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Mr. Brief, perceiving that his voice indicated fear and distress, went out to Ids assistance. I looked through the veranda and saw the horse, now some what quieted, standing in the street. He was an elegant animal and handsomely caparisoned to anew style of buggy. The stranger held the reins in his hand, while he conversed in a low tone of voice; the discourse was brief, for soon I saw him bow respectfully, jump into his vehi cle, and disappear. ‘‘Who is that ?” I enquired of Mr. Brief, when he returned to the parlor. “It is the man whose nom de Guerre is “Iron Hand,” alias, “Paul Lister,” and how many more names I cannot tell.” “What! the man suspected of robbery and murder ?” “The same’'—he laconically replied. “But is it justifiable that such a charac ter should go at large V* “Not if proof could be obtained veri fying the accusations against him; were he arrested without sufficient evidence, he would bring an action for heavy damages upon those who molested him, and the terror of paying a large sum, I assure you, is greater to many, than the glitter of his stiletto, while the busy-bodies and vindictive are rendered very charitable and tender-hearted from the same cause.” We were just on the edge of a moral discussion, when our ethics were suddenly dlencedby plums and black-berries. An old woman had just entered the verauda, and sent in a hurry for me to purchase fruit. It was measured and paid for, and she had tied on her bonnet, and bade me good evening, when she suddenly turned around and enquired : “Haint Lister been here ?” “Yes, madam.” “I thought so. Ah me !” she exclaimed, with a heavy sigh ; he married my poor daughter, and it was the worst day of her life, it was. She is as afraid as death of him, and he will yet be found out to be tiie worst man alive. The other night he came rushing in, so poor Caty says, and two men following him; it was midnight, it was; lie struck a light; it woke Caty, who was trembling, for they were all covered witli blood. Lister bars the door, lie did, and tells Caty to get up and wash the blood off of the clothes, and dry them —that he had been hunting for wild hogs ; Caty knew better.” She raised her thin, yellow hand, shook it in the air, and ut tered a dreadful malediction. The words appeared almostj to flash and smoke as they burst from her lips. Before I could sny one word, the gate slammed, and she was gone. Soon after this, we removed from the village to the city of L , and for several years heard nothing of these in dividuals. It was on a beautiful day in the month of May, that we called the children around us to take a walk in Greer Park. We had not progressed more than three squares, when one of the children called our attention to a shop window in which there was exhibited a very pretty painted engraving, representing children at play with their pets. Finding the establish ment an apothecary’s, wc went in to make a few purchases. The clerk was very polite, and soon covered the counter with pretty articles, some of them curiosities of real interest and value. We were examining them at our leis ure, when happening to turn around to look at the opposite shelves, a human skull arrested my attention. It produced a mysterious mesmeric impression upon me ; I felt as if I was familiar with the skull. “How is it possible?” reasoned I with myself. Horrible thought, that I should possibly be sssociated with that mouldering inmate of the grave, of death, and of eternity. In a nervous tone of voice, that caused the young clerk to start, I enquired: ‘‘Who’s head is that Lister’s madam. He was executed here three years ago for a capital offence,” Yes, there projected the high cheek bones, there the peculiar expression of the teeth, and there the retreating chin. The contour was a faithful identity" The incident now recurred to me of the parlor; the man, his money, his health-breathing, but vindictive countenance, animated with the active business of this world. But, now, how cold, how still, and deaf, and silent, in the midst of these very incidents which, formerly, absorbed his whole mind, heart, and soul. Yes, gold, for which he sold himself for time and for eternity, now glittered, unheeded, before those deep hollow sockets, and from that tongue less mouth there was poured forth an elo quence which Socrates failed to teach or Plato, from his portico, to enforce. Such was the impression made upon me by Lister from the grave. Some hoys who lingered in a woodland after his removal from the gibbet to the place of interment, visited the spot an hour afterwerds. All was silence and solitude, except the gliding figure of a clergyman, whose black robe sometimes appeared and sometimes disappeared among