shall see * * * * borne in mind, that not a single tract of these be done? Why, by acting our own part well, fifty three millions, from the bible down to and leaving results in the hands of Provithe most disgusting issues of the penny trash, dence. Our first duty then is to copy the which was not coolly and designedly written tactics of the enemy. We must take a leaf for the sole purpose of operating against from his book, we must learn a useful lesson the spread of Catholicity; and, further, from "the children of this world," and judithere is not one of them, whether emanating ciously turn it to our own advantage. from avowed infidelity or from the canting It appears to us that our first rehypocrisy of Tract and Bible Societies, that quirement in this movement is a greater does not contain open slander, direct misre-command of the press. We must have presentation, or naked falsehood, as a means a vastly greater command of the press. to attain the same unholy end. No man in We must extend our religious societies, his senses, who understands the subject, we must multiply our publications, and by would venture to contradict a single item means of our confraternities, directed by our among our assertions. Our enemies, in their prelates, and sustained by the munificence mis-begotten zeal, would glory in adopting of the good and charitable, we must circulate them. Our friends, in self-defence, must also these publications through every locality in admit them, and more, are bound to counter- the empire. Yes, and extend them to act the evil. But these statistics relate only foreign lands. Now let it not be said that to the year 1846. Perhaps old father time, we, in our poverty and paucity of numbers, in his course, has modified the curse. We cannot compete with our opponents, wallow-let us again have recourse to au- ing in wealth, and numerors beyond calculathority, and what better than that of a con- tion. Humanly speaking, it were cowardly sistent and implacable enemy. This rev. to shield ourselves under such admission; declaimer furnishes us with facts belonging as inheritors of the Faith, that evoked the to later periods. He saysenergies of St. Vincent de Paul, it were "The relative proportion, I trust, has largely apostacy to shrink from the task. Our very changed since that time. "The Tract Society has increased its enemies deprive us of any such apology; circulation nearly Five Millions. ** The refor they concede to us zeal, skill, and no ligious newspapers have increased since that time, and trifling share of power. Even this saucy we are not to forget the multitude of tracts, and ser- reviler, Weir, freely makes the confession, mons, and pamphlets in support of the great doctrines of Evangelical religion, which have been sent forth, saying, with apparent regret, "With regard either by other societies or by christian publishers, to Roman Catholic publications, I think they throughout the length and breadth of the land. Then, cannot match us in small tracts." Now, though we must rejoice that, in London a field for distribution this admission is shaded in doubt, we know has been opened up, which some time ago did not that we have not, as yet, matched them. exist, through the labours of the City Mission. By that Leaving zeal out of the question, we are their inferiors in energy; we lack their monetary Here is a fresh source of self-praise and means; and are totally wanting in point of orproud gratulation for the Rev. John Weir, ganization-they, therefore, far out-number and the Religious Tract Society. Here is a us in their fly-sheets and other publications; positive addition of twelve millions and a but we have this advantage, that ours are half of books and tracts to the evangelical more telling. Our periodicals abound in issue of former years, while an enormous truth, piety, and charity; theirs in cant, (unspecified) amount of "religious newspapers, hypocrisy, and all uncharitableness. Their religious tracts, sermons, and pamphlets," may labours are barren; ours fruitful. With the be appended to the ascertained number as funds of a nation at their command, they every man's fancy chooses to translate Mr. collect annually hundreds of thousands of Weir's vague word, "multitude." Now if the pounds, and distribute through the earth avowedly infidel press has advanced its pub- their millions of bibles, sermons, tracts, &c., lications in the proportion that marks the &c. But, we ask, what good has yet resulted progress of the canting tract society, and the from their ostentatious zeal and trumpetveracious and acute Mr. Weir does not tongued charity? One good alone-a comdoubt the fact, we have an addition of at mercial and mechanical good--the good least thirty millions of adverse publications done to the manufacturer, the artizan, the to add to the fifty-three millions issued in labourer. Beyond this, positively nothing. 