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Show j OUR. LITERARY TABLE "Anecdotes and Example Illustrating t:;- Cath-chism." is a work selected and arra ,v j Francis Spirago. Professor of Th.-ology. . ,',,7 j J- Kaxttr. ! suppl'-m-ml and I work, so thai it is adapted t" th.j F 1 1 1 i 1 1 . t - j chisni. One feeLs no iiih.giviiigs in prt'Sriiti:. a -... . 1 Francis Spirago. in vi. of rh.- h.-arty r-.ta..., corded his two catechetical volumes lately Kn, . the English-speaking world by Rev. Fatii.-r .i, i S. J.. and Bishop Messmcr. respectively. Th- ,-..v. , . editor, in the preface, feels that no b.-tt-r can be used than that of the author in presei.tii,- :" scope and plan of the work. It begins thus. 'Th,, I ..... ..! . . : .:;a. iuiik ol c. unties an' lnusti at j i teaching children and the uneducated is uni -..., acknowledged. The Romans used to say: 'V .;,, movent, exempla trahent ("Words influence, ,-;,u,Vi. , attract'). And Seneca said: 'Longum Iter p.--r .r;, ta. breve et efficax per cxempla' ('The desired end i-tained i-tained much more quickly and effeetui.ily by in. example than by precept"). The reason of this is t. examples stimulate the imitative instinct, whi.-ii strong in most people, especially in the young: ,,,. sequcntly they are a powerful factor in education. ;( " imparting instruction, also. ex. tuples are of n.. si.--assistance, for they serve to elucidate the teaching', render the lesson interesting and attractive, and k. , the attention of the scholar from wandering. Tl ' teacher need only say: 'Now. c hildren. I am gnj,,g tell you a pretty story." and all eyes are f(!-,lwii .. flxed on him. "In the present day. exampl-s In-, m..,- iv,, , than ever, because almost all th- catchistus and manuals of religion now in use are written j a ,,.N Concise StV'le. With n.w.tt,.. ..: . "' "'in, M'arenuy, ttian tliai of intellectual Improvement. That, unless the cat- -chist weaves examples into the instruction given, tl... heart and the will remain untouched, and religious teachmg become distasteful to children on account of its being so dull. The use of appropriate example and illustrations is quite in accordant-., with Our Lord's method of teaching; we know that He constantly con-stantly taught by parables." Benziger Brothers, publishers. New York, Cincir,-nati, Cincir,-nati, Chicago, Price. $1.,"0. CLASS THOUGHTS oTxEWMAX'S DREAM op GERONTICS. (By the Class of 1903, Sacred Heart Academy. den "The grape's red heart must break, erj runs th wine. ' What a wealth of thought, beauty and truth has come into our literature in the trappings or woe? How many of our poets have given forth their bec thoughts after their hearts had been tried in the crucible cru-cible of sorrow? Then it is that man stands face to face with thereat th-ereat niViittrloa rit Mfr. .-.J .1,.... .. with vital soul-force he gives utterance to "thoughts that breathe and words that burn." The noblest song of Tennyson is the outpouring of his grief: the loftiest conception of Grey is his Elegy; and truly pathetic and sincere arc the lamentations of Milton for his dead friend Lycidas. ' So it was with Cardiiial'NewmHn. When sorr.c-had sorr.c-had touched his heart he contributed a masterpiece to the Pintheon of English Literature. How well worthy the name of masterpiece is I his beautiful religious-lyric, "The Dream of Gerontius." 1 ; Though all the poets have written of life in its sim- T pier phases, Cardinal Newman hat venturer to lift the veil which separates the visible from the great in- ' visible world, and has given us a glimpse of j "The world of spirits, where naught is found . ! To mould withal and form into a whole ij But what is immaterial." j How striking the picture he draws of life's all-per- i i voding presence in the abodj of the blessed: t '"The smallest portions of this edifice. if Cornice, or frieze, or balustrade, or stair, U The very pavement is made up of life j Of holy, blessed and immortal beings, j , Who hymn their Maker's praise continually." Though every work of Cardinal Newman gives testimony tes-timony to his strong mind and noble character, in his ' jream oi uerontius" he has reached the zenith of ' his literary excellence. ' Today this exquisite ode-drama is an acknowledged masterpiece a masterpiece which is an inspiration to the poet, the scholar and the divine. In varied and captivating measures of true poetry Newman unf ids some of the profoundest truths, both human and dl-vin. dl-vin. What a strong picture he draws of the dual nature V of man: '0 man. strange composite of heaven and earth, Majesty dwarfed to baseness; fragrant flower Running to poisonous seed: and seeming worth Cloaking corruption! Weakness mastering power! !, Who never art so near to crime and shame As when thou hast achieved some deed of name." How strange that the heavenly spirit sh.uild rejoice re-joice to serve such a sorry compound of failty and strength. In speaking of the guardian angel's mission, he says: "How should ethereal nature comprehend A thing made up of spirit and of clay, Were we not tasked to nurse it and to tend. Linked one to one throughout its mortal day? More than the Seraph in his height of place The angel-euardian knows and Iovph tho run. somed race." Brother Azarias, with his keen spiritual insight and love for the highest and best in literature, was among the first to note the merits of "The Dream of Geron-tlus." Geron-tlus." In cue of his lectures he speaks of it as a "serenely "se-renely classic and highly philosophical poem thoroughly thor-oughly Dantesque in its conception and underlying idea." With the keen vision of a theologian and the . precision of a philosopher. Newman draws the distinc- I s, f tion between "Time," the force by which th3 Almighty ?i - One shapes man's destin3", and Eternity, in which Time is measured by the intensity of the living thought alone. With a reverent hand he has sounded the keynote of Faith,' of Hope, of Love and of profound adoration. 1 Though this magnificent poem was always admired by the learned, it is only since It has found a setting ; in music's heavenly voice that its merits awakened universal admiration. With its sublime conception of life, its noble delin- j eation of truth, its lofty sentiment of divine religion, and its measured rythm, is it surprising that Edgar Elgar found m the "Dreanl of Gerentius" the Inspiration Inspira-tion for an oratorio worthy the genius of a Mozart oi a Haydn? . ()ne of the chief benefits of conversation is thai each can learn that which hi companion know-? and he does not; but this benefit can come only to the modest and receptive mind, ifost of tho argument held by persons of opposite views i-? quite 'futile for want of this mental .condition. The object is not to rind out the truth about tho mooted subject, but to shine and to conquer. Xeither party becomes, wiser, neither is convinced. The triumph of one and. the humiliation of the other are alike fruitless, and more or less nth pleasant feeling is left behind. A thorough defeat taken in the right spirit is more really valuable' to the truth-seeker than twenty victories that only feed vanity. |