t December dusk umbling clos dull day and, as ared t s food. eurnips and carrots and bruised potatoes and fat mutton pieces to be ladled out in ttened sauce. Stuff it into you, his belly counselled him.

    It  niger early nig up, er of treets, circling alremor of fear and joy, until  led  coming out of t, yaer ttling ters of ing for a sudden movement of o  perfumed fles as  of t call, ultified only by e keenly all t able or a pograpanding to attention or a gaudy playbill; ing:

    -- ie, any good in your mind?

    -- Is t you, pigeon?

    -- Number ten. Fresing on you.

    -- Good nigo  time?

    tion on to spread out a ail, eyed and starred like a peacocks; and, s indices ed, began sloo fold itself togetars being born and being quenc cycle of starry life bore o its verge and ino its centre, a distant music accompanying  upon tars began to crumble and a cloud of fine stardust fell through space.

    t fell more faintly upon tion began to unfold itself sloo spread abroad its ail. It self sin by sin, spreading abroad ts burning stars and folding back upon itself, fading slowly, quencs own lighe cold darkness filled chaos.

    A cold lucid indifference reigned in   violent sin  a ality pass out of o find ead tal  of  receded: and no part of body or soul  a dark peace ablisinguisself  kno once but many times and , ernal damnation for t sin alone, by every succeeding sin iplied  and . s could make no atonement for ains of sanctifying grace o refres most, by an alms given to a beggar ion  did it avail to pray er its oruction? A certain pride, a certain ao God even one prayer at nig o take ao be atoned for in he All-seeing and All-knowing.

    -- ell noo say t you are not able to tell me w a surd is?

    tirred tempt of o neit tood bareside t at ty and ted tar t. ooped to tical of their innocence which he could cajole so easily.

    On ted scroll, tificate of ure in ty of turday mornings  in to recite ttle office  t of tar from  pain  moments  an impulse to rise from  of o leave t trained ive: spikenard and myrre-flo and late-blossoming tree, symbolizing tus among men.  fell to o read to in a veiled voice, lulling o its music.

    Quasi cedrus exaltata sum in Libanon et quasi cupressus in monte Sion. Quasi palma exaltata sum in Gades et quasi plantatio rosae in Jeric quasi platanus exaltata sum juxta aquam in plateis. Sicut cinnamomum et balsamum aromatizans odorem dedi et quasi myrra dedi suavitatem odoris.

    of God, o to regard y; range ligly upon  e to cast sin from o repent t moved o be . If ever ering er t  itself, urned towards ar, brigelling of  was wly by lips will lingered foul and sself of a lewd kiss.

    t range. ried to t could be. But ts. ter marked ts to be done for t lesson and  out. epo unelessly.

    My excellent friend Bombados.

    Ennis, he yard, came back, saying:

    -- tor.

    A tall boy beephen rubbed his hands and said:

    -- ts game ball. e can scut t be in till after ions on techism, Dedalus.

    Stepened to talk about ime to time by saying:

    -- S up,  make suc!

    It range too t o trines of trating into obscure silences only to ion. tence of saint James  becomes guilty of all, o  a sate. From t all otempt of otousness In using money for t reaco and calumnious murmuring against ttonous enjoyment of food, tual and bodily sloth in which his whole being had sunk.

    As  in  tors sself in and out of tions proposed to it. If a man olen a pound in  pound to amass a une o give back, tolen only or togeterest accruing upon it or all une? If a layman in giving baptism pour ter before saying tized? Is baptism er valid?  t itude promises to t titude promises also to t t of t instituted under t body and blood, soul and divinity, in tiny particle of ted bread contain all t or a part only of to vinegar and t crumble into corruption after ted, is Jesus C still present under their species as God and as man?

    -- here he is! here he is!

    A boy from  at tor come from tec upon tly. tor entered and took  on tle kick from tall boy in tepo ask a difficult question.

    tor did not ask for a cateco he desk and said:

    -- treat ernoon in  Francis Xavier urday. treat o Friday. On Friday confession er beads. If any boys  ter for t to curday morning at nine oclock and general communion for turday  Saturday and Sunday being free days some boys migo t Monday is a free day also. Be mistake. I to make t mistake.

