The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1871-06-25
JUVENILE COLUMN.
THE sCoFFER IN THE CONFESSIONAL.

l "A P0AIy Vi yOuuk uIOkA WOtO 0ScSAAA VIZ
one evening in hotel, in one of the town
of France. They drank freely of the win
before them, and after discussing variou
matters, the conversation turned on reli
giOn. The young men were Catholics II
name, and had been brought up in tn
of irreligious books destroyed the fruits o
their early training, They commenced
speaking of religion and it's practices il
| tones of ridicule aud impiety. The con
fessional was the principal subject of thei
wit and merriment. cit would be glo
rious thing" remarked one, ''if we We're tt
go through Eock form of confessing.'
His companions said that it would be o
capital joke, but defed him to carry il
through, 81 promise to do it," replied he
''what would be easier7 I'll bet you as
many bottles as we have already taken
that will do it, and that at our next meet
ing l will relate to you everything that
occurred in the confessional" And SO it
was agreed. The next day Saturday some
Of the party early sought out their bold
associate to remind him of his promise.
g. The PROMISE" said he, 81 will fulfll.n
And, accordingly, he repaired in the even
ing to a church, and sat himself down at
one of the confessionals, where he waited
with much impatience till his turn came.
He then entered, kuelt dewn and addressed
the priest in these words: Sir, beg you
to understand that / have not come here
for the purpose of really making my con-
fessiOn, but in order to win bet that
have made. L confess, then, that have
committed such and such sins, but don't
trouble my head the least about the mat
ter; have been guilty of this and that
crime, but 1 don't care in the least about
the matter" And in this manner he went
on to tell other sins, always adding, scorn-
fully, that the matter gave him no concern.
When he had finished, the contessor calmly
said: "You have done your part-won
your bet-you have confessed your sins; it
you an appropriate penance. For three
successive days, then, you will repeat three
times, morning, noon ard night, these
words: 1 shall die, but I'don't care about
it. There is judgment to come, but
don't care about it. There is q hell for
bnt don't care about it." And SO
saying, he dismissed him. In the evening
the young man returned to his companions,
related to them how he had gone to con-
fessiOn, and demanded the immediate pay
ment of his bet. But his companions,
however, insisted that he should first per-
form the penance he received, as it was an
integral part of confession. eff that be
all, }" replied he, somewhat unwillingly, $50
let 1T be; give you my word of honor that
| will go through with the whole business.
The bet is fairly won." And, in fact, he
began to repeat the words prescribed him,
hastily and thoughtlessly at first, but 10y
degrees with unusual emotion. They
seemed to call up from the grave the ex
tinct belief of his childhood; they made him
restless and detected; ut Lass his lips ceased
to pronounce the awful sylabies he re-
he cted seriously upon ntdeath. eternity and
the state of his soul. In few day grace
had accomplished its work. He returned
to the same confessor, disclosed to him the
state of his soul, and begged his ASST tance
n MAJ lSA n Sipcara and confession.
order to obtain forgiveness of God. He
made the confession, and during the re-
nainder of his life was most diligent in the
performance of every religious exercise.
THE MERCHANT AND THE ARTISAN
In the commencement of the present CEN
tury, there lived at Lyons IL shoemaker
named Berthier, who was seen working in
his shop every Sunday morning. A mer-
chant lived in the house opposite the shop
Of Berthier, and being religious man,
and most observant of the sanctification of
the Lords day, was grieved at seeing it
protaned by his ne:ghbor. One day he
spoke to him on the subject, and represent
on Sunday; but the shoemaker
made answer that it was necessity that
compelled him to work. The merchant,
shaking his head at this excuse, kindly
said to him: +" 1t is very far from my in
.ention that your family should suffer any
osS anu now promise you tnaG ii you
10 not work on Sunday, and that you regu-
arly attend church for the next six mon this,
will compensate you for any loss that
you may thereby sustain. De you accept
NY offer ~ " Willingly" replied 4he shoe
maker, " for it is much easier for me to sit
II the church than to work, particularly
when you are SO kind as to compensate me
or any loss that may suffer-" They both
hen shook hands, and the engagement was
;losed. When the six months had passed
,y, the merchant ought out the shoemaker
md said to him: Very good, neighbor, you
awe faithfully kept your word, and |, too,
will keep mine. Nav tell me the loss you
nave suffered for the last six months bytnot
working on Sunday, and l will make up
or it To the last fartiung." " Indeed"
'eplied the other, . must candidly say,
ny dear sir, that l have suffered not the
oss OF Il cent, and all the claim L have on
Inu is tnat of your accepting my best
hanks for the advice you gave me. During
hose last six months everything has gone
ia well with me. At first l experienced
ome little Inconvenience in not having my
work finished on Saturday night, but the
consideration that you would recnmpensc