s, eats at
his table, sleeps in his bed, and accompanies him to his labor. It
never leaves him alone.

How we have separated the two, the precept from practice, this pulpit
cult bears evidence. The high-toned infidel and lofty agnostic sneer
at the humble Catholic who, in deepest contrition, confesses his sins
to his spiritual adviser and goes forth relieved, probably to fall
again. How much better it is to attend divine worship one day in
seven, put on a grave countenance, and listen to eloquent discourses,
more eloquent prayers, and heavenly music, and then go out with no
thought of religion until the next Sunday returns for a like
performance!

Two thirds of what comes under the head of moral conduct in one is
pure selfishness. A man may be honest in his dealing, honorable in his
conduct, a good citizen, a loving husband, and an affectionate father,
and yet be without kindness, charity, faith, hope--in a word, all that
brought Christ upon earth in His mission of peace.

One summer and autumn we lived at a mountain resort on the line of a
great railroad. We saw, day after day, long lines of cattle-cars
crowded with their living freight in a three-hundred-mile pull of
intensest agony. The poor beasts were jammed against each other,
unable to lie down,--to get under the hoofs of the others was
death,--fighting, hungry, in the last stages of thirst, panting with
tongues protruded, and their beautiful eyes staring with that
expression of wild despair which the scent of blood brings to them,
they rolled on to their far-off slaughter-houses with moans that were
heart-breaking.

It was our fortune that same autumn to meet one of the cattle-merchants
at church. He was there with his family. A stout, middle-aged man of
eminent respectability, he was a church-member, and looked up to as a
model citizen. We saw him listening to the eloquent sermon, and
wondered if there were not a low, deep undertone of agony running
through the discourse. When the prayers were offered up he knelt
humbly, and covered his face with his hands. Did they shut out the
wild, despairing eyes of those suffering beasts?

Yet how amazed would that estimable citizen have been had his minister
said to him: "You are railroading your soul to hell. Every moan of
those tortured animals goes up to God for record. You are freighting
disease to great cities, and the fevers and death are yet to be
answered for by you--wretched sinner!"

There is not a fash