inward voice becomes more and more audible. It says:
'I am--obey!'

"The new clothes itself in new dress.

"What proof does a man give that _he is_ if he does only what has
been done?

"Can a man repeat the past with genius?

"One true act opens the passage to ten more.

"Man is left to his own destiny; religion but sanctifies it."

When the day comes at last, the Sacrament itself gets only the
briefest chronicle. The door seems but a door. Passing through it, he
finds himself at home, and apparently without one quickening of the
pulse, or any cessation of his desire to penetrate all its secret
chambers. The explanation of this is to be looked for in the
presumption that his baptism in infancy had been valid. It was
conferred by a Lutheran minister who must have been trained in
Germany, and whose methodical adherence to the proper form might be
counted on. In the sight of God, doubtless, he had never since been
outside the Church. He was like a child stolen from the cradle, but
in whom racial and family traits had been superior to an uncongenial
environment.

"Friday, August 1, 1844, 1 P.M.--This morning we were baptized by
Bishop McCloskey. To-morrow we attend the tribunal of confession."

Then he mentions a curious fact which recalls a similar experience of
St. Catherine of Genoa: "We know not why it is we feel an internal
necessity of using the plural pronoun instead of the singular."

But if conditional baptism left him silent, the Sacrament he
certainly received the following day opened the flood-gates of his
speech:

"August 2.--Penance! joy! unbounded love! Sweet Jesus, Thy love is
infinite! Blessed faith! sweet love! I possess an internal glory, a
glowing flame of love! Let my whole life be one act of penance! O
dear Jesus, the life-giver! Oh, what a sweet thing it is to be in the
way of loveful grace! Jesus, keep me near Thee! Oh, how great a
condescension, Jesus is my Friend! Oh! who has the conception of
Jesus being his _Friend?_ O ancient faith, how dear, how good is God
in giving us sinners thee! Blessed is the grace of God that leadeth
sinners to thee! Oh, how thou hast comforted the soul! It would turn
from thee, but thou strengthenest it. The cup was bitter, but
infinitely more sweet is the joy thou givest. My soul is clothed in
brightness; its youth is restored. O blessed, ever-blessed,
unfathomable, divine faith! O faith of apostles, martyrs, confessors,
and saints! Holy Mother of Jesus,