We have received so much, we have so much to give, we know so well what we want to obtain.
We have the Church, the great teacher of the world, as our prototype, and by some instinct a certain unconscious imitation of her finds its way into the mind and heart of Catholic teachers, so that, though often out of poorer material, we can produce teachers who excel in personal hold over children, and influence for good by their great affection and the value which they set on souls.

Their power of obtaining work is proportioned to their own love of knowledge, and here--let it be owned--we more often fail.

Various theories are offered in explanation of this; people take one or other according to their personal point of view.

Some say we feel so sure of the other world that our hold on this is slack.
Some that in these countries we have not yet made up for the check of three centuries when education was made almost impossible for us.

And others say it is not true at all.