l the priest was ready to take
them."

"One of these vessels," continued Mr. George, "contained wine, the other
water. When the priest held his large silver cup out to him, the man
poured some of the wine into it."

"Yes," said Rollo. "And I saw the priest wiping out the cup very
carefully, with a large white napkin, before he held it out for the
wine."

"True," said Mr. George. "When he took the wine in his cup, it was
common wine, in its natural state; but afterwards, by being consecrated
to the service of the mass, it was changed, they all believe, into the
blood of Christ. It looked, they knew, just as it did before; but though
it thus still retained all the appearance of wine, they believe that it
became really and truly the blood of Christ, and that the priest in
drinking it would make a sacrifice of Christ anew for the salvation of
the souls of those who should witness and join in the ceremony.

"In the same manner a small round piece of bread, shaped like a large
wafer, when consecrated by the priest's prayers, becomes, they think,
really and truly the body of Christ; and the priest by eating it
performs a sacrifice, just as he does by drinking the wine. When he has
consecrated this wafer, he holds it up for a moment, that the people may
look upon it; and they, in looking upon it, think they see a portion of
the true body of Christ, which is about to be offered up by the priest
as a sacrifice for their sins."

"Yes," said Rollo, "I remember when he held up the wafer. I did not know
what it was."

"Did you not see that all the people bowed their heads just then,"
rejoined Mr. George, "and said something to themselves in a very
reverent manner."

"Yes," said Rollo, "but I did not understand what it meant."

"Thus you see," continued Mr. George, "that the essential thing at a
Catholic service like this, as they regard it, is the eating of the body
and the drinking of the blood of Jesus Christ, as a new sacrifice for
the sins of the people who are present and consenting in heart to the
ceremony. There are a great many subordinate operations and rites. The
assistant goes back and forth a great many times from one side of the
altar to the other, stopping to bow and kneel every time he passes the
crucifix. The priest makes a great deal of ceremony of wiping out the
cup before he receives the wine. Then there is a long service, which he
reads in a low voice, and there are many prayers which he offers, and he