priest with a bit of cloth, quite roughly.

I went home with some qualms of conscience, and often thought with dread
of the following tale, which I have heard told to illustrate the
sinfulness of conduct like mine.

A priest was once travelling, when, just as he was passing by a house,
his horse fell on his knees, and would not rise. His rider dismounted,
and went in to learn the cause of so extraordinary an occurrence. He
found there a woman near death, to whom a priest was trying to
administer the sacrament, but without success; for every, time she
attempted to swallow it, it was thrown back out of her mouth into the
chalice. He perceived it was owing to unconfessed sin, and took away the
holy wafer from her: on which his horse rose from his knees, and he
pursued his journey.

I often remembered also that I had been told, that we shall have as many
devils biting us, if we go to hell, as we have unconfessed sins on our
consciences.

I was required to devote myself for about a year, to the study of the
prayers and the practice of the ceremonies necessary on the reception of
a nun. This I found a very tedious duty; but as I was released in a
great degree from the daily labors usually demanded of novices, I felt
little disposition to complain.




CHAPTER VI.