tunity of witnessing a similar
cycle of spiritual development. My experiences in religious education
have necessarily been limited hitherto; indeed, in the Children's
House kept by the Franciscan Sisters of the Via Giusti the religious
education was given by the ordinary methods, and it was not possible
to make original studies or observations. On the other hand, the
dominant political party in the municipalities has abolished religion
from the public schools with a sectarian rigor which causes the word
"God" to be feared as bigots fear the word "devil."

My experience has, therefore, been limited to some of the children I
have received privately in my own house, children belonging to
non-religious families, who had consequently undergone no religious
influence. [9]

One of my little pupils was just over seven years old, when a friend
of his family, noticing his intelligence, and knowing that he had been
educated in "freedom," thought he would test him by describing to him
briefly animal evolution according to the principles of Lamarck and
Darwin. The child followed his explanation very attentively and then
asked: "Well, then, man comes from the monkey, and the monkey from
some other animal, and so on; but from whom did the first creature
come?" "The first," answered his friend, "was formed by chance." The
child laughed aloud, and, calling his mother, said excitedly: "Just
listen; what nonsense! Life was formed by chance! That is impossible."
"Then how was life formed?" "It is God," replied the child, with
conviction.

[Footnote 9: At present some very interesting experiments in religious
education are being carried out in the "Escola Montessori" at
Barcelona, under the direction of the Provincial Deputies of that
city.]

This same child was prepared, with his mother's consent, for Holy
Communion, together with his sister; a highly educated young priest of
much aesthetic knowledge undertook the task. I was curious to hear what
objections the child had raised; but I was not admitted to his
lessons. I was only present on one occasion, when the course of
instruction was almost at an end. The priest spoke of the reservation
of the wine and of the practical situations in which the celebrant may
find himself during the holy office. I thought such a dissertation
entirely unsuitable for children, and one which was likely to distract
their attention from the end in view; but I saw with amazement that
their faces were turne