1846; making an amount of eighty-three Their exertions have never yet let the light millions-half-avowedly infidel-half-cant-of truth into the mind of a pagan in foreign ingly evangelical-but all aiming at the des-lands. Nor has their zeal at home suctruction of Catholicity in every part of the ceeded in converting an Infidel or perverting globe. Now this is a fact that may not be a Catholic, even in "the back slums of Westblinked. It is an evil which must not be passed minster," where the Home Mission, through over in silence. On the contrary, it must be their bible readers and "antiquated female" boldly looked in the face, must be met in agents, distribute yearly their 7,000,000 of the spirit of Christian zeal, counteracted, and tracts, and where Catholicity and Infidelity ultimately conquered. But how is this to claim sole and undisputed possession. noble Society, seven millions and a half of tracts were distributed during the past year." Should any person be found to dispute our the ameliorations to be introduced among assertions, we refer him to Mr. Mayhew's the poorer classes. book on the London poor, and if the account By placing themselves at their commenceof the costermongers therein contained does not enlighten him, he must be sunk in the very slough of scepticism. ment under the invocation of St. Vincent of Paul, so as to obtain, through the intercession of that remarkable Servant of God, But that our limits deny us the pleasure, a few rays of the faith and charity with we would here refer to the labours of the which he was inspired, the Conference has society of St. Vincent de Paul, and to the clearly shown, that it was not by purely annals of the Propagation of the Faith, to theoretical studies, but by works, and solely shew the contrast between the results of the by works, according to the measure of its random-workings of Sectarians, and the weakness, that it could follow, even at a Divinely-directed energies of Catholicity; distance, the example of its Saintly Patron. where authority and obedience go hand in Its first assemblies took place in May hand, and where undisturbed harmony pre- 1833, and were composed of only eight vails, because, to the total exclusion of self- members; this, perhaps, was an advantage, love, every act aims at the greater honour inasmuch, owing to the paucity of the and glory of God. It will be our duty, associates, those familiar, cordial, simple however, in the course of our labours, fre- and affectionate habits were introduced, quently to refer to this subject. which, thank God, have never been lost sight of. Those who composed this primitive meeting, will, during their life-time, ever preserve a pleasing SOUVENIR of the friendship they then formed. A HISTORICAL NOTICE OF THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT OF PAUL. ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY-ITS DEVELOPMENT It may be easily imagined that these eight students were richer in charitable intentions, than in money, and the work would probably have failed, had they not been A literary Conference was held in Paris assisted by fortuitous circumstances. Their in 1833, in a house situated in the Latin first asylum was in the Rue du Petit-Bourbon Quarter, where religious and other ques- St. Sulpice, in the office of one of the tions were discussed by the youth of the periodicals of the day. Its columns were day, with all that vivacity peculiar to open to the literary essays of some of the young minds engaged in an intellectual members of the Conference, who thus found warfare; for the students frequently met to the means of supplying the insufficiency of discuss on questions connected with His- their alms, by handing over what they had tory, Literature, Philosophy, and, indeed, received for their articles, into the Poor all the great problems of the day. A con- Box. sequence resulting from these interviews, During the vacations, two months after was, that those among them, who had re- its formation, the Society reckoned fifteen tained their alleigance to the Catholic Faith, members; at the opening of term in Nov. resolved on openly professing it, and boldly | 1833, it held its assemblies in the Latin defending their creed against adverse Quarter, in the ancient house of Bonnes opinions. A common and beloved faith, Etudes. Its ranks were increased by a the power of religious sympathies, a sort of number of fresh members, especially by fraternity of arms, contracted by the habit young men from Lyons, one of the best of fighting under the same banner, had Dioceses in France. quickly united them in heart and soul, and In 1834 the Society felt sufficiently they had become friends before they had strong, to add a more painful and thankless even exchanged words of friendship. They office to the visiting the poor. Several of soon enquired, whether their faith ought its members visited the youthful prisoners not to be cemented by some work more confined in the jail in the Rue des Grès, and consolatory than controversy. They felt endeavoured to sow seeds of religion and assured that it behoved them to establish repentance in souls, stained by vice at a an Association altogether Christian, where period, when the passions are scarcely charity alone should preside, and the object developed. They found the majority of of which should be the worship of our Lord these poor children completely ignorant of JESUS CHRIST in the person of the poor. the elementary notions of religion, while Such was the idea, or rather the instinct others were a prey to a refined species of of the Association whence our first Con- impiety; atheists at fifteen, complete ference emanated. It