the thick foliage of midsummer. The good Priest had made upon the grave a representation of the cross in three places. All that was Lister has perished ; all but that ghastly head; it remains still upon the shelf of the apothecary to tell the story of a life of sin and of crime. Someone, deeply impressed by the un ceasing sermon preached from the mould ering skull, wrote beneath it : “The way of the transgressor is hard.” Proverbs, c. 13. v. 15. SPIRI T OF THE RELIGIOUS PRESS- A NEW RITUALISTIC SENSATION. The “Ritualists,” it would seem, have gotten up a fresh sensation-—and one, too, of a character to thoroughly arouse the Low-Churchmen, and to set them asking, what next * We quote : [From N. Y. Cor. Episcopalian.] THE NEWEST STEP ROMEWARD. St. Alban’s Chapel, in Forty-seventh street, lias ceased to be the pioneer of Rit ualism in this city, and the public now look to Trinity Church for the newest authori tative “ developments.” The former, it is generally understood, was established as a mere experimental institution, with a view of ascertaining through its agency just how much of Popery the Protestant Episcopa lians here would put up with. The ex periment having now proved in some sense a success, that is to say, in the estimation of its projectors,) Trinity her self comes forward, throws off the mask, and takes the lead, as if the small out-of the way chapel of St. Alban's was not with her ideas of progress. Hence the reader will not be surprised to learn that the Romish Feast of Corpus Christiis now come to be regularly recognized by her clergy: in witness whereof we append a true copy of a circular which v r as widely distributed (by authority,) in the earlier part of the past w r eek : THE CONFRATERNITY OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. Hie Feast ot Corpus Christi is the annual day ot the Confraternity, and this year concurs with the Feast of St. Barnabas. The associates are invited to be present at the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, at Trinity Chapel, at 9 o’clock, A. M., when a Priest Associate will be the Celebrant. “ All Priests-Associate” are expected to “celebrate the Holy Eucharist” within the Octave “ for the Objects and intentions of the Confraternity!” Alter Service, there will be a meeting in the Parish School Rooms. New \ork, Saturday, Ember-day,) Whitsun Week, 1868. ' f IFrancis Hakison, Priest-Associate. The Episcopalian, the week previous, had an account of “ The celebration of a (so-called) “ Low Mass ’ at St. Alban’s—and to that per formance, it says, this celebration of Corpus Christi , at Trinity Chapel, may be accepted as a fittiug pendant. If things keep on at this pace, the writer asks, “how long will it be possible to distinguish between the professed Episcopal Churches and the regu lar Popish Mass houses ?” The Bishop is also called upon to show his hand, thus: “ Surely there must be some members of that congregation” (that is, the congrega tion of Trinity Church) “ loyal to the faith in which they have been brought up. We call upon these to demand of their Bishop, as they have a right to do, and as it is their solemn duty to do, why this ‘strange and erroneous doctrine’ is not ‘chased away I —why this Protestant Episcopal chapel, over which he lias oiiicial super vision, is thus permitted to bring scandal upon the whole Church, and grieve all who are loyal to her doctrines, as set forth in her formularies. The chief Pastor, we must be permitted to say, with all due re spect, cannot expect that the great body of the people, to whom he has been called to minister in spiritual things, will be content with his silence with reference to these exhibitions much longer. A point has now been reached when forbearance, as well as patience, is ceasing to be a virtue.” THE OTIIEIi SIDE. The Protestant Churchman (in the in terest of Rev. Dr. Tyngand the Evangeli cal party,) this week sounds another alarm over the bold demonstrations of High Churchmen. It says: “ The intention to un-Protestantize the Church is openly avowed. The utmost alarm is felt by calm, enlightened men, lest this nefarious object should be accom plished. We see one evangelical Diocese, like those under the charge of the Apostolic Griswold, passing step, by step, under the control of the sacerdotal party. We see ecclesiastical discipline cruelly visited upon those who preach Christ, or frater nize with those who preach Christ, in some way not exactly in accordance with some doubtful point of canonical law; while those who deride the Reformation, exalt the. dark ages, propose inter-com munion with Rome, establish the Confes sional, teach the propriety of prayers for the dead, and deny the doctrine of faith °nly, are accepted as the true exponents of our