their names are now never spoken in the salcons of fashion or the halls of merriment,

"For the Sister of Charity blushes at fame.

Forgot are the claims of her riches and birth, For she barters for heaven the glory of earth." Theirs is true charity working secretly, silently, seeking to please, and to merit the approval of Him who inspires and sustains it; and hence proud, ungrateful, unbelieving England, with her mouth wide open to praise that charity "which reflects credit on itself," cannot afford "the passing tribute of one generous word" to that genuine charity which, in braving the perils of the sea to nurse the soldier instead of the pauper, only changes its scene, not its objects; its intensity, not its motives. "But this," writes the Cardinal, "is better for them who look only to their father, who seeth in secret, for their reward, and who would shrink from receiving any portion even of it here below."

All honour to Miss Nightingale; may she live long and holily, and die happily; all honour to the Sisters of Charity and Mercy, and to all others whose hands are tending the helpless, or lifted for them;" may they secure immortal crowns of unfading lustre, and have the record of their deeds inscribed in the Book of Life. And had England generously given them the passing tribute of one generous word, I would say all honour to her too; but I will say, may she soon see with the eye of true faith, work in hope, and reap the golden harvest which springs from charity. M. O. D. Leeds, Feb. 21, 1856.

PORTUGAL.

(From a Lisbon Correspondent.)

PERHAPS no monarch ever ascended the throne of his ancestors, with a fuller conviction that the hearts of his subjects were not with him, or with a clearer appreciation of the miseries under which his country groaned, than Don Pedro V. of Portugal. Yet despite the damping influence which all this must have had on his young and ardent mind, he has by his conduct already won for himself the golden opinions of his subjects; and promises by his wise rule to rescue it from its present state of degradation and political inferiority. The Church of Portugal has been for a long period in the iron grasp of the state; it has been fettered, and consequently cramped in its workings. But now, thanks be to the young king, she will be free again, and will exercise an uncontrolled and unbounded sway over her children, from the monarch to the mendicant. The concordat is upon the point of being concluded: and, may this golden chain of fidelity and harmony long hold Portugal to the chair of Peter. Not that it has ever separated itself from the See of Rome, for it never has; but, it was feared that the unhappy schism of God had somewhat disturbed their pacific relations for a time. We see, then, that Catholicity is as strong in the heart of Don Pedro, as it was in the hearts of his long and glorious line of pious and "faithful" ancestors. Though it is but too true, alas! that the solemn chant, and swelling hymn of praise is echoed no more within the deserted walls of the monasteries, and that there is no smiling welcome for the weary and footsore traveller in these former abodes of peace and industry; yet, we must rather ascribe this to the unhappy revolutionary spirit which a few years ago was so rife, than to any uncatholic feeling. But too happy would the nation be, to see the good old inonks established in the convents again, and to have the pleasure of restoring the Church to her ancient splendour throughout the land. Let us hope that this happy day will soon dawn upon Portugal, and then she will be a happy people again.

Does not the introduction of the Sisters of Charity, those ministering angels of the world, into the city of Oporto, secm a prelude to a still greater move towards the accomplishment