    -- I sir? hy, sir?

    A little  mirtors grim smile. Step began sloo fold and fade hering flower.

    tor  on gravely:

    -- You are all familiar ory of t Francis Xavier, I suppose, tron of your college. rious Spanis  follo Ignatius. t in Paris y. t nobleman and man of letters entered  and soul into t   by saint Ignatius to preaco tle of t from country to country in t, from Africa to India, from India to Japan, baptizing to ized as many as ten ters in one mont is said t  arm en over tized. o go to Co ill more souls for God but  saint, saint Francis Xavier! A great soldier of God!

    tor paused and t on:

    --  moves mountains. ten t is a true conqueror, true to tto of our order: ad majorem Dei gloriam! A saint ercede for us in our grief; poo obtain  be for to obtain for us to repent if  saint, saint Francis Xavier! A great fisher of souls!

    o sing t  and left of t eners out of ern eyes.

    In to a taep  t feels the simoom coming from afar.

    ________________________________________

    -- Remember only t t not sin for ever - aken, my dear little brot, from tes, seventer, fortiet. Amen.

    Step in t benc at a table to t of tar.  er, so strangely rearisen, brougo Step Clongoctle cemetery off t on to him, became again a childs soul.

    -- e are assembled oday, my dear little brot, for one brief moment far ale of ter o celebrate and to est of saints, tle of tron saint also of your college, saint Francis Xavier. Year after year, for muctle boys, can remember or t in to make treat before t day of tron saint. time   its c fe remember? Many of t in t bencant lands, in tropics, or immersed in professional duties or in seminaries, or voyaging over t expanse of t may be, already called by t God to anoto te saint is reat on t day set apart by our o transmit to all test sons of catholic Spain.

    -- Noreat and  salutary practice for all ruly cian life? A retreat, my dear boys, signifies a o examine tate of our conscience, to reflect on teries of o understand better o put before you some ts concerning t tec, ry to understand t anding of ting benefit to our souls. And remember, my dear boys, t o to do Gods o save our immortal souls. All else is ion of ones soul.  dot profit a man to gain tal soul? Ac can make up for such a loss.

    -- I o put as, ion, and to give all your attention to tate of your souls. I need  during treat all boys are expected to preserve a quiet and pious demeanour and to s tom is not infringed and I look especially to ts and officers of ty of Our Blessed Lady and of ty of to set a good example to tudents.

    -- Let us try, to make treat in  Francis  and our , above and beyond all, let treat be one to o  foundation of a pious ian life. And if, as may so  t in tterable misfortune to lose Gods o fall into grievous sin, I fervently trust and pray t treat may be turning point in t soul. I pray to God ts of  Francis Xavier, t suco sincere repentance and t t Franciss day of ting covenant bet soul. For just and unjust, for saint and sinner alike, may treat be a memorable one.

    -- tle brot. tention, by your oion, by your out t, es, s sin for ever.  t and t, if  o o come, in t end - a blessing, my dear boys, . Amen!

    As  companions, a to compass ed in stupor of mind till it s and reveal  e ite and es lay abandoned on table,  to tongue and licking it from o tate of a beast t licks er meat. t glimmer of fear began to pierce t t into treet. Forms passed t t. And t ters of tence. tening and congealing into a gross grease, plunging ever deeper in its dull fear into a sombre tening dusk less and dis of darkened eyes, urbed, and o stare upon.

    t day broug, stirring s listless despair. t glimmer of fear became a terror of spirit as to s agony.  toucremities and creep ono, t centres of tinguis s oozing upon t tly and more faintly, all but vanquis, sobbing and sigtling in t. No o . Nail it doo a  out of t it out of mens sigo a long o to rot, to feed ts creeping o be devoured by scuttling plump-bellied rats.

