The Irish standard., 1888-08-25
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


The United States had no President,
in the present Specification of that
term, until after the National Constitu-
ton had become the supreme law Of
the land and George Washington was
chosen by the unanimous vote of the
electors, as Grst President. His inaug-
uratlon took place on April 30, 1889.
Prior to that, during the sitting of the
Constitutional convention, Gen. Wash
was President