"You did!" "I didn't!" THE BROTHERS' QUARREL. "I'll hit you, you bad boy!" "I can hit back, see if I can't!" These were the words that Cissie heard as she walked in the garden. Louder and more excited grew the tones as she came near the scene of the quarrel. There were her two little brothers, looking very angry and getting ready for a fight. The only witness was the dog Carlo, who seemed greatly surprised at the angry tones of his masters. There stood Willie, with his little fists doubled up ready to strike Joe, who, though a gentle little lad, was not to be frightened by the threats of his more excitable brother. So much in earnest were the little fellows that they did not notice Cissie's approach. DICK PON Willie was the first to see her, and his pale face reddened when he looked up and caught her eye. "Sister," he exclaimed, "just look here; Joe had my knife and he has gone and lost it." "I didn't touch it, sister," quickly responded Joe;" and Willie says I told a lie, and I didn't." "Hush! hush, boys! you do not know what you are saying. I am sorry, Willie, if your knife has been lost, but you know Joe is a truthful boy and would not deceive you," she quietly said. 'I don't care if he never finds his knife," cried Joe, his lip trembling and his eyes glistening. "Oh! Joe, dear, you are not so naughty as you would have me believe, and I am sure you love Willie." "Well, yes; but he must not try to fight me, and all for nothing," said the usually gentle boy. "Willie, surely you would not be cruel to your brother and wilfully hurt him, even if he lost all your treasures." "I don't know," said fiery Willie; "I think I would, if I felt as angry as I do now. I would like to hit somebody, or something." "Then suppose you turn round and hit the wall behind you - hit it hard, too." Smiles came to the faces of the boys at these words, and seeing a better state of things Cissie drew the lads to her and told them of how our dear Lord, when falsely accused and reviled, meekly bore the taunts of the multitude, and, when struck by the rude soldiers, calmly bowed His divine head. In simple words she told them of the Passion, of His being crowned with thorns and pierced upon the cross. How, even in His agony He cried, "Father, forgive them." The little brothers were touched by the recital, and when she had ended the divine tale they nestled to her and begged her to tell them more. Then she told them of the martyrs of long ago-how gladly they suffered death in all sorts of terrible ways, bearing fierce persecutions without murmuring, all for our dear Lord's sake. "Were they ever boys like us?" asked Willie. "Yes, dear Willie; they had, no doubt, just such temptations; but loving our Lord so much they gladly followed His example, for they knew that to follow Him was to find heaven, where the angels forever rejoice." Whilst Cissie was talking she saw one little fat hand clasp the hand of the other, and a softened light rest upon their upturned faces. Before she could say more impetuous Willie exclaimed, “Oh, sister, will I ever stop wanting to fight? The fight is in me, somehow." "I hope, my Willie, you will always desire to fight evil, and overcome the passions in your heart; then you will be the bravest sort of a soldier." Then Joe said, "Couldn't we help each other if we were always good friends?" "Of course, my boy; and suppose you try from this time. Willie what is that on the bench?" "Oh, my knife! my knife!" and at once his arms were around his brother's neck. "Joe, you did not tell a lie; I am sorry I said you did; the knife is just where I put it." Peace was restored, and the little boys had learned a lesson they will not soon forget. SPEAK KINDLY. A YOUNG lady had gone out to take a walk. She forgot to take her purse with her, and had no money in her pocket. Presently she met a little girl with a basket on her arm. "Please, miss, will you buy something from my basket?" said the little girl, showing a variety of book-marks, needle-books, watch-cases, etc. "I'm sorry I can't buy anything to-day," said the young lady; "I haven't any money with me. Your things look very pretty." She stopped a moment and spoke a few kind words to the girl; and then, as she passed, she said again, "I'm very sorry I can't buy anything from you to-day." "Oh! miss," said the little girl, "you've done me just as much good as if you had. Most persons that I meet say, 'Get away with you!' but you have spoken kindly to me, and I feel a heap better." That was "considering the poor." How little it costs to do that! Let us learn to speak kindly and gently to the poor and suffering. If we have nothing else to give, let us at least give them our sympathy. A COBBLER visited one of the large manufactories the other day, and for the first time saw shoes