    And anding in tears by t t moment of consciousness t ime to reflect, tood terrified before t seat. God, , pleading  time to repent, sparing it yet a time ime o sin and to enjoy, time o scoff at God and at time o defy y, to disobey o o commit sin after sin and to ion from t of men. But t time  urn: and  to be s lurking place, t rebellious against t degrading to our poor corrupt nature, tiniest imperfection and t rocity.  did it avail to  emperor, a great general, a marvellous inventor, t learned of t seat of God. ant ant after ticular judgement o to tory or o hell.

    Nor  all. Gods justice ill to be vindicated before men: after ticular till remained t. t day  ars of  by tree  , appeared glorious and terrible against t on t on trumpet time. ts of time is, time  time s t blast ty to, ricle and simple,  be born, all ters of Adam, all are assembled on t supreme day. And lo, t poy, attended by nine cies, poues, tions, cent, God Everlasting.  t limits of space, even In ttomless abyss. Supreme Judge, from ence t to er into ternity of bliss prepared for t s from y: Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire orn apart from friend, corn from ts,  o to o ty pero tried to lead  pato a kind broto a loving sister, to t it is too late: t turn acer. O you es, O, you o t fare  terrible day?

    And t come: t. It is appointed unto man to die and after deat. Deatain. time and manner are uncertain, : t an tle expect , seeing t you may die at any moment. Deat, brougo t parents, are tals t close our eartence, tals t open into tals t pass, alone, unaided save by its good  friend or brot or master to , alone and trembling. Let t t be ever before our minds and t sin. Deaterror to t for  paties of ation in life, attending to  frequently and performing good and merciful  man, deaterror. as it not Addison, t Engliser, o let ian can meet  is and ian, w:

    O grave, wory?

    O deating?

    Every  o  no ering in sin. Yes, t. Gods turn  in its lair s o ts of trumpet o t. ttered in an instant uous peace. t day bles of ion, fled before terror and huddled under a mane of hair.

    As  lauge  more strongly trumpet blast, and, not daring to lift urned aside and gazed, as o tangled sten  and flooded . If so  orn and trampled upon  boyis c poetry? tails of ank under rils. t-coated packet of pictures ures and by s ters ten in ty confession and carried secretly for days and days only to t among t come upon tly. Mad! Mad! as it possible  broke out upon hin his brain.

    ried to raise s abject pooo far from oo great and stern and too pure and   ood near Emma in a  and kissed the elbow of her sleeve.

    In tender lucid evening sky, a cloud drifting oget y t   offended y is not like earty, dangerous to look upon, but like tar o ts:

    -- take ep is a beautiful evening no loves anot. take ogetogets will love eacher.

    t lig filtered t blind and t of oucicks upon tar t gleamed like ttle-worn mail armour of angels.

    Rain  er ain tops. All life ter of ty days and forty nigill ters covered th.

    It mig?

    -- s soul and opened its mout any limits - aken, my dear little brot Jesus, from ter, fourteent. Amen.

    took a cc ane and, s dial for a moment in silence, placed it silently before able.

    o speak in a quiet tone.

    -- Adam and Eve, my dear boys,  parents, and you  ted by God in order t ts in  vacant by t be filled again. Lucifer, old,  and mig  of t of o   say. t it  conceived in an instant: non serviam: I  serve. t instant was his ruin.

    y of God by t of one instant and God cast  of o hell for ever.

    -- Adam and Eve ed by God and placed in Eden, in t lovely garden resplendent  and colour, teeming  vegetation. tful earty: beasts and birds s: t to, disease and poverty and deat a great and generous God could do for t tion imposed on to  to eat of t of tree.

    -- Alas, my dear little boys, too fell. t, tlest of all ts of t one, could not bear to t man, a being of clay, sance o  promise! - t if se of t to tempter. Se t also to Adam o resist ongue of Satan s hey fell.

    -- And t garden, calling ure man to account: and Mic, y pair and drove to triving, of cruelty and disappointment, of labour and o earn t of t even took pity on our poor degraded parents and promised t in time o t One, t Redeemer of fallen man, o be Gods only begotten Son, t Blessed trinity, ternal ord.

    -- er for ty years until t forto men to he new gospel.

    -- Did ten? Yes, tened but   as a fool, set aside to give place to a public robber, scourged led treets by tripped of s and  and er and blood issued continually.

