Evidently， with these men and with these women， the ordinary balance of motives which prompt people is reversed； in the inward balance of the scale it is no longer selfishness which prevails against altruism， but the love of others which prevails against selfishness. - Let us look at one of their institutions just at the moment of its formation and see how the preponderance passes over from the egoistic to the social instinct. The first thing we always find at the origin of the enterprise is compassion； a few kind hearts have been moved at the aspect of misery， degradation and misconduct； souls or bodies were in distress and there was danger of shipwreck； three or four saviors have come to the rescue. At Rouen， in 1818， it is a poor girl who， by advice of her curé， brings together a few of her friends in her garret； during the day they study in a class and at night they work for their living； today， under the title of "S？urs du Sacré-C？ur de Jésus，" they number 800. Elsewhere， at Laval， the founder of the House of Refuge for poor repentants is a plain ironing-girl who began her " House" by charitably harboring two prostitutes； these brought others， and there are now a hundred of similar institutions. Most frequently， the founder is the desservant or vicar of the place， who， moved by local misery， fancies at first that he is doing only local work. Thus， there is born in 1806 at Rouissé-sur-Loire the congregation of "La Providence，" which now has 918 "Sisters，" in 193houses； in 1817， at Lovallat， the association of "Les Petits-Frères de Marie，" which numbers to-day 3600 brethren； in 1840， at Saint-Servan， the institution of "Les Petites-S？urs des Pauvres，" who now number 2685， and， with no other help but alms-giving， feed and care for， in their 158 houses， 20，000 old men， of which 13，000 live in their 93domiciles in France； they take their meals after the inmates， and eat only what they leave； they are prohibited from accepting any endowment whatever； by virtue of their rules they are and remain mendicants， at first， and especially， in behalf of their old men， and afterwards and as accessory， in their own behalf. Note the circumstances of the undertaking and the condition of the founders - they were two village work-women， young girls between sixteen and eighteen for whom the vicar of the parish had written short regulations (une petite règle)；on Sunday， together in the cleft of a rock on the seaside， they studied and meditated over this little summary manual， performed the prescribed devotions， this or that prayer or orison at certain hours， saying their beads， the station in the church， self-examination and other ceremonies of which the daily repetition deposits and strengthens the supernatural mental conception. Such， over and above natural pity， is the superadded weight which fixes the unstable will and maintains the soul permanently in a state of abnegation. - At Paris， in the two halls of the Prefecture of Police， where prostitutes and female thieves remain for a day or two in provisional confinement， the " Sisters '' of "Marie-Joseph，" obliged by their vows to live constantly in this sewer always full of human dregs， sometimes feel their heart failing them； fortunately， a little chapel is arranged for them in one corner where they retire to pray， and in a few minutes they return with their store of courage and gentleness again revived.
- Father Etienne， superior of the "Lazarists" and of the " Filles de Saint-Vincent de Paule，" with the authority of long experience， very justly observed to some foreign visitors，[15] "I have given you the details of our life， but I have not told you the secret of it. This secret， here it is - it is Jesus Christ， known， loved， and served in the Eucharist."II. Evolution of the Catholic Church.
The mystic faculty. - Its sources and works. - Evangelical Christianity. - Its moral object and social effect. - Roman Christianity. - Development of the Christian idea in the West. -Influence of the Roman language and law. - Roman conception of the State. - Roman conception of the Church.