made by machinery. "What do you think of that?" asked the foreman. "It beats awl," was the laconic answer. The Day We Celebrated. THE chief feature of the celebration of St. Patrick's Day in Boston, says the Republic, was the jubilee observance of the Charitable Irish Society. This venerable organization, with its record of a century and a half, looked and acted as if it were in the heyday of youth. It called to its aid the best it could find of oratory, poetry, and music among its members, and signalized its attainment of the ripe age of one hundred and fifty by a celebration in every way worthy of the occasion. Mayor Cummings of Fall River, one of the most gifted Irish-Americans in Massachusetts, delivered an oration at Tremont Temple which will take a high place among the historic addresses that have helped Boston to win and hold her position as a leader in the field of thought. Mr. John Boyle O'Reilly added another leaf to the chaplet of fame which his brilliant efforts as a poet have secured to him. And Mrs. M. E. Blake's touching and delicate ode to charity was one of her cleverest and most soulful and tuneful productions. The venerable society has reason to be proud of these three gifted children, whose transcendent abilities have been widely recognized and appreciated, who reflected abundant credit on the race from which they sprang, and who are doing their fair share of the work devolving on all American citizens entrusted with special talents. The banquet given by the society in the evening was an occasion of more than customary interest. The complimentary words of the governor, the collector of the port, and of the other distinguished guests, who can claim only a distant and remote connection with the great Celtic race, gave fresh evidence of the esteem in which the IrishAmerican portion of the population is held in high places, and also of the gradual demolition of that unreasonable prejudice which had existed here in recent times. It has come to pass that the possession of Irish blood is not a mark of disfavor or a brand of social or political ostracism. The old Charitable Irish Society has done much toward hastening the downfall of the wall of bigotry and misunderstanding which separated the races. The society was fortunate in having for presiding officer, on a day of exceptional moment and significance in her annals, a man of such ability, tact, and culture as Dr. J. B. Moran. In his hands the machinery ran smoothly and easily, and to him much of the credit for the signal success of the celebration is fairly due. No society representing a distinct nationality in this city can boast of so much talent and intellectual brilliancy as the Charitable Irish. Long may it continue in its career of usefulness, fulfilling its high and holy mission of ministration to the wants of the friendless, and perpetuating the lofty principles of liberty, unity, charity, and fraternity. NOISE does no good, and good makes no noise.—Curé d'Ars. DONAHOE'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE. BOSTON, MAY, 1887. NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS. MONTH OF MARY! THE POPE, in the course of an address to the Sacred College in reply to its congratulations upon the ninth anniversary of his coronation, said that without Rome and without temporal power the Pope would never be free and independent. MAGISTRATES IN IRELAND.-The following statistics from an English Blue Book, issued in response to an order obtained by Mr. Chance, show the number of magistrates in Ireland to be 5,065. Of these 3.780 are Protestants and only 1,229 Catholics. When we take into consideration the fact that there are nearly four Catholics to one Protestant in the Emerald Isle, we gain a very clear insight into the way Ireland is "governed," "judged," and naturally condemned by Tory-Orange bigotry. CARDINAL MANNING has addressed a letter to the Very Rev. Prior Glynn, O. S. A., in favor of the proposed church of St. Patrick, in Rome. JUSTIN MCCARTHY said before leaving the United States :-"I have been lecturing six months in the United States and Canada, and have been highly gratified at the result. I found the people everywhere very sympathetic and in favor of Home Rule for Ireland. In Canada the Conservatives were just as pronounced for Home Rule as the Liberals. The victory of the Conservatives there doesn't signify anything as far as Home Rule is concerned, any more than a political victory in the United States. I think Ireland will have Home Rule in two years at the utmost. Gladstone will come into power again. Lord Randolph Churchill is silent in his views and favors Home Rule. If England has a war with Russia, or any European power, she will give Ireland Home Rule in a week." PARNELL. The London correspondent