    -- Yet even t y for mankind. Yet even t es of  prevail.  upon t s and sacrifice, and promised t if men ill enter into eternal life; but if, after all t ill persisted in ternity of torment: hell.

    tant, parted then he resumed:

    -- No us try for a moment to realize, as far as ure of t abode of tice of an offended God o existence for ternal punis of sinners. rait and dark and foul-smelling prison, an abode of demons and lost souls, filled raitness of to puniso be bound by ive  least some liberty of movement,  only  so in  number of togeto be four tterly bound and , as a blessed saint, saint Anselm, es in udes, t even able to remove from t gna.

    -- terior darkness. For, remember, t. As, at t its  but not its lig taining tensity of its , burns eternally in darkness. It is a never ending storm of darkness, dark flames and dark smoke of burning brimstone, amid ten one plague alone, t of darkness, o to last not for t for all eternity?

    -- trait and dark prison is increased by its aencold, so a vast reeking seion of t day one, too, y fills all s intolerable stencilential odour t, as saint Bonaventure says, one of to infect t pure element, becomes foul and unbreat  must be trid corpse t ting and decomposing in tion. Imagine suco flames, devoured by tone and giving off dense cion. And tenciplied a millionfold and a millionfold again from tid carcasses massed togetting ench of hell.

    -- But tenc,  is, test porment to orment of fire is test torment to  ed ures. Place your finger for a moment in t our earted by God for t of man, to maintain in o s, ed by God to torture and punisant sinner. Our eart tacks is more or less combustible, so t y ing cions to crate its action. But tone roys at time as it burns, so t tense it is ter is its duration; but ty, t it preserves t  rages ensity, it rages for ever.

    -- Our eartter  may be, is aled extent; but ttomless. It is on record t tion by a certain soldier, o confess t if a o t ant like a piece of errible fire  afflict t, but eac soul self, ts very vitals. O, errible is t of tc in t gloing, t mass of burning pulp, tender eyes flaming like molten balls.

    -- And yet rengty and boundlessness of to its intensity, an intensity  c of soul and body alike. It is a fire  of its oivity but as an instrument of Divine vengeance. As ters of baptism cleanse t torture t ortured and every faculty of trable utter darkness, tions, taste ter, leprous corruption, nameless suffocating filtouc goads and spikes, ongues of flame. And torments of tal soul is tortured eternally in its very essence amid ty of tent God and fanned into everlasting and ever-increasing fury by the God-head.

    -- Consider finally t torment of t ts, as if by instinct, soever is deadly or ful to turned - t of family or country, of ties, of relations one anotorture and rage intensified by tortured and raging like ty is forgotten. test corners of t abyss. t God and of red for t times it om to punis ing o t. tention of times, o punisful and eful beasts. But s compared ion s of tted t seeds of evil t suggestions led to sin, tempted and allured tue. turn upon t t is too late noance.

    -- Last of all consider tful torment to tempters and tempted alike, of t t Catten t, ratant on sucful monster, so il track of red coals. tiful angels, iful. t t souls  is to temptings of friends? urn aside from your pious practices and good  evil companion?  give up t le impure ?  listen to t, even after you  or time, repent of your evil urn to God ance to absolve you of your sins? Noime for repentance ime is, time  time sime o sin in secrecy, to indulge in t sloto covet to yield to tings of your loure, to live like ts of ts of t least, are but brutes and o guide time  time so you by so many voices, but you   crus t pride and anger in your , you  restore tten goods, you  obey ts of your tend to your religious duties, you  abandon t avoid temptations. Sucormentors, aunting and of reproacred and of disgust. Of disgust, yes! For even tible ures, a rebellion of tellect: and t turn aed and disgusted, from templation of trages and defiles temple of t, defiles and pollutes himself.

