History, like all the treasures of the past, belongs to Christianity and the Catholic Church. A few years ago some marbles belonging to Nero, which had been laid aside and become buried under the accumulated deposit of ages, were unearthed, and became the property of Pius IX. as sovereign of Rome; who made use of them for decorating a church. In like manner it is our right to claim all the costly materials we can find and dig out of the dust of all foregoing centuries, and our duty to use them in adorning the walls of the temple of God on earth, his universal and eternal church. ST. CEADDA. Hark! what sweet sounds beneath these lonely skies! St. Mary’s Convent deep in yonder dell Lies hidden. Echoes thus the minster bell Through the thin air? or hear we litanies That, sung by monks at even-song, arise And heavenward, full of holy rapture, swell? No; but within the walls of yonder cell, Where, near his death, God’s faithful servant lies, Led by his brother’s soul, an angel throng Welcomes St. Chad, whose prayerful life is o’er. His feet shall tread the Mercian vales no more. His work is done. Hark! fainter sounds their song, While his glad spirit leaves its frame outworn, And homeward turns, on seraph-wings upborne. THE HOME-RULE CANDIDATE. _A STORY OF “NEW IRELAND.”_ CHAPTER III. THE RIVALS. BY THE AUTHOR OF “THE LITTLE CHAPEL AT MONAMULLIN,” “THE ROMANCE OF A PORTMANTEAU,” ETC., ETC. On the return to Kilkenley I placed my guest beside Father O’Dowd in the car, as I saw that the former was bursting with impatience to get at the Home-Rule question. During the luncheon he had made several ineffectual attempts at drawing out the priest, which were deftly shunted off in favor of lighter subjects; but having extracted a promise from Father O’Dowd that during the drive he would discuss the “idea” with him, no sooner had the horse commenced to tear up the gravel in the little lawn than the member for Doodleshire opened fire by asking if there was any real issue at stake in the question. “What is Home Rule? Is it Fenianism veiled or unveiled? Is it Repeal? Is it less than Repeal or more than Repeal? Is it a surrender or—ahem!—a compromise of the national demand, or is it a demand founded upon the—ahem!—supposed necessities of the country at this present time?”