Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/191

 eries; they  had  succeeded  in  rescuing  the sacred vessels  and  a  crucifix  from  the  chapel of the  royal  palace. A band  of  drunken  soldiers  stopped  them,  and  endeavored  to  wrest their precious  burden  from  them. "What," exclaimed a  courageous  young  man,  holding his crucifix  aloft  as  he  spoke,  "What,  you  are fighting  for  freedom?  Let  me  tell  you  that this  freedom  can  only  be  obtained  through the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ!"

Let us  once  more  transport  ourselves  to Paris,  two  and  thirty  years  later. This time no revolution  has  broken  out,  everything  is quiet. But a  vehicle  is  being  driven  through the huge  city,  a  vehicle  belonging  to  the government; it  has  been  sent  forth  by Jules  Ferry,  the  minister  of  public  education, with instructions  to  the  official  in  charge  of the  same  to  remove  from  all  schoolrooms throughout the  city  every  crucifix,  and  every representation of  Christ. What a  contrast have we  here! Yonder is  a  man  who  holds the crucifix  aloft,  here  we  behold  one  who breaks the  cross  into  pieces! But that  is a  picture  of  men  in  the  present  day,  as they  are  to  be  met  with  so  often,  and  in  so many  places. They are  divided  into  two great camps:  the  men  who  render  to  God the things  that  are  God's,  and  those  who take from  God  the  "things  that  rightly  belong to  Him,  that  is  to  say,  who  do  not  perform their  religious  duties.  I  trust  that  you  belong to  the  former  class,  that  you  render  to