of this heavenly end? It certainly would appear to augur well, and throw out some glimmerings of hope, faint though they be, that ere long the devotional spirit of the nation will clamour for the re-establishment of the religious houses. But a short time ago, there was not a seminary in the whole of Portugal (Coimbra excepted) for the education of the clergy; and, yet now, what do we see? A well-regulated college has been established at Santarem, and the Portuguese youths are flocking thither as candidates for the sacred ministry. And we may confidently hope that this will prove an inestimable blessing to the Church and State. His Eminence the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, has displayed the greatest possible zeal in forwarding its endeavours by placing these professors eminent alike for their picty and learning, who will doubtless prove the best examples to the students. His lordship, the good Bishop of Oporto, following the example of the Patriarch, has also opened a seminary, and it has prospered hitherto admirably. With all this before us, then, I think that we shall not be premature in expressing the opinion that a new era has commenced for Portugal, and that we may live to see her again prosperous and happy as of yore. Certainly we can with all confidence assert, that everything which a wise and generous king can do towards furthering such an object, will be done. Perhaps a few anecdotes of this young monarch would not be out of place here, as they will serve to show his character better than description can. It is related of him that a short time ago, as he was on a visit to the hospital of Saint Joseph, he perceived that the beds of one ward, together with their appendages, in the way of sheets, linen, and the rest, were anything but clean and comfortable, and, in fine, bore about them the very unmistakeable signs of neglect. Not by any means gratified at this disgusting sight, he ordered the whole of them to be conveyed to the courtyard of the hospital, where he desired one of the innates to ignite them. When the fire began to burn rather briskly, he sent an order for the governor and superintendents of the hospital to appear. They advanced smiling, aud were upon the point of paying their respects to his Majesty, but he turned towards the fire, saying: "Well, gentlemen, have you come to warm your hands at the fire?' The Governor of Greenwich Hospital must tell us of the nature of the exquisitely pleasant sensations these gentlemen must have experienced at that moment, when our gracious Queen pays them a similar compliment under the like circumstances; for it is, quite out of power to describe them, as we have never experienced them in the course of our short life. It is also related of him, that once meeting an officer of the guard then on duty at the Palace, he stopped him, and entered into conversation. The young officer ambitious of distinguishing himself, at least before the king if not before an enemy, began a rather lengthy dissertation upon military tactics, when the king interrupted him, by asking him at what military school he had been educated. The officer replied, rather proudly," At L-, your Majesty." Upon which the young monarch, very politely telling him, "That he would not have thought it," left him quite perplexed as to the manner in which he was to interpret the royal remark. There are many others told of him, but these will suffice to show his character. He has had the best of educations, and is thoroughly acquainted with military tactics, and all the science of warfare, as the young ignorant ensign discovered, or rather ought to have done. He has collected about his person men advanced in years, whose moral character is without stain, and it is from these that he seeks advice and counsel. Therefore, we may hope, that Portugal will in times to come bless his reign as a glorious one, and as the basis of a lasting prosperity.

A CERTAIN secretary of state being asked by an intimate friend why he did not promote merit, aptly replied, "Because merit did not promote me.",

Poetry.

THE REDEMPTION.

[The following beautiful poem came from Paris, from a Catholic lady who has not yet given us permission to publish her name.]

OH! bright-eyed Truth, that art enthroned on high,
Where seraphs and where saints eternal cry,
"Holy, thrice holy, the Almighty Lord!
And loudest praises to th' Immortal Word."
Inspire my song, that I may now recount,
With accents echoed from thy crystal mount,
How Sion's King triumphant entry made,
Ere He, for us, the dreadful forfeit paid.
How man's redemption was by man achieved,
And our lost souls from galling bonds relieved.
Aided by thee, with grateful heart I'll sing,
The earthly triumphs of our heavenly King,
When riding through the city of His choice,
The Hebrew children lifted high their voice,
To recognise the Son of God and man,
Rending the skies, and thus their homage ran :-
"Blessed is He, that cometh in the name
Of our great Lord, to endless time His fame!
Have mercy on us, oh, great David's Son,
Thine and his kingdom henceforth joined in one!"
By Heaven directed, then his path they strewed
With olive-boughs and palms, and thus they showed
His mighty vict'ry o'er the prince of death,
His mercy proved to man with latest breath.
Ye pious souls, welcome Him now with joy ;
Let righteous homage be your sole employ.
Now celebrate His triumphs and His might,
Ere all His comeliness be hid from sight.
For lo! the time draws near when He will strive
With impious foes, and die that man may live,
Abject, despised, all His beauty veiled,

