# LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ,1 ^opgngW |o #|^p J; I # W- « # ! UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. Ji wf w POEMS FOR CATHOLICS & .CONTENTS PLAYS FOll CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. BY THE SISTERS OF MERCY, st. Catharine's convent, new yoek city. PERMISSU SUPERIORUM. (Proceeds for the Benefit of the Children under the care of the Sisters.) STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED AT THE NEW YORK CATHOLIC PROTECTORY, WEST CHESTER, N. Y. 1673. A Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by THE INSTITUTION OF MERCY, NEW YORK, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. TO THE SERVICE OF THE POOR, AS IT MAY BE PROMOTED BY THE PROTECTION, EDUCATION, AND TENDER CARE OP THEIR DEFENCELESS CHILDREN AND YOUNG DAUGHTERS, THESE VERSES ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED BY THEIR DEVOTED SERVANTS IN OUR lord's LOVE, THE SISTERS OF MERCY. ; TO THE READER. In offering this volume of unpretending verses for cir- culation in the Institutions conducted by Religious, and among Catholics in general, we are actuated by a two- fold motive : the desire of obtaining means to support the poor, dear children under our care; and the hope of eliciting a new interest and a greater zeal in behalf of suffering childhood. No city in the world has done so much within the last ten years for the protection of its children, as New York and the noble work done by the Catholic Protectory, and some other recent Institutions, may be pointed to as proof; yet the Catholic World, for November, 1872, tells us that there are still 40.000 homeless children in this metropolis exposed to every misery, "who tread the paths that lead to moral destruction with such rapidity, that hundreds of them are confirmed thieves or drunkards before they reach the age of twelve years." * Yet every one of these forty thousand children is capable of being trained to Christian modes of life, to usefulness, to piety, and truth. Help us to help them. * Catholic World, Nov. 1872, page 207. ' TO THE READER. Whoever buys a copy of this little book contributes to the great work, and may look for a reward to Him who has said: "Whatsoever you do to the least of these, my little ones, you do it unto Me." What a joy to rescue a young innocent child from the haunts of vice and misery, and bring it up in ways of virtue and industry! Then, why are not the children rescued ? Alas ! for want of means ; for want of money. Every little mouth must be fed, every tiny pair of feet must have shoes, and each one must be decently clothed, and these things cost money ; ever so much money, when you have some hundreds of little mouths to feed, and twice as many pairs of restless little feet to keep covered. We defy fashion, as far as we can, but we admit that the philosophy of clothing is something wonderful. You cannot teach a child to be self-respecting, well- mannered, and ready to work for a living, unless you clothe her properly; nay, you cannot induce her to be earnest in the practice of her religious duties ; whereas, if you take the most wretched and neglected little creature and clean and clothe her, you have done, perhaps, as much to improve her in moral sentiment as in appearance. Our aim, as Sisters of Mercy, is to catch the children before they fall into habits of vice, before they have been corrupted by the influence of evil example : and the chil- dren in our Institution are all of this class. We design to educate them respectably, to teach them useful trades, to train them up in habits of virtue and ; TO THE HEADER. piety; and so to fit them to become blessings to society and models of good example among their friends. Every aid given to enable us to accomplish this task will be highly appreciated, and no doubt amply rewarded, for it is one of the best of all good works ; one of those charities dearest to the Heart of that all-merciful Saviour ' who said : ' Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not." Ah! but the world forbids them; the world and the flesh and the devil forbid them in a thousand ways, and it is for you, Catholic people, —fathers and mothers of happy home-loved children, to help them to come ; it is for you, young men, young girls, with all life's enjoyments, to brighten each hour of your existence it is for you to reach out your hands to the little sufferers, and help them over the thorny paths their poor young feet are treading. Yes, it is for you, children of the rich, —little boys and girls who never knew a want, —it is for you, numerous, happy