    -- O, my dear little brot, may it never be our lot to  language! May it never be our lot, I say! In t day of terrible reckoning I pray fervently to God t not a single soul of today may be found among t Judge so depart for ever from , t not one of us may ever ence of rejection: Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire whe devil and his angels!

    rembling as t oucly fingers. aircase and into ts and erproofs ed malefactors,  every step

    hrough space.

    grip t and sat   random and poring over it. Every rue. God  ime to be conscious of t? Yes? oget felt tongues of flames, dried up as it felt about it tifling air.  t. Again a enement of t forth from his skull like a corolla, shrieking like voices:

    -- hell! hell! hell! hell! hell!

    Voices spoke near him:

    -- On hell.

    -- I suppose  into you well.

    -- You bet  us all into a blue funk.

    -- tS : and plenty of it to make you work.

    died. God ill. ill in tate and Vincent ood at talking, jesting, gazing out at their heads.

    -- I  by Mala t be knee-deep.

    -- It might clear up, sir.

    t  of tly brotle as tranquilly, lulled his aching soul.

    till time. O Mary, refuge of sinners, intercede for h!

    tory. Royal persons, favourites, intriguers, bise poms be did it profit a man to gain t  last ood: and -like men laboured in brot mounds. touc ouco ansion of er ude of y and contrition.

    o deptrite peace, no longer able to suffer t prayer. Aill be spared;  in  and be forgiven; and t o make up for t: a w.

    -- All, God! All, all!

    A messenger came to to say t confessions remulous c, no stronger ttle , listening and suffering silently, o  t, feeling it close and quail, listening to tter of its ventricles.

    No escape. o confess, to speak out in er sin. how? how?

    -- Father, I.

    t slid like a cold so ender fles not t, sincerely; but not t  God  to be offended  dare to confess in tter abjection of spirit ely of ts about him.

    time passed.

    again in t benc   fell slo seemed t t day  all souls .

    -- I am cast a of taken, my dear little brot, from tieter, ty-t. Amen.

    to speak in a quiet friendly tone. ly tips.

    -- tion upon o make ion of place. e endeavoured, t is, to imagine ion, terial cer of t aorments ure of tual torments of hell.

    -- Sin, remember, is a ty. It is a base consent to tings of our corrupt nature to tincts, to t  is also a turning aure, from all t is pure and al sin is punis forms of punis, pual.

    Noual pains by far test is t, in fact, t in itself it is a torment greater t test doctor of tor, as  t damnation consists in t tanding of man is totally deprived of divine ligion obstinately turned aely good, and t be a loss infinitely painful. In t a very clear idea of  ter torment, anding of t and t t it t it for ever. At tant of deat once flies toore of ence. Remember, my dear little boys, our souls long to be o God:   of our brain, every instant of life proceeds from Gods inexible goodness. And if it be pain for a moto be parted from o be exiled from o be sundered from friend, O t pain,  be for to be spurned from tor  soul into existence from notained it in life and loved it o be separated for ever from its greatest good, from God, and to feel t separation, kno it is uncest torment he pain of loss.

    t t as in dead bodies refaction, so in t tual remorse from trefaction of sin, ting of conscience, t t, of triple sting. t sting inflicted by t pleasures. O  be! In t, t s of researcistic pleasures ures and ot treasures, ed in table s, ten erous ted. to to suffer in o t t tal, for vain s, for a tingling of t indeed: and ting of te and fruitless sorroted. Divine justice insists t tanding of tcinually on ty, and moreover, as saint Augustine points out, God  to t sin o ts  appears to t but it oo late and ted. t and deepest and most cruel sting of time and opportunity to repent and . You o aid you. You er of God to preaco you, to call you back o forgive you your sins, no matter ed. No. You . You flouted ters of urned your back on to you, tened you, entreated you to return to  s misery! treated you, a creature of clay, to love o keep . And noo flood all ears if you could still  sea of repentance  gain for you ear of true repentance sal life o repent: In vain. t time is gone: gone for ever.

    -- Sucing of conscience, ts core of tc filled  to sucempted ternity and even revile and curse tience ted but ice and po evade.

    -- t spiritual pain to ension. Man, in t capable of t once, inasmucs and counteracts anot as one poison frequently corrects anotrary, one torment, instead of counteracting anot still greater force: and, moreover, as ternal faculties are more perfect ternal senses, so are t as every sense is afflicted ting torment, so is every spiritual faculty; tive faculty ernate longing and rage, tanding erior darkness more terrible even terior darkness ent t be, less duration, a frigate of red God bears to it.

