The sun., 1881-01-16

Inther
Among the bundle Of holiday gifts for this
season may bo found suugly ensconced sober
little volume in trim brown dress. entitled. The
Works Of Father Pyom (Routledge & Coz.
The portralt prsAxed catches with skilful
,unning the likeness Of the Jesuit journalist;
the eye full Of genial malice looking through
gold-rimmed spectacles the delicate and re-
Aned lines Of the mouth and the finely nrchod
forehead give you the exact man. Pnco upon
1t O very odd-looSing hat with narrow brim.
quantity turned UP at the sides. and you have
him as he might have be0n seen in the spring
oils53 sauntering Of an afternoon down Pail
Mall often in company with Thackeray, for
whom he felt warm admiration and attach
meni. Nothing rritated him more than an
ATTEMPT to compare Dickens with Thackeray.
Al this time Father Prout. for by this name
the Rev. francis MAhoney was always intro
duced and addressed in society lived in a small
room. suarsely furnished. at the very top Of the
house which stands on the corner OF Pail Mall
and ST. James's street. In n corner OF this
room was a small gas stove on which he pre-
pared his coffee OF morning or his chop for
dinner on those days when he did not accom-
pany one OF his few friends 10 a cheap shilling
ordinary. at the corner Of ST. Martins lane.
which he was fond Of ireqUentnG. He was of
yery reserved and retiring manners. and has
often sat through an entire dinner without ut
scring word but ieanly enjoying other mems
good stories and tossing them round and round
In his thoughts with comic smile.
H. was a, this t.ma. though possessed Of con-
Siderable property, meauly pRrsimoniouS in his
mode 0tliyin. and U4derwent Of his own will
nany Of The pI.vattons which are supposed TO
properly belong q thase cloisters which he had
forsGdeu lie waa not. however. without some
Of the tastes OF the holy clerk OF Copmanhurst.
and could take q bout at the nagon with any
idle literary knight ho found Of an evening
wandering through the wilderness Of London.
Tho Rev, Frank MGhouey was one OF those
men who dsapr5int on q nearer acquaintance.
HO YVES an able man. but not in the direction
Imagined. H. was not al all what his writings
would nai an Hdmirar to think-iu Of an easy
mclodlous flow o! wit and fancy. He was close
In his wit. as in all other expenditure. HIS con-
versaton was curious in epieram. Everyth ng
he sa d seemed labored and finished. His play
iuln"ss even was piuel from reservoir. 1t
never le1ped as from spring. HIS name in
h2;ioE, Father Pr2ut, conveyed better the char
R2tsr Of the man than the genuine, ricA, rolling
Irish name Of Father Frank Mahoney.
F"IHeE Prout however, as has b9an well said
WIS perhaps tho best friend Father Mahoney
aver had He saved Father MuAoney's hear,
from ioudinG too much upon ltsolf. kent his
mental atmosphere wholesome, and provided
an ohtet Tor tho ouisprOutinEs Of wit and fancy
whl'A' but Tor him, would have been nippe1 in
Tue bud. aAd would have reacted iGjuriously
uhon iAs growth they were meant to heautily.
Ihe case is one for reflection. In modern civ
lllzat.on no man who LAYS claim to tho posses-
Sion OF an Independent and expanding mind
can enI1ya full ard healthy development within
the lines that conventionaity has prescribed
iOr him. Under penalty Of exciting suspicion,
onrn'r. or rllicule, he must tie himself down
plit strictly average level. and never let II be
pef'elYeI by those with whom he associates
tha 'Hcre are wings hidden beneath his society
uress winch are yearniug to hustle him alolt.
"hat relief t0 men thus circumstanced. il.
hheh the struggle Of genius against propriety
becomes too weariSome. they can suddenly dis
gus" theps9ives in thoir real characters and
unknown and unrccosnized by their most intl-
UA'' friends, throw somersaults and shout to
1',e" "eaft7 c1utont and with complete irnmu-
my No' Imurohaoy this feat may be achieved
oI9"'f thon'ho world believes alse revolutions
49, 0'''"'uh'st "Julbe moro imminent than
oa,,',n %'9 ono lA!ng Is certain. that no man
,laa'"' "a'o moro H'rugateiy hit upon til pre-
.'S" costume most expressive OF himself than #
was tho good fortune ottbe Rev Francis NJ
IVY OF the Jesuit order todo.
io,her Prout was. as they saw In IraIand "o
tnIyy ttn'Iy rom Cork with his coat bu,toned ba-
.."u' . ana has sunr plenttnlly OF the sweet
s, ,' u" "Nlch he found birth. Unlike Swift and
| o..", 'u'h anu othJr geniuses. Father Prout waa
osN'n'u very bright lad at the schools about
~ m"I'h arc noted Tor having sent out
H. '"' "'5LIhHulshed men among them Curran
=, n.''s pRNls. and the author Of "Tbe BurioI
~ ~, ''hn Moore" Tho father OF Cbiof ms
','' "hna' no moan poet. was brought nm in
"eIh' TWAS beside tho BlacE vntor lint So
law composed tho Fairy Queen"
l1', '."R' ana 10 Irish archaeological students
,o,,.,S '''S very interesting. disquisition is. OF
,T1'''' 'hler'd on blythe Rav. Frank Maboney's
nsN''PHeI hs 10 whether or not he belonged IN |
T 'e"t ONahonoys or tho lit,lo Mahorev.
question is loft, like Ireland itself at most |
,' IN an unsettled state. To the e,roat |
p'eS o' the world this is a matter OF but ittla
h. l''"" As Father Prout he was first known |
man, ana as Father Prout he will be ever re |
Ioa was sent at twelve to the Jesuit col.
ms III france-nrst to Amiens and nfte, n
In P,ae' NJ mo time wit reEned supreme
saao.,',l'o' ,In'o' and dominated everything. II
lear purposes delicately, without creating
han, r"'her Prout caught the spirit Of tho
hi. o. snouRh 1t took classic turn. Soma ot
kno,.ap adaptations Of the classics To wall
aes. =, uolees or songs had much OF the fresh.
borL nt inc exquisite finish. OF his Inter
VINO al these colleges. before he