preserved this latter masters of the philosophical systems of the denomination, which in the Latin Quarter day, answering the questions of the cateis solely used for the assembly of young chism with the impious flippancy of Voltaire. men for study; their object would be en- Notwithstanding the little consolation retirely misunderstood, were it to be supposed sulting from their labors, they continued that it was solely to discuss on charity, and weekly their ungrateful task, until the youthful criminals were removed from the Rue des Grès to the prison of Madelonnettes, at the other extremity of Paris. There is every reason to hope that their efforts were not in vain. Necrology. We reccommend to the prayers of the Conferences the following members recently dead: M. Rene Gaudon, Treasurer of Conference, M. Pasguier, active member, Ancennis THE INHERITANCE OR THE SISTER OF CHARITY. we shall In 1835, the number of the members of the Society being nearly one hundred, they were compelled to divide themselves into two sections; this was not however done without a lengthened deliberation; for in addition to the grief felt in interrupting the friendship already formed, it was apprehended that it might weaken their strength, and utility; the spirit of unity and christian fraternity. Nevertheless it was essentially necessary that the change should be made. Partial Conferences were held for some time in two rooms attached to the IT was the depth of a severe winter in the house of Bonnes Etudes, in the Parish of year 1838, and the pale cold moonbeams St. Etienne du Mont; one of them was then shed a silvery tint on the red brick walls removed to the Parish of St. Sulpice, and and pointed casement windows of an shortly afterwards two other branches ancient English mansion situated in the opened in the Parishes of Notre Dame de county of Cumberland, which Bonne Nouvelle and St. Philippe du Roule. designate as Ellersley Hall. All nature On the day that the Conference of Charity, reposed in calmness and peace, the hoar established at Paris, determined to divide frost glistened like diamonds, myriads of itself into several sections or particular stars sparkled in the cloudless sky, and Conferences, the Society received a fresh all without was silent as the grave. impulse. The less numerous Assemblies Yet ever and anon a wail, as of one in adopted their primitive friendship, each deep distress, a moan of mortal anguish individual Conference became a common struck upon the ear; a foot-fall sounded on centre, where recruits were easily made, the crisp snow, and the wayfarer pressed and where also the zeal increased in pro- his hand to his ear, as though he would portion to fresh wants. New Conferences shut out the sound of those distressing were gradually formed in different quarters, moans; again and again they broke on the and the Society, which in 1835 had only calm stillness of the night, and lights were four Conferences, established in the Parishes now seen in the upper apartments of the of Paris and the Faubourgs, now reckons mansion as if moved hastily to and fro; the fifty Conferences, in Paris and the Fau- stranger now paused at the gate of the bourgs. lodge, and hastily ringing the heavy bell, ejaculated: (To be continued.) "May heaven in mercy spare the proud TO OUR READERS IN GENERAL AND lady of Ellersley yet a little longer, weighty THE MEMBERS OF ST. VINCENT which doubtless, she wishes to relieve of its matters must press upon her conscience, DE PAUL SOCIETY IN PARTICULAR load ere she enters on eternity." In consequence of the late arrival of the As these thoughts passed through the translations from the Society of St. Vincent mind of the priest, for such he was, the de Paul we were forced to go to press with- gate was opened by the porter, on whose out them. Happily, however, one form only features consternation and dismay were had been worked off, and we availed our visibly depicted, and he whispered in the selves of the circumstance to displace other matter and give them insertion. Our arrangement has been thereby disordered. Hereafter every article will appear in its proper place. CONFERENCES AGGREGATED IN SARDINIA.-Three. BELGIUM.-Two. TUSCANY.-One. ear of Father Hubert as he led him to the house, "This is an awful death; some heavy burthen must press on my Lady's conscience; it is dreadful to hear her groans: and, to make things worse, my master is absent from the hall." Father Hubert replied not, but followed the female servant who now came forward to lead the way, and with a hasty step threaded the long galleries which separated them from the apartments of Mrs. Travers. And now that venerable priest stood in the chamber of death, that chamber in which nothing that wealth could purchase or IRELAND-Dundalk; One. Randalstown; luxury desire had been spared to increase One. its elegant adornments. The bed was vacant; a horrible fear, like unto that which fear, he had entered her room only when she seized the terror-stricken mind of the guilty lay in the agonies of death; that some heavy Elizabeth of England, had witheld the dying burthen pressed on her conscience there lady from entering it; and crossing to the was indeed no doubt: her last words rushed further end of the apartment, the priest upon his