over the soul of Ireland: they whisper thoughts that fall like
corrosive poison into the sanctuary of young hearts, destroying
the only jewels that are worthy of being there enshrined--bright
faith and pure morals.

[Side note: What the Londoner saw]

An Irishman residing in London, after visiting his native country
in 1900, records his impressions:--

"I have been amazed during recent visits to Ireland at the
display of London weekly publications, while Dublin publications
of a similar kind were difficult to obtain. I have seen the
counters of newsagents in such towns as Waterford, Limerick,
Kilkenny and Galway piled as thickly, and with as varied a
selection of these London weekly journals as in Lambeth or
Islington. . . . I was so impressed with the phenomenon that I
endeavoured when in Dublin to obtain some accurate information in
regard to its extent. At Messrs. Eason's I was told that within
the past ten years the circulation of these journals in Ireland
had almost quadrupled, although the population had diminished
within the same period by one-eighth."[2]

[2] Mr. MacDonagh in "Nineteenth Century," July, 1900.

This is the offal the national mind is feeding on, and yet people
express surprise that we are becoming West-British and losing
Catholic thought and character.

It is estimated that, without counting the book or parcel post,