Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 46, 13 March 1896, Page 1

Current Topics

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

The recent discovery of a new photographic process by Professor Bontgen, of Wttrtzbnrg, bids fair to prove of incalculable value. The Professor, in the presence of the Emperor gave an explanation of the action of the wonderful rays, almost invisible, which he calis 'xrajs." He photographed a compass enclosed in a wooden box. He has received Court decorations. Tbe discovery was recently applied with marked success in Vienna by Professor Mosetig. A man had been wounded by the discharge of a revolver. The photograph, or as it has been called, the " shadowgraph," of tbe injured member revealed the direction and actual position of the bnllet. Another experiment is recorded. The precise nature and degree of of malformation in the foot of a girl was found in the same way. A vacuum tube is used and radiations caused by an electric discharge are passed through plates of aluminium and substances hitherto considered impermeable to light, The penetrative power of the rays was demonstrated in a striking manner at a recent largely attended seance in Berlin by Herr Spieb, the eminent physicist. According to the Standard correspondent •' a purse containing some silver coins and a key were placed on photographic plates, carefully folded in black paper, and were laid on a table, and on the purse a wood block was lying to show the permeability of the latter to the Bontgen rays. Over t y is arrangement a Hittorp tube was setup, through which an electric current was passed for six minutes. The photograph was perfect. On the picture thus obtained the image of the key, the coins, and the metal rim of the purse were clearly seen. The result is not strictly a photograph, but rather, if the use of an indefensible but convenient term may be allowed, a " shadowgraph "

KEVER HKABD OF GOD .

We have incidents occasionally recorded of appalling ignorance in religious matters of children attending public schools in Australasia. There was the case, mentioned at the time in a New South Wales paperß, of the " intelligent " Tamworth girl of 15 who, as Archdeacon Piddington discovered, had never heard of Christ. This ie not a singular case, Gross ignorance of parents, who never attend any place of worship, and who do not pick up religion in the streets or in the workshops, must mean gross ignorance on the part of neglected children. Can we wonder at this in a mammon worshiping God-disregarding age. The crop cf ignorance and indifference, and positive unbelief, is ripeDirg fast in these colonies. The Irish Text Book people are late wi'h their modicum of scripture knowledge, and tbeir colourless Christianity. " Virility "in religious instruction is wanted. "Virility" does not seem to characterise those who appear to Bhirk the personal labour and responsibility of instructing the little ones of Christ. The following clipping from the London Tablet, can, we doubt not, without much difficulty, fi d a parallel anecdote at the antipodes :--" Some eg omening admissions were made by a boy, ten years old, at s coronei's inquiry held at Southampton. The lad's natue was Thomas FaDslone, of Elm street Chapel, whose father died somewhat suddenly on the previous day, and, before administering the customary oath, the following conversation ensued :— Tbe Coroner: 'Now, my boy, do you know you ought to sp«alc the truth V 'Yf s.' ' And that you will be punished if you don't? 1 No answer. 'Have you been told there is a God ?' 'No.' 'What school do you go to 1' 'The Eastern District Beard p ftol.' 'Can you say the Lord's Prsyer ? ' ' Ko,' The coruner then, addressing the jury, said : — ' This, gentlemen, is a sample of what you are paying for in rates. It will be a serious thing for England if her children are brought up as beatbene I cannot ailmmia er an oath to a child like this. If this is board school experience, I don't know what we are coming to ' A neighbour named Mrs Penney, said the lad had no mother to look after him."

A SHADOWGRAPH.

