Willy Burke, or, The Irish orphan in America - Digital Repository ...

126 "WILLY BURKE; OK,
Willy Burke laughed, as he arose to leave the room*
" Why, your fun is all turned into anger, Mr. Wilson.
Now, I 'd just advise you, before I go, not to be attacking
ine any more about my religion, for I can tell you that
you '11 make nothing of it. If you were to laugh at me
every day and hour that '11 come till New Year's Day, you
wouldn't make me ashamed of doing anything that the
Church commands me to do. Whatever you Protestants
may think or say, I 'm proud and happy that God has
given me grace to •
hear
the Church 9
, for you know— you
that talk so much about reading the Bible—what any one
is to be considered that does not. You go on your own
way, then, and see where it '11 bring you to ; but for my
part, I don't want to be regarded as either i a heathen 9
< a publican '; so, with God's help, I '11 always listen to the
voice of the Church, and then I can't be wrong. Good
night, Mr. Wilson".
An insolent laugh was the only answer, and Wilson
seemed disposed to let Willy go without further parley
but just at that moment the door-bell rang, announcing
some of the young men, and Wilson became suddenly desirous
of protracting a conversation which he deemed
capital fun, now that he was about to have auditors who
would not only join in the laugh raised at Burke's
expense, but would furnish their quota of wit and sarcasm,
on the absurdity of the Eomish doctrines.
Willy Burke was already ascending the stairs, on his
way to bed, when Wilson, running out of the sitting-room,
called after him at the top of his voice, while at the same
time he opened the door for two of his companions.
"Hold on there, Burke : what need for hurrying so ?
I want to hear something more about confession and the
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