Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-01-01


There are plenty Of casuists who are
at ell times ready 10 sasirfy the incIina-
ton without wounding the conscience.
The distinction which they draw are so
ingeniously fine as at times TO be oil but
irnperreptible.
For instance. an old Highlander. re
preached by his pastor for absenting
hinselffrom church on Sabbath morn
ing, denied the charge, repeating The
denial so emphaiiealiy that the puzzled
minister asked him If be would offer
his oath that he was there that morn
ing. ITO be sure, p was the nnabashed
ones answer, and the minister said no
more. A friend Of The false-speaking
Highlander told ham Il was awful 10
hear him olBer bis oath TO such lie.-
"Hoot, toot. man, quoth Donald; isn't
there are q great difference between Of
fering thing and giving IL Z"
IL il ofttimes convenient 10 be able to
discern such differences. When par
~ OF Paisley weaveys, anxious TO cross
the Clyde from Greehoek to Dunoen
one Sunday morning, desired the cap
tain of Rotbesay steamer TO take their
boat in tow, a. they did not care topro-
fame the day By uslng their oars. The cap
tain wanted TO know where was the differ
eDce between, employing their oars and
employing the steamers paddles. "The
difference I" exclaimed the spokesman
Of The conscientious crew, ''thcre's a
great difference between rowing by the
power O. man. who must answer for
what be does. an wheel-lurnIng en-
gine; q steam-engine is not moral be-
ing, an il therefore not an accountable
agent" A specious argument certain
", but one much more easy TO answer
than that advanced by farm-serv ant.
willing enough to milk her masters
cows on the Sabbath, but firm in refus-
irg to feed them on that day. Draw
ing nice metaphysical distinction be-
tween what are aud are not works OF
necessity. the shrewL lass said. 1.-THE
cows canna. milk themselves, SO to milk
them isA cIear work % necessity; but
let them out TO the fields, and they'll
feed themselves"
When Captain Roblnson was survey
ing the vest coast of Scotland. the
Grand. Duke Constantine came on board
his ship ior. few days. vApxiops TO
show his royal guest as much as lay in
his power, Captain Robinson steamed
over to Iona one Sunday. to give the
Russian prince an opportunity Of exam
lining the antiquities there. The custo-
dian of the ancient church fatty re-
fused TO open its doors. .DO you know
whom | have brought with me = w
quired the disgusted Oficer. "He's The
Emperor Of a the Russias. ! ken BY the
flag. I" responded the keeper; "bul had
il been the Queen herself, | wadna gle
up the keyes on the Lords Day." The
Iona keeper, however. was yet NOT in
vulnerable, for Captain Robinson ask
ing him Il he had any objection to
drinking glass Of whiskey with him
upon the Sabbath, he repiled, "That'sa
diaefe8t ithing entirely. y The Count
--seems also to have been &C.,
that whiskAy imbibing dad not come ia
der the tabor. When the waiter at a
Dumbarton hotel iafoFmsd him he could
not be supple d with hot water on the
Lords Day "for sac think as shaving,
the connt did not press the demand. but
remarked that he would take some tod
dy. il the waiter would bring him the
materials. Here was reasonable pro-
posal. and one that at once commended
itself 10 The conscientious waiter, who
drank the whi<key. but left the hot wa
Ter to the count. The disiincllon was .
fine one.
When the cnssom-houre officials af
Basse demanded the payment Of duty
on the first consignment. there Of some
eau de Lourdes, The importers resisted
the demand on tse ground that the IL
qaid vas MOI . medicament, but merely
water, TO which the mystical power Of
iaith alone gave medical properiies.-
The authorities, however, insisted that
the intrinsic worth % the wafer did not
10 any way eoncern lhems L. yes sent
| to Switxrriaadt 10 be used ~ medicine,
and vas therefore liable 10 duty as oth-
er medicines.
The theory that things conducive to
The same end necessarily come IN the
same category found no acceptance
among the good people of DFapeFssown.
underthe inanenee oi Esther Matthe w's