Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-21

served by tlst boy just as he reached tae age
9I mNhood. dis pane was Jeremiah Horrox.
We nave somewhat wonderful story To tell
you about ibis boy. He lived in an obscure viii
lage ne ar Liverpool, England. He was q lover
Oh poeks o; science, aud before he reached tbs
age OF eighteen be had mastered tie astconom-
teal knowledge of the day. He studied the
problems OF kepleT, and he III ds the discovery
that the tables OF kepler indicated the near APP
proach Of the period of the transit of Venas
across the suns center. This was about toe
year 100. Often on midsummer nj ghtS the boy
HoTrox m ght have been seen in tue hslds watch
Ing tue planet Venus. Tue desire spruug up
within ham TO See the transit OF the besutifnI
planet across the disc of the SUI, for it was a
sight that no eye had ever seen, and one that
would tend TO solve some of the greatest prob
lens ever presented TO the mind of an astron-
omer. So the boy began 70 examine the as
Economical tables of Kepler, and by their aid
endeavored 10 demonstrate at what time the
next transit would occur. he found au error
IN the tables, and then he, being the first
OF all astronomers TO make tue precise cal
euation, discovered the exact date when
the next transit would take place. He told
his secret to one intimate friend, bow
who, Ike himself, loved science. The young
astronomer then awaited the event which he
had predicted FOR number of years, never see
ing the loved planet in the shaded evening skv
without dreaming of the day when the transit
sEould fulfill The besutiful vision ne carried
continually In his mind. The memOra bic wear
came at last-1639 The predicted transit came
TOO at the end of the year. 1t was Sunday. 1t
found HorToX, the boy astronomer, no " iust
psst twenty years of sge, watching a sheet of
paper IN a private room, on which IaT the SUMS
rejected image. over this reflection Of the
suns disc on the paper he expected. moment by
momi mt, TO see the planet pass like moving
spot or shadow. Suddenly the church bells
rang. lie was very religious youth, and WAS
aocustom to heed the church bells asa cali
from Heaven. The paper still was spotless; no
shadow broke the outer edge of the suns lumi-
nous circle. Sill the church bells rang. SDou'd
he go? y cloud might hide the sun before his
return, and the disclosure be lost for century
But HoIrOx said to bimself:-"I must not
neglect the worship Of the Creator, TO see the
wonderful things the Creator has made" So
he left the reflected image of tue sun on the
paper, and went 20 the sanctuary. When ne
returned from the service, he hurried TO the
room. The sun was still shining, and there,
like SHADOW on the bright circle on the paper,
was the image of the planet Venus 1t crept
slowly along the bright center, like the finger
of the Invisible. Then the boy astronomer
knew that the great problems of Astronomy were
correct, and the thought filed his pure heart
with religious joy. HoTrox died at the age of
twenty-five. Nearly one hundred and thirty
years atteTward, Venus was again seen crossing
the sun. The whole astronomical world was
then interested in the event, and expeditions of
observation were fitted out by the principal
European governments. IL was observed in
this country by David RittenhOuse, who tainted
when he saw the VISION Hezekia6 Butter,0orth
en- st. NtchetaSJor December.
The IRlsH CATHOLIC BISHOPS ON RELIGION
AND SCIBNCR.-Cardinal Cullen AID the TWEEN
ty-seyen Catholic bishops and srchbishOps of
Ireland have Issued a pastoral with refererc to
the recent meeting of tue British Association in
Belfast, and to the addresses of PrOfs. L yndsll
ana Huxley. The pastoral, after declaring that
"the materIalistic theory which recognizes in
matter the prOmFes of potency of every form
and quality Of life is nothing else but the teach
lngs Of school of Pagan philosophers who
1ouTished six hundred years before Christ and
whose condemnation was pronounced by Plato
aid Aiistole,' proceeds to define what the at
ttL de OF the Catholic church il toward modern
science. The constitution De .fae CatOlic1 set
forth the entire conception Of the just position
of science in the world of truth. The church,
far from opposing the cultivation OF human arts
aid sciences, ia many ways helps and promotes
IL; but she refuses to believe it possible that
between beT dogma and any science which con-
lines itself to It's own subjec mstter, and inves-
tgaies according TO its own proper principles
and methed, there Can be any conflict for she
ssysIO real conflict c. n scur between faith aud
reason, since the God who reveals mysteries
and intusPs faith is He who gives To the soul of
man the light of reason, aud God cannoG deny
himself, nor can truth contT adict truth Enltght-
ened by the teachings OF the church, the Oath
olic may view in peace, and even with delight,
the progress OF science. II he hears of contra
dictioD; If contradiction really exists il will
be found that the boasted discovery which Gre
ates IL is but an ephemeral theory, and not the
truth; or If its truth be beyond gansay, and the
contradiction plain. then the doctrine with
which il is in ontiict will be found TO be but
theological piniOn and not q dogma; or II 1T be
a dogma, il has been misunderstood, or not ex-
planned according TO the mind of the Church.
The address then speaks Of Prot. Tyudall's pre-
dCtiOu a. 10 tHe Hltln 11Bhb OF science breaking
across the minds or the youth OF ireland as an
evidence of the pOlemical snd propaganda |
spirit OF maIeTIaiism, and aSas who Viii rot feel
The necessity OF Sc Wing Irish Catholic s from the
ireaGfui choice alluded to by Pros. TyniaIl, b.
twCen the leap of the torrent and the stiffness
It the swamp, by maintaining Tor Il IN in 4 |
Catholic university and in Catholic schools a
wing fountain of Christian education, where |
n, SIDE by side with faith, "springing up into
lfe everlasting there shall run the river of |
rue science, "the stream OF which maketh joy-
al the City of God"
COMPULSORY EDUCATIoN-at the Clerkan-
" u police court, poor woman named Louisa
Maylon sum- Oned before Mr.. Couke, the !
t.agistFa:e, for neglectin2 to send her son. aged
Iine, to school. There no mistake As TO |
Mrs. Msylon's guilt-indeed, she admitted it, |