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

32 WILLY BURKE; OR,
succeeding in the world by early embracing the enlightened
views and doctrines of Protestantism ? I can assure
you, my worthy Mrs. Burke, eh ? (the widow
curtsied in silence) that Popery is not the thing for this
age or country ; and if you wish your son to prosper in the
world, you will rather urge him to pass into the brighter
days of Gospel truth".
" Well, sir", said Mrs. Burke, modestly, yet firmly,
" it may be all true what you say ;
but all his forebearers,
since the days of St, Patrick, have lived an' died Catholics,
an' so will he, with God's help. I 'm a poor, ignorant
woman, sir, as regards the larnin' of this world ; but
in the matther of religion I know my duty to myself an*
my children, an' with God's help I '11 do it ; for, let us be
poor or rich in this world, it '11 be all the same at the hour
of death, an' we '11 never be so foolish as to give up our
religion for sake of the poor perishable things o' this
wicked world".
" Yes, but, poor, misguided creature", went on Mr.
Watkins, " how do you know that your religion is right
after all ? Confessedly unlearned as you are, and I suppose
totally unacquainted with the Holy Scripture, how
can you tell whether you are in the way of salvation or
not?"
" Why, sir, I b'lieve what the Church proposes to me,
an' I 'm sure there 's no other safe guide on earth. Christ
Himself is with her all days, and will be till the end—an'
so she can't be wrong".
" Well, well", said Mr. Watkins, peevishly, " I see the
priests teach their dupes some little Scripture, just what
it suits them to bring forward ; but this is mere loss of
time. Settle with this pious woman, Mrs. Watkins (and