the
body of the martyred Eugene exhumed, to see if there were any marks of
violence visible. Some proposed to raise a collection to have a monument
raised on his grave, and all unanimously condemned Gulvert's cruelty to
the "dear little child." What principally turned the current and force
of public opinion against Gulvert was, that he was impudent enough to go
and demand restitution of Parson Waistcoat, of the money that, on
account of his recommendation, he advanced to the runaway converts. And
the parson, to be revenged on Gulvert, on next meeting day called on the
congregation for their prayers, to save said Gulvert from the relapsing
gulf into which he had fallen. The parson, enraged at being held
accountable for the money lost by Gulvert, through his own "want of
godliness," as he termed it, and incensed on account of Gulvert's
declaration of deserting his church, held him up continually as a stray
sheep, and already, if not lost, far advanced on the broad way to
perdition. In the midst of this excitement, the progress of public
feeling against Gulvert was suddenly checked by the following
afflicting and sudden accidents.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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