The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1885-10-30
CARDINAL McCLOSKEY.
How He SiIenced an IDfide1-A Story of
Beecher's "Lamb."

| How He Silenced an IDfide1-A Story Of
| Beecher's "Lamb"
| ["IIalston' in New YORK Times.
Years ago, while Cardinal McCoskey was
| yet parish priest, an incident happened which
was not without its influence upon the career oil
another man.. Atheistic doctrines were attract
| ing much public attention then. Men OF con-
sequence in the world. able to build up most
specious arguments, and masters of all the
tricks OF rhetoric, were conspicuous in their at
lacks upon religion One of these men was
| holding forth with much earnestness at little
social assemblage one evening, when old and
young met around him to question and APP
plaud. Overmuch adulaton had led the gentle
man into vanity of the most marked character
and there was dictatorial air about him that
cut off all possibility of successful antagonism
from any person of less positive mind. Sar-
casm came to be one Of his chief weapons :
any p,esumptuous objector to logic was show
cred with fIGEtng irony, and so generally lef-
fectual waSfhis sort OF treatment that the uis.
cursive gentleman came almost to regard him.
self as quite beyond the pale of contradiction.
Plain, modest unassuming Father John Nc
Closkey was not yet distinguished; few people
had heard of him outside a certain circle OF in
Inmates in the church. 1t was, therefore, not
at all remarkable that when the eloquent
infdel heard that young priest was to be
present on this evening be gave himself over to
a momentary pride in anticipation of the Off
hand manner in which he would mbarrass,
not to say extnguish, the churchman Father
McCloskey CAME The hOet was an old friend
Win whom be had been schOolfellow when
he was boy over in Brooklyn, and 1t was evil
dent that the priest was finding much more
pleasure IN revivng old time "reminiscences than
in attending to the attractions OF the conversa-
ton of the free thinking orator about whom
the greater part of the guests were assembled.
Finally, however, further avoidance was i'm.
possible. He found himself addressed directly
by name He did not welcome the controversy
that was imminent; he could but consider the
pointed questions put to him as impertiuent;
he had not come to argue, but to make social
call Bat there was an offensive twang in the
tone of the remark addressed to him to which he
could not quite be blind. He offered an evasive
answer, and sought to turn the conversation by
pleasant comment into happier channels, but
the arrogant doctrinaire would not keep peace.
He prated much of science, philosophy and
free thoughts he inveghed with almost savage
ness against the church, the hinderer OF all
progress, the soul of all things dreary and
wicked. A grave look came into the counte
nance OF the priest. He broke silence finally
with words that were calm in their deliverance,
but volcanoes really in their force. He evaded
nothing; he begged no questions; he asked no
quarter and he gave none. For almost an hour ne
Ia ked with scarce an intermisslon, waxing eio-
quent as he warmed up to his subject. Two or
three times his opponent attempted interrupt
tions and sought TO INTERCEPT some OF his 'ar-
castle rhetoric, but the ambition pr0ii'ed him
little. He found John McCloskey, who was yet
to rise to the episcopate and finally wear the
red hat of the cardnaate, far more than his
match in that line. His thrusts were puny as
compared with the hard kaocks square from
the shoulder that the young priest gave him.
aScience, falsely so-calied; !" this was the theme
which Father McCoskey treated. He seemed
familiar with all scientific writers that had won
recognition; the claims OF all the phiiosophies
seemed fully understood hy him; the doctrine
of every anti Christian teacher seemed familiar
to him; history was TT bis tongues Tip, and
words were his that IN the end grew from the
ca m spark INFO flame and haze that fairly
sco,cbed and C acxed. "Never bai heard
anything to com pare with 1t, aiter9ard SAID
one OF the listeners. "iie speke as though in
srired-as thyugh his very lie depended upon
IT, And when he suddenly ended be was all OF
tromDc through mentai excitement. lie
withdrew quickly - almost abruptly. lie
trrsed from the company, who had pressed
closer upon him as lie talked, and seeking out
the host and hostess, ne shook their hands cor
daily, gave 10 the rest OF US only formal
bow, and was gone without word The exit
was a fitting dramatic sequel to the most thrill
ing scene | ever witnessed among intellectual
men,"
The infidel who had invited this thing sat
almost siupetied Is from point TO point the ar
guments OF the future great prelate went He
was never heard to preach bis doctrines any
more in public, and within few years be had
disavoeei bis atheism altogether. He Is dead
now, but long before be died be Became con-
spicuous member of Protestant church. SO
long rs be lived he and Cardinal McCloskey
were firm friends.
The conversion OF this man by Catholic
clergyman TO the Protestant faith recall : sto-
nv that the Rev Henry Ward Beecber tells OF
one Of his experiences Some years age
bright girl czme to 1--we in his family as do
nestle. She vas lbe daughter OF Protestsnis,
who bad been devoted 10 giving her careful re
ligious training. She took another place IN
time, when fof The while Mr. Beecher closed his
home In Brooklyn. The family in Ehich she
obtained a sifuafion was composed OF devout
Catholics. The Young woman became inter
esied in their iaiih, and finally was CONVINCED