THE PSIEST'S BBOTHER,

" The physician is the priest's bro ber "— thuß the Rev H. A. Brann, D D., in the course of on artiolt in the Catholic World entitled " How the Church bonouri the medical profession " The rev gentltman in bis readable paper treats of the intimate relations at different periods of bnman life between priest and doctor. " Both look after the welfare of humanity. They meet at the cradle and the grave. The one gives spiritual relief and strength, while the other givei physical relief and strength to the sick man. The priest and the physician work together in the way of benevolence, beneficeccr, and courage." The Church in her laws and practice adds her own sanction to the precept of Ecclesiasticus :—": — " Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him." •' She has honoured him," says Dr Brann, "from the days of St Lukt the physician, who wrote one of the four Gosples ; from the Christian physician who saved the life of the Emperor Galerius \fa*imus and afterwards induced htm to withdraw an edict of persecution against the Chrifttisns ; from the physician who helped to convert St Augustine ; to Alexander Petroni, the physician and f-iend of St Ignatius Loyola ; to 8t Bordegato, a Roman physician and benefactor of the poor, who died a.d. 1737, Even those who have performed acts of heroism in cases of disease, although they were not physicians, the Church has epecialls honoured. Thus, she has declared John Colombini blessed for Lifl virtues and kindness to the sick. On one occa-ion he carried on his shoulders to biß own house a half nake 1 leper fiom tie door of Cathedral of Biena. To Peter Claver, the Jesuit who, as a volunteer hospital nurie, dressed the wounda and sores of leperr, she has also given a place of honour en her altars."

MODERNITY OF PBESBYTERIANIBM.

In his lecture in this issue Very Rev Father Le Menant des Che&nais refers to the modernity of Presb) tenanism. He asks :— " Could the Reverend Dickson, who calls the Catholic Cbnrch ' a modern Thurcb,' point to us the antiqrity of Pretbyterianism ? For fifteen hundred years or more, who heard of Preßbytenans?" This pertinent qaeßtion recalls an incident related by a Scottish friend, who lately visited Europe and fouid his way to lona, where C< lumba, with his twelve companions, sittled and founded a monastery — a nursery of saints and scholars for Scotland, and, indeed, for Europe. Every year dating the tourist season excursionists visit this little island. They usually lauii at Port RonaD, a wretched village containing, perhaps, a drz>n hovels. Tba population of the whole island is only about 500. There are do O(»tholic8 in this spot once hallowed by Columba and Bauheu and the hosts of sain 8 who made tie craggy peaks re-echj the praises of God. There are some ruins, probably, of a more recent p -nod than the time of Colamcille, but still of great antiquity The " Jatf edral ?roup" is to the north of Port Rjnan, and toe " Nunnery group" a little to the south. Portion of the walls of an ancient ohurcri is eanding still. An ancient cross, known now as ' McLean's Gross" — a fljg covered win ornaments of an Irish character— is also standing near these remains. Crocses, a square tower, some remains of sculptuied figure 8, mark thesp >t where a monastery aod great church once stood. There is much iv lona to interest the Christian arcbaejlogist. For instance :: — r he cliff whence the exiled Columba directed in vain r.is gßza to loved Erin, is called to this day Oooc-na-Fmre— the Hill of the Outlook. Tue Reilig Odhrain— the ancient cemetery around the church of St Odhran, with its flue-wrought gravestones mi kin.; tha burial place of medieval kings, and bishope, and abbots. Torr Abb —Abbot's Rock — these and other spots are of deep interest to the thoughtful, well-read visitor. To return to the excursiou epißorfe. Toere were seventy or eighty in the party. A guide showed tuem the sights of the place. It dees not take long tojaatisfy the modern tourist, especially in an island three miles long by oa« in breadth. The cicerone did not betray encyclopedic knowledge. Our friend and his wife were the only Catholics in the party. After the> passed through the various ruine, the visitor from New Zealand asked the guidr, who constructed these buildings? "Were they," said he slyly, " Preabyteriai s, or Methodists, or Xi gieh people?" The Highland man quickly, and with tome feeliDgrepliid, " Presbyterians I Methodis s 1 not at all. They were Cai holies— lrish Catholics. There

were no Presbyterians or MetbomstH m thos? days.'' Our friend, of course, thoroughly enj >y-d the i- Mh-na'i ,\ of the islander at an apparent attempt to modernise ' •■ :u\nz. He and his wife had a hearty l»ugh afterwards on the sv-tn-v, ■>.> .!;e way the Protestant gnide disposed of the "antiquity of P r esbjrmao!9m."