mind; the pearl casket after which beheld her reclining on a couch, supported she had so earnestly enquired, and which by pillows, the snowy covering of which was Emeline had said contained papers over not whiter than her countenance. One which she had often bent with mournful glance told the good Father that his minis- earnestness, ever carefully treasuring them try, on her regard, was useless; and as he up, was nowhere to be found; and it was gazed on her altered and haggard features, evident that in connection with it there was her wasted form enveloped in a black velvet some mystery which perhaps, would now robe, her once raven tresses now profusely never be unfolded. He recalled to his mixed with grey, and which in her agony had memory the days of her early youth, when escaped from beneath her cap of pointed she was as innocent and good as she was fair. lace, memory carried him back to years He had known Kathleen Stainston from long since past away, when she was poor, infancy, and had placed her as governess in but good-kind and virtuous as she was the house of a family with whom he was on beautiful-as he approached that couch of terms of intimacy. He saw in her much to pain, a frightful convulsion passed over her admire, yet how much to condemn; he perfeatures, and she faintly murmured, "Too|ceived a stain in her character; which proved late, too late;"-then with an almost super- the bane of her after life, he knew that she human effort, she raised herself on her was proud and ambitious, that she looked couch, and feebly whispered to a young girl, down with scorn on the humble state in who had been wiping the heavy dews of death which it was her lot to move. He saw that from the forehead of the sufferer, "Emeline, her lofty mind and her high spirit aspired -yonder cabinet,--the pearl casket-take to move among the wealthy and the great, this key," she gasped forth, drawing a small that with this exception there was much to key from the folds of her robe. Again applaud, yet still he felt if not curbed and the agonies of death stopped her utterance; restrained, it might have a lamentable effect it was the last struggle of expiring nature; on her temporal and eternal happiness. her head sank heavily on her bosom, and the spirit of the ambitious and proud lady had passed from its mortal tenement. Then he bethought him of her departure from the roof of one who, though Kathleen would not own it to herself, had been to her In obedience to her commands, Emeline the truest and the best of friends. On losing had quitted her side, and hastily opened the young Kathleen, the Christian wife and the cabinet, the pearl casket was however, mother had dared to speak the language of not in its customary place; and on her admonition, but her haughty spirit writhed returning to make known its loss, one even under the reproofs of Father Hubert, glance at the lifeless countenance of Mrs. was it then to be supposed that she would Travers, told her that she was no more. tamely listen to the warning voice of one who, most meek and humble herself, wished to treat her as her child rather than a dependant, and who dreamed not how she was irritating beyond endurance the high minded girl who at last hated, where she ought to have loved? In sorrowing grief stood the fair orphan beside that cold inanimate thing; truly the deceased lady had oftentimes been a hard task-mistress, yet she was the only friend the forlorn Emeline had ever known; and she thought not of her harsh uneven temper, of her proud and haughty bearing, or that Kathleen had been the child of adversity, there had been moments when she had alas! that she had not made a better use of made her bitterly feel her dependant state; the lessons taught in its stern school. she remembered only that there had been Gifted by nature with a fascinating exterior, times when this strange woman's heart had and endowed with mental powers far beyond appeared to turn towards her with some-the generality of her sex; blessed, too, thing of maternal affection, and in spite of ere she yielded herself up the willing slave the attempted efforts at consolation on the part of the good priest, her tears fell thick and fast on the pale corpse over which she bent. Desirous of awaiting the return of Mr. Travers, who was momentarily expected at Ellersley Hall, Father Hubert descended to the library, and was soon lost in his own painful reveries. Unshriven, unabsolved, the soul of the deceased lady had been hurried suddenly away; with regard to the future, the priest well knew there must be much cause for of pride and ambition, with a generous and affectionate heart, she seemed a being fit to captivate the minds of others. Had her lot been cast among the educated and polished classes of society, she would have been courted and caressed; her beauty and accomplishments would, doubtless, have been the theme of every tongue; but Providence ordained it otherwise, and, before Father Hubert had introduced the young girl into the house of his friend, necessity had made her a resident, for two years, in the home of vulgar and ignorant upstarts. Her spirit, however, was far from being | heiress to large property situated in Cumcrushed by the base treatment she daily berland; she had no tie on earth save her