We visited the cemetery, where reposed the mortal remains of so many friends who had been the theme of our conversation; and I found familiar names more numerous there than were familiar faces among the living. We also sought together the spacious church which had been erected during my absence, and which is a beautiful and enduring evidence of the active zeal of a congregation which is richer in holy memories, and in faith, hope, and charity, than in the goods of this world. FOOTNOTE: [34] A question that used to be urged as a test of fitness for membership, and an affirmative answer required. The custom has now become obsolete. SONNET. TO ITALY. All-radiant region! would that thou wert free! Free 'mid thine Alpine realm of cloud and pine, Free 'mid the rich vales of thine Apennine, Free to the Adrian and the Tyrrhene Sea! God with a two-fold freedom franchise thee! Freedom from alien bonds, so often thine, Freedom from Gentile hopes--death-fires that shine O'er the foul grave of pagan liberty, With pagan empire side by side interred; Then round the fixed throne of their Roman sire Thy sister states should hang, a pleiad choir, With saintly beam unblunted and unblurred, A splendor to the Christian splendor clinging, A lyre star-strung, ever the "new song" singing! AUBREY DE VERE. IRELAND'S MISSION. BY W. MAZIERE BRADY, D.D., AN IRISH PROTESTANT CLERGYMAN. Few persons expected that the passing of Mr. Gladstone's disestablishment bill would have immediately introduced a golden age into Ireland. The leading promoters of that measure never regarded it as one which was final and complete; but rather as a necessary prelude to certain reconstructive measures more powerful and important than itself. The abolition of the ascendency of an alien church did not restore--and did not affect to restore--to the Catholic Church its ancient status and endowments. The attempt would be entirely vain to regather the _disjecta membra_ of the great body of Irish church temporalities long since dispersed and broken up by successive spoliations and alienations. The property dealt with by the recent legislation is but a small fraction of what once belonged to the Irish Church. Restitution, unhappily, is often impossible to the statesman. He may build up an edifice upon ruins, and create new empires out of revolutions. But he can no more give back to outraged nationalities their unsullied honor, or to plundered kingdoms their squandered treasures, than he can restore to those fallen from purity their virgin crown or reëndow criminals with a conscience void of offence and free from sear of guilt. And therefore the removal of the alien church led to no replacement of the old Catholic Church in the position vacated by its Protestant rival; but merely paved the way for the introduction of constructive measures upon the nature