    -- Opposed to tension and yet coexistent  y. re of evils and, as you knoense at tres t test points. traries or admixtures of any kind to temper or soften in t t to ted, inual torment: kno, ed , so muced by all creatures from tion doo t plant in t, ensely. In t very long or not very great because nature eits or puts an end to t. But in orments cannot be overcome by , for ensity t time of continual variety, eaco speak, taking fire from anot ill fiercer flame. Nor can nature escape from tense and various tortures by succumbing to tained and maintained in evil so t its suffering may be ter. Boundless extension of torment, incredible intensity of suffering, unceasing variety of torture - t ty, so outraged by sinners, demands; t ted and set aside for tful and lo fles t Lamb of God, sion of sinners, trampled upon by t of ts upon.

    -- Last and croorture of all tortures of t aernity of ernity! O, dread and dire ernity!  mind of man can understand it? And remember, it is an eternity of pain. Even t so terrible as t te, as tined to last for ever. But  time, as you knoolerably intense, unbearably extensive. to bear even ting of an insect for all eternity orment.  must it be, to bear tortures of ernity! Not for a year or for an age but for ever. try to imagine ten seen ts tiny grains! And iny little grains go to make up ts play. Noain of t sand, a million miles o t ending to remotest space, and a million miles in tless particles of sand multiplied as often as t, drops of er in ty ocean, featoms in t expanse of t at ttle bird came to t mountain and carried as beak a tiny grain of t sand. uries  bird  of t mountain,   at t immense stretcime not even one instant of eternity could be said to  trillions of years eternity ain rose again after it  all a so rose and sank as many times as tars in toms in ter in trees, feat t immeasurably vast mountain not one single instant of eternity could be said to  ter t eon of time t of y would scarcely have begun.

    -- A  (one of our o o  ood in t of a great  save for ticking of a great clock. ticking  on unceasingly; and it seemed to t t ticking ition of to be in o be in o be s off from to enjoy tific vision; ever to be eaten o be free from to o escape; ever to curse and revile t fiendiso be of ts; ever to cry out of to God for an instant, a single instant, of respite from suco receive, even for an instant, Gods pardon; ever to suffer, never to enjoy; ever to be damned, never to be saved; ever, never; ever, never. O, ernity of endless agony, of endless bodily and spiritual torment,  one ray of  one moment of cessation, of agony limitless in intensity, of torment infinitely varied, of torture t sustains eternally t ernally devours, of anguis everlastingly preys upon t ernity, every instant of ernity of al sin by an almig God.

    -- Yes, a just God! Men, reasoning alonis God se out an everlasting and infinite punis in tanding, to compreal sin. to compre even venial sin is of sucure t even if tent Creator could end all tion t o pass unpunis of  omnipotent God could not do so because sin, be it in t or deed, is a transgression of  be God if  punisransgressor.

    -- A sin, an instant of rebellious pride of tellect, made Lucifer and a t of t of angels fall from tant of folly and  of Eden and brougo to retrieve t sin tten Son of God came doo eart painful deathe cross.

    -- O, my dear little bret Jesus,  good Redeemer and provoke rample again upon t torn and mangled corpse? ill  upon t face so full of sorrooo, like tal soldiers, mock t gentle and compassionate Saviour rod alone for our sake tender side. Every sinful act is a t, deliberately yielded to, is a keen lance transfixing t sacred and loving . No, no. It is impossible for any o do t  y of agony, t whe Son of God and makes a mockery of him.

    -- I pray to God t my poor o confirm in ate of grace, to strengto lead back to tate of grace t rayed if any suco God, and do you pray   of our sins. I o repeat after me t of contrition, kneeling abernacle burning o comfort ted. Be not afraid. No matter  of t no  ternal deat rat ed and live.

    -- o  of noto receive you even t o able time. Nohe hour.

    t rose and, turning toar, knelt upon tep before tabernacle in ted till all in t and every least noise ill. ted t of contrition, pepongue cleaving to e, bowed .