And all the Godhead, from man's eyes concealed,
At His blest name let ev'ry knee be bent;
Let ev'ry heart adore the Saviour sent!
Sion! behold thy wished-for monarch comes,
In greatness, strength, to rescue Israel's sons!
He that speaks justice, that defends to save,
He that will triumph o'er the dreary grave;
The Prince of Peace is nigh, to bless the land,
And scatter graces with a bounteous hand.
Why doth not Sion high uplift her voice,
And with unnumbered anthems now rejoice?
The angel of the Testament is come!
The Lord's anointed! His begotten Son!
Yet is she silent, troubled, and distrest,
Jealous disquietude dark fills her breast.
Salem! oh Salem! turn unto the Lord!
Now be converted, and believe the Word!
Soon will thy beauty and thy strength depart,
And shame and anguish harrow up thy heart.
God will accept no offering from thy hands,
And other natious shall receive commands.
Thou dost refuse Messiah for thy king,
And unto Cæsar all thy homage bring;
Therefore no king, no altar shall be thine;
No prince, no sacrifice, no aid divine.
Thy children shall remain the slaves of power
Until the heavenly propitious hour,

When darkness shall no longer veil their sight,
And they shall seck the Christ divinely bright,
And with the Christian world in praise unite.
Oh! truth, thy mildest rays now sadly shed,
Dissolved in grief, mourn heavenly glory fled!

Lo! dark'ning shadows, now obscure the scene,
And nature slumbers in a peaceful dream;
In silent shade near to the Kedron brook,
Where the pale moon regards the saddened look,
Behold! the man of sorrow, kneeling prays,
While round him brightly beam celestial rays!
Salem, in distance soft, uprears her head;
'Tis silence all, a city of the dead!

Ah! dead indeed, that grieves not for the hour,
When her Messiah feels affliction's
power,
When He bewails in agony of blood,
Gushing from ev'ry pore in precious flood,
Her perfidy, and that of all mankind;
The past, the future, present to His mind,
Else why this anguish and this conflict dire?
Can fear of suffering such grief inspire?
Ah! no, from all eternity, His choice
To yield to torture, that we might rejoice

That man, from endless death, might thus be freed,

And endless glory offered as his meed.

My God, oblation thou didst not require,

Nor sacrifice, nor offering, thy desire;
When, Heav'nly Father, here, behold I come,
By me, as written, let Thy Will be done!
Now, clear, distinct, is ev'ry crime revealed;
He sees man's heart against his kindness steeled:
His precepts and his admonitions lost,
Blest graces purchased at so dear a cost!
Refused, rejected, and despised of men,
At each fell crime their Saviour bleeds again.
His holy soul is plunged in deepest grief,
In torments that exceed weak man's belief,
The King of Glory looking from on high,
Regards His only Son with pitying eye;
Though fixed His Will, the Deity should bear
The load of mankind's guilt, and mankind's care,
Yet will He not, unmoved, behold the strife,
That but for power Divine had ended life.
When His Messiah prays shall He not hear?
To His anointed turn a willing car?
Lo! He sends forth an angel from His throne,
To succour and console His Holy One;
Oh! blessed task, approved of Heav'n to bring,
Sweet solace from on high, to Israel's King;
To be empow'red to soothe our Saviour's grief,
And to his anguish give a last relief!

Judas draws near, with him an armed horde
('Tis now the hour he will betray his Lord),
Clouds darken o'er their path, the shady trees
Send forth deep sighs to ev'ry whisp'ring breeze;
The moon retires, dark mists obscure the light,
All nature sickens at th' appalling sight.
Iscariot, traitor to his Master's cause,
Near to the Searcher of all Hearts now draws,
And gives the treach'rous signal of a kiss,
For lucre, bart'ring all his claims to bliss!
How oft he'd trod before that garden's path,
And joined in prayer to deprecate God's wrath,
Not ignorant he, of virtue and blest truth:
Alas! he knew them, to his greater ruth,

A hypocrite, who, with religion's name,
Sought but to satisfy his love of gain.