The Boston Pilot is rather rocajh on the new Poet ODDS AND ends. Laureate :—": — " Alfred Anstin has been made laureate of England At last. He has not been made a poet however."

Bishop Paret, of Baltimore, tells a good story at his own expense. He was recently on a train, and near him sat two drunken men: Presently one of them remarked to the other that some one had robbed him of a twenty-dollar bill, and he proposed to find it if he had to search the whole crowd on board 'he train. "As it happened," says Bishop Paret, " I bad a twenty dollar bill and that was all, and as I was the nearest man to them, and the first hsely to be approached, I felt a little uncomfortable. Then it occurred to me to pretend to be asleep. Sure enough, in a minute more I was accosted with, ' I say, neighbour I' but I made no answer. Then the man grabbei my arm and shook me, but to do use, as I didn't wake up. He kept on shaking, however, and always a little more forcibly, nntil at last his fri9od interposed with ' I say, Bill, let him alone, will yon, he's drunker'n jou are I "'

I'D LIKE TO KNOW. When I loose my temper, where does it go ? This is something I'd like to koow. Does any one find it ranning round loose ? And if they do, is it any use 1 When I lose my balance, where does it fall ? Does it hide itself like a runaway ball 1 In reading class, when I lose my place, Oould I find it if I gave it chase ? Wbtn I lose my time in talk or play, Does any one find it and put it away ? I'm always losing such things around, So I'd like to know where they could be found.

— Aye Maria,

Pat Laughed Last — An Iris v man, on seeing a notice in a haberdasher's window in a country town one day which ran as follows :—: — " Everything sold here by the yard," entered, and aeked tbe man of the shop if he sold buttermilk. "Yes" was th answer. ' Then give me a yard," said Pat. " All right," paid the man, and dipping his finger into a dish of milk at his sidr, be drew it a yard in lengtti aloDg the counter. "Anything else," be queried triumphantly of Pat. "No," said Pat, "just rowl it up in a piece of paper and I'll take it with me."

What is tbe origin of the expression " a canard " (literally a duck) when a wonderful story tbat has no foundation in fact is meant? Even Frenchmen cannot say. It is now claimed that tbe honour of the invention belongs to M. Cornehssen, b member of the Academy of Brussels. He had noticed some wonderful "yarns " in the daily paper to which he subscribed, and in order to satirise the writers be sent in one himsel', as a joke. It was about a pretended nxptriment with 2£ ducks, as it tended to show that ducks are cannibals. He had, be Baid, killed the ducks one by one and fed the survivors exclusively on the body, aad in course of time there remained bat one duck of the whole 25. This laht of ihe ducks was said to hare had a post-mortem examination made of v$ body, when it was found to be sufferit g from certain internal n juries as th'> supposed consequences of its straage diet. The paragraph, which th« writer never expeced to see in print, was published aid sent tha rounds. It got to America, whence it was corstuntly coming back, and the phrase : " It is another canard," or duck, became cjmmon in Dewspaper offices. — Exchange.

Cabby's Smart Capture.— A famous English actor occe undertook to take part in a certain amateur performance at Richmond ; and, as he had to act the same evening in the first piece at the Haymarket as Lird Fopling, he had not i ucb tim ■ to spare. He accordingly s'epped from the theatre intj a cab in his stage attire, and need the vehicle on his way to Waterloo s'&tion as a dreesir g-room, taking out of hiß carpet-bag the smock-rock and gaiters in which he was to play bis role laier un. He had cot a miDute to spare, aod throwing bis fare to the cabmun, whs about to rush into the bookingirg office, when be found himself pinioned from bthind ; the driver had got him fast. " Let me go you fool. I have paid you sixpence n»ore than your fare already." "Hang your sixpence. V v are a murderer. Police 1 Police I" The actor wns soon in custedy ; and thiß wai the accuser's Btory :— "This 'ere countryman bas murdered

a nobleman whoengagrd my keb in the Huymarke'." It took some t'me to explam mattois, and the actor in col sequence lost his train.

