them. We have already a beginning in the house of the strict Dominican recluses of Newark, whose great founder has his feast two days later, on Saturday, the 4th. St. Dominic is also known to every Catholic heart, for he has given us the Rosary of our dear Mother.

The next day, Sunday, the 5th, is the feast of Our Lady of the Snows, or rather of the church the site of which was miraculously determined back in the early times of Christianity by a fall of snow in the heats of August. We know what snows are, though not in the dog-days. But we desire to have Christ's Mother for our own at all times. In winter we sang:

Gone is the glory of the vine,

And dead the lily and the rose;

But still she smiles from out her shrine

Our Lady 'mid the snows.

So in August we ring the changes:

And now, as once amid the snows,

With prayer I hail the morning hours,

Where still she smiles-the mystic Rose

Our Lady 'mid the flowers.

The new Saint of this year, John Berchmans, was a true child of Mary, from the time when he consecrated his whole life to her while yet a child in her sanctuary of Montaigu to the day when he died a young religious, not yet a priest, in the Roman College. It was the 13th of August, the day of his feast; this first year of his canonization it falls on Monday. His prayer was always that he might receive, "through the most powerful intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, the threefold grace"-of which we also all stand in need,—“ angelic purity, perseverance in the calling to which God has brought us, and a teachable disposition for performing its duties."

On Sunday, the 19th, is the feast of St. Joachim, who was the Father of the Blessed Virgin, and therefore devout to her with a mingled reverence and affection which we can scarcely imagine. To him we must pray for our Holy Father Leo XIII., whose name-patron he is.-Monday, the following day, is sacred to St. Bernard, the sweet-tongued herald of the praises of the Mother of Jesus. He showed forth in all his life and words how one cannot

love the Son truly without being filled with the most tender affection for so good a Mother. From his words and those of the great thinker St. Augustine, whose feast is a few days later— Tuesday of the next week, the 28th,-has been made up the beloved prayer known from its first word as the Memorare.

Remember, Mary, tenderest-hearted Mother, how from of old the ear hath never heard that he who ran to thee for refuge, implored thy help, and sought thy prayers, was forsaken of God. Virgin of virgins, Mother, emboldened by this confidence, I fly to come, and in thy presence I a weeping sinner stand. Word Incarnate, oh, cast not away my prayer, but in thy pity hear and answer!

Amen.

thee, to thee I Mother of the

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the 23d, there has been the feast of St. Philip Beniti, of the order of the Servites of the Blessed Virgin Mary, noted for devotion to her Seven Sorrows. The Seven Holy Founders of his order have been canonized this very year, giving an example of merchants of a great and worldly city turned by God's grace into contemplative Saints. This is as wonderful as St. Ives the Lawyer!.

Next to the last day of the month, the 30th, comes our own American St. Rose of Lima, taken by our Lord as the " Spouse of His Heart;" and on the last day there is St. Raymond Nonnatus, of our Lady's order of Mercy for the redemption of captives. How many now are in a worse captivity to sin and unbelief than were those of old times to the Moors and heathen?

The Patrons of the Promoters of our League for this month are St. Dominic, the Saint of the Rosary,—and, on Tuesday, the 21st, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, the Foundress, along with St. Francis de Sales, of the order of the Visitation, in which God chose for His work of the Sacred Heart the Blessed Margaret Mary. So our Promoters and Associates can all claim a share in the glories of Mary in this golden month of August. They have now enrolled in their Rosary bands the 2d degree of this universal League of the Sacred Heart, which is a true Apostleship of Prayer, as its name declares, -over 150,000 American Associates. These have all promised to be faithful to their daily decade of the beads, and are all visited by their Promoters and receive from them the little tickets which serve as a bulletin for the commending of their wants to prayers. Even supposing that many are unfaithful, which will not be the

case where the League is properly organized, we have daily more than 1,000,000 Hail Maries here in America alone. What is the number throughout the world from nearly 5,000,000 Associates of this degree?

But we must not forget our Lady's own great feasts of August. The first is that of her glorious Assumption into heaven after her blessed death. Amid all the lessening of feasts which the ever encroaching spirit of the world obliges us to make, the Assumption remains still a holy-day of obligation. It is the anniversary of the day when, in 1646, Father Jogues and Renéthe future martyrs of Auriesville-were brought thither to be tortured by the Indians.

The second Sunday after is celebrated in many places as the feast of the most Pure Heart of Mary. For the high meaning of this feast, so dear to all the servants of the Sacred Heart of her Divine Son, we can do nothing better than set down here the words of St. Mechtilde, written in her monastery six hundred years ago and The same warmth of love beats now as then in Catholic

more. hearts.

