St. Landry democrat., 1878-11-09
Traits of Monsl.nor Dupsan'oup
[Srw York sun

Traits Of ofM0msisHOr DupsansoUp
[Srw York sun
The career of the late bishop of Or
leans ;iS pr.'l;tr, c'ntrnvtrslaliSt,
Sen :orand acn'lrmiclan' has t"ei, amply
re, iewed for the pui'ic during the ft"
days that have elapsed since lis death.
His cialarteri riStirs as Il man are less
widely known, yet few conspicuous IN
.ivMuaIs nf our time have more inter
esting personality.
Mnusiynur Dnp,ninup never knew
whether he had any money, or, II he
had. how mnch Once ha WAS asked to
cont; ilutr to II charitable institution,
and prusn,hly pledged i,im>elf t" give
,weuiv-tivt. thousand francs. The treas
ur.r came to see. if the reported PROMISE
w;,s aN right, and Dupanl"np offered
nim the n,o,ty on the spot. It'r treas
urcr excused himself from taklng IT
Them. IN he wsS going INFO society with
,,ut r,.turui,y to his Office, and prom
j,,.d to come again. Next day ht was
there. but the motley was not. Ny
dear fli,.nl.' said the good Bishop
those twenty-five thousand francs are
np,e. don't know what | have done
wi1b them. but knew y"u ought {"
i,ave taken them when you had the
cii,nrt.'
H.. was tn'preacll in Paris, and w'nf
to rilr station for the train. He w''S
little late, and lbe traiu i,a't just gone.
"Vrry we'll. hitch mp another lnrn'n"-
five" said Dupariuup very slnpiN.
:. Rnt, M,ospignt,,iss that would cost tivt.
!,nn,i,rh f,ancs." And here they are
cried the Bishop. su,IIingly, rs he pro,
.lrrrtl without hesitation the require"
<uni.
This ease ar parting with money was
not the eltsSmeSS ot luxurious sE,end~
thrift. So far from 'hat, the private
life of Duprnlonp was one OF great
frugality. His apartments for personal
u>t We're Of extreme simplicity: III his
drpna be- was sa,Bel ines more than neg
lectfu his food was plain, and partaken
Of moderately. He is said to have
h :ltually refused wine, though thas,
to be sure, wAs due not not to frlgallty
hut to his full habit, which did not
make fermentpd liquors prudent for
him. With his disposition and aims
money affairs had little to dp. But 1T
often hnppens. apparently, that church
,ligni,arips who have this lofty super
lniity to lucrt except as an appliance. tor
doing good. singularly attract the ilk-
ings of men who knew the meaning nt
money, and how hard it often ia to get.
All persoDs were open to Dnpanioup,.
The prt..r's pence that lle collected
nItdid that Of other prelat.A. Ilft'' very
facility with wiici, he7ga1hrrtd money
seduresi him, ssotitless, from lingering
long ennngi, over it to acquire an apprr;;
siaiive estimate ut it. Once he needed
thirty thousNnl frames. He wrote to
various bHsiness men and ricl, men that
his word WIS given to get IL. When
cheeks and drafts came In, in response.
these amounted together tpseveTfy-f
thousand francs. So lIta had ltusassemhle
the generous giyers and get them t.'
arralgessntHe wiy af taking hack their
surplus f0fty-fiyp fhDnsand..
Another traitof DnfaiiioRp, his hearty
enthusiasm in tSBailsitig i, Cause. IL
well illustrated i,y his nnsnccessful eff
forts to have Jsai, nf Are casiuaized.
His PnBlllnfivei,rss slnHad itself in
inng caailmigns against French nns'-
twists his Independence in his tight
against the enllnciaflon af pap,i iil-s
If,iiiility ; hia loyal clrlrcsnnauslip 'Il
Welding to the dogma; hts patriotism
in HIS support af Franc.. in the war of
1870 l.is philanthropy IN his treatment
of German wuuuded and prisoners. His
qnicknrss and t,apnv art hf managing
~
M In his cathedral, after a sermon t'n
almsgiving. He was seizr,l Will, fancy
| or inspiration tO gati,er the aims him
self, and, of course. the gifts poured in
| Freely. Bnt he came In (iis co1rRts 't,
| one lady who. finishing scarlet. i,eggrd
! tu ip' excused for having arcidentaNv
hrougils no money with her. No
money!" ecilael the Bls'wn. "Oh, it
that il all. ]. TIM. have fnrgntten my
1 turse hut ali wa need to knaw is how
| tn get on without nne." And, sO saying.
t,s tnnk the precious bishops Grass that
hing 10 his neck and flung It into the
box. whirl, immediately, Will, ltis .ex-
ample, was filed with chains, rings,
tnembes. and bracelets. Sn, hy. this
s'rokp of s,a'liness antl fervor. tn"
Bishop gathered n yast sum for the
! l,pnr. The n-xt day the gantle,urp Of
Orleans redeemed the e,fsropai cr"ss
in money The incident is historic; hut
S.,nmig. the German hiegrapher ut
Dupanlnnn. who, besides the anecdotes
we have given. has many other cnrinn.
ones IN isis aamiring sketch, ia moved
to ask. Didn't he kRaw that this cross
would be rpdremed7 Did he sacrifice
anytliug9 Nothing" Done hy some
men. il would. in truth. have been nnl,
II bit Of safe theatrical play bur, coupled
with Dnpanloup's known careless oI
weaiti, the act deserves no such crit.
,ism A truce comment might he thai
his parting with an object pf pecnniar,
valne was never n TEST 0f the Bish0p's
charity. for it cost him sO little pang II
lrt such thing go. It in quite certain
that when he threw the jewelled cross
into tue heap l,e.siih nnt reckon up hi
chances of having if hack.
The careful writer just referred TO, il
giving an account Of Dupanloup's or.
binary slay--the date lsainga little NOR,
than II year ago-says that the Bisl,pl
was wont to rise al,ont 8 o'clock. Afte
his devotions. he stndietl or wrote til
towafd midday, when he breakfastet
1 with the pFirsts pf his household. Th,
afternoon was devoted To administra
tireatfairs Of lisoffice, e,tneorrespondenc
calls. and sa on. The dinner, at z. wa
followed hy walks aud talks in th
episcopal palace. or in the seminar.
gardens when thalweather favored. fa
his failing evesigIf fnrl,ade evening
work Mt ln,nks. But the advance of ag
did not seriously cool tile RisInp's hi0e,tl
: he was accustomed to stn,ly i'm wiHte
! in an unheatel room, with the window