Ah! terror will soon scize him as a lawful prey,
And with despair and anguish, trembling, show the way,
His wretched life to end, with guilty hand,

A dreadful spectacle to all the land !
Now soon, in bonds, the everlasting King,
They from Gethsemane to Annas bring;
From Annas unto Caiaphas he's led,
While insults fall upon his radiant head.

The dark Sanhedrim breathes revenge and death,
But, like a guilty sword that seeks the sheath,
Its members veil their purpose under holy laws,
And zealous burn in the Almighty's cause.
Unequalled blindness of those men who could,
Unmoved, behold the Universal Good,
Sweet clemency, and Majesty Divine,

Yet harbour thoughts of darkest, direst crime!
See goodness infinite before their eyes,
Listen to words so peaceful and so wise,
Yet suffer hatred, cruelty, and pride,
At their vain council, furious to preside.

And now the solemn period onward draws,
When the Espouser of our hopeless cause
Will sacrifice himself at justice' shrine,
And for an erring world His life resign.
Approach to Calv'ry, on the sacred tree,
Behold thy Saviour, bleeding now for thee,
Struggling in all the agonies of death;
Around his temples circles the sharp thorn,
With torturing anguish every limb is torn:
Yet to the eye of faith 'tis glory's hour;

Death has no sting, oh! grave, where is thy pow'r?
Yielding His soul supreme, He bows his head;
The sacrifice complete, man's forfeit paid!
Nature now heaves, with cruel, rending woe;
The sun refuses with bright light to glow,

The wond'ring earth now shakes in awful gloom;
The saints delivered, quit the darksome tomb.
The flinty rocks enlarge, and burst in twain,
And things inanimate confess their pain.

THE NUNNERY NEAR THE SEA.
Lo! the convent near the sea,
Where the holy maidens be,
Coifed in black and coifed in white,
Like the morning and the night;
Speeds that morning and the night,
And that night to endless light.
At early morn, the holy band,
With long beads in every hand,
Await the orient ray
Of golden-wanded day;
Till, at the first gleam,
Of the first beam,

Like a prophet from his dream,
As he wakes in his stone cell,
Sings to God the glorious bell,
Ding-ding-ding,
In a long sonorous swell;
And the waves at every knell,
Bow down to ocean's floor,
As advancing they adore;
And the great sea psalms away,
Calling forth the coming day;
And the hooded sisters pray,
In the Nunnery near the Sea!
Ding-ding-ding,
Peals the prophet bell away,
Whilst arising from the sea,
Like a spirit of the Lord,

At that prophet's bidden word;
The great and glowing morning sun,
The broad ocean stands upon,
Whilst the bell goes pealing on.
The bell, the beauteous bell,
The angelus sweet bell,

Oh the bright sun knows it well:

For the bell and the great sun
Meet cach morn at the dawn,
To hear the maidens sing
To the eternal king;

To hear the maidens pray

To the queen of the blue sea.
And they meet at noon again,
Listening to the sacred strain;
Pouring light and pouring sound
All around the blessed ground;
Singing with the maiden's song,
Shining down their beads upon.
And again they meet at eve,
Their fond life and light to weave,
'Round the holy sister's song!
Bearing note on note along,
The soft psalming to prolong;
And with crowns of golden light
Decking every maiden bright.

So the glorious bell doth ring,
Whilst the great snn, like a spring,
Bubbleth out his panting light,
With a farewell earnest night;
Till the bell dies on the wind,
And the echoes steal behind
The great mountains far away,
That ensentinel the sea:
Then all rosied o'er with joy,
From his hallowed employ,
Sinks he sweetly in the west,
To his tranquil couch of rest,
Whilst the virgins sing and pray,
In the Nunnery near the Sea.
Eblana House, Kingstown..

WILLIAM TOZIER.