"While they were singing in the choir- Within thou art clothed with gold-the heart of the Blessed Virgin opened itself to me, and two bright rays issued forth which filled both the choirs with light. It was granted me to greet the gracious heart of the glorious Virgin in these seven points, in which she was the most useful to us above all other hearts after Christ :

"First, in the desire which she had above all the Patriarchs and Prophets for the birth of Christ;

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Second, in her love, because by love she was made the most tender and humble Mother of God ;

"Third, in her motherly pity and sweetness, with which she so lovingly nourished the Child Jesus;

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Fourth, in her careful keeping of the words of Christ; "Fifth, in her example of patience during Christ's passion ; "Sixth, in her unceasing prayers and desires for the Church; "Seventh, in that which she daily perfecteth in heaven before the Father and Son and Holy Ghost, by promoting our desires."

To the Immaculate Heart of Mary, therefore, our League confides its Apostleship of Prayer, that she may promote our desires, in union with the Heart of Jesus pleading.

O

CATECHISM.

URS was a factory town, such as Massachusetts boasts of having in unlimited numbers. We were a hard-working, hard-brained community, living amidst steam and coal-gas, the music of heaving machinery and the din of crowded work-rooms; a people whose love of money was waging a constant warfare with their love of home, and who in a strike would reduce their families to starvation, in true Northern fashion, "to stick it out to the end."

Catholicity had early penetrated into this wilderness of towering chimneys; and somehow even the genius of knowledge had caught and maintained a firm hold on the smoke-bedimmed ideas of the town authorities, but not till after a long and windy discussion in which the pros waxed loud and numerous while the cons were few and faint. In a short while the town was possessed of a thriving, well-attended school, under the management of-an atheist teacher!

It may or it may not be strange, but the successful teacher was a woman, and a finer specimen of her sex and profession could hardly be found. The only blemish visible in the school mistress was her God-annihilating, heaven-destroying principles. Her sole opponent was Father Francis, but his opposition had the double force of a battering-ram and a mitrailleuse. Father Francis' brain worked twenty-four hours a day on the all-important subject. God on Sunday, and no God on Monday! Monstrous! This was a state of things not to be endured.

The

But how remove the evil? Suggestions were numerous. lady might be converted to Catholicity, or at least disabused of her unbelieving notions; or again, the pastor might set up an opposition school; or he might read a lecture to the "burgomaster and court."

The last two were impracticable. Father Francis possessed not a farthing, and his congregation, even if made to view the situation in the right light, had not the necessary funds. As to lecturing the town council, that was out of the question; infidelity was more tractable and easier to overcome than the hatred and fury of bigotry. Something, however, must be done: inactivity meant destruction to his flock. Again and again Father Francis revolved the matter in his mind.

Yes, conversion was the best and cheapest means; and if it would not effect everything, some good must come of it.

And now for the attack. Father Francis has called at Miss Ireson's, and is waiting to encounter her who is the cause of all his anxiety and of all his sleepless nights.

"Yes, Miss Ireson is at home; she will be down directly," announced the maid-of-all-work.

He was still deep in his doubts as to how he should deal with a woman upon whom so much good or evil depended, when she entered the room. The priest was not conversant with the types of modern beauty, but it seemed to him that Phryne Ireson was of noble build and pleasing countenance. Her friends thought her beautiful.

"I am Miss Ireson," she said in a grave tone. do for you, sir?"

"What can I

Frankly and briefly Father Francis told his mission. He hoped she would not consider it a rude way of accomplishing his purpose, but the greater number of her pupils were Catholics, and as their pastor and friend he must seek the good of their souls. Now this was certainly in jeopardy so long as the children were under the tuition of one who had no sympathy with their faith and believed in nothing.

"I understand you perfectly, sir, and I am willing to admit that your solicitude for the children is not unreasonable. But unfortunately I fail to see in what manner I am capable of injuring your children when the subject of religion is never touched by me."

"Why that," exclaimed the priest, "is an evil in itself. The very absence of God must sooner or later destroy their faith in Him. But there is worse to complain of. Tell me, madam, how can you account to your scholars for the beginning of things, without introducing your atheistical views? If conscience, or whatever you wish to call the monitor within, forbids you to teach your false doctrine, how do you inculcate the elements of science?"

"It is not that I wish to evade a reply," returned Miss Ireson, "but you will excuse me, sir, if I decline to enter into a discussion on the matter. Controversy is extremely disagreeable to me, though it is perhaps the only annoyance my advanced ideas cause