The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-11-08


But to return. While ali this highly
Protestant work was going. on in the imme-
diate family, my mothers father, at nearly
sixty years of age, did the most absurd, nm
precedented, and incredible thing that ever
was perpetrated by private gentleman of
sound mind and in comfortable circumetan-
ces-he became R0manist. Had he turned
Jew, MahOmmedan or Pagan, we would
have marveiled, and been afflicted, less. For
q long time the dreadful secret was care
fully kept from my sisters and myself; end
az he lived 9 acrOss the mountains," (the
Atlantic ocean was futher from Ohio then
than now, y this was the more easily done.
I think my father was too much shocked
ever to speak of it. He felt that such apos-
tacy stained--likg crime, and showed it by
a rigorous silence, unbrOken during his life,
SO far as knew. There was, however, lit
tie apostacy in the case to speak, of, for
grandfather had always been . bon ciuant
himself about nothing less than religion Of
any kind, until two or three years before
he took this unprecedented step. Awaken
ed then to serious Impressions, he took the
road first ut hand, and became Baptist
This for some reason did not suit HE partic-
Mar moral diathesis, and he tried Method
ism, which he found still worse. With him
!" all ways appeared to lead to Rome ~
and there he brought up and stayed-for
the rest of his time q CONSTANT, deyout,
and earnest man. ,e}
Ten years later he came to the test of
sincere profession, beyond which, at least
in this world, there is no appeal. One raw
March day, he returned from q walk, over
Federal Hill, feeling chilly and depressed.
On the next, an acute attack of pleurisy
declared itself. 1t was the first time he
had ever been sick, but lie felt at once that
and gave directions for his obsequies. For
three days his strong frame wrestled with
the Angel of Summons, but the pains of
death had no power to break the anchorage
of his faith. His was no such euthanasia-
such translation, almost, as we sometimes
see among our Methodist friends-but am
not sure that do not like it better. He
had n sister-in-law, u Mother in the Camp
bellite Israel, most devout and excellent
woman, but brusque of speech, and greatly
in earnest then, who, being at his bedside,
said to him n little while before his depart
ure, "Well, brother A., you have found
your religion comfortable enough, dare
say, to live by-how does it do to die by 2"
A gentleman of the old school to the last,
whose native pOliteness even the King OF
Terrors had not discomposed, lie made an
swer, " ii You will have the goodness to
remain with me for a few hours, my dear
sister, you shall see for yourself!" And she
did. !" die" said he, shortly after, I" in
the faith and communion of the holy Cath
Ole Church, trusting for salvation only in
the merits of our Saviour Christ" And
with this testimony he " fell asleep"
SIX years -Derore TINS father had pass cd
on through the Baptist gate, trusting and
triumpllng in the same salvation. If ever
perfect love had cast out fear, if ever death
was swallowed up in victory, if ever a NOR
tai, not yet unclothed, entered spiritually
into the Blessed Life, it was SO here. l
was but twelve years old, but remember all
as well as if it were last week. Never,
while this recollection remains, can call
such state ccstacies, Ia term which your
doctor means disease,) or accept in this re-
gard the definition of materiaiistic pschy-
cology- am sure do not understand the
subject, but that such experiences are real,
aud not lllusory, have no more doubt than
l have that the glorious sunset before me
is not n Subjective vision.
Fathers death left us all Baptists, with
as little expectation of change as is now
entertained by the reader of turning Bud
dhist. More than decade has passed
since there has been a Baptist among us.
All are members of other Protestant
churches, except one daughter, who is a
Roman Catholic. and uncon sciously respon-
sible for the heading of this article, SO far
discursivc, as she first brought the writer
among the nuns Having entered at her
own desire, some years ago, a conventual
school III Canada-and gone over to Rome,
of course.
| do not remember that lever hated nuns
particularly, as l did priests; my feeling
being. rather chat they were great fools,
and the priests responsible for their unjust
incarceration. But had become consider
| ably modified before my first acquaintance
| with them three weeks ago. Occasional
correspondence with the superior of the
school at which my sister was q boarier,
had resulted in a highly favorable opinion
of her on my part. How much this was
strengthened by n personal acquaintance,
covering several extended intarviaws need
not be related here. If q face like a Ma
donna, an air and ways so natural that they
would be called artless in girl, (she told
me she was forty, and had become a nun
when very young), the perfection of lady
like manners Joined to q purity and good
take, and practical wisdom which no man