THE SULTAN AND THE SISTERS OF CHARITY. THE Annales du Bien relates the following trait, transmitted by the Sisters of St. Vincent at Constantinople to the sisters of their congregation at Paris:-"A Mussulman of the lower class had been condemned to death for a crime which to us would seem of little importance, but which the summary justice of Turkey visits with capital punishment. The unfortunate man was the father of eight children. The Sisters heard of his sentence. This man must not perish; he must be saved; we must save him,' cried they with one accord. But how? A direct application to the Sultan seemed the shortest and surest way. We must ask an audience,' said they; there is nothing else to be done;' and two Sisters went straight to the palace, where their presence might well be considered somewhat strange. The request for admission met with various difficulties, over which their perseverance at last triumphed. The Sisters were ushered into the presence of the Sultan, whom they found smoking after the Turkish fashion. Abdul Medjid is a man of elevated mind and graceful and dignified bearing. He received the religious graciously; they explained their petition, to which he listened with an affable and kindly smile. 'I graut the petition,' said he; can I refuse anything to the sacred zeal which inspires such conduct? That religion, holy ladies, is beautiful which gives birth to devotion like yours. You make me love and bless your generous France. Be pleased to follow that officer: he will take you to the prison. You shall have the pleasure of delivering your protégé with your own hands and restoring him to his family.' And as they retired in deep emotion, trying to thank him, he added, 'Do not forget the way to this palace. Whenever you have anything to ask of me, fear not to come; the doors shall be always open to you as the Angels of Mercy."

CALENDAR OF FEASTS AND DIRECTORY.

MARCH.

16. SUNDAY. Palm Sunday, sem. violet. Vespers of the Sunday.

17. Mon. Feria, violet. Plen. Indulgence for St. Patrick. 18. Tues. Feria, violet.

19. Wed. Feria, violet. FD. on account of St. Joseph. Plen. Indulgence for eight days in D. of Southw. ; to-day only in DD. of Liv. and Hexh. N.B. On this and the two nights following, the Office of Tenebræ (violet).

20. Thur. Maundy or Holy Thursday, d. of 1st cl. Cr. white. (In the D. of Hexh. Plen. Indulgence on account of St. Cuthbert.)

21. Frid. Good Friday, d. of 1st. cl. black. 22. Sat. Holy Saturday, d. of 1st cl. Paschal Pref. (till the Ascension), white. After Complin, Regina cali till Trinity Sunday exclusively.

Here begins the Paschal Time.

IRISH SAINTS.-18th. St. Fridian, Bishop and Confessor.20th. St. Cuthbert, Bishop and Confessor.

THE BENEDICTINE DIRECTORY.
The Indulgence begins.

16. SUNDAY. Palm Sunday, 1 cl. gr. d. purple.

Feria, purple.

17. Mon.

18. Tues. Ditto.

Answers and Observations.

RECEIVED." The good old Times" (will be inserted with pleasure).-P. Roantree.-Cyril Austin, an Autobiography. -North-Briton (many thanks, but I would not publish any praise of the Lamp, unless the writer gave his name for publication).-The Warning (this truly impressive article will appear in our next).-Shawn (accepted with thanks).J. B. M. (too late for this number, but will appear in the next, with many thanks to the reverend writer).

ONE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE WAR.The (Roman) Civilta Cattolica, in a very interesting review of the last three years, has the following remarkable passage, which we translate for our readers :

"Three years ago we observed England indignant with the bitterest rage at the restoration of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and threatening to harass Catholics with new persecutions. But the most wise God, who is often pleased to thwart human designs by unforeseen incaus, caused to arise the necessity for war in the Eat. Thus England being constrained to have absolute need of the alliance with France and of the aid of the arms of the Irish Catholics, came to be placed in such a position that she dared not to irritate with religious persecution either her own subjects faithful to God, or the power allied to her."

WE are anxious to direct attention to the forthcoming lottery (24th inst.), for the benefit of St. Bridget's Mission, Baldwin's-gardens. The Rev. Mr. Parkinson, 35, Kirbystreet, will take charge of any prizes kindly contributed by those who wish to encourage so very good an object.

