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[[note]] Extra [[/note]]

(January 186[[strikethrough]]8[[/strikethrough]]6)

unmistakeable wishes of the Italian people and Parliament, and go and take formal possession of his newly-acquired territory.

How strange it is all the political History of the last six months! A very zealous Scotch Presbyterian here tells me that he reads clearly that the whole Roman Catholic power of the Continent is intended to "go to pot", so to speak, and the Papal system at the head of it. The temporal power of the R.C. Church is unquestionably gone, and I do not see how the ecclesiastico-religious fabric can be reformed without first being shivered, melted up, to be recast, perhaps, into some better mould. The great Roman Catholic political powers - France, Spain, Austria, are powerless to uphold any longer, even if their peoples were so disposed, (which does not seem to be the case,) this great system of iniquity, which has so long ruled this continent and which has excised such a vast power all over the world.

John is growing day by day, almost visibly; his clothes have to be "let out" and lengthened once a month. He is studying very well, and his teacher says he is quite satisfied with him. The teacher is a Frenchman, who was exiled from France ten or fifteen years ago, in fact soon after the Empire was reestablished. he is strict with his pupils, makes them study thoroughly, and yet has the rare tact of making them all fond of him; he kisses each boy when he enters the school in the morning and again on leaving in the afternoon - if the boy has done well. One day John came home and made a sketch of such a ceremony: the likeness is recognised by every one who knows the teacher. I enclose it to you. The dog is a sort of "Man Friday": he seems to understand everything said to him and accompanies the school whenever it is dismissed for play,

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