The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-09-15


others with lnterminable small wants; b
never called q servant TO do what II wa
not utterly unbecoming for him to d
himself, and this was bis practice not les
10 his own home than 10 The houses c
his priests or Of strangers.
On the subject OF dignity he neve
formed to himselfa theory and then stool
guard over himself to assure bis following
Il out, Nature had gifted him with III
sense Of true dignity before the Episcopa
purple was thrown round bis shoulders
The dignity oil his office was upheld un
consciously. He never said or did wha
was directly designed 10 remind one tina
be was bishop. Itwould have been IN
necessary, because the fact could not es
cape one so long as be was present. No
was II necessary for him 10 rise 10 III
height OF his station by affecting an IN
accustomed manner Of speaking and
swollen solemnity Of bearing; his owl
naturally elegant department was superio
to any he could have assumed, and It dit
no violence 10 his sense Of honesty. Hi
piety was also OF a kind that IN no man
ner advertised itself. It flowed like Z
deep and noiseless current, from out hi
rock Of bis immovable faith.
Some who knew him may think Il q
cause for regret that the bishop devoted
all the time Of his long episcopate to TIT
material wants Of his diocese and did moi
cultivate toa higher degree the uncon.
monty vigorous mind with which nature
gifted him. But the view which be him
self held upon this point was probably one
that, II known, would have proved he
acted not only sensibly but heroicallS.
When no began his administration The
cause OF religion in West Virginia did moi
call for the display Of great learning and
controversial power; what learning was
required by the situation, the bishop could
more than supply from stores be had laid
up In the seminary and during his priest
hood, what the cause OF religion mos
wanted was churches and schools. TIN
supplying ofthese the bishop saw plainly
10 BE-, his principal work, and, needless Of
the neglect 10 which his talents would be
doomed, he msgnanimously accepted the
task, The man who generously sacrifices
The intereats of his intellect by ren6u1cing
study that he may I'D work Of an Inferior
but moro necessary kind, entities himself
to the credit Of a noble martyrdom, F
No sacrifice could me more heroic
than that Of ones mental gifts and
chances Of fame in order that the
cause Of religion might be FUR
thered, Had the bishop devoted his time
to study instead Of the building Of church.
es and schools, there would have been
one scholar more Of eminence, some good
might have been effected at large, but the
diocese Of Wheeling would perhaps be
as desert q region now as It was when he
was appointed It's bishop.
2 In spite however Of his busy lie, q
glance at one OF his pastoral letters will
convince an intelligent person that biz
grasp Of 9 subject was powerful, that he
never viewed 1t in commonplace way,
and that his reasoning upon 1t was lucid
and strong. When he defended Catholic
truth in tho pulpit or impugned error, the
only pity was that the range OF his dc
tiOn and imagery was not commensurate
with the breadth and depth Of his thought.
It was easy on such an occasion to per-
ceiye. the tremendous efforts Of a noble
brain 10 overcome the disadvantages IN.
der which It lsbored, yet it was striking
too how attentive the hearers would con-
tinue throughout. Unhsppily also his
powers Of oratory suffered from an unsc
countahle timidity which no effort oil will
was able TO overcome. Many a grand
and beautiful thought and many a deep
and touching sentiment would rush up
for utterance when the warmth Of preach.
ing was upon him, but they were stiIled
instantly by this invinCible timidity which
seems to have been dread oil not being
able to support himself in such q fight.
After all, the sober and earnest manner to
which he confined himself probably eff
fected more real good among his hearers
than he could have accomplished or than
other men have accomplished with more
pretentlous powers. His preaching, like
that Of st. Paul was not in the persua-
sive words OF human wisdom but In the
showing of the spirit and power. lisa
The bishops mind was universally sd-
mitted TO be keen and logical, but there
have been among those who knew him,
conflicting opinions upon that part Of the
moral nature which in many men re-
sembles q troubled sea crossed by cur
rents and counter currents, mean the
feelings. 1910 Fa q D. sI" 7b
The interior Of q strong-wllled man
Is often the scene OF violent con.
tenLions between opposite impulses
which no eye can discover and which
iew.,o minds suspect Such a man
exerts most powerfully against himself
the strength of his indomitable Will.
believe that such contentious oil feeling
used to occur in Bishop Whelan's interior.
Ibelieve that he often reptessed gushes Of
pure affection and that he did 30 for fear
Overwhelming his. adherence to stern duty.
In those situations also in which good
hearts usually reveal themselves in do
monstFStions Of kindnesG, or pity or grief,
] believe he frequently guarded his
exterior so cautiously that hssty
judges were Induced to consider him hard
and feelingless, at the same time that this
selt-inAicted violence caused him pain.
i have no recollection Of ever seeing him
shed tears but I have seen him IN this
chapel whilst reading prayers oil thanks
giving after the children's first commu.
MON, so overcome by emotion that re-
pestedly his voice was Stiiled so that he
could not proceed, and at the time, kneel.
ing by his side, ! suspected the depth Of
the emotion Of that strong man.
This control which he never relaxed
upon his emotional nature was percepti-
bic even in tho greeting which he gave
his priests when they called to see him.
Often the first impression received was a
chill, gradually, however, this would pass
of aud be followed by a cordially that
was actually winning. i gH' qgFa.l 9f
His humor was liable toundergo the
depression and exultAtion produced by
reverees or success in his undertakings; It
had, however, general character oil
plgasantness which under favorable cir
cumstances became fascination. During
aperiod Of freedom from caro- az for In.
stahce when he was the guest of one Of
his priests while visiting the diocese, the