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know whether you will have no longer any mercy | called the Work of the Galley-slaves, the Work for them.

"They will live if you continue your charitable care, they will die, perish infallibly, if you abandon them, past experience allows no doubt." None dared to refuse.

Now place in front of St. Vincent, poor himself, holding in his arms the little foundlings the "modern" saint, Jean Jacques Rousseau! who to get rid of his parental duty sent all five of his children to a foundlings' asylum, never even inquiring any more for them.

Can any one imagine that an immoral father as he was, would offer to the public a treatise on the "Education of Children?" And yet J. J. Rousseau did so in his "Emile," and what is still more surprising, his contemporaries, instead of condemning the work, admired it and applauded its author. So did they applaud his discourse on the inequality of "Social Contract" that constituted nothing but the overthrow of all divine and natural order. In them is contained more than a germ of all modern religious and social errors. They preach hatred, rebellion, jealousy, pride, disorder and folly.

For him the social order rests only on conventions. Man is born free, but pretending to see him everywhere in chains, he wants to have all present society destroyed and have man brought back to the state of savageness, which he declares the most perfect. As to morality and virtue he has his own: "We are sovereigns, whatever we do is well done. All our actions, All our actions, whatever they be are virtue and wisdom." His book "La Novelle Helloise" is but a tissue of immoral pages, and his "Confessions" a monument erected by folly to pride and sensuality.

It can be understood why infidels and FreeMasons praise and extol such a man and such books, but it is impossible to understand how even Catholics can be found among his admirers. Rousseau himself has but mockery for them; for he writes of his own works: "I cannot look at any of my books without shuddering; instead of instructing I corrupt, instead of nourishing I poison, but passion leads me astray and with all my nice discourses I am but a criminal."

St. Vincent de Paul can look at all his works without a shudder, for they have been for his contemporaries, what they are for the present generation: medicine, food, light. He did not write his works by means of the pen, but they are written with his sweat and blood. They are

of the Country Missions, the Work of the Foundlings, the Establishment of Hospitals. The Work of Redeeming Slaves; Retreats, Seminaries, Schools. How much spiritual and corporal misery has been eased by them?

But his greatest merit is the organization of charity in what now is called the conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, a world wide organization in which the better class of society joins hands in the relief of all human misery.

The influence of Jean Jacques Rousseau has not been less worldwide, but it was disastrous, followed by upheavals and ruins. The French Revolution with all its horrors of bloodshed, pillage and arson was the natural sequel of his principles. His books were read in the assemblies of the revolutionists and inspired them with new horrors. In his follies as well as in his immorality Jean Jacques Rousseau was the revolution incarnate. He died in one of his scandalous excesses 1778 at Ermenouville. He died as he He either was poisoned or died by his

July 3,

lived.

own hand.

Vincent also died as he lived. Feeling his finish the two great institutions he had founded, end approach he concentrated all his energy to

the Priests of the Mission and the Sisters of Charity. friend of the little ones gave back his noble Sept. 22, 1660 this hero of charity, this soul into the hands of his Maker, surrounded by his spiritual family. His parting word was "confido, I have confidence."

In the opinion of all, a saint had left this earth. But what was the opinion of the contemporar

ies of Rousseau about their hero? Diderot called

him a "mad man," and Voltaire styled him a "mischievous blackguard," "an energumen deserving the pillory."

To conclude our parallel, the one relieved all miseries, the other was for ever increasing them, the one renewed and extended through the centuries the reign of love, the other inoculated society with the poison of hatred; the one prepared the armies of charity for the future, the other excited to pillage and massacres; the one came from heaven, the other rose out of hell. Our enemies have made of that infernal fiend one of their saints, ours is St. Vincent of Paul. The division is just, to each his due.

I F. MEIFUSS.

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Mgr. H. Muehlsiepen, «<

:: Vicar General of St. Louis. By Rev. E. Pruente, : :

ne day after the demise of our illustrious Pontiff Leo XIII. the Archdiocese of St. Louis had to mourn the loss of its venerable Vicar General, Mgr. H. Muehlsiepen. It is true after a lingering illness of several months, the news of his departure from life came not quite unexpectedly. Yet to our natural feeling the death of those whom we honor and love always deals a severe blow. And truly honored and loved was the deceased prelate by all that knew him, especially by the German Catholics of the Archdiocese who owe so much to his paternal solicitude and indefatigable zeal. His death occurred in St. Louis on Tuesday the 21. of July, 1903. The deceased was born of pious parents on September 4, 1834, in a village near Mintard in the Rhine Province.

