Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

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Simper cannot help thinking that wo have overdrawn him, and
that liis aiKvti .us uud desires would necessarily have fixed
themselves on objeote more in aooordanoe with her ideas nnd
experiences, and that it is so unnatural to suppose him thinking
so much about religion and such abstract things.
another thing to do it ;
in a word, that, in morals, the intellect
is often converted long before the will, and that many a one
who desires something better, who is dissatisfied with his state,
and who to a certain extent despises himself for his own weak-
ness, remains a slave to those passions which at once degrade
and defile him.
But leaving the Browns, and Simpers, and the rest of our
critics, to pursue their own reflections, we must follow Edwin
on his way to the Catholic chapel, or rather church ; for, thank
God, the day is gone by when we were compelled to confine
ourselves to mean, paltry chapels ; and the church to which
Edwin and his friends were wending their way is truly worthy
of the more exalted name. Its beautiful proportions, the
graceful arch of its noble roof, the delicate tracery of its win-
dows, are such as to strike the beholders with pleasure and admiration,
despite the disadvantage under which it labors on account
of its unfavorable position. Beautiful as is its exterior,
it is far surpassed by the interior. The chastened light that
streams through its richly-stained windows tones down and
mellows what might be otherwise considered the excessive
splendor and richness of its decorations, and standing about
the middle of the church, with its magnificent and costly altar
before you, with saints and " mighty men of old " looking
down upon you from every wall, with gold and richest colors
to greet the eye wherever it may fall, the tout ensemble is one,
which, to use the hackneyed phrase, it is easier to imagine than
describe.
When Edwin and his friends, leaving the darkness outside,
suddenly entered the church, they involuntarily paused for a
moment, dazzled by the splendor of the scene which met their
eyes. Service had already commenced, and the altar, which
was the first object whicii met their gaze, was literally a blaze
of light. Numberless tapers, their brightness mellowed down
by the choice plants and evergreens intermingled with them,
lighted the church with a clearness, distinctness, and soft
beauty which were perfectly enchanting. The sanctuary was
full of priests in gorgeous vestments, and youthful acolytes,
but too proud to minister at the altar of God. Clouds of fragrant
incense were floating slowly to the roof of the sanctuary,
and hhedding their sweet odours through the whole edifice ;
and when the organ pealed forth the " Gloria in excelsis Deo,"
Edwin felt his heart grow hot within him, and he almost trembled
to find himself already so much moved and so much
pleased. With eager, yet with reverent curiosity, he drank in
the whole scene. He looked around, and he saw every one
wrapt in silent prayer, from the poor woman who was telling
her beads with such fervor, kneeling on the stone floor of the
aisle, to the young boy of nine or ten, who was kneeling by his
bide in the bench to which he had been courteously beckoned
He watched them narrowly, and he saw tha
by its occupiers.
they were absorbed in . I
prayer.
out her arms and raise
He Id woman throv
>r a mo
ment he thought theatrieal ; but In ain, and his uobl<
mind bent itself in humble reverence to the. poor old woman
for he saw her devotion was real and true, and that she wai
We have a great (but qualified) respect for old Brown. In
any question relating to turtle soup, or an investment in the
funds, we should be proud to have the advice of the old gentleman.
If there were question of dogs, tobacco, or other such
matters, we should be equally glad to have the advice of his
son Tom. We should submit at once to Miss Simper on all
matters which naturally fall under the head of romance. We
are sorry to incur their disapprobation, but we can only assure
them again that our story is true, and that if their experience
refuse to recognize any such person as Edwin Stanhope, we
have nothing more to say, except to repeat that our story is a
true one, and that we have merely sketched Edwin as we knew
him. We would beg them always to recollect that we have
never said that he was perfect, but merely that he was aspiring
after something better. We would remind them, too (although
old Brown will probably say that it is all trash and nonsense),
that there is wide difference between the aspirings of the
heart and intellect, and the reducing those aspirings to practice
that it is one thing to see and desire to do what is neither thinking nor caring whether human eye saw her or not,
He saw the tears rolling softly down the cheek of the boy
better, and
whc
knelt beside him he marked ; the clasped hand and the closec
eye, and the gentle and angel-like look of the innocent child,
and he could have fallen down and kissed his feet. He sa-w
what he had never seen in his life before he saw warm gush
ing piety he ; saw real
"
and true "heart worship ; he saw the
packed and crowded congregation worshiping like one man
his fine taste recognized and drank in all the beauty of the cer
emonial which was going on he contrasted ; it with the cole
formality of his own worshiping he ; contrasted the deep anc
earnest devotion of those around him with his own coldness,
his own doubts, and the unreality of his own dealings with God
and despite the genuflections, &c., which did seem a littl*
strange to him at first, he felt that he was in the house of God,
and that he was amongst those who were worshiping God as h<
had never seen Him worshiped before. The long looked foj
light was coming at last, and lowlier and more humbly still h<
bent his head as he felt that God was working in his heart, anc
as the first strains of the sweet old Christmas hymn, " Adest*
Fideles,"fell upon his ear, he hid his face in his hands anc
gave full vent to the tears which he no longer sought or wishec
to restrain.
Yes, thou sweet old Christmas hymn, there is something in
thee which speaks to most hearts, telling, as thou dost, of lov
ing, trusting joy, that dares to go at Christmas tune to th<
humble crib, and looking on the smiling Babe as He lifts hif
tiny hands to bless the gazer-in, dares to join the swelling song,
and dares to utter with its sin-stained lips the glorious strain
which angel tongues were first to sing which dares to forget
its own weakness, its own misery, ay, even its own sin, in th
all-sufficient mercy of the Infant's smile. Oh !
" God speed thee," thou dear old hymn, for thy message
of love, and joy, and hope ! We
again do we say,
is one
have heard some say that thon
art hackneyed, but thou art as dear to us, thou comest to ut
laden with as much joy and comfort as thou didst some dozen
years ago, when after wandering long in the mazes of error, we
heard thee for the first time on one never-to-be-forgotten
Christmas night, and when, like Edwin, we were fain to bow
our head and hide our face that men might not see the gush oi
tears which greeted the message of love and rest which thou
didst bring to our weary, fainting soul.
It was, however, at the time of the Holy Communion that
the greatest impression was made upon Edwin. He looked
with reverence, not unmixed with awe, upon the crowds who
and even he
thronged to the altar to receive the bread of life ;
felt the majesty of "the Presence." He saw the faith of all
speaking hi the face, the eye, and the reverently-clasped hands
of every one who approached the altar, and he marked with
something like envy the cairn, mild, and smiling joy which
lighted each countenance, as the receiver turned away with his
God within his breast. He felt that faith such as that which he
now beheld for the first time was worth any price that could be
of the Gos-
paid for it ; that it was, in truth, the hidden pearl
pel; and with fervor and deep sincerity he besought tin Al-
mighty God to enlighten him and make known to him His holy
will, that seeing what was right he might embrace it at any cost
or suffering to himself ; and so absorbed was he in prayer, and
so lost was he in the contemplation of all he hod seen and
heard, that when the service was over and the congregation
slowly separating, it was not until Frank Seymour had twice
touched him on the arm that he bethought himself of win
was, and, wiping the tears from his face, rose to follow his
friend. As he passed out into the night, its coldness and darkness
seemed tohim to envelop him, an it were, with a pall ;
the howling
and
wind seemed to find a voice to tell him that hi :
left peace, and faith, and rest, Lu the bright and cheerful