of the Dublin Freeman says: "Perhaps it may be as well to say once and for all that there is not the slightest foundation for the statements now being circulated that Mr. Parnell, at any time, contemplated going away for his health during the present session. Your readers will be gratified to learn that since parliament opened Mr. Parnell has made great strides towards regaining his health, and that a great improvement is noticeable in his appearance in the past couple of weeks." State of the Country. FROM the Dublin Freeman's Journal we learn that there is evidence from the Bench itself of the almost complete absence of ordinary crime in Ireland. Offences of the type which prevail so largely in England and parts of Scotland and Wales are entirely absent. At Sligo Mr. Justice Lawson told the grand jury there were only three bills of a most trivial character to go before them. Lord Justice Fitzgibbon disposed of the entire criminal business of the county Meath in a couple of hours, there being only two or three cases of ordinary crime; Mr. Justice Lawson had still less to do in the King's County; and the Lord Chief Justice found only one case to go before the grand jury of Westmeath, who immediately returned "no bill;" so that his lordship lost a pair of white gloves only by what some people would irreverently call a fluke. The Assizes for the county Leitrim were opened at Carrick-on-Shannon, and Mr. Justice Lawson, who presided in the Crown Court, again bore evidence of absence of ordinary crime in the country. In King's County he disposed of the business in a few hours, whilst in Meath the criminal cases were disposed of by Lord Justice Fitzgibbon in a still briefer period. Crime in Westmeath was represented by one case, in which no bill was found. Mr. Justice O'Brien was on circuit in Clare, and, after stating that none of the bills required special directions from him, he proceeded to deliver a characteristic lecture. Thus the evidence daily accumulates of the absence of general or ordinary crime throughout the country. THE Milwaukee Citizen makes this suggestion: Let St. Patrick's Day be universalized. Let the right to celebrate it be accorded to everybody. Let IrishAmericans gather their Yankee friends to talk and their German-American friends to sing about the "festal board," or at the feast of reason and flow of soul held St. Patrick's Eve. Let it be the saint day of the New World. THE carnival season had a tragic ending near Genoa this year. The earthquake sent twenty thousand people fleeing from the city. At a house near DianoMarino a ball was proceeding, when the shocks came. The building was com pletely wrecked and a terrible loss of life resulted. Dancers lay dead in heaps upon the ground. MR. MCCOLL, a member of the Nova Scotia legislature for Pictou County, advocated on the floor of the house seces. sion from Canada and annexation to the United States. This is the first public utterance of the scheme in an official position, and was not challenged. AN ENEMY TO PLUTOCRACY.-Rome, March 9, 1887. In an interview to-day Cardinal Gibbons said: "I am and ever shall be an enemy of a plutocracy of soulless corporations and men. The Catholic Church will take the side of the weaker against the stronger. In this instance there is no question of secret societies. Mr. Powderly and many other chiefs are good Catholics Above all, I wish it to be known that there is no essential divergence between myself and the Archbishop of Quebec on this subject. The French Canadian society is not that of the United States, and perhaps the French ecclesiastic or administrative mind is more inclined to take alarm than we, and to see revolu tions behind every hedge. America is quite able to take care of itself, and the interests of American citizens. It will be time enough to consider all sorts of issues when they are raised." He Ordered Them to Shoot. THE Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, Chief Secretary for Ireland, in the House of Commons admitted the truth of the statement that Capt. Plunkett, as magistrate for Youghal, had sent an order to the officer in command of the police not to hesitate to instruct his men to shoot in the event of the populace attacking them while engaged in the work of serving Father Keller with a summons to attend court and answer interrogatories respecting his alleged custody of funds under the plan of campaign. The order was given, Mr. Balfour, said on information that a dangerous assault on the police was expected, and he contended that Capt. Plunkett had done right in issuing it. ARCHBISHOP LYNCH, of Toronto, sets his heel on the private-ownership-of-landis-unjust vagary. He writes: "The land is for the children of men, but once an individual gets possession of it by first |