THE CONVERSION.
"The Lord be praised; I am glad to hear it," said Paul, one day, as he
sat by the bedside of uncle Jacob, who was now in the last stage of his
disease. "Paul," said the dying man, "while I was robust, and
independent in means, I relied too much on these gifts of God, and too
little on the Giver of them. But now, when this frail wall, that shuts
the soul in from her world of kindred spirits, is nearly worn down, and
the glorious light of eternity shines through the chinks of this earthen
rampart, in all directions I see the necessity of having the soul
prepared, thoroughly washed, before she goes into a world of such purity
and justice; and you have convinced me, or, rather, God has taught me,
that it is only in that religion of which God alone is the Author that
the means of purification can be found. So, Paul, in God's name, take a
team, and go for the priest of God immediately; there is no time to be
lost. 'Tis consoling to reflect that there is a priest of God now to be
had on earth, as well as in the days of the ancient patriarchs. How
merciful God was," said he, soliloquizing, "in leaving us on earth a
priest, a representative of his divine Son, to prepare the soul for the
terrible voyage of eternity! All eternity is not too long to thank him
for this blessing."
Paul communicated the wishes of his dying brother to Mr. Ephraim Prying,
who answered, "Certainly, Paul; why not? Go for the priest; take the
best team--that black mare, there, is the fastest traveller. O my poor
brother, why will you leave us?" said he, as he rushed up to his
brother's bed room.
It soon went abroad that uncle Jacob was at the point of death; and all
the friends and many neighbors were assembled around the bed, and among
others Mr. Barker, the Methodist preacher, who thought, as the
Presbyterian dominie's nostrums were rejected by Jacob, his own, as
being more novel, might have the desired effect. And though these
several ministers were jealous each of the influence of his neighbor,
yet any thing with them was preferable to the priest. Let uncle Jacob
turn Turk, Jew, or Heathen, any thing but a Papist, and the six
sectarian teachers of the village of S---- were content.
"Now, brother Jacob," said his roaring reverence, after a long-winded
prayer, in which he professed to command great influence with the powers
above, "how do you feel? Tell us your experience, and what you see."
"I am afraid, if I tell ye what I think and feel," said the feeble
invalid, "ye may not like to hear it, and I do not wish to give offence.
I have something else now to occupy my time besides talking for your
entertainment."
"O, by all means, brother," said the reverend roarer, "tell what you
experience; we will not be displeased, but I hope edified. I have
prayed earnestly to the Lord Jesus for thee, and he has answered me--I
have been heard."
"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."
As Father Ugo passed down stairs, he was met by Mrs. and Mr. Prying,
who invited him to the parlor, and by a good deal of persuasion
prevailed on him to remain there over night, rather than go to the hotel
six miles off. Even the bigoted Amanda was very anxious to have an
argument with a real priest--that mysterious sort of being whom she
never saw, but heard so much about.
Father Ugo was a robust, brave-looking man, of unaffected manners,
bordering on plainness, though highly educated, and accustomed in
Europe, where he was chaplain to Lord C----d, to the most aristocratic
society. Perhaps it was owing to his knowledge of the vanity of
aristocratic airs that he affected such a plainness of manners, being
thoroughly tired of the odd, unmeaning ceremonials of fashion. It must
be confessed, at any rate, that he entertained no small contempt for the
mushroom aristocratic imitations that he witnessed in America; and this
made him a little sarcastic, and therefore rather rude, in his
association with what he called "the monkey aristocracy" of the new
world.
Such being the sentiments of Father Ugo, the reader ought not to be
surprised that his reluctance to enter into a theological discussion
with Amanda was great, and his answers to that indefatigable _she bore_
rather curt and ironical. After a good deal of conversation about the
weather, crops, the telegraph, railroads, thunder storms, electricity,
and such other subjects as were suggested by the climate and state of
the weather, Mr. Prying left the room, wondering where this priest got
his knowledge, and how could he be one of that low, canting,
Scripture-phrase class to which all ministers he ever knew belonged, and
in which he thought the priest must have exceeded the ministers in
degree as much as the Green Mountain exceeded the little knoll in front
of his house.
"That's a well-read, intelligent fellow," said he to his wife.
"We allers heard they knowed nothing but ignorance and idolatry," she
carelessly remarked.
"I guess those who represented the Catholic priests as such are the most
ignorant," was the remark of Ephraim.
"Well, sir," said Amanda, who was now alone with the priest in the
parlor, "there are many admirable things in your religion; there are
indeed."
"I am glad you think so; but are not all its institutions admirable and
perfect?" said the priest.
"I can't concede that, by any means," she replied, with a consciousness
of her logical powers. "For instance, there's celibacy; why don't you
priests get married? I think this very wrong; the Bible calls it the
'doctrine of devils' to encourage that institution."
"I am astonished, if you think so, miss," said the priest, "you have not
got married yourself before this, for you appear to be of age."