    -- O my God! --

    -- O my God! --

    -- I am ily sorry --

    -- I am ily sorry --

    -- for hee --

    -- for hee --

    -- and I detest my sins --

    -- and I detest my sins --

    -- above every other evil --

    -- above every other evil --

    -- because thee, my God --

    -- because thee, my God --

    --  so deserving --

    --  so deserving --

    -- of all my love --

    -- of all my love --

    -- and I firmly purpose --

    -- and I firmly purpose --

    -- by thy holy grace --

    -- by thy holy grace --

    -- never more to offend thee --

    -- never more to offend thee --

    -- and to amend my life --

    -- and to amend my life --

    up to er dinner in order to be alone  every step o sig every step ed , sig, through a region of viscid gloom.

    ed on ted in fear, ly t deat not touc t in darkness mig be given poill at t trance to some dark cave. Faces ed and ched.

    -- e knely  t o come to t y in endeavouring to try to induce o try to endeavour to ascertain tual plenipotentiary and so ly well--

    Murmuring faces ed and censely in spirit and in fles, raising rode into told  tely no sense old  it was simply he door open.

    ly to t beside it and covered  and c ing s. o be alone o examine o meet o face, to recall times and manners and circumstances, to  o  only an acanding, flesh, benumbed and weary.

    t o scatter s and over-cloud  tes of ted flesimidly to forgive o ts closely about

    o be called Gods child.

    Could it be t eply, filtime after time, and, ence, o abernacle itself  God  struck  rove to forget t of prayer, oget t be bound and, t fast, ig to ill rain of il tant and then opened. he saw.

    A field of stiff les and tufted nettle-buncufts of rank stiff groered canisters and clots and coils of solid excrement. A faint mars struggling upling grey-green  and foul as t, curled upers and from tale crusted dung.

    Creatures ures isures ly bearded and grey as india-rubber. ttered in trailing tails beus of cruel malignity lit up greyly t orn flannel coat, anotonously as uck in tufted  language issued from ttleless lips as tails amid ttling canisters. to enclose, to enclose, soft language issuing from tails besmeared ale se, ting uperrific faces

    help!

    s from o free  inking, bestial, malignant, a ish fiends. For him! For him!

    , clogging and revolting rails. Air! tumbled to fainting  tand a convulsion seized ed profusely in agony.

    itself o ting t in a corner of t to point of ligy   cocoon of yelloly luminous and t to breat drencs and quiet fragrance  .

    he prayed:

    --  to come on eart  safely visit us but y and a bedimmed radiance for  in poure in ead, ures comeliness and lustre suited to our state. And noo us of ternal not like earty, dangerous to look upon, but like tar y, telling of  of till as t led. In t, across to our lord Jesus, guide us home.

    ears and, looking o  for t.

    t touc closed beears. Confess! Confess! It  enougo lull tear and a prayer. o kneel before ter of t and tell over ruly and repentantly. Before board of trail over t opened to let able in tc for supper  and confessed. It e simple.

    tly treets. tones on tpat street and so many streets in t City and so many cities in t eternity al sin. Even once al sin. It could ant. But   to see. tant it  does t part of tand or , t subtle beast of t must understand ant and ts oant after instant, sinfully. It feels and understands and desires.  a  to be like t, a bestial part of to understand bestially and desire bestially? as t t t of a torpid snaky life feeding itself out of tender marroening upon t. O w so? O why?

    , abasing ? And, co, ely to o drive a was wo his brain.

    t  and o confess every sin. ter in o t . Or  dying of s so be free and sinless again! Per would know. O dear God!

    streets, fearing to stand still for a moment lest it mig  aed o arrive at t tourned iful must be a soul in tate of grace h love!

    Fro along tones before ts. trailed over t beautiful to see as t tate of grace t to see: and God loved them.

    A ing breation bleo feel t to God to tars noained and failing, merged in a moving breat; a tiny soul:  flickered once and  out, forgotten, lost. te.

    Consciousness of place came ebbing back to  tract of time unlit, unfelt, unlived. tself around s, ts in ts and  sa, moving men and  to cross treet, an oilcan in  down and asked here a chapel near.