In early youth he felt a strong desire to enter the ecclesiastical state. His parents gladly yielded to his earnest request, and the Vicar of Mintard was kind enough to give him for some time instructions preparatory for the entrance into the Gymnasium of Essen. After having studied there for several years, he was told one day during vacation that an American priest from the diocese of St. Louis had come to the episcopal city of Paderborn to solicit priests and students for his diocese. This priest was Very Rev. Joseph Melcher, then Vicar General of St. Louis.

The young student perceived in this incident a call from heaven and determined to obey it. He therefore, visited Father Melcher and was received with welcome. Six other young men, likewise, sought and obtained admission into the Archdiocese of St. Louis. These were: Rev. A.

Schweihoff, who was already

a priest and afterwards founded the parish of St. Liborius in St. Louis, the theological students: F. Goller, for many years Rector of Sts. Peter and Paul's Church of St. Louis, Chr. Wapelhorst, who later on became Rector of. St. Francis' Seminary near Milwaukee and died as a member of the Franciscan Order, Caspar Doebbener who died as Rector of St. Nicolas' Church in St. Louis, J. M. Boetzkes and Conrad Tintrup, at present Rector emeritus in Arcadia, Mo.

The company embarked at Havre in a sailing vessel on the 22. of September, 1855, and after a voyage of forty four days, arrived safely at New York. Thence they proceeded, without delay to St. Louis.

H. Muehlsiepen pursued his philosophical and theological studies in the diocesan seminary at Carondelet and was raised to the priesthood by Archbishop P. R. Kenrick on December 8, 1857. His first charge was as assistant to Father J. Melcher, Rector of St. Mary's Church, the first German Catholic Church of St. Louis. At the

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urgent advice of his physicians he made a trip, no other assurance than trust in Divine Provto Germany in June 1862 and remained there over idence and the good will of the people. Firm a year. When he returned he was in good health confidence in God was a remarkable feature of and remained so until a year before his death. his noble character and failed him not even in In the beginning of the year 1868, Father the most trying circumstances. He never sought Melcher was elected Bishop of Green Bay in Wis- personal gain or honor. Many of his charities consin, and Rev. H. Muehlsiepen became his none will ever exactly know, for they were secret. successor as Rector of St. Mary's Church. Only Whenever a congregation was to be founded, a few months later, on June 25, of the same the Vicar General unconditionally insisted that year, Archbishop Kenrick appointed him Vicar a parochial school should be an integral part of General for the German, Bohemian and Polish its existence. Frequently the school was built Catholics of the Archdiocese. Twenty five years before the church was erected. With suavity later, in 1893 after the death of Very Rev. Ph. and prudence he adjusted differences in parishes, Brady, he was made Vicar General for the whole always careful of the rights and feelings of those Archdiocese. interested in the affair. Several times during the absence of the Archbishop he was intrusted, with the administration of the whole diocese, and each time he performed the more responsible duties, then incumbent upon him to the greatest satisfaction of both the Ordinary and the priests.

Soon after his appointment as Vicar General, he resigned the rectorship of St. Mary's Church in order to devote himself entirely to the mani, fold duties of his new office. He was an indefatigable worker and always ready to undergo any hardships for the cause of religion. When priests were taken with sickness, he frequently supplied their place on Sundays and Holydays. Prudence and discretion harmoniously combined in him with kindness and generosity. In his official capacity, especially, his words were few and so well weighed that they would neither compromise the interests of the diocese nor injure the feelings of priests present or absent. Circumstances demanding or advising, he found it easy to observe profound silence. The appointments made by him with the consent of the Ordinary may sometimes not have met the anticipations of a priest. Still, his integrity of purpose and purity of motives were above suspicion.

The Catholic press and Catholic societies found in him a true friend and ardent promotor. He was Vice-president of the Catholic Publishing Co., a Director of the "Daily and Weekly America" and the "Herold des Glaubens," Director of the Societies of the "Holy Childhood" and the "Propagation of the Faith."

Solicitous for the care of Immigrants he furthered the work of the Society of St. Raphael and the erection of the Leo House at New York. His whole life was devoted unsparingly to the Church and school. Work was his stimulant. He was prominently active in the founding of more than thirty parishes in city and country. The parish now in charge of the present writer was the first one. Whenever there were a few Catholics in need of spiritual attendance he did the best he could for them, visiting them at certain intervals, until they were able to provide for the support of a priest. In his visits to remote places of the diocese, he frequently had to contend against inclemency of the weather and roughness of long roads, but he bore it all with good humor and uttered no complaints. He advanced considerable amounts of money to many poor struggling congregations with

In the year 1882, Father Muehlsiepen celebrated the silver jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood and in 1893 that as Vicar General. On both occasions he received many evidences of the great esteem and love in which he was held by the clergy and laity. The Holy Father honored the worthy priest by sending him the Apostolic Benediction.

