The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-15
TRAITS or ovsrGvoR DupANLoUp.


n prelate. controvcrsinlist Senator. and acado-
micnn has been amply reviewed for the public
during the few days that havo elapsed since his
death. His characteristics ms man nrc less
widely known. yet few conspicuous individuals
OF our time have a more interesting personality
Monsignor Dupanloup never knew whether
he had any money. or. II he had. how much
Once he was asked to contribute TO charitable
institution and promptly pledged himself to
give twenty-five thousand francs. The treas
urcr came to sec If the reported promise was all
right, and Duranloup offered him the money
on the spot. Tho treasurer excused himself
from taking It then. IA he was going into So
cicty without returning to his Office and prom
iscd To come again. Next day he was there. but
the money was not My dear friend. said the
good Bishop, those twenty-five thousand
francs are gone ] don't know whnt have
done with them. hut know you ought to have
taken them when you had the chance"
He was to prcach in Paris and went to the
station for the train. He was little late and
the train had just gone. VERY well. hitch up
another locomotive" said Dupnnloup very sim
ply. But. Monsegnour that would cost five
hundred Francs And hero they are" cried
the Bishop. smiliney rs he produced without
hesitation the required sum.
This ensc ut parting with money was not tho
from that. the private life Of Dupanloup was
one OF great frugaitv. His apartments for per-
sonal use were II extreme simplicity: in his
dress he was sometimes more than neglcctful:
his food was plain. and pnrtaken Of moderate
~. He is said TO have habtually refused vino.
though that. to be sure. was due not to fruRali
ty but TO his full habit. which did not make fer
mcnted liquors prudent for him. With his dis
position and aims money affairs had little to do.
Bat it often happens. apparently that church
digntarics who have this lofty superiority to
lucrc except as an appliance for doing good.
singularly attract tho likings Of men who
know the meaning Of money. and how hard
it often is to get. All purses were open to Du-
panloup. The Peters pence that he collected
outdd that Of other prcutes. Tho very facility
with which he gathered money scduccd him.
doubtless from lingering long enough over it
TO acquire an apprcciativc estimate Of it. Once
lie needed thirty thousand francs. lie wrote to
various business men and rich men that his
word was given to get it. When their checks
and drafts came in. in response. these amount
ed together TO seventy five thousand francs. So
he had to assemble the generous givers and
get them to arrange some way Of taking back
their surplus forty-nyc thousand.
Another trait Of Dupanloup. his hearty enthu-
siasm in espousing cause. is well illustrated
by his unsuccessful efforts to have Joan Of Are
canonized. His comhatvcncss showed itself in
long campaigns against French positivists; his
Independence in his fight against the cnuncia-
ton Of papal infalliblity his loyal churchman-
ship in yielding 10 the dogma: his patriotism
In his support Of France in the war OF
1870: his philanthropy in his treatment
Of German wounded and prisoners. His
quickness and happy art of managing
were shown NJ collection he once took
up IN his cathedral. after a sermon on
almsgiving He was seized with n fancy or in
SEPARATION 10 gather the aims himself and Of
course. the gifts poured In freely But he came
in his course TO one lady who. bushing scarlet
begged g. be excused for having accidentally
brought no money with her. No money!"
echoed the Bishop. oh II that Is all. |. too
have forgotten my purse; but all we need 10
| know Is how 10 get on without one.' And. SO
| saying he took the precious bishops cross that
hung TO his neck and nunG II into the box
which Immediately. with this example. WIS
| filed with chains rings. brooches. and brace
! let's 50. hy this stroke Of readiness and fcrvor.
| the Bishop gathered vast sun for the poor.
| Tho next day the gentlemen OF Orleans re-
| deemed the episcopal cross in money. The in
| cidcnt Is historic; but SEEMING. the German BIZ
ographer Of Dupanloup who, besides the anec-
| dotcs We have given. has many other curious
ones in his admiring sketch. is moved to ask.
Didn't he know that this cross would be re-
| deemed Did he sacrifice anything? Nothing.
Done 10y some men. it would. in truth
have been only n bit Of safe theatrical
play; but coupled with Dupanloups known
carelcssncs- II wealth. the act deserves no such
| criticism. \ truer comment might be that his
parting with an Object of pccuniary value was
never a test 90 the Bishops charity, for it cost
him So little paug 10 let such thing 20. Il is
quite certain that when he threw the iewelled
cross into the heap he did not reckon W HE
chances Of having ii back
The careful writer Just referred 10. in eivina
An account Of Dupnnloup'- ordinary day-tht
date being little more than year ago-says
that the Bishop was won't to rise about O'Clock
After his dcvotons. he studied or wrot'
till toward midday when lac brcakfa-tcd Will
the priests 81 his household. The Afternoon
was devoted To- administrative affairs 81 hi,
office. 10 correspondence. calls. and SO on Tn.
dinner. at 7. was followed ty walks and talks II
the episcopal palace or in tho seminary gar
dens when tho weather favored. for his iai.inl
eyesght forbade evening work at books. Blu
the advance OF age did not seriously cool ,h'
Bishops blood he was accustomed to study il
winter in an unhoat'd room with the window
open.