The Catholic Church in her appointments looks to personal worthy and not to lineage. The occupants of the throne of the Fisherman single out for exalted positions men of great piety and learning. Here is an instance :— Cardinal Gctti (says the Catholio Times), who was created a member of the Sacred College at the last Consisti ry, is the son of a harbour porter, who worked hard for bis daily bread at Ihe port of Genoa. In poverty and sacrifice this son of the porter was brought up and educated at tbe Jesuit's College in that ci'y. He became a member of the Carmelite Order, and after years of work ,<nd study reached the highest position attainable, tbat of general of his Order. His abilities made him known and sought aft-r be>ond the cotfines of his Order, and finally he was appointed Apostolic Internuncio to Brazil. It was from this post that he has been raised to tbe cardinalate,

In 1595 St Francis de Sales circulated a number of flying sbeet6, which he called " Controversies," among the people. These found their way as he wished into the houses both of Catholics and reformers. The saint bas c :>me to be called the founder of journalism in France. By Pio Nono was made the patron of Catholic journalists.

Two English papers have just celebrated their golden jubilee— tbe Guardian and the Daily New. Among the early contributors to the Guardian were Manning, Coleridge, 8. J., and Wilberforce. The Daily News had for its first editor Charles Dickens, who directed it for four monthß. As showing the progress of the times we may mention that a penny stamp was impressed in each copy, and duty was paid on each advertisement as well as on the material of th paperr.

This is how the Boston Pilot discourses on the Veneznela-Trans-vaal episodes :— " ' What I The two great branches of the AngloSaxon raca fight one another I Never 1 It would be a crime against civilisatiou I ' That was the English cry ten days ago. A week later when Emperor William slapped Britain in the face, it was : ' What 1 Tbe two great branches of the Teutonic race fight one another 1 Never ! It would be a crime against civilisation I ' Next month or next year, cr whenever Russia concludes tbat it is time to foreckee on Tuikey, the English will exclaim : ' What I The two great branches of the two-legged race fight one another I Never I It would be a crime against humanity I ' If John Bull were only allowed to have his way, plundering the weak and swindling the strorjg, be would never want a war with anybody and would discover a kindred tie with all whenever needed."

Adriano Lemmi baa to resign I So Bays the Roman correspond dent of tbe Irish Catholic, We doubt it. The sovereign pontiff of Luci enanism will find a way to retain the lesser office of Grand Orient. However, this is what the correspondent has to Bay about the matter :— " One of the topics of the hour both in the secular and the religious Press is the promised resignation of the Grand Orient of Italian Freemasonry, Signor Adriano Lemmi. A few words of explanation will be necessary It may be safely said that Sigoor Lemmi will resign ; if he does, to the regret of nobody except his own personal friends. Garibaldi, who might not otherwise have known it, brought back a metiphor from South America. He called the Pope "the vampire of Italy." This complimentary qualification cer'aiuly belonged, if it does not belong, to Freemasonry. For years and years all the place hunters of the middle class of life Bought admission to Freemasonry as the surest road to the attainment of the offices they coveted— at leas' the An'i-Ulerical Don Chisoiotte says so. About four years apo the public grew tired of these methods of bourgeois ambi'ion, and Freeraasor.ry fell ia'o discredit. The priests and ibe '• Clericals" had nothing to do with it. The public, which had paid pensions to the adherents and favourites of Freemasonry did not wish 'o feed these place men any longer. The pressure of an economic ciisip, produced in i s turn by Freemasonry triumphant in the Papal City, made lucrative posts desirable even to those who were not Freemasons Then a few meddlesome persons produced documents to show that tbe Grand Master of this Society had been • thief in his youth, and that lateness of years had not brought him to correct r ways. Toe Leghorn L)dge of the symbolic Scotch Bite laigely practised in Italy, and one of the most powerful and beat developed sectß in the Masonic b dy, begged him to cite his enemies before the law courts or to resign his posiion. Perhaps it is only post hoc and not propter hoc, but certain it is that the Grand Orient is rumoured to be about to res gn at no distant date."