of anguish and terror which was once the mental life of mankind, as these Roman Catholic incantations with their frantic and ceaseless importunity.  They have even brought in the sex-spell; and the poor, frightened soldier-boy, who has perhaps spent the night with a prostitute, now prostrates himself before a holy Woman-being who is lifted high above the shames of the flesh, and who stirs the thrills of awe and affection which his mother brought to him in early childhood.  Read over the phrases of this “Litany of the Blessed Virgin”: 

Holy Mary, Pray for us.  Holy Mother of God.  Holy Virgin of Virgins.  Mother of Christ.  Mother of divine grace.  Mother most pure.  Mother most chaste.  Mother inviolate.  Mother undefiled.  Mother most amiable.  Mother most admirable.  Mother of good counsel.  Mother of our Creator.  Mother of our Savior.  Virgin most prudent.  Virgin most venerable.  Virgin most renowned.  Virgin most powerful.  Virgin most merciful.  Virgin most faithful.  Mirror of justice.  Seat of wisdom.  Cause of our joy.  Spiritual vessel.  Vessel of honor.  Singular vessel of devotion.  Mystical rose.  Tower of David.  Tower of ivory.  House of gold.  Ark of the covenant.  Gate of heaven.  Morning Star.  Health of the sick.  Refuge of sinners.  Comforter of the afflicted.  Help of Christians.  Queen of Angels.  Queen of Patriarchs.  Queen of Prophets.  Queen of Apostles.  Queen of Martyrs.  Queen of Confessors.  Queen of Virgins.  Queen of all Saints.  Queen conceived without original sin.  Queen of the most holy Rosary.  Queen of Peace, Pray for us.

#Thanksgivings#

For another five cents—­how cheaply a man of insight can obtain thrills in this fantastic world!—­I purchase a copy of the “Messenger of the Sacred Heart”, a magazine published in New York, the issue for October, 1917.  There are pages of advertisements of schools and colleges with strange titles:  “Immaculata Seminary”, “Holy Cross Academy”, “Holy Ghost Institute”, “Ladycliff”, “Academy of Holy Child Jesus”.  The leading article is by a Jesuit, on “The Spread of the Apostleship of Prayer among the Young”; and then “Sister Clarissa” writes a poem telling us “What are Sorrows”; and then we are given a story called “Prayer for Daddy”; and then another Jesuit father tells us about “The Hills that Jesus Loved”.  A third father tells us about the “Eucharistic Propaganda”; and we learn that in July, 1917, it distributed 11,699 beads, and caused the expenditure of 57,714 hours of adoration; and then the faithful are given a form of letter which they are to write to the Honorable Baker, Secretary of War, imploring him to intimate to the French government that France should withdraw from one of her advances in civilization, and join with mediaeval America in exempting priests from being drafted to fight for their country.  And then there is a “Question Box”—­just like the Hearst newspapers, only instead of asking whether she should allow him to kiss her before he has told her that he loves her, the reader asks what is the Pauline Privilege, and what is the heroic Act, and is Robert a saint’s name, and if food remains in the teeth from the night before, would it break the fast to swallow it before Holy Communion.  (No, I am not inventing this.)