The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-18
CARDINAL MANNING.
Something of His Home Life and the House
in which He Lives.

in which He Lives.
London correspondence New York Eerald.
The head of the greatest Catholic see in
England lives in a peculiarly grim and
gloomy building close to the forlorn
thoroughfare known to Londoners as the
Vauxhall Bridge road. 1t was, if l do not
mistake for some years. the headquarters OF
metropolitan rife corps, and from the out
side looks far more like warehouse
or prison than the residence OF
a prince of the church. His Emil
nence who has an extreme dislike of
ostentaton, styles his forbidding abode simply
the 'Archbshops house" and rather prideS
himself l believe, upon its ugliness. The
vanities of this world have long ceased to
have any value in his eyes, and though he is
credited with being keenly alive to the fasc-
nation Of power he cares nothing for the
external evidences of power, which
vulgar minds associate with pomp
and display To say that the Cardinal Arch
bishop of Westminster is in the fulles sense
of the word, an ascetic, is to utter truism.
His whole life since his conversion from
professionalism has been one long self-mortifi-
cation His spirit has waged war persistently
with the flesh and has conquered. But the
victory has been bought dearly at the price
of health, and the Cardinals mortal frame
has dwindled and wasted away till it seems
as but the very shadow of a human body.
His Eminence is far less severe to those
subordinate priests who sit down to table
with him daily at the Archbishop's house
sometimes murmur in their hearts at the
ultra plainness of the fare set before them
and some-of course, the younger and
weaker vessels onlv-have been heard to
sigh, finding it very, very hard to be happy
on perpetual Irish stew" and pure water.
On calling upon his Eminence the other
morning was ushered upa cold stone flight
OF stairs into an immense quare room on the
first floor lighted garshly by eight large and
uniform windows, OF the kind usually met
with in English dissenting chapels and rail
wav stations. In the center of the room: was
large table covered with a shabby cloth.
Round this. and scattered here and there in
various corners, stood number of gIlded
Louis XVI arm-chairs. curiously alternating
with humber chairs OF the common lodging
house pattern, examples of the very worst
kind OF Victorian furniture. On the dull
red walls hung several religious pictures
scenes from the lives of saints and martyrs
and ancient portraits. The place of honor
was filled, however, by q portrait of Pope
Leo KILL surmounted by m-eaten red
canopy facing which were two quantity
carved and valuable oak cabinets covered
with ivory crucifxes, intaglios and other
ecclesiastical art treasures On my left as |
entered was small harmonium.
| had Just had time to make hasty sur
vey of the strange interior, and was el amin
ing tiny statue of ST. Peter which adorned
the center of the table, when the door was
quietly opened and the Cardinal entered,
holding out his hand to me with genial
kindness was hardly prepared to fndin him.
He seemed to me even more worn and ema-
ciated than 1 had supposed he would be
from his photographs His eyelids were
slightly redeemed, as though by repeated
Vigils, and as he glided over the floor, rather
than walked toward me- his long, loose eccle-
astical robe foated and huttered about him,
seeming to have nothing of common clay
beneath them Bidding me be seated, with
smile that reminded me of the rays of the
winter sun-a smile that frightened without
warming-in answer to an inquiry of mine
he assured me he had quite recovered from
his late illness.