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.. Surely. no one; for force is emp’
Vol. 1X.—No. 44.
Philadelphia, Thursday, November 4, 1841.
THE CATHOLIC HERALD
“18 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY
OO M. FITIIAN,
No. 61 North Second Street, Philadelphia.
' Terms.—Three Dollars per annum, payable half yearly
‘in advance, Five Dollars will be received for 2 copies, or
copy for two years. All arrearages must be settled prior to
ordering a paper to be discontinued, All Communications,
except from ‘Agents, or Subscribers enclosing remittances,
must be. post paid, and. addressed * ‘I'o the Editor of the
Catholic Herald, ,Philadglphia, Pa.”
se + Poetry.
From the Christian Mirror.
os Se MOTHER, WILL YOU PRAY?"
“© A truly affecting and ‘instructive incident,’ which can’ hardly fail
to come home to one's bosoin wish salutary force.
“ Mother,” said a little sick son. about four years of age, # will
you pray I can’t say * Our Father’ now”
. os Pray, mother, pray, for my failing tongue
Forme not the words that erst on it hung;
* But quick, as yet, iv my wiiling ear
‘The music-voice of prayer to hear.
J cannot say “ Our Father,” now,
« Bat feel His name upon my brow,
“As with your warm lips moving there,
: You breathe the words of that holy prayer.
And now, dear mother, repeat once more
What you have told me oft before,
How, in the path’ that Hannah trod,
“You bore me up to the house of God—
And with like faith how you gave away
Ate, your first-born, that I might slay
A servant unto God, forever—
And how your heart has faltered never.
3
°F Mother, weet mother ! closer fold
Your arms around me—and closer hold
°° My hand in yours—for I would be
Close, in this dying hour, to thee.
For well L know the “ Reaper” has come 5
8S And how sad you will be when his work is done!
Tears, my mother ! of do not weep,
+. Bat press to my lips your pale, sad cheek 5
” aud once more around your dear neck lay »
“s My arm, while its young strength ebbs away.
nay ete
. You taught me to took with a steadfast eye .
S Powards the mansivns Lis love hath prepared on high;
You taught ine to kneel, and with wrestling prayer,
\« Plead for a home with the blessed, there /
~ And L hare knelt at your side. till faith
“> Is strung to meet the Congueror, Death.
1... Oh weep no moce—but iift your, eyes?
\., Beet the opening gutes of Paradise!
< And look ! oh muther! they come! they come!
That angel band to guide me home!—
How fast they fade, earth's last dim rays!
Ob, pray no more—but praise! praise! praise!
A Morir.
"Free Witt.—" Since itis God who calls, and of
“himself ealls us to purifieation, and, justice, and sane-
‘tification, and redemption, and grace, and gifts, and to
enjoyments which eye hath not seen, nor. ear heard,
what exeuse can be offered fot, those who do: not em-
brace the invitation? Let no one throw the blame on
“God: for their unbelief is not owing to Him who
calls them, but to them who withdraw from him. You
say, he should have drawn thea to him even against
their will., . God forbid. , He does not offer violence,
nor does he force the will. :-Who is: it that calls. men
against their will and drags them in chains to honors,
and crowns, and banquets, and festive assemblies ?
loyed against evil
doers, . He casts the wicked against their will into
hell; but he invites men to come to his kingdom wil
lingly and cheerfully. But how ‘does. it happen i at
all do not choose to come? - Tt must be attributed to
the weakness of their will... Why does he not remove
this weakness? . Tell me how and by what means he
should do so. Has he not made the visible creation 10
Proclaim his gooduess and powerl.? The heavens de-
clare the glory of God.’ Did he not send his prophets?
Did he not call and honor then? Did he not perform
miracles? Did he not’ give the written and natural
Jaw? Did, he not send his Son and his’ Apostles?
