To these precious fruits are also joined some beautiful flowers of devotion; how eagerly the Children of Mary repair to re-unions of the Association, especially on all their Mother's feasts, chanting her praises and exciting one another to fervent piety. But the death of these young girls is still more admirable than their life; many of them stricken down in the very bloom of youth, fortified with their medal and ribbon as with a precious talisman, smile at death and defy hell. Thirty years have passed since the grain of mustard seed was confided to the earth, and it has now become an immense tree, whose branches overshadow the most distant countries. Europe numbers nearly a thousand of these Sodalities, about six hundred being composed of externs, or mixed associates. They amount, in other portions of the world to nearly two hundred. This displays the visible effects of the benediction of St. Peter's Successor; the promises made in 1830 were not realized until they had received the approbation of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, Pius IX, whose name will always be dear to the Children of Mary. The Associations vary in number from ten to three hundred sodalists, which gives us an average of eighty thousand young girls, courageously holding themselves aloof from satan's snares and pomps, and leading a life of purity and piety amidst the seductions of a corrupt world. Surely this must be a miracle of God's right hand and Mary's bounty! We have thought it would not be uninteresting to the readers, to give the statistics for the end of the year 1877, of the Sodalities of the Children of Mary, established in the houses of the Daughters of Charity throughout the world. LIST OF THE _SODALITIES OF CHILDREN OF MARY_. SODALITIES. _Internal._ _External SUMMARY. and Mixed._ France 287 451 } Internal Sodalities 287 } External and Mixed 451 _Europe._ (Exclusive of France.) Belgium 11 14 } Switzerland 1 7 } Italy 55 64 } Spain 17 25 } Portugal .. 1 } Internal Sodalities 100 Great Britain 2 13 } External and Mixed 153 Poland 8 9 } Prussia .. 5 } Austria 4 11 } Greece .. 1 } Turkey 2 3 } _Asia._ Turkey 2 7 } Internal Sodalities 2 Persia .. 2 } External and Mixed 10 China .. 1 } _Africa._ Egypt 3 2 } Internal Sodalities 6 Algeria 3 17 } External and Mixed 20 Canary Isles .. 1 } _America._