friend, as well as because he was preparing to go to his religious
duties on the morrow. Let it not be said that it was superstition in
Paul to thank God so fervently for having permitted him once more to
converse with his priest. What can be imagined a more worthy cause for
thanksgiving than the meeting with a true friend? What better gift can
we receive from God than a friend? And who ever, in need, has failed to
find the good priest a friend in all emergencies?




CHAPTER XI.

VAN STINGEY AGAIN.--HOW HE GETS RICH AND ENDS.


After a year or two in office, our friend Van Stingey found Fortune
rather adverse to him, a thing not unusual with the worshippers of that
fickle goddess; for not only was he put out of office by the influence
of the "furren" vote thrown against him, but his farther promotion even
in the church became almost problematical. His was now a rather
unpleasant situation. He was not only defeated at the ballot box by the
"Irish element," according as Mrs. Doherty foretold, but he was in
disgrace with many of his regular church-going brethren. This latter
trial was caused by the well-known fact that a negro girl, who was put
under this _religious_ man's care by the abolitionists, and who was now
two years in his family, had just given birth to a young mulatto child
in his house. Yes, and worse; the miserable yellow thing not only was
born, and in health, under the roof of this _religious teacher_, but he
was mortified to find that it had his very nose on its face, and could