    -- A creet chapel.

    -- Church?

    Sed to ed   s fringe of s loowards hed by her voice.

    -- thank you.

    -- You are quite welcome, sir.

    tar inguis till floated do tan aiding t gestures and ill lingered praying before one of tars or kneeling in timidly and knelt at t benc s  near oo y and er, cutting boards and planing t spoken of to poor fiseaco be meek and .

    be meek and   be like t beside able as t it rust of terious o ers, trade, rees, mending ts ience.

    A tall figure came doents stirred; and at t moment, glancing up sly,  of a capuc entered tents rose and entered t eit murmur of a voice troubled the silence.

    o murmur in y summoned from its sleep to s doom. Little flakes of fire fell and poroubled by ted air.

    t back. tent emerged from tered quietly and deftly ent . t murmur began again.

    ill leave tand up, put one foot before t softly and tly treets. ill escape from t been any terrible crime but t one sin!  been murder! Little fiery flakes fell and touc all points, ss, ss. Sinually. to say it in words! ifling and o be.

    t back. A penitent emerged from tent entered  . A soft s out of t   whispering vapour, whispering and vanishing.

    ly under cover of t.  one hem all.

    It o be good. Gods yoke  and lig ter never to o tle co come to  errible and a sad to sin. But God o poor sinners   was indeed goodness.

    t to suddenly. tent came out. . ood up in terror and o the box.

    At last it  in t gloom and raised o te crucifix suspended above  ell all  a sinner  t rue. But God o forgive oe form, praying rembling body, s creature, praying h whimpering lips.

    -- Sorry! Sorry! O sorry!

    t bounded in . t  ting, averted from  to bless ed teor in frig t grievous fault hless.

    --  since your last confession, my child?

    -- A long time, father.

    -- A month, my child?

    -- Longer, father.

    -- ths, my child?

    -- Longer, father.

    -- Six months?

    -- Eigher.

    asked:

    -- And  time?

    o confess  said, lies.

    -- Anything else, my child?

    Sins of anger, envy of ottony, vanity, disobedience.

    -- Anything else, my child?

    there was no help. he murmured:

    -- Icommitted sins of impurity, father.

    t did not turn his head.

    -- ith yourself, my child?

    -- Andhers.

    -- ith women, my child?

    -- Yes, father.

    -- ere they married women, my child?

    knoream of vice. t sins oozed forto tell. he bowed his head, overcome.

    t . then he asked:

    -- how old are you, my child?

    -- Sixteen, father.

    t passed imes over ing  oing and, ill averted, spoke slowly. his voice was weary and old.

    -- You are very young, my c me implore of you to give up t sin. It is a terrible sin. It kills t kills t is tunes. Give it up, my c is dis knoc  you. As long as you commit t sin, my poor co God. Pray to our moto o Our Blessed Lady o your mind. I am sure you , ? You repent of all t by   solemn promise to God, ?

    -- Yes, father.

    t rain upon .  and sad!

    -- Do so my poor cray. Drive o empts you to dis   you  sin, t cched sin.

    Blinded by ears and by t of Gods mercifulness  ion spoken and sas oken of forgiveness.

    -- God bless you, my child. Pray for me.

    to say o  like perfume streaming upwards from a  of we rose.

    treets were gay. rode  e of all . he had confessed and God had pardoned him. his soul was made fair and holy once more, holy and happy.

    It iful to die if God so  iful to live in grace a life of peace and virtue and forbearance hers.

    by tc daring to speak for ill t moment  kno doender se of sausages and  in ter te pudding and eggs and sausages and cups of tea. iful er all! And life lay all before him.

    In a dream  it  morning tohe college.

    t among tar  te flo as his own soul.

    before tar es, ar clotrembling and rembled as  pass  to communicant.

    -- Corpus Domini nostri.

    Could it be?  timid; and ongue t and God er his purified body.

    -- In vitam eternam. Amen.

    Anotue and  rue. It  a dream from .

    -- Corpus Domini nostri.

    the ciborium had come