Then, too, we have had trouble at home.
"My grandfather became more bigoted than ever, and would, if he had the
power, have annihilated every Catholic in Ireland. My father and he had
frequent quarrels, and I was in daily expectation of an open breach
between them, and of my father giving up his share of the property, and
taking us to England. He was a backslider, in my grandfather's eyes. The
tales of battle, plunder, and murder seemed to have taken the latter back
to his own fighting days; and he was rather inclined to consider the
generals as lukewarm, than to join in the general indignation at their
atrocious conduct.
"Even the sufferings of the Protestants did not seem to affect him. The
Lord's work, he said, cannot be carried on without victims. It horrified
me to hear him talk. If this was the religion of our fathers, I was fast
coming to the conclusion that it was little better than no religion at
all.
"I think my father and mother saw it in the same light, and the breach
between them and my grandfather daily widened. But I have not told you
the worst, yet. A party of cavalry rode up the other day, and were about,
as usual, to seize upon some cattle. My father was out, and my
grandfather stepped forward and asked them 'how they could lay it to
their consciences to plunder Protestants when, a mile or two away, there
were Catholics lording it over the soil--Catholics whose husbands and
sons were fighting in the ranks of the army of James Stuart?'
"I was in the house with my mother, but we heard what was said; and she
whispered to me to slip out behind, and find my father, and tell him what
was being done.
Pages:
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348