The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-12-22

of Him in whom I glory, viz, Jesus
Christ and His cross" What is the
opinion of the worlds It is Just as
tickle as the winds that blow; it is one
thing today and another thing tomor.
row. You have known great men IN
your day, leading politicians; you have
listened to these men, some Of them,
and thousands of others nave listened
to them; they gave them their votes,
they put them in Office, bands of music
are out and fill the air with sweet
sounds of music. and the air is made to
ring with plaudits Of applause for these
men. And you have seen these same
men, doubtless, who did the applaud
ing, On tom brow lying out in the dust,
cold and hungry, and what do these
great men care for this? This is where
the applause of the world ends.
| You have seen Napoleon, at whose
feet nations bent: at whose bidding
hundreds of thousands of soldiers
shouldered the musket and unshielded
the sword as soon as upon the battle
field. He was man that loved to be
praised by his fellowmen. He was a
man they called soldier, brave man,
but call him a coward, who with his
musketry and soldiers would wish to
put a poorman, who has half descended
into the grave, into prison for the rest
of his DAYS. That man was a martyr.
That old man faced Napoleon and said:
Napoleon, you can put me in prison,
! YOU can bind these Old limbs with fes.
tiers, you can deprive me Of liberty. but
Napoleon, remember that / am more
powerful than you With your soldiers
and musketry; remember that | an a
vicar Of Jesus Christ; and remember,
TOO, that will call upon that Jesus to
ayenge ME on YOU And if you have
read Napoieon's history you have seen
how, III Russia, the guns dropped from
the hands of his soldiers, and his sc Id
iers wera frozen to death on Russian
snow. You have seen that proud Ma
poleon, the man that courted the praises
VI the world, and listened not to the
voice of his conscience that reproved
him for the sins Of which he had been
guilty. You have seen him overcome
and lying at St. Helena, pining away,
his last days a captive, captive of his
worst enemy, England.
If Mary Magdalene had paid atten-
ton to the taunts of the Scribes and
t'harisees, she never would have be-
come penitent. Neither would David
have become the saint; as he tells him
self, he wore sackcloth and ashes, and
was the topic of conversation of every
table, and was the subject Of ridicule.
Take example Of one Of the martyrs,
and his victories owe human respect;
and you men and women who boast of
the bravery cf your religious convic-
tons, and you who are ashamed to give
expression to them, take example of
one Of the martyrs and see how her
conduct, how her bravery in expressing
her religious convictions will put you
to shame. This saint is the sweet little
Agnes, only Is years old. She was born
of a pagan mother and q pagan father
in the city of Rome. She lived in a
magnificent mansion Everything is
there which Agnes could seek: servants
are there to do her bidding; at her mere
beck everything that can be procured,
gold, silver and precious jewels, she
has without stint. And suppose there
never was more beautiful! young wom-
an than Saint Agnes; SO beautiful Was
she chat the Roman noblemen were ill.,
fatuated by hex beauty. Many were
the suitors for her hand, but she waved
them all Oft. She told them that she
had already pledged her hand TO cer-
tain spouse, and she could not break
her word with Hin; she was bound to
Him forever and forever. There was
one OF these Roman noblemen more
brazen than the others, more heart sick
If may use the expression-in re-
gard to the sweet, pure little Agnes
than the rest of his companions. He
said: II will have her." So he goes to
her and brings her the most costly gifts,
golden bracelets, jeweIry without stunt;
he brings her cloak covered all over
with sparkling diamonds. She looks
at him and his gifts, she waves him off
and tells him: mo" She wishes to
have no conversation with him; she
wishes to have no engagements with
him. She tells him, as she told the
others, that she has already given her
heart to certain spouse, and that she
viii! be His forever and forever. The
young man leaves her and goes and tells
his father, who is governor of Rome,
how he loves Agnes, how he is infatu-
ated with her charms. And the father
summons Agnes before him. tells her
how his son is in love with her and de-
sires to have her as his wife. Agnes
says: mo, I have already pledged my
heart to another spouse, and must
keep my word.'' young woman