The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-02-06
ATHEISTS REMARKABLE PLEA
FRENCH NOVELIST AND POET
URGES NATION TO TURN AGAIN
TO THE FAITH OF IT'S MOST
GLORIOUS DAYS.

A remarkable instance of the turn
+, ing of an atheist toward God, under
the stress of calamity, comes from
France. The incident, reported in the
Zurich News is translated for the
presbyterian Witness" of Halifax,
Nova Scotia:
"The celebrated French novelist and
poet, Layredau, whose pen up to the
present time, has had for all faith in
God. for every religious emotion, no
matter of what creed, nothing but sar-
castle mockery and scornful hate, now
in an open confession urges his people
to return to this faith as the only
safe and secure foundation. And even
the most radical French papers publish
this avowal with respect. 1t is a docu-
ment for the times, and reads as fol-
lows:
81 laughed at faith and held N.Y.
self for wise man. But there was no
cheerfulness in my laughter when |
saw France bleeding and weeping.
stood by the road and looked at the
soldiers. There they marched cheer
fully onward to death. | asked, What
makes you so calfn?" And they began
to pray: 81 believe in God'' / counted
the sacrifices of our nation, and saw
how the people prayed for~strength to
make them strong. 1t seemed to me,
in my misery, that they knew of a
heavenly fatherland shining with love,
while earth burns in hate. But such
knowledge is a science, a science of
children. And / am no longer child.
This is what I lack, and the sense of
loss chills me. That nation must de-
spair which cannot believe that the
pain of earth will be the joy of heaven.
To hope when all fails; who can do
this without faith? Is not our daily
labor torment, is not all goodness an
labsurdity if a man does not believe?
81 stand by the bloody streams of
France. / see the holy water Of her
tears. / am in despair. . How
frightful and burning are the wounds
of people in which not drop of the
blood of that mystery flows, as a heal
ing balsam, that mystery, ah! | dare
not name Him. ffe was SO good; and
L. . What4 IS 10 become. of
France if her children do not believe,
and if her men and women do not
pray?
"'The past of France is great. 1t
was France that believed. The pres
ent of France is distress. A France
that no longer believes feels it. Shall
the future be better? 1t is in Gods
hand, only in Gods hand.
90! A nation OF the dead covers
the field. How hard it is, on this ma
tional cemetery,7to be still an atheist!
| | cannot, l cannot. | have deceived
myself. and you, too, who have read
my books and sung my songs. 1t was
delusion, an intoxication; confused
dream. | see death, and l cry to life.
The hands with weapons are busy
with death: the folded hands bring
| life.
France, Oh, France, turn again to
the faith Of your most glorious days.
To forsake God is to be lost indeed.
know not whether l shall survive
tomorrow. But | must say to my
friends, Lavredau dares not die as an
atheist 1t is not hell that dismays
me, but the thought oppresses me:
There is a God, and you stand SO
far from Him" Rejoice, Oh, my soul,
that am permitted to know this hour
when | can knee1 and say: Il believe
in God; yes, believe" This word is
the morning song of humanity. Whose
knows it not, for him it is night. "