"O, that alters the case. Why did you not say so at first? and you
should have had it and welcome. It will be ready in no time. Hitch on to
that new, light cutter in the shed, Sam," said he to the hostler.

"Ya, ya," said Sam; and in five minutes the priest and his guide were
again proceeding on their charitable mission. They reached their
destination about two o'clock in the night, just one hour before the
death of her on whose account they had come such a journey. Father
O'Shane--poor old gentleman!--suffered terribly; had his ears
frostbitten, and two of his fingers frozen. But no matter; a soul was to
be saved, and that consideration alleviated all his sufferings, and
rendered him dead to every thing--cold, pain, watchings, hunger, thirst,
and weariness; nay, even death itself was but a trivial, inadequate
price to be paid by a mortal man to gain an immortal soul to Christ and
eternal happiness.

"'Tis an awful night, reverend sir," said O'Leary. "I fear we can't go
ahead."

"What matter, O'Leary," said Father O'Shane, "as we reached in time?
What is this night and all its violence compared with the sufferings of
a poor soul in the next world? All I regret is that you did not send me
in the sick call sooner. All is well, however; she was perfectly
conscious, and, I hope, worthily received all the rites of religion.
Hold up! you will rest well to-night, your conscience at ease, after
having been engaged in such a meritorious act of charity."

In nothing does the church of God manifest the divinity of her origin
and mission more than in the care which she bestows on her children, the
adopted brethren of Jesus Christ, at the awful hour of death. She