Church.” The editor then asks; “How is this peril to be met, and in " ult att -itude are these leaders hereafter to be found ?” The answer is: “ The assumption of an attitude more distinctive than any we have ever occu pied.” In other words: “ The uniting together as clergymen and as parishes, not to interfere with the liber ties of others, but to protect our own, and to embody in a quasi-ecclesiastical organi tion w hat we believe to be the true princi ples of the Protestant Episcopal Church. M e should thus constitute an Evangelical Brotherhood or Order, for the maintenance of that evangelical freedom which it is im possible for us to surrender.” [From theKirehen Z«itung.] THE PETER’S PENCE, From the earliest ages it has been an object of ambition throughout the Chris tian world, that Rome, the Metropolitan See of the Church, with its numerous Convents, Colleges, and Priests, should occupy a position in keeping with its rank among the other cities of the world. Thus, we find, that even as far back as the beginning of the fourth century, Pope Damasus I. found himself enabled by the numerous and costly presents, that poured in upon him from all parts of the world, to surround the Church with much of her external glory, and to endow it with ex tensive possessions, both in and outside the city. Gregory the Great, at the time of his accession to the Holy See, found it already enriched by many and large pa trimonies all over the Christian world, and these enabled him very materially in carrying out all those pious and successful plans for the universal advancement of the Church, with which his whole life was occupied from beginning to end. The English Kings, who, together with their people, had received the gift of Faith from Rome direct, occupy one of the first places among those many Christian Princes, who proved their devotion and gratitude to the Roman See, by the lay ing of pious offerings at the feet of the Pope; for, besides other universal offer ings, these Kings introduced among their people the annual contribution of the so called Peter’s Pence to the Holy See. There exists some uncertainty regarding the time when this contribution was first made, and, also concerning the originator of the movement, but this much is cer tain, that the custom of levying this con tribution already prevailed in the eighth century. Long before the Norman con quest a silver penny was annually con tributed towards this object by every family that was iu possession either of landed property or of cattle to the amount of 30 pence annual income, and the sum total of these contributions was always transmitted to the Pope with the most scrupulous exactness. According to some traditions, the pecu liar train of circumstances by which a collection of Peter’s Pence was first brought about, can be explained in tho following manner : The sons of Albion have at all times manifested an extraor dinary love for travel, which peculiarity caused the Anglo-Saxon Kings to estab lish hostelries in many places for all such pilgrims, The most extensive of these was the “Schola Saxonica ” in Rome, the same that was afterwards transformed into the “Hospitale di S. Spiritu in viu de Sassa.” Some writer attributes the foun dation of this house to King Ivi of Wes sex, who made a pilgrimage to Rome in 725, and died there in a monastery in 828. This “Schola Saxonica ’’ comprised, besides other houses, a Church of the Blessed Virgin, and a cemetery for En glishmen who chanced tu die at Rome, and the object of the Institute was not only to offer a home to indigent Welsh men, and other natievs of England, in the Eternal City, but also to provide a means of religious education to young Anglo- Saxons, who, at home, exposed to the dangers of many and formidable heresies. To support this house, it is said that Ivi exacted a penny from every house in his realm, and this money was known as Bome/eroh , Eomescot or Roman tax. There is, however, an air of greater probability about the following tradition : Offa, King of Mercia, who died in 796, made a vow to St. Peter, to whose inter cession he attributed his victories, that he would pay for himself and his descend ants, an annual tax of 300 marks to the Holy See, and this promise he confirmed by oath in the presence of a Papal Nun cio. As for Ofi’a, he scrupulously ob served the conditions of his promise, but his descendants seem to have generally neglected to comply with its require ments. If, on the other hand, we are informed that Ofia, during his visit to Rome, in 790, endowed the already ex isting institutions of the Saxons at that place with magnificent gifts, and that by so doing, he introduced definitely, for all time to come, the payment of the so called Peter’s-Penee, it becomes