band that you are, to help those who have no mother's heart to rest upon, —no father's kindly smile to sweeten the bitterness of their lonely child-lives. Our Lord loves a cheerful giver; if you spare some of your pocket-money to help our little ones to have a better dinner, to be more comfortably clothed, or to have a better bed to sleep in ; if even from the number of cast- off garments and toys grown distasteful to your feasted eyes, you spare a mite to those to whom these things would be like rays of sunlight, —you may be sure, you will enjoy your own comforts with lighter and happier TO THE READER. hearts, while your bright Angel will be ever presenting your gifts before the throne of One whose love will for ever overshadow, and bless, and surround you, both here and hereafter. A word about the verses themselves. Some of them were printed a few years ago in different Catholic Journals; some of them, viz., those peculiarly referring to country and kindred, were composed before their writer entered the Convent, and none of them were expressly written for publication. The book is divided into two parts, of which the second is suited only for children, and school purposes. In days when literature is used so powerfully against the interests of the Church, may not even these poor verses be tolerated as being, at least, wholly and de- votedly Catholic ? Sb. M. A. PAET FIRST. POEMS CATHOLICS AND CONVENTS. " CONTENTS. PAET FIRST. Poems fok Catholics and Convents. page Lines in aid of a home for homeless children . 1 Eosa Lee . .2 On the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin . .5 Adoration on the First Friday . 7 St. Patrick's Day without Shamrocks . .10 An appeal to the Irish military companies of New York in aid of destitute Irish children ... 13 One glimpse of the rushing waters . .18 On seeing an orchard in blossom . • 20 He came unto His own, and His own received Him not . 22 An appeal ....... 24 " Lines written on reading Enul's Parting Friends . 26 Last Words ...... 28 The Incarnation . .29 • Egoism . 31 Simminstown . .34 Ssepe expugnaverunt me a juventute mea . 36 HughO'Neil 38 Lines suggested by a visit to the Wicklow Mountains . 41 Lines on witnessing an Irishman's emotion whilst reading . " the "Life of Hugh O'Neil . .43 To my Eldest Brother ..... 46 My Brother's Ordination . .47 On an ancient coat of arms . .. 49 Lines suggested by a passage from the Annals of the Four Masters . .51 Lines written at the close of '48 .... 53 Marie Antoinette . .54 A legend of Florence . .57 To Fanny . .59 " X CONTENTS. PAGE To Julia . 61 Quae est ista ...... 64 He who cometh to me I will not cast out 66 In answer to a dear friend .... 68 A Dream . 69 To the late Most Rev. Archbishop Hughes . 72 On a Death's Head 76 Stay with us, Lord ..... 7-8 Quoth the Angel, "Evermore" 79 Magdalen ...... 80 Jesus in prison ...... 83 Benedicamus Domino .... 85 Ella's twenty- first Birthday . 87 To a Novice ...... 89 Bientot . 90 " I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost . 91 The Confraternity of the Sacred Heart . 93 The Nativity ...... 94 To a young Eeligious .... 96 Kyrie Eleison ...... 97 Saint Madeleine 98 Lizzie's Dream ..... 99 Pulchra es ..... 103 To a lady on the death of her betrothed . 105 Appeal to a mother . • . 107 To a friend ...... 109 St. Gertrude's feast .... 110 The very flowers are strangers . Ill Lines on reading the Bishop of Orleans' sermon on the Evictions in Ireland 114 The Transfiguration . i . 115 To Sister Mary Bernard R . 116 To an unfaithful member of the Confraternity of the Sacred Heart ...... 117 Suffering . 118 The conversion of St. Paul .... 119 Night Thoughts 121 " CONTENTS. PAGE St. Francis of Assisium . 122 Old Times . 124 Aspiration . 125 A Dream . 126 On receiving some Shamrocks from home . 127 To the Blessed Virgin 128 Christmas thoughts . 130 The three "Hail-Marys" 131 Spring . 134 Souvenir de Mission 136 Home memories , 140 Rosary Sunday 142 Oh take me, Mary . 147 Our Blessed Lady 149 Come home . 149 To Marie . 153 Our Blessed Mother . 154 Thanks . 155 es Adeste Fidel . 156 Gloria in excel sis Deo 157 Passion Week . 158 Our Lady of Sorrows 159 " Come unto all ye who labor" me , 160 Simply to Thy cross I cling 162 Prayer , 162 " Take these things hence " 163 Resurrexit , 164 The Exultemus -. 165 St. Augustine . 166 Solve vincla reis . 168 Retribution 170 Partings 171 " Whatever is, is right 172 A Blessing 173 Thoughts by the seaside 175 Un soupir vient souvent d'un 176 Causes and Effects 177 Xii CONTENTS. PAGE Shadows . • . 178 On "witnessing the ceremony of a religious Profession .