"O, that, perhaps, is my own choice," she said, coughing with
embarrassment.
"Well, it is my fixed and determined choice," rejoined Father Ugo, "to
lead a single, unmarried life, free from care and anxiety."
"I think you are mistaken, sir," she said; "the single life is one of
much more care and anxiety than the married. Witness pa and ma; how
happy _they_ have lived for thirty-five years in this our homestead."
"Although such may have been _your_ experience, miss," said Dr. Ugo, "I
must beg leave to decline accepting it as an authority, particularly
when I have my own experience, though not so venerable as yours, to
balance it. Besides, does not the inspired St. Paul tell us that those
who are married are divided, and have heavier cares; while those who
lead a single, chaste life, as he did, would be better able to serve God
free from anxiety?"
"O, Paul," she replied, "was very poor authority on the subject, being a
bachelor when he wrote that passage. Probably in after life his opinions
underwent a change on the subject. I am aware of his oddity in that
way."
"Do you joke, miss?" said the priest, solemnly. "If you do not joke, I
have no hesitation in saying you blaspheme, in thus trifling with the
words of the Holy Ghost."
"I am serious, sir," she said; "it is your church that is guilty of
misinterpretation of God's word, and, in addition, denies its 'free use'
to the people."
"I hope my church, miss, will never allow her children to trifle with
God's holy word as you have now been guilty of," said the priest.
"What's this? At theology again, Amanda? I think you have met your match
at last, daughter," said Mr. Prying. "This young lady has taken to the
study of Scripture and theology," continued he; "she and the several
ministers who visit here are ever at controversy, and she seldom comes
off second best, I tell you."
"Don't you speak so, father," she said; "no, I don't, neither. I have
been arguing with this gentleman about celibacy, and we can't agree
about the interpretation of a text; that's all. But this is the
birthright of every American citizen, the right to differ; the right to
read the word of God, and to interpret it each for himself, without let
or hinderance."
"I have no great desire, nor does it at all accord with my notions of
propriety, I assure you," said the priest, "to enter into controversial
disputations around the fireside, in a family whose hospitality I am
enjoying, and especially when a lady is my antagonist."
"O you need not be particular," said this female bore; "we are used to
such discussions. I had a few questions to put to you as a Catholic
priest, of which I had taken notes, and my object is information on
those points, as much as the refutation of your church doctrines."
"Any information you require I am ready to afford, if in my power; but I
have a horror--I suppose from the invariable habit of my past life--of
introducing either political or religious discussions into the fireside
family circle."
"We are always disputing here," she said. "I am a Presbyterian, Cassius
a Universalist, Wesley a Methodist, and Cyrus has taken to the spiritual
rapping, and is a 'medium.' So you see controversy is no novelty here."
"In Europe, miss," said the priest, "we never introduce----"
"In Europe," she said, interrupting Father Ugo, "there is nothing but
tyranny, despotism, poverty, and superstition. We despise the customs of
Europe, sir. I am told," she added, after a glance at her notes, "that
priests in general, and you in particular, forbid Catholics to attend
the meetings, or join in the prayers or worship, of other denominations.
Is this true, or how can you reconcile it with liberty or religion?"
"Certainly," said the priest, "it is our duty to guard the Catholics
from such immoral customs. We do not believe any of the sectarian
denominations, into which I regret to learn your family is divided,
derive their existence or institutions from God, or contain the
_ordinary means_ of salvation. And while under this belief, in which we
are joined by millions upon millions of Christians, living and dead, how
can we join your prayer or worship, when we know it to be spurious and
illegitimate?"
"I shall, before I am done with you, sir," she replied, "prove your
church idolatrous, and all Papists idolaters; and this is one of the
proofs, this horrid opinion of yours, sir."
"It is not my _opinion_ at all, miss," said he, coolly; "it is my
_faith_, and that of God's church in all ages. Now, on the very plea
that we all are idolaters, as you call us, for this very reason you
should except your hired help from joining in your 'long prayers.' For
if you have any faith in God, or believe you address him in prayer, why
should you insult and mock him by taking an unenlightened, Papistical
idolater to join your petitions? If you were to go to ask a favor of a
king, or of the president, would you deem it prudent to take one to
accompany you who was guilty of high treason? Would not this lead to
your certain rejection from the presence of majesty or excellency with
disgrace and punishment? Now, Catholics, if they be idolaters, are
guilty of treason against Heaven. Do not, then, insult heaven and its
divine Majesty, by asking them to join in your 'holy prayers.'"
This "nonplussed" the self-confident and vain Amanda; all she could
answer was, that "that was fine Jesuitism."
"Meditate well on it," said the priest, "and repent, if you have been
guilty of violating the laws of God, the laws of your country, and the
dictates of reason, by compelling Catholics to join in your, to them,
repulsive and unlawful worship. Forgive me, miss; I must be off. Good
by. God bless you," said he, departing.