whom hatred and false zeal excited to unusual efforts, he feebly urged to use the words of another "his system of salvation." His opponent met all his arguments rather with the invective and sarcasm of his rude eloquence than with direct reply. He succeeded, the preacher was silenced, and the young man shortly after died— as he had lived—the victim of the most exaggerated form of infidelity.

Far from any attempt at concealment, this man took every opportunity of gaining proselytes, even up to his last sickness. His family, who were pious Catholics, with the eyes of faith beheld the dread punishment in store for him. They prayed without ceasing for his conversion; but there was not a ray of hope. The same bitter, contemptuous smile ever played upon his lips, whenever the subject of religion was introduced. He would converse with ease on other subjects-that was forbidden. He studiously proclaimed before a clergyman the superiority of untrammelled reason as shown in his own case, in smoothing the pathway to the grave. He opposed to him the anxious uneasiness of the Christian as an evidence of the inadequacy of faith to sustain a man at this trying moment. Several Catholic clergymen visited him, but were not heard beyond the limits of ordinary conversation.

Sympathy for the family extended to the unfortunate man. A priest from a neighboring congregation remarkable for its devotion to the Mother of God, was invited to see him. He met with a polite reception, but the first approach to the all-important point was checked. Finding all else in vain, the priest asked leave to pray.

"Pray," replied the sick man with a sneer, "but pray loud that the God of the Christians may hear you!"

The priest fell upon his knees, and recited distinctly the Memorare:

Remember, Mary, tenderest-hearted Virgin, 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 thee, to thee I come, and in thy presence I a weeping sinner stand. Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy pity hear and answer. Amen.

He rose from his knees and cast a glance of mingled hope and

fear at the invalid. The latter was resting his head on his raised hand, and his eyes were streaming with tears-the effusion of varied emotion, of faith revived and of sorrow for the past, of joy perhaps for the light of grace which had burst with full splendor upon his soul. The Mother of mercy and of sinners had heard the appeal to her maternal heart, and unlocked the treasures of grace committed to her.

The now repentant man motioned the good priest to his side, and throwing his arms around him told him, as well as sighs and tears would permit, a change-he knew not how or why or whence -had come over him. The faith imbibed in early childhood was again as fresh as when instilled from a mother's lips. Humbly he begged permission to unbosom his conscience to his sympathizing listener; he would hear of no delay, he could have no relief until the consoling words of absolution had been uttered over him at the close of his general confession.

He begged his confessor to make known, as widely as he could, the change that had occurred, and he took a melancholy gratification in repairing the evil of former days. At his request the volumes of infidel literature, with which he was well supplied, were committed to the flames. He desired this to be done in the public highway; but his wishes in this particular were not acceded to from motives of prudence. Death in a few days terminated a life, which in its promise and conclusion were as happy as its full

meridian had been gloomy.

Remember that it was never heard that any one had recourse to the Mother of mercy, and was forsaken.

-Contributions received for the shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs, Auriesville, New York:

"A little girl five years of age," Randall's Island,

The

League.

A SAINT OF THE SODALITY AND PROMOTERS'

THIS

PATRON.

ST. FRANCIS OF SALES.-JANUARY 29.

HIS is the Saint known all over the world as the high-tempered boy who conquered himself so far as to become the very model of meekness and loving kindness. His beautiful little treatises, which try to make piety and the love of God palatable and toothsome even to those who do not like pious reading, have been translated into all languages. They are the models of our twenty-two MESSENGERS, which strive in their thirteen languages to publish just such entertaining and consoling matter for the particular needs of every soul. One of the works in which all the MESSENGERS interest themselves is that of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is, as it were, the crowning of the ruder and more popular work of the League of the Sacred Heart. This gives a new reason why St. Francis de Sales should interest us, as he was in a special way the Saint of the Sodality. It was also among the religious of the Visitation, whose order he founded, that God chose the Blessed Margaret Mary who was to manifest the grace and love of the Sacred Heart to men in these latter times; and he has been chosen as a patron of our Promoters.