evident that his endowments must have had some connection with the Schola Sax§nica even though that house may not have been founded by Ivi, King of Mercia. The tribute of 300 marks paid by Offa was ! a specifically royal donation, and was j made, as such, tor a purpose somewhat l different from that of the Peter’s-Pence, properly so-called. This is evident from the fact that when King Ethelwolf visited Rome in 858, and while there reestab lished the payment of this sum, he direct ed that one portion of the amount should he given to the Church of St. Peter, another to the Church of St. Paul, and a third to he Papal treasury. The same King Ethel wo f also rebuilt once more the Schola axonica which had twice been de stroyed i-y fire, once in 8 Iff, arid a second time dung the days of Leo IV ; he also made va 1 able presents of gold, jewels, and silk vestments to St. Peter’s, nor did he forget, in his donations, the Bishops and the inferior clergy, who resided at Rome. Alfred the Great, the son of Ethelwolf, after his victory over the Danes arid Nor mans, continued to send the annual tri bute which had been re-established by his father, and thus we find that, under the reign of Edward, from 901 to 924, the annual payment of the Peter’s-Pence is mentioned as a fixed custom. It appears from a list that was made out from the registers of the Lateran by order of Gregory VII, that the collection of this tribute was left to the Bishop of each Dio cese, and that the entire annual sum col lected at the time amounted to somewhat over and above £2OO, Saxon currency It is a fact, well known in history, that Gregory VII demanded the payment of the Peter’s Pence of William the Con queror, and that that monarch readily complied with the request. Thus, the sending of the Peter’s Pence from Eng land did not cease until the days of Henry VIII, from 1509—1547. Pope Gregory VII demanded, also, of France, that every family within the realm should annually pay a denarium, a piece of coin, worth about ten cents of our present cur rency, towards the suppoit of the Holy See; on this account he wrote, in 1081, to two of his Legates, then in France : “In a manuscript letter of Charlemagne, which is being preserved in the archives at Rome, I find it recorded that the said Emperor annually collected 1,200 pounds of silver for the use and support of the Apostolic See, and that there were three places particularly appointed for the col lection of this amount, viz. Aix-la-cha pelle,Ruy Notradame, (in Anjou,) and St. Giles, (in Languedoc).” Charlemagne bound himself by oath, before his corona tion, to undertake the annual payment of a tribute resembling and equivalent to the yearly Peter’s Pence coniine: from Eng land. Although we cannot with precision fix the year in which this Roman tribute was first introduced in Poland, it is neverthe less certain that a sum of money, known at Petes’s Pence, was sent from there to Pope Benedict IX, during the first half of the 11th century, in order to aid him in completing the building of St. Peter’s. About the same time, and perhaps earlier, the collecting of Peter’s Pence was an established custom in Denmark, since Paschal 11, as early as 1140, reproves the Archbishop of Lund for omitting, for several consecutive years, to send him the customary tribute. In Sweden, it was not until 1152 that the Papal Legate, Nicholas of Brakespear, Cardinal of St. Albano, caused a decree to be issued at the Diet of Lynkacping, that the inhabi tants of this country should, in future, pay a certain sum annually to Rome, as a mark of their veneration for the Holy See ; and that every Bishop shall collect his quota of the amount within the limits of his diocese. By degrees the payment of the Peter’s Pence was introduced, and became cus tomary, in all the Catholic States of Eu rope. But, since the Pope, by a special dispensation of Providence, found himself in possession of a sure and permanent means of support from his temporal pos sessions, which furnished him with all that was necessary to relieve his wants, and to carry on the Government of the Church, the customary payment of the Peter’s Pence gradually came into disuse. At last the Revolution of 1848 de prived the Holy Father of his posses sions, and sought to destroy the laborious work of many centuries. But this im pious movement only served to give a new proof of that love of the faithful for the Chair of ISt. Peter, which had never grown cold, but had only been dor mant for a time because there was no occasion for its external manifestation. From this time forward the Peter's Pence again began to take the place of those revenues of which the Holy Father had been deprived when his temporal posses sions were taken from him. And hence forth the