PREFACE. spec ANOTHER Volume. It seems but as yesterday since we gave our readers a Christmas welcome. It is but as yesterday since we spoke of hopes for the Church in this country, and yet during the last few brief months, we seem to have lived an age. We ourselves have been personally refreshed and edified by converse with many of our fellowlabourers scattered throughout the country, and have been built up by them, so that we might in turn build up others. During that time we have seen a sad and miserable tacle. The deepest mysteries of our faith have provoked the tongue of blasphemy; the holiest rites of our religion have been derided; the Rationalistic temper of an uncatholic age has been developed; priests dear to their own loving people have been made victims to infuriated and ignorant mobs; and our hearts have become sad and heavy within us. This is one side of the picture. But there is another. There has been activity on the part of the faithful. D. C. L. has sounded a note of warning, and a call to labour throughout the length and breadth of the land. He has devoted the powers of no ordinary mind to the subjects of the day. He has awakened a spirit of endurance-aye and an energy of action-in minds which have been dormant. Spite of all opposition from without, the Restoration of Catholic doctrine and practice advances. There is, too, a hope that the Church will claim freedom of action— and win it too. Australasia and Toronto have spoken out. But more than all, the venerated Prelate, who rules a Western See-the noble-hearted Bishop of Exeter-has vindicated the Catholicity of the English Church, and summoned a synod of his Clergy. This is a cause of thankfulness greater than we can express. If we are ever to have provincial, we must commence with diocesan, synods. Let then all our readers take heart at these things, and lay and cleric do their duty, and rally round the standard that has been raised by him, who has not been inaptly termed the Cyprian of our age. Let the English Church be free-i.e. enjoy her own inalienable rights-must be our motto;—and to secure this, if not for ourselves—yet for our children-be we content to suffer and to do. He that is with us, is more than all that are against us. The LORD is King, be the earth never so unquiet. STOKE DAMEREL, DEVONPORT, DIOCESE OF EXETER, May 20th, 1851. A COUPLE of weeks had passed away, and Marian was beginning to feel rather more accustomed to the absence of Gerald and Lionel, and to find some pleasure in the letters which spoke of her brother taking a good place, and from which it did not appear that he disliked school so very much as she had feared. Still she could not but miss him grievously, and feel the want of some one to cling to her, and bring his troubles to her, and watch for moments of private conference. Her days seemed to follow each other without animation or interest; and if it had not been for some of her lessons, and for his letters and Agnes Wortley's, she felt as if she could have done nothing but yawn till the holidays. One day, as the young ladies were returning from a walk in the park, they saw a carriage standing at their own door,-too frequent an occurrence, as Marian thought, to call for such warm interest as Clara expressed. Yet even Marian grew eager when she heard her cousins exclaim that there was a coronet on it,-a Viscount's coronet. They were now close to the house, just about to ring, when the door opened, the visitor came out, and at that moment Marian sprang forward with a joyful face, but without a word. The lady held out both hands, and standing as she did on the top of the steps of the door, she drew Marian up close, and kissed her on each cheek with great eagerness, completely regardless of the spectators. "Marian, dear little Marian herself! I was afraid I had quite missed you, though I waited as long as I could. You look like |