St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-07
GEN. SHERMAN'S SON.
The Story of His Desire to Take Holy
0rdtrs.
How the Proposition Was Received by
the General.
Sent TO the Novitiate in EngIand--His
Present Position.

Sent TO the Novitiate in EngIand--His
Present Position.
Correspondence OF the Globe.
WASHINGTON, March 5.-AmOng the
jesuit scholastics who have just cume to
Georgetown college 10 make their final
preparations for entering the priesthood a
pale, slim young man of generally esthet,c
appearance. who, a few years ago. was one
Of the leaders of Washington's gilded
youth. This is William Sherman. eldest
son or the general and nephew of the prtSi-
dent of the senate. Everybody here is re-
calling the sensation caused 10y young Sher-
man when he announced his intention of
giving up the world and dDnning the Jesuit
caSSOck. lie was. at the time. a student in
the law department of Georgetown college.
and was recognized rs the leader of ms
class. both in ability and social qualities.
lie was one of the most dash NJ young tel-
lows I'm town. though by no means dude.
His eminent family connections gave him
high place in Suciety. while his genial
manners made him popular everywhere. lie
was his fathers faVurte son. The old gem
eral fairly dotted on the promising boy. and
relied upon him 10 perpetuate the reputa-
ton of the Sherman family. Ii was said.
too, that young Sherman was engaged
TO the daughter of rich ST. Louis mer-
chant and it was generally understood that
Immediately after his admission Ia the bar
he was to marry her and settle down i'm st.
Louis. Nothing in the young mans con-
duct gave evidence of the religious fervor
which has since marked him as sthe most
pious of Jesuit students. 1t is true that
his mother, sister of Gen. Ewing of Ohio.
was devOut Catholic and had carefully
trained her son in the Catholic faith, but
he was like most young men of the day
! prOfeSSedly Christian. but careless enough
IN practice. The change was effected by a
! retreat, which the Catholic students of the
college made IN 1878. These retreats are
given yearly and consist of a succession of
religious eXercises-prayers, preaching, fast
Ing and meditation. lasting one week, dur
ing which almost absolute silence must be
preserved. Young Sherman had figured
more conSpicuouSly than usual in the gay
Washington season of lS77-7S, so that when
the retreat of the latter year cane on he ell
tered it with the natural feryOr of reaction.
The day after it was over he went 10 Re V.
DIR. Healy, president of the college, and
begged 10 be admitted to the novitiate of
the Jesuit order. He met with a downright
refusal from the wary priest. who had seen
before the ephemerai effects of religious en-
thusasm and who thought that the young
mans fervor would die out with the excite
ment Perhaps a fear of the old generals
anger had also something to do with the
refusal.
Anyhow the boy was advised to continue
the study of law. Young William then de-
veloped that
TENAcITY OF PURPOSE
which is characteristic of the Sherman fam
lily. He refused TO open another law book.
He appealed again and again to DIR. Healy
until, after six months anxious probation,
hopes were held out To him that he would
be received into the order. There was an
other and more formidable difficulty. how
ever. His fathers opposition had to be
overcome. Armed with an explanatory
letter from DIR. Healy. he faced the general
one morning after breakfast and announced
that he was going to become n Jesuit. 1t
is said that a stormy scene followed-one
fully up 10 scenes described in novels. in
which disappointed parents and refractory
children exchange surprised, appealing.
angry words and then part forever. The
woud-be Jesuit left the paternal roof.
practically an outcaSt The general de-
clared he would never consent to see his
son priest, and the son declared that
nothing could ever deter him from entering
the priesthood. So they parted and
they have not seen each other
since. Young Sherman was first sent 10 the
Jesuit novtiate at Frederick. Nd. but for
some reason-said to have connection with
annoyances from his relatives-he was soon
transferred 10 the novitiate in England.
! There he remained several years. In 1888
he returned to the United States, going at
once TO the theological seminary. WOud-
stock. Nd. where he distinguished himself
as the leader of a class of thirty three
| During the past year lie was Teaching at
Loyola college. Baltimore. in conformity
with the Jesuit rule. which requires that
all aSpirantS To the priesthood
must teach for certain time
His return to Georgetown will be succeeded
this year by the reception of the diaconate.
and the order of priesthood will be con-
! ferred on him at the beginning of 1887.
! Gen. Sherman has never recovered from the
disappointment 20 his hopes. caused by the
course of his favorte child. Much of his
crankiness is to be attributed to this source
| Prior to 1878. he had shown little of that
unruly temper which has since gotten him
into so much trouble. II was thought at
one time that the general was on the point
of becoming a Catholic like his wife and
children. but since 1878. nothing could in
duce him to enter a Catholic church. In
this connection. it might be mentioned that
one of young Sherman's classmates is also
the son of distinguished sire. This is
Scholastic Herman, son of eX-United States
Senator Herman of New York. Young
Herman. however. had 10 contend with
none of the troubles which befell Sherman.
lie was intended for the law. but when he
made up his mind to study for the church.
his father offered no objection. 1t would
be interesting 10 hear these young men
preaching here next season TO the society
butterflies among whom they once flew and
! huttered. .SIGNoRI
THE SAGE az NINNINGER