Did he not give signs? Didthe not theaten us’ with
hell?” Does he not promise heaven? | Does he not
make his sun rise daily 2 Are not his commandments
80 easy that many on accuuut of the excellency’ of
their (christian) wisdom go beyond the rigor of the
precept? . What should | have done to my vineyard
{which have not done,”— St, Chrysostom, hem. ii.
in ep, ad Cor. 1, ¢. 1.
From the Dublin Review.
‘THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH
' BOOKS OF READING LESSONS,
Compiled by the Christian Brothers.’ Powell: Dublin.
We have tv congratulate the Catholic body en the
appearance of these admirable works, which, from the
Ist book to the 4th, present to the system of education
adopted by the brothers of the Christian doctrine, and
“|awhich are so framed as to keep pace with the gradual
development of the powers of the human mind, in the
course of instruction afforded in the Christian schools,
The first and second ‘books of lessons, which com-
menee With the alphabet, proceed by gentle gradations
to instruct the child in the art of reading short and
simple ‘stories; but that which renders these little
books so instrveting in the system adopted at the com-
meneement of each lesson of arranging the principal
words which occur in the lesson under the appropriate
heads of Names, Quaxities, and Actions, ‘I'his sys-
tem enables a child not only to learn the common and
ordinary reading lessons, but at the same time to ac+
quire from the beginning of his instruction, a know-
ledge of the various parts of speech, and to combine
them. ‘The plan is perfectly original; the lessens
,| themselves tens to the enlightenment of the mind, and
the improvement of the heart.
The third book consists of lessons, corresponding
in matier and arrangement with the volumes previous-
ly published, but adapted to the study and use of those
who have mastered ‘the first two’ books, and conse-
quently appertaining to athigher class of scholars,
The following appeal to the pupils of-the Christian
schools, which occurs in the preface to the third book,
is peculiarly just and affecting. ,
* Ainoug the moral and religious pieces in prose and
poetry, the pupils of the Christian schools: will re-
cognise the’ effusions of one whose voice once sup-
pled the lessons now furnished by his writings, and
whose living exanple impressed the moral which his
memory must illustrate for, the future.’ “The look of
attention, and the tone of benevolence in which these
lessons were conveyed will indeed be missed, but his
spirit will still speak to the hearts of those over who
he bent with more than parental soliciiude.”” © \’
In the fourth series, the brothers have, to use the
language of theie preface, “been careful to intermingle
the grave with the pleasing,—the: eloquent with the
useful,—the facts and principles of science with the
truths of religion : consnlting alike for the moral and
intell | faculties, and preventing the weariness that
might result from an unvaried continuity of the’ sane
topics.” This series extends over nearly 400 printed
pages, and itembodies winder appropriate divisions ;—
Ist. Rettciovs Lessons, consisting of some of the
most approved articles, extracted from ‘the ‘works of
Fenelon, Bossuet,’ Chateaubriand, Massillon, Dr.
Machale, Dr. Wiseman, Dr. Murray, Abbe MacCarthy,
Pageal, Abbé Murray, Gerbert, Dr. Doyle, &c. Qdly.
Science, consisting of selections from Sir J, W. Her-
schel, Arnott, Modie,: Brand, Somervilie, La’ Place,
Nichols, Dick, &c., and affording instruction valuable
even to the great majority of adults of both sexes, in
the wonders of science, the atmosphere, ‘mechanics,
natura philosophy, illusions of sense, the solar system,
astronomy, eleciricity, light, heat, thé steam-engine,
&e, 3ily. Hisroricat Lessons, consisting of selec-
tions from Lingard, Bercastel, Chateaubriand, Moores
Pere Geramb, ©. Butler, Carne, ‘Abbe “Maury, Grat-
tan, &e. Athly. Natpaat History, including able
and well selected descriptions of metals, and their Pro:
perties and nses, thly.” MisceLtaNcous Lessons,
embodying myst pseful, emtertajnings and valuable in-
formation, on nearly all the subjects interesting to us as:
Christians and social beings, aad concluding with nu-
merous chaste and beautiful poetical Icssons, extracted
from the works of the most approved ‘modern poets.