MUSIC AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE. The Times thus favourably notices the performance of Master John Barnett, at one of the recent Crystal Palace concerts:

"The most remarkable display of talent was that of Dr. Wylde's very clever and promising pupil, Master John Barnett (nephew of the composer of the Mountain Sylph, Fair Rosamond and Farinelli), who has earned so wellmerited a celebrity at the concerts of the New Philharmonic Society. The grandest movement in the grandest of Mozart's pianoforte concertos was played by the young gentleman, in a manner that called for unqualified approval."

It will no doubt be a source of gratification to Catholics to learn, that the young gentleman who has so brilliantly distinguished himself, is sou of Joseph Barnett, esq. formerly conductor of the choir at Warwick-strect, and now conductor at St. Aloysius's, in Somers-town.

The Lamp.

CATHOLIC INTELLIGENCE FROM THE CRIMEA.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Lamp.) Camp, Sebastopol, February 16th, 1856. THE Catholic chaplains continue well; all actively aud carefully employed.

The Rev. Mr. Duffy has been appointed in General Orders to the charge of the Land Transport corps.

Lenten instructions are given by the chaplains every evening in the respective divisions, and are well attended. The rosary is also recited; and the confessional is much frequented.

The fruits of the ministry of the Catholic clergymen here are, thank God, abundant. Many soldiers may date their conversion to God and religion from the period of their arrival in the Crimea. At six o'clock every evening they may be seen in crowds thronging to the huts of the good || chaplains. Happy change, indeed! from their former haunts, the canteen and sly grog-shop.

Weather very mild, but damp. The health of the army is excellent. A few fatal cases of fever and pulmonary disease constitute the chief mortality. Peace is of course the great topic of conversation here among all ranks. The Russians still fire on the town. Several of the forts on the south side have been blown up during the week. An armistice is looked for.

The right siege-train has gone home.

Camp, Sebastopol, February 23, 1856. THE Catholic Chaplains, I am happy to report, continue well, and all actively employed in the duties of their sacred ¦ ministry.

Your readers cannot but be gratified to hear of instances of zeal and charity displayed by Catholic clergy. I have already mentioned the zeal of Père de Damas in coming every Sunday to the 3rd division, and every Thursday to the 4th division; let, me now record the zeal and charity ex

hibited by English and Irish priests towards our gallant Ally, the French. Father Woollett, of the 3rd division; Father Strickland, of the 4th; and Father Duffy, appointed to the Land Transport corps, every day, after attending to their own hospitals, go to the assistance of the French, and most opportune must be that assistance; whilst in the English hospitals in camp the sick are few in number, and scarce even a serious case is to be found. The French hospitals are thronged with dying cases of typhus fever and scurvy. The French hospital of the Corps de Reserve is attended by Father Duffy; the hospital of the 3rd division, and occasionally that of the 2nd division of the 1st Corps d'Armée, is attended by Father Woollett; the hospital of the French head-quarters is attended by Father Strickland. In these hospitals from 600 to 1,000 patients are always to be found. The French clergy are most assiduous in their attention to the sick. During the past month one out of their number has died, and five lie now in a dangerous state from fever. They can count but eight available for duty; and if others do not come out to their assistance, they must almost, of necessity, fall victims to their zeal.

The condition of the French troops is very deplorable, and contrasts strongly with the effective and highly satisfactory state of the British soldiers. Their hospitals are thronged while ours are comparatively empty. Their men half starved and wretched, while ours are revelling in abundance, and in the enjoyment of every comfort. The position of affairs which existed at the commencement of the war, is completely reversed; we were then pretty much in the same plight as the French are now. I record this melancholy condition of the brave French army in the Crimea, with sincere regret, but you may rely on it I have not at all exaggerated the state of matters.

