THE COUNTRY SUNDAY. 75 



some places whole villages belong to English monks, and 

 there is not a man or woman in them who is not a Catho- 

 lic ; there are even small country towns which by dint 

 of time, money, and territorial influence have been re-ab- 

 sorbed, and are now as completely Catholic as they were 

 before Henry VIII. In these half-village half-towns 

 you may chance on a busy market day to come across a 

 great building abutting on the street, and may listen to 

 the organ and the chant ; there is incense and gorgeous 

 ceremony, the golden tinkle of the altar-bell. Bow your 

 head, it is the host ; cross yourself, it is the mass. The 

 butcher and the dealer are busy with the sheep, but it is 

 a saint's day. By-and-by no doubt we shall have a 

 village Lourdes at home, and miracles and pilgrimages 

 and offerings and shrines : the village will be right glad 

 to see the pilgrims, if only they come from the West 

 End and have money in the purse. The village would 

 be very glad indeed of a miracle to bring it a shower of 

 gold 