Nor should we pass from the description of this delight-
ful and instructive book, without. noticing the very ad-)
mirable tables which itcontains of the prefixes, affixes,
and roots of words, which are so framed, as, frow a
few choice and easy examples, to fix inthe mind a
knowledge of the originof English words, and of the
languages, from which, according ‘to their formation,’
they canbe at‘once shown to have ‘been’ originally
taken, whether Saxon,'Latin, Greek, &c. i
‘This class-book we recommend not only as excel-
lentia the great object of instruction, but as an ele-
gant, and, we think, neccesary volume for every library,
From Mores Cathulici; or, Ages of Faith.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION,
However, the sentiments which seem generally ta
prevail with the moderns on, the subject of, youthful
virtue, are rather lower. than above. the standard un-
folded by Cicero in this cele»rated Oration, Leaving
them to argue in support of their respective views, [
luro to contemplate the lives of the young ander the
influence of religion, in Catholic ages, and to produce
examples which will shew with what peculiar justice
the Christian poet might exclaim with Chaucer,
Sweet is the holiness of youth.
Bat to introduce these, a few observations .may be
needful. In the first place, then, let it be remembered
thatthe mind ofthe young must ever be devoted either
to an idea or to sense, either to an object of faith, (and
youth is peculiarly qualified : for possessing : faith.) or
to that visible form of gaod which ministers to animal!
excitement.:: Tl the citsdels of the souls of ‘the young
be left void of pure’ and’ noble images,-they will be
taken possession of by those that are contrary to them:
if not guarded by the bright symbols of beauteous and
eternal things, error and death, moral death, with all
its process of jntellectnal degradation, will plant their
pale flag there, ; The best guards, Socrales said, are
in the thoughts of men who are toved by God." > But
if the young are not guests at» the sacred banquet of
pure and angelic spirits, they will go to the Lotousea-
ters, and dwell with: them: in-stupid sensuality, As
with the intellectual direction, so itis with the’ man-
ners and intercourse of youth—for, these will ever he
directed after one or other of two types—either by the
spirit of sweetness and love, or by that: of jinsolence
and malignity. All systems of education that are merely
human, and under the guidance of rationalism, wiil ever
nourish and fortify, when they do not even recognise
and extol the latter ; for being formed on merely natu-
ral principles, all that belongs ‘to man’s ‘uokindness
will have free scope to be developed ‘and ‘exercised
within their dominion; and therefore cruel mucking,
dissipation, disobedience, tyranny, and the will and
ability to oppress weaker companions will entitle the
youth who has sufficient tact, to know how far precisely
these qualities may be exercised with the applause of
animal minds, to the enviable character of possexsing a
manly spirit: He will discover too, that his father may
have only one desire respecting him, like that of Jason,
in the tragedy, whose sole prayer for his sons is, that
he may see them grown to’ manhood, well, nourished
and vigorous, that they may be a defence to him agains
his enemies. In stndies also, emulation will be carried
to an excess which renders the youthful mind obnoxious
to allthe worst attendants on ambition.’. So that, under
these modern systems, while educa ‘to
victory, their victory, as Socrates says, will often uns
dothe work of ‘education ; for, through ry, many
are rendered insolentand obnoxious to a thousand evils,
And education, that which deserves the name of educa:
tion, “is never Cadmeian; butmany victories are and
will be such tomen.”” In days of old chivalry, the place
fora tournament‘ was generally selected in‘a part
which had the city on one side and‘ a’ forest on the
other, ‘The vanquished knight is generally’ represented
as quitting the scene of his humiliation, and hastening.
to the forest, to afford him the shelter which was the
object in view when making this particular disposition
of the lists; and during the same ‘period jt was the con-
br:
Whole Number 460. :.
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