If your audience is scanty, I can quite fancy that you would like to comment upon it, and also to express a little annoyance at the fact; but you may do something better. Begin by congratulating those who are present, thank them heartily for coming to listen to you, and tell them afterward, in an affectionate manner, that it would be a praiseworthy act if they could induce one or two of their comrades to accompany them to the next meeting. Instead of uttering reproaches against the erring absentees, which your hearers might report to them, charge the latter to communicate words of kindness to them:-- "Tell those dear brethren who do not attend the lectures, that we bear them no ill-will; that we love all of them; that they too are our children; and that we never cease praying for them." Thereby all will be edified, and God will be less offended. ... Further, it is highly imprudent to say to one's audience:--"I have preached to you a long time, and yet you are still the same: I see no improvement in you. On the contrary, evil increases every year. I wash my hands of you; you will be lost: you will be damned." ... Now, the people do not like to be damned, or to be discouraged. Besides, such a course is highly dangerous. ... Might they not say:--"As it seems that we are damned already, let us at least enjoy life while it lasts." Moreover, may there not still be a portion for the pastor, even from among the erring flock? A pastor once recapitulated in the pulpit the results of his ministrations in this language:--"My time is thrown away upon you, for you become more and more ungodly. {205} "The first year of my cure there were only five persons who did not communicate at Easter. "The second year there were eleven. "The third year there were thirty. "And the number has gone on increasing, so that at present there are eighty non-communicants." After Mass, a mischievous peasant approached the speaker, and said, in a low voice:--"Monsieur le Curé, take my advice, and don't make so much stir about this matter. According to your own testimony, we were in a satisfactory condition when you took charge of us, so that we must have deteriorated under your _reign_." Neither should such commonplace and infelicitous remarks as the following be made:--"Faith is departing from among men. ... Hell is let loose on earth; ... everybody is abandoning religion;" ... for observations like these only tend to induce others to abandon it; and the people will hardly feel disposed to practise a religion which the rest of the world is alleged to be giving up. They would rather prefer being lost with the multitude.