St. Francis came into the world in his father's castle in Savoy, in the year 1567. So dainty a wee little one he was that his mother had to use every care to bring up her first-born. But she did not forget to take care of his soul along with his body. Soon after he began to talk he was heard one day to lisp :

"God and my mother love me well!"

Finally he was sent off to school in the great city of Paris, which then as now had much that was good and much that was evil in it. He was at the Jesuits' college, and so entered their

Sodality, and afterwards, when he was only about thirteen years old, became its prefect. This would hardly have happened had he not been the model of all. In fact, he was already beginning to be a Saint. He received Holy Communion every week, he prayed much, and practised severe penances.

God tried him, as He does all whom He loves. A horrible temptation to despair came over the youth, and in his distress of mind he went and knelt before the altar of the Blessed Virgin, and there vowed perpetual virginity. He also promised to recite each day the beads in honor of his good Mother Mary.

When he grew up to be a young man, he went, in accordance with the ambitious designs of his parents, to study law in Italy. One of his Professors said to him:

66

"My son, when you are at Rome study theology more than Roman law; some day you will be bishop of Geneva."

The prophecy was fulfilled. But when he had become a priest and prelate of the Church, he still kept his preference for the work so dear to the sorrowful heart of Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs. He loved the poor, the little ones of this world, and the abandoned. He had no work more at heart than teaching the catechism to the common people and the ignorant. So, at the end of his life, he had brought back to the fold of Christ's Church more than 72,000 souls who had been seduced from her in the first times of the Protestant heresies.

In his episcopal household, all had to confess and communicate at least once a month, and he gave them the Blessed Eucharist with his own hands.

He visited his diocese in every part; and with all this he still found time to write those delightful books which are as well known now as in his own day. They have merited for him the title of Doctor of the Church.

On the feast of the to receive his reward. from the Psalms :

Holy Innocents, in the year 1622, he went
A little before he died he murmured words

I will sing the praises of the Lord forever: I remembered God and I was comforted.

To which he added, with the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, when they would fain have made the risen Saviour to tarry with them:

It is towards evening and the day is now far spent.

These were his last words. While those around his bed were pronouncing, in the prayers for the dying, the invocation-Holy Innocents, pray for us,-he gave up his own innocent soul to God.

THE BIRDS' CHARITY.

HIS charming winter scene is described by St. Francis de Sales

THIS

for the edification of his penitent, St. Jane Frances de Chantal. It had snowed a great deal, so that the yard was covered with a full foot of snow. John went out into the middle of it and swept clear a little space amid the snow, and threw into it some grain for the pigeons to eat. They flocked all together to this dining room, to take their meal, and with admirable peaceableness and respect; and I amused myself looking at them. You could not believe the great edification these little creatures gave me; for they never said a single little word, and those who had taken their repast soonest flew away a little distance to wait for the others. When they had cleared half the space, a quantity of little birds, who were looking at them, came down around them. And all the pigeons who were still eating, withdrew to one corner to leave the greater part of the place to the little birds, who also came to put themselves at table and to eat, without the pigeons troubling them for it.

I admired their charity; for the poor pigeons were so afraid of bothering these little birds, to whom they were giving alms, that they kept themselves all huddled together at one end of the table. I admired the discretion of these beggars, who came for their alms only when they saw that the pigeons were at the end of their meal and that there was still enough left for them. At last, I could hardly prevent myself from shedding tears at seeing the charitable simplicity of the pigeons and the confidence of the little birds in their charity. I do not know if a preacher would have touched me so deeply. This image of virtue did me great good the whole day.

A PROMOTER UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

THERE

HERE is a great mania nowadays to have everything done by the laity. No more teaching Brothers or Sisters in the schools, no more priests interesting themselves in things outside their church door, but everywhere lay schools, lay newspapers, and so on.