association for collecting the Peter’s-Pence spread not only all over Europe, but even as far as America, China, and, in fact, to every part of the world. Every true and good Catholic seemed anxious to contribute his mite towards the independence of the Holy Father. Nay, even Protestants wished to share in this manifestation of attachment to the Holy See. From all parts of the world letters poured in upon the Pope, filled with condolence for his embarrassed situation, and accompanied by charitable donations, that were all the more pre cious since they proved at once the pov erty of the giver and his desire to con i ri J! te mo ™ 11 it only lay in his power. ! es ,p, eter 8 Pence have a significa- I tl0 i n f , lhe,r contribution is not onlv an act of love and true devotion to the Holy : bee, but also, a solemn protest of the | entire Catholic world against the spolia- I °.n th * e £° pe ’ aud a manifestation of !^ e Tr 1 f°? mdlionsof Catholics that the Head of the Church shall and must I be perfectly independent of any earthly power. While the Revolutionists were ! reproducing, in the Eternal City, the ex amples of Nero and Caligula, the faithful l throughout the world were illustrating over again the examples of the early Christians. And generous and noble as I were gifts which they contributed I towards the independence of the Holy j athor, thus was also the use to which l these gifts were put by the Supreme Pon tiff. Pius IX, after his re-establishment at Rome, made use of these contributions to advance the interests of education and charity. The present spirit of the times is but a new phase of the Revolution of ’4B. It only differs from that in form and by the fact that it has placed itself under the protection of the rulers of the day. Its main object is still the annihilation both of the temporal and spiritual sovereignty of the 1 ope. This fact appears more plainly each successive day. Now, the more stubborn and dangerous the contest, that much more openly and decidedly must also be the faith and love of Catholics manifest themselves. And this faith and love should not he one that confines itself exclusively to empty words. True Christianity demands something more; it requires deeds to attest the value of protestations. Hence, if we cannot take up arms for the defence of the Holy Father, in liis present need, we should at least have recourse to those other means of rendering him all the assistance in our power, namely—prayer and pecuniary contributions according to the means with which God has blessed us. FATE OF THE APOSTLES. Matthew is supposed to have suffered martyrdom, or was slain, in the city of Ethiopia. Mark was dragged through the streets of Alexandria, in Egypt, till he expired. Luke was hanged to an olive tree in Greece. John was put into a boiling cauldron at Rome, but escaped death. lie died a natural death at Ephesus, in Asia. James the Great was beheaded at Jerusalem. James the Less was thrown from a pin nacle and beaten to death. Philip was beheaded. Bartholomew was skinned alive. Andrew was crucified. Thomas was run through with a lance. Jude was shot through with arrows. Simon was crucified. Matthias was stoned. Barnabas was stoned to death. Peter, after his release, journeyed to Rome where he held at bay all the secret artifices of the people, and even confound ed the magical qualities of Simon, the entertainer and pleasure-maker of Nero, the Emperor. He also converted one of that monarch’s concubines to Christiani ty, which so fearfully enraged that tyrant that he ordered both Peter and Paul to be arrested. Peter was taken out of prison for eqecution, which was carried into effect by being fearfully scourged and crucified with his head downwards. Paul was afterwards beheaded by Nero’s successors. Forgot to Look Up.—We have some where seen the story of a man who went to steal corn from his neighbor’s field. He took his little boy with him to sit on the fence and keep a look out, so as to give warning in case any one should come along. The man jumped over the fence with a large bag on his arm, and before commencing to take the corn, he looked all around, first one way and then the other, and not seeing any person, he was just about to fill his bag. Then the little fellow, his son, a good little fellow he was, too, cried out: “Father, there’s one way you haven’t looked yet!” The father was startled, and supposed that someone was coming. He asked his son which way he meant. “Why,” said the little boy, “you forgot to look up.” The father was conscience stricken ; he came back over the fence, took his little boy by the hand, and hurried quietly home without tho corn which he had de signed to take. The little boy had re minded him that the eye of God was upon him. 5