PREFACE.

THE following tale is designed to set forth, in their true colours, the dangers to which our illcemented social system exposes the most numerous and important class in society;—dangers to which they become victims, not so much from natural causes, as from defective education, want of access to sound religious instruction, popular fallacies and prejudices, never more abundant. than at present; all which are fostered by a corrupt and venal press, by the harangues of the infidel lecturer and the false liberal, and the numerous other destructive tendencies which are rife in the nineteenth century.

It is not meant that inducements to good are not also abundant. On the contrary, the Word of

God is spread through the land; the Church is putting forth her powers; education is assuming a sounder and deeper character; the press is extensively employed by the agents of good as well as by those of evil. We have much cause for hope as well as fear.

The scene will be laid in various departments of life, with a view to shew the mutual bearing of different classes on each other; how ambition and laxity of principle in the rich lead to the demoralization of the poor; how the demoralization of the poor reacts most certainly and perniciously on those above them; nay, how even good men, if unfortunately biassed in their judgment by prevailing errors, may most unconsciously promote the general evil; and lastly, how, in God's revealed religion, and in His Catholic Church, the only remedy or palliative of these evils is to be found.

Notwithstanding the objections of some muchesteemed critics to "love-scenes," I must crave permission once more to introduce what may seem to them, perhaps, to approach too much

to that character; on the plea, that in the life of the young, such as I describe, the entire omission of incidents of so much importance in fixing the character of most men's lives, would have been unnatural and unreal.

Indeed, I have a very strong opinion that the passing over such subjects, by moral writers, is one principal cause of the false feeling which has grown up amongst young persons, especially young men, with regard to them. The prevailing incontinence, which it is to be feared exists, may be traced quite as much to the most erroneous notion, that there is something bold and high-spirited in profligate conduct, as to the natural tendencies of youth. Let the mean, selfish, sordid character of illicit connexion be strongly painted; let the cruelty and horror with which it is often accompanied be set forth: on the other hand, let the natural beauty of honourable affection be spoken of in its proper place, accompanied, as it always is, with an admixture of romance, not as forming the main object of life, but as an interesting episode;" - let it be

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shewn that even honourable love must yield to duty; let these things be spoken of naturally

and unaffectedly, and I am persuaded that the tone of feeling, in so far as it is influenced by moral writings of a lighter nature, may be much improved; and instead of young men glorying in their shame, they may learn to think of such things more soberly and justly, and as assuredly they will view them in after life.

These topics, however, are but slightly touched on in the present story.