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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 12, 23 March 1899, Page 20

Whosoever acknowledges himself to be a zealous follower of truth, of happiness, of wisdom, of science, must o£ necessity make himself a lover of books. When James Tyson died (says the Australian) his wealth was estimated at various large sums. No valuation went below £.">,000,000, and some went as high as £8,000,000. Mr. Tyson was not as rich as was supposed, as the total values as sworn in regard to his estates in the three colonies are — Queensland, £1,333,000; New South Wales, £562,989; Victoria, £441.641. Total £2.337,630. ' Many people are apt to sneer at the French * (says a writer in the Sacred Heart Review'). ' I refer to those persons who are puffed up with the idea that they are members of the Anglo-Saxon race. But the young Frenchman in his devotion to his mother is a model that all may follow. She is constantly in his thoughts, and he never refers to her except in the most deferential and affectionate manner. You can not imagine a young fellow in Prance calling his mother the " old woman." He may go astray in the many wayß peculiar to youth, but he never forgets the good woman who gave him birth, and his love for her is often the means of leading him back to the path of virtue.' Some of our Kew Zealand youths might, with advantage, make a note of this. Mrs. Campbell Praed, the authoress, who is a Qaeensland lad y has contributed an article on the ' Australian Girl ' in a publication called Gh'W Realm. In that article she pays a high tribute to the Catholic nuns as teachers and trainers, and calls attention to the large number of Protestants who are being educated in our convents. • The selector's daughters, no matter what their creed, are brought up by Roman Catholic nuns ; and ie is a matter for reflection that 1 under a Church of England State organisation, the Catholic leaven should be workinsr unrecognised, but effectually, in tbe future mothers of the land. The nuns are often ladies of high breeding and accomplishments, and take great interest in training a pretty i clever girl, who learns from them, not only music and languages, i ami the rest, but what is perhaps more important, how to comport herself elegantly.' The Uev. Father Fitzgerald, who was chaplain of an United I States regiment, in Cuba, during the war had many interesting experiences during the campaign. He tells a most pathetic incident 1 about Captain Drum, the gallant officer of the Tenth United States Inf.intry. Drum was an excellent Catholic and a most prominent Iribh-American of Boston. Father Fitzgerald happened to visit the Tenth and met lh-um, who invited him to lunch — bacon and hardtack. When they had finished. Drum tmd he wished to go to Con- \ fession The men were all around and priest and penitent walked up aud down as the latter made his confession. He had a presentiI ment that he would be killed, and the presentiment was sadly verified. In an engagement a few days atterwards as the brave oificer was leading his men in a charge, a Mauser bullet ended his career.