"Well, I declare! I never did see any thing like you Catholic boys! You're a real puzzle to me; as pious as deacons, and take to religion as naturally as a duck does to water, and yet I know you love fun just as well as any of us. What are you going to do to prepare for this festival?"
"Oh! we shall help the sacristan, who is an infirm old man, to make the church neat and tidy, in the first place. Then we shall assist in getting evergreens ready for the decoration; and we expect our mothers and sisters with flowers to be arranged in vases for the altar, while we are twining and putting up wreaths. We hope to make the church very beautiful for the great feast of the Blessed Sacrament. After we get this all done, we shall prepare for holy communion, which we hope to receive to-morrow."
"And how do you prepare for that?"
"First of all, we make our examination of conscience, and say our prayers in preparation for confession."
"You go to confession! Why, I thought none but sinners confessed to the priest."
"And don't you think we are sinners?" said George.
"Of course not! How can we boys be sinners? I never thought of such a thing. I don't believe I'm a sinner at all! I only love a frolic once in a while; and I hate religion, because it's such a gloomy kind of business. So you think you won't join us, eh?"
"No; we have other matters to attend to."
"Well, then, good-by; but you'll be sorry you didn't go with us, I can tell you!"
He left them, and the two boys walked on in silence for some time. At length Henry said with a sigh,