Mother of Mercy--our life, our sweetness, and our
hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished sons of Eve, to thee do we send
up our sighs, mourning and weeping in the valley of tears. Turn thee,
most gracious Advocate, thy eyes of mercy toward us.' And at vespers
you say,

'Hail, Mary! queen of heavenly spheres,
Hail! whom the angelic host reveres!'

Florry, in all candor, let us investigate this subject; we will
consult both the Bible and the Fathers, or, if you prefer it, by the
words of the latter only we will decide; for truth we are searching."

"Mary, let me read a second time those passages from St. Augustine.
Strange I should have been so deceived," she continued, as, having
perused them, she returned the book to her cousin.

"Florry, can you perceive any encouragement there given to the
practise of invocation? Does not St. Augustine expressly denounce it?"

"There can be no doubt of his sentiments on this point; but, Mary,
this is only one decision, when I have been assured that the united
voices of many Fathers established it without a doubt, even supposing
there was no authority in Holy Writ for such a custom--which, however,
we have, for did not Jacob wrestle with an angel and did not his
blessing descend upon him?"

"But Christ had not then died; neither had the Christian dispensation
succeeded to the old Jewish rites and customs. If you will turn to
Jeremiah, you will also read how the curse of God was pronounced
against the idolaters who offered incense to the Queen of Heaven: yet
you do the same. Still, by the tradition of the elders, we will judge.
Hear the words of Paulinus on this subject--'Paul is not a mediator;
he is an ambassador for Christ. John intercedes not, but declares that
this mediator is the propitiation for our sin. The Son of Almighty
God, because he redeemed us with the price of his blood, is justly
called the true Redeemer,' Again, the great and good Ambrose--'We
follow thee, Lord Jesus, but draw us up that we may follow. No one
rises without thee. Let us seek him, and embrace his feet, and worship
him, that he may say to us, Fear not. I am the remission of sin, I am
the light, I am the life. He that cometh to me shall not see death;
because he is the fulness of divinity.' One more, Florry--'Come to
yourselves again, ye wretched transgressors! Return ye blind to your
light! Shall we not believe God, when he swears that neither Noah,
nor Daniel, or Job, shall deliver one son or