The honors bestowed upon the jubilarian brought sincere joy to his heart, but did not in the least affect his innate and amiable modesty. The same was the case when, in the year 1896, he was elevated to the dignity of a domestic prelate to His Holiness. While he bore the dignity of the position most becomingly, it in no wise changed his genial disposition. Quietly and unassumingly he went his way the same meek and kind Vicar General. To know him was to love him. His gentle and sweet influence will long be felt in the diocese.

He had a constitution which seemed capable of enduring the most rigorous hardships, but at last it succumbed to the exertions of many years. In the fall of 1902, he went to Dallas, Texas, to assist in the name of the Most Rev. Archbishop J. Kain, at the consecration of the Cathedral. On his return, he was stricken with apoplexy. After suffering with truly edifying patience for about six months, he died calmly in our Lord in the Convent of the Ursuline Sisters whose superior he was. A few months later, October 13, the zealous Ordinary of the Archdiocese of St. Louis followed him to the grave.

After the solemn funeral services had been held in the city of St. Louis, the remains of the deceased Vicar General were, in accordance with his wish, conveyed to Arcadia, Mo. where they rest in the cemetery close to the Convent of the Ursuline Sisters

May his soul rest in peace!

The Eclipses of 1905.

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The second eclipse will be a total eclipse of

the sun and will occur on August 30. It will be visible as a total eclipse on a line beginning just north but completely outside of the state of Minnesota, and running across Canada and the Atlantic Ocean, over Spain, the Mediterranean and Red Seas, and terminating on the south coast of Arabia. The greatest duration of the total phase will be 3 minutes and 45 seconds, fully twice as long as the duration of the eclipse of May. 28, 1900 in the southern states. The total phase will this time however not occur anywhere within the United States, so that our astronomers like those of most European nations, will go to Spain to observe the eclipse, and not to Canada, because in Canada the sun will be very low in the sky, while in Spain it will be very high and the eclipse will last longer.

But the readers of these pages will probably remain at home and will therefore be interested to know how the eclipse will appear in the United States. Here the eclipse will only be partial and will occur near the time of sunrise. The accompanying map, Fig. 2, will give all the necessary information. The first glance at it will show three important curves. The one to the right is marked "Eclipse begins at Sunrise," and signifies that all those places through which this line runs will see the eclipse beginning at the moment the sun rises. For all those places that are to the right of this line, the eclipse begins after sunrise, and for all those, to the left before sunrise, that is, all these latter places will not see the whole of the eclipse, but will miss a part of it owing to the fact that the eclipse. will have begun already before the sun rises for them, the sun therefore rising already partially eclipsed.

Along the middle line marked "Middle of Eclipse at Sunrise," the sun will rise with the maximum obscuration it is to have for those places. This maximum obscuration is indicated by the numbers and is expressed in tenths of the sun's diameter obscured, intermediate distances being in proportion. For example, at Cairo, Ills. the sun will rise with an obscuration of 0.63.

The exact appearances of the sun when various tenths of its diameter are obscured are represented in Fig. 3. The first circle is the sun with the moon placed before it in such a way as to hide 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 tenths of its diameter, the separate appearances of the sun thus eclipsed being shown in the other figures.

The line to the left marked "Eclipse ends at Sunrise," connects all those places for which the eclipse will end at the moment of sunrise. and which will therefore just miss the eclipse completely. To the left or west of this line the

eclipse will not be visible at all.

Between the lines "Eclipse begins at Sunrise" and "Middle of Eclipse at Sunrise," the sun will rise eclipsed to the extent which may be found by reference to the curved lines marked 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, which show the even tenths of obscuration. The eclipse will increase until it reaches the magnitude shown by the other set of lines which start from the "Middle of the Eclipse" line, run eastward and are marked to single tenths of obscuration. An example will make this clear. At Columbus, Ohio, the sun will rise somewhat less than 4 tenths (0.38) eclipsed, and the obscuration will increase to nearly 7 tenths ( 0.69), and, of course, after that diminish to nothing.

Between the lines "Middle of Eclipse at Sunrise" and "Eclipse ends at Sunrise," the

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