National Republican., 1883-07-18
THE LAST MIRACLE.
How IL Was Wrought by the Abbs Upon
His Phuosopbio Nephew.
From The French.

The Abbo Nfiryex was born three centuries
too late. Thin, with prominent forehead
and puffy eyes, he clearly had to make con-
tinual effort to moderate the sound of his
voice and restrain his gestures He would
have done we'll in convent; as country
parson he was out of place. He preachad
against the impiety of this gencration he
threatened doubtors with the lightnings Of
heaven, and loved to paint the fires of hell
and the worm that never dies.
A nephew of the able, Monsieur Charles
Brener, was product Of the normal school.
At thirty-six he was professor of philosophy,
and had gained q great reputation by his
book 1.-THE Nature of the Soul"
Four or five years ago, Brenier exhausted
by his labors, had severe illness, and his
medical man advised him to pass month or
two in the fresh air, beautiful scenery, and
quiet life Of the Pyrenees,
He determined to 20 to Paris, and on his
road through he would visit his uncle.
The able loved his nephew. He had deeply
loved his sister, who was some years older
than himself, and who had been his little
mother" She had been pious and had made,
as he phrases it, good end. Her son he loved
also; although he regarded him as a back
slider, he could not help feeling some pride
in the reputation he had gained. He, there
fore, received the young professor with pleas
ure. In fact, tho fanatic priest was. at heart,
not sorry to see an enemy of the faith. He
resolved to question him and see what he
really had in him.
Brenier arrived, and, after recalling some
reminIs sciences of his infancy, and shedding
somo tears to his sisters memory, the abbe
insisted on the nephew's staying to dinner.
The dinner was plain but good. The guests
were two neighboring clergymen. Until the
dessert appeared the conversation was de-
cidedly commonplace
Suddenly the abbe rose and opened the win
dow.
Look at the heavens ~ he exclaimed /;
Contemplate those millions of stars which
shine there for the glory of God II The hand
| of the Creator is everywhere in the trees
that rustic in the wind, in the perfume waited
from tho lilacs, in the worm that crawls be-
meath the sod we tread, in the moth that hut-
ters round the lamp, in the spring that muir
murs as it flows-in all things great, in all
| things small"
The two country clergymen at this period
| crossed tn emselves.
my dear uncle" said Brener, l respect
your faith, but l do not wish to enter into
any controversy"
piled the abbe, to hear the views of phi
losopher, a free thinker. These gentlemen,
like myself, would like to know the weapons
employed against the faith"
Science" said Brenier, "pursues her
course, and seeks for the truth"
"Well, go on; we are listening"
"Do you want" said the professor, with a
smile, "a course of philosophy
"We want your ideas on the government
of the universe"
"There are two possible interpretations OF
the government of this world" ;" began Bren.
ier, "the continual intervention of God, and
the immutable action of law. The priests in
cline to the first, because it is their function
to act as go-betweens between the man who
prays and the Providence which acts. In pa
gan Rome they inspected the entrails of vic
tins in modern Rome they work miracles
They therefore deny the omnipotence of law
they must have q God who can be influenced
You accuse us of excluding God from tn,
world he has created. There is no such thinl
as creation"
The two country priests looked at him with
frightened air. The uncle raised his eye
to the ceiling and nervously crumbled a piec,
of bread.
"The word creation" continued the phi
losopher, "implies sudden appearance. II
our views there is only gradual { pearance
transformation, progression, development
unchanging order. Warm blooded animak
could not exist in the atmosphere charged
with carbonic acid, which covered the eartl
in early days. The absorption of this sub
stance by vegetation under the action of tn,
sun rendered their existence possible. Ex
anime our own life from birth to death; il
there any intervention of Providence at the
passage from infancy to youth? Nations arr
born and die like individuals, and worlds ar,
born and die like nations. Nothing has beer
the subject or the object of any miracle"
The able could restrain himself no longe.
miserable blasphemer!" he cried, "dc
you not fear that God will crush you?"
NO." replied Brenier, quietly
"You deny that he has the power to xii
your"
II deny it absolutely. See here. / am re
covering from sickness. / may die o
apoplexy, of rupture. of an aneurism OF an,
other sudden attack. Well, / take my
chances. l defy God to kill me in the mex
ten minutesi%@ ,sslsesr.
The priests crossed themselves again. Th
able looked at the clock and smiled
Brenier remained calm. The able fixed OIL
him gaze like that of magnetism. III,
was invoking God to punish the impous one
Brenier still smiled. What increased tn
evaporation of the able was that he saw il
the faces Of the other priests that they haC
not the slightest belief in any miraculous in
tervention.
The minutes passed slowly.
The clock went tick tick the tenth minut
was nearly ended.
Just as the hand was on the figure Mirye,
seized knife from the table, plunged it int
the bosom of his nephew, and cried
Here is the miracle! 1t is not who xii
the son of my sister-it is God who arms IN,
hand~
Brenier fell, bathed in his blood his las
words were:
Miserable age, when men must do thei
miracles themselvesp
IN THE PUNJAB.