received, treatment which the very menials husband, whose family were wealthy, and were spared, as the petty insolences of she formed in her own mind the benevolent rude ungovernable children, were not want- intention, should the Major, as was exing; indeed under such circumstances they pected, be called to India, to invite Kathleen seldom are, for children are apt imitators. to become her companion, as her own delicate She grew then more proud and haughty day state of health could not stand an eastern by day, she could not give vent to her climate. It was about this time, however, wounded feelings in vain complaints to that Father Hubert had removed Kathleen ill-judging parents, for she was a destitute to the house of his friend, in which she was orphan, but she silently bit her lips till the treated as the elder sister of the children blood well nigh started, and though once rather than as their governess. Since that gentle and loving, she now hated deeply period, time, in his rapid course, had acthose who tormented her. complished many and wonderful revoluCholera, in the space of a few weeks had tions, and the good priest now sat in the deprived her of both her parents, and two study of Ellersley Hall lost in those painful months only had elapsed since their deaths reveries which the solemn occasion had when she was engaged by Mrs. Lacy, to summoned up. He thought how the once educate her five daughters, at the yearly gentle nature of his protegeé had been so stipend of twenty-three pounds, for which soon turned into gall and bitterness. He she was expected to impart to them those recalled her wilful departure from the acquirements and accomplishments in which home in which his care had placed her, she excelled, and which she had attained of her introduction amongst the fashionable, through much toil on her own part, and a and wealthy, where her beauty and acliberal expenditure on that of her deceased complishments were the admiration of all father. In these altered circumstances, it in whose society she moved; and his kind was not unnatural that her spirits were low, heart rejoiced in the thought that she had and at times her tears would check her utter-passed through the furnace with her moral ance. Mrs. Lacy was not slow in perceiv- character unscathed. When last he had ing that she wept much, for in the morning seen her, now twenty years since, she was her swollen eyes revealed the sad truth. in the full blaze of youth and beauty; one Really Miss Stainston," said the amiable point of her ambition had been gained; she lady on one occasion, after having heard had attained a position in society; she from two of her daughters who shared the moved amidst the rich and gay, and was the sleeping apartment with Kathleen, that she bride of an eminent and wealthy merchant. had been sobbing bitterly in the night. But time wore away; the snows, as we Really you must not give way to low have said, of twenty winters had silvered spirits, if people are unhappy who are the head of Father Hubert, and though situated as you are, they must learn not to he never again saw Kathleen, till he stood show it, and not obtrude their griefs on that night in the chamber of death, yet he those with whom they reside:" a faint glow often heard her spoken of as a wealthy, tinged the pale cheek of Kathleen, she but haughty and imperious woman. answered not, but she hated the more knew too that she had thrown aside her deeply. In the free indulgence of prideful faith, that precious boon which had passion she contrasted her position with been all in all to her in the home of her that of the servants. 66 66 The housemaid had her resource, she was not thus hardly treated, the very lowest menials were envied by the orphan girl; they could easily, were they dissatisfied, exchange their place for another; but Kathleen well knew that the market was overstocked with governesses, and that if she left her hard situation, she might starve ere she could obtain another. He parents, in the early days of misfortune, was too irksome in its practices for the now wealthy and dissipated lady. Report said, that within a short period of her marriage, Kathleen had inherited a rich estate through the death of her friend, Mrs. Woodville. After their union, Mr. Travers retired from business, and, with his lady, to the astonishment of the gay world, forsook the west end of the metropolis for the elegant seclusion of Ellersley Hall. Thus then passed on two weary years, affording her only one alleviation, which From that time Father Hubert had heard she sometimes experienced, in the visits of them no more till the period at which our which a wealthy and fashionable lady of the tale opens, when a hasty summons from name of Woodville, paid at the house, the lady had hurried him immediately from Mr. Lacy being on intimate terms with London; yet, during the years which had Major Woodville. Mrs. Woodville was elapsed, at times the fair countenance of a kind-hearted affectionate woman. Since Kathleen as she was in the days of her her marriage which had taken place only youth, when she was good and virtuous, a few months before Kathleen became rose ever and anon before his mind's eye; acquainted with her, she had become the and he was wont to think that it would |