I am sorry to say that one of the good nuns at the General Hospital, Balaclava (Sister Elizabeth), lies dangerously ill from fever. Little hopes are entertained of her recovery, on account of her age and feeble constitution. The last sacraments were administered to her on the 21st instant, by the Rev. Mr. Gleeson. The weather has been variable. Some days ago the cold was intense. Yesterday it was genial spring.

The Lenten instructions in the Divisional Churches are very well attended every evening, and the number of Communicants steadily increasing.

Drunkenness is very much on the decrease, and the morale of the army on the whole excellent.

There is an unfortunate man in the light division at present under sentence of death, awaiting execution, for murder of a very aggravated nature. He is not a Catholic. He is only eighteen years of age, and of very mild appearance. There was great difficulty in procuring an executioner; but I believe this want has been supplied by a bribe of a free discharge, a sum of money, and a free passage to America. The execution takes place this morning.

The murder was committed for the purpose of robbery. Well may we say with Vigil:

Auri

Sacra fames quid non mortalia pectora cogis.

THE ripest fruit will not fall into your mouth.

AYLESBURY MISSION.

A DIFFICULT PROBLEM SOLVED AT LAST.

THE friends of religion will rejoice to hear that Father Smith, having partly surmounted his numerous difficulties, will have his new church built this summer. The builder will commence the works in the course of this month, and promises to complete them by the end of August next. Those who have felt interested in this "Mission of Providence" may now exclaim, "Glory be to God for ever. He does wonderful things for those who trust in Him." The church will be 60 feet by 30, with a beautiful chancel window, surmounted by a graceful belfry: add to this a commodious vestry, with a neat porch, forming a transept, and you have the church. The site is freehold, newly walled in, and paid for with moneys already collected. The building, which at present serves for a chapel, is only rented, and has no attraction for the worldling, who judges our holy religion by appearances. Who does not know that the success of our cause amongst a bigotted population is utterly hopeless without a decent place of worship. Five priests had laboured on this mission before Father Smith, without having left a trace of their missionary labours. It generally costs a priest his life to acquire freehold property and build a church. This, however, will have been done at Aylesbury in the short space of six years. Have we not good reason to look up to heaven and say, "God does wonderful things for those who put their trust in Him." When Father Smith appealed to a charitable public five years ago, he was then a priest in distress," and the hearts of all the benevolent generously responded to his call. many of these noble hearts have since ceased to beat, and he can no longer appeal to the magnanimous Earl of Shrewsbury, nor the charitable Lady Southwell, and a host of others, who never were deaf to his voice, nor indifferent to his wants. It is true, he has many benefactors who would blush to see their names in print, and whose charity is only known to God. To these he again ventures to appeal, casting his bread upon the waters," and fully convinced that He who promised whatever we asked the Father in His name, will keep His word. Charity never dies-it worketh wonderful things--it still lives in the hearts of former bencfactors, and will now dispose them to assist in completing the good work so happily begun. They who have hitherto doubted the success of Father Smith's efforts, will, he hopes, no longer hesitate, sceing them about to be crowned with entire success. The priest who builds a church by public charity, without any local assistance, surely deserves encouragement-he shall not have lived in vain.

Alas!

Let the Catholics who read this only consider Father Smith's herculean task-his difficult position, in presence of proverbial bigotry-his long exertions-his hard struggles, no provision having been made for his support, and if charity be not entirely extinct in their hearts, they will not, they cannot be deaf to this appeal.

Correspondence.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE "LAMP."

SIR,-Will you permit me to intrude on your valuable space a few observations I wish to make on Young Men's Societies, a subject in which you take so much interest?

I have observed with great pleasure the excellent reports of these societies which have so frequently appeared in your columns, and from the many different localities from which the reports have emanated, I conclude that these valuable institutes are making a satisfactory progression throughout the country.

The great good which these institutions are calculated to produce must, in a short time be made manifest, not only on account of their moral tendency, and refinement of the intellectual faculties, but also on account of their being in close connection with the Church, must eventually operate as a