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vapors from marshland or stagnant pool, constitute, in one form or another, 
—-evil publications, vicious maxims, blatant blasphemies, unbridled license 
in living—the moral pestilence now ravaging our modern world. 
We have it also in our power to diminish or mitigate the woe felt in 
other forms of human misery. By various kind tenders and good turns, 
designed as timely relief and solace for the needy and the troubled, we can 
disarm for these more than half the actual terrors, and well-nigh all the 
dark forebodings, of their lives. By our cheery word of encouragement 
and hopefulness, we can construct for the grieving and mourning a rain¬ 
bow of promise across their pathway through this valley of tears.. Through 
our generous, sympathetic participation in the hardships of those laboring 
under any load of misfortune that would prompt to repinings and mur¬ 
mur ings, we may convert a soul-pang into a pean of resigned thanksgiving, 
and change the dirge of a heart-burdened sigh into a joyous anthem of 
praise to God. Oh, the sweet effects of such kindliness, that returns to 
bless the agent, after it has done its good work in others ! Let us pray and 
act in behalf of the afflicted. 
That graceful Periodical, The Ave Maria, furnishes the subjoined 
timely paragraph on this theme: 
“May it not he a comfort to those of us who feel that we have not the 
mental or spiritual power which many others possess, to notice that the 
diving sacrifice/ mentioned by St. Paul, is our ‘bodies? ? Of course, that 
includes the mental power; but does it not also include the loving, sympa¬ 
thizing glance, the kind, encouraging work, the ready service to another, the 
work of our hands,—opportunities for all of which come oftener than for 
the mental power we are tempted to envy.” 
