leave her enriched we have robbed the poor by withholding our alms, if we have cared little or nothing for her religious instruction, thinking that would come to her some day! and that day never came; or, worse still, if we have thwarted and put obstacles in the way of her vocation to religion, if we have tempted her to love the world, to "bring her out to advantage in society," have suffered her to form acquaintances or engagements contrary to the will of GOD, that is, with irreligious persons, if we have spoken lightly of religion to or before her, or suffered her to go to theatres or read books of a dangerous tendency, if we have left her ignorant of the nature of the teaching of the Church, and set her an example of neglect of Sacraments, and of private prayer-GOD have mercy on us, for we are indeed to be pitied. She is dead.

Dead! Our sorrow has no consolation. There is nothing left us but bitter repentance. Her death, alas, may have been God's punishment, both for her, and for us.

What then? Why this. On the one hand, we must not be wise beyond what is written. On the other hand, we must

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waste no time in vain regrets for the past. Have we no other child, have we no friend's child whom we can warn by our own past failure and shortcomings, and lovingly help, and so atone as far as may be for the past?

ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS: A TYPE OF OUR OWN SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION.

"When the people were put forth, JESUS took with Him Peter, James, and John, with the father and mother of the damsel, and entered in where the damsel was lying."-S. Matth. ix. 25, 26; S. Mark v. 40-43; S. Luke viii. 55, 56.

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ESUS caused to go forth the noisy crowd which filled the house of Jairus. He kept with Him only three disciples and the damsel's father and mother. enters the chamber of the dead. He approaches the bed where she was stretched out without life or motion. He goes into that now silent room. And so the first step towards the resurrection or conversion of our souls is silence and retirement. Let us begin by banishing and putting forth cares, and occupations, and useless conversation, and a crowd of thoughts, and projects, and wishes which may dis

tract us. Let us keep with us only that which is absolutely necessary, that which is holy, that which will help us. It is the best way of meeting sorrow. Then JESUS will come to us, He will enter into us, into our hearts, over which death had hitherto reigned, He will conquer that death in us, and restore us to life.

JESUS "took the damsel by the hand, and saith unto her, Talitha cumi, which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." O, Hand of Power and Might! Thou dost join Thyself to a hand which is lifeless and motionless, to a hand which death has chilled; Thou deignest to touch a corpse; Thou givest unto it warmth, and motion, and life. O, lifegiving Voice, Thou piercest the deepest depths. The empire of death is shaken; death acknowledges its Vanquisher; and Thou forcest it to give up the prey which it had already seized! Do Thou touch my dead sleeping heart, O JESUS! Speak to it and restore its true life. There is none but Thou, O my God, Who canst by the application of Thy merits, and by the inner voice of Thy grace, recall me to life.

At the sound of the Voice of JESUS the

soul returned to the body which it had quitted, and the damsel was filled with health, and strength, and life. So the essence of our spiritual resurrection is the return of the HOLY SPIRIT into our hearts, (just as breath restores life to our natural bodies,) in order to shed abroad in them the grace of justification and sanctification, to make us live a new life, fruitful in good works and holy living. The spirit of the world is a spirit of pride and dissipation, of impurity, and avarice, and revenge-a spirit of deceit, a mere delusion. It is the spirit of death, which has the semblance of life without being life at all, but death.

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Straightway the damsel arose, and walked," and JESUS "commanded that something should be given her to eat." If we are really risen, we should begin by leaving off sinful habits, by renouncing sin, and the occasion of sin, of idleness and weariness in the service of GOD. should begin to walk in the paths of holiness and in newness of life, we should receive spiritual strength from the Sacraments, and eat and delight in the Bread of Life.

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"And the father and mother of the

damsel were astonished with a great astonishment," but JESUS "charged them straitly that they should tell no man what was done." One can scarcely describe what was the astonishment of those who were witnesses of so great a miracle. The Disciples, though they were accustomed to the mighty works of JESUS CHRIST, had never yet "seen it on this manner." The parents of the girl could scarcely realize it. Surprise, and joy, and gratitude mingled themselves in their hearts, and they were speechless.. Soon would they have burst out in praises and thanksgivings, if JESUS had not imposed silence, and forbidden them to tell what was done. But the miracle spoke for itself. Those who had not seen it, could not avoid seeing the damsel alive, and "the fame of it went abroad in all that land." So also a conversion should not be made public by the minister, that would be vanity; nor by the subject of it, that would be ostentation; nor by those to whom it is confided, that would be indiscretion. It should make itself known by a consistent life.

O Divine JESUS! Who givest back life to the sinner, and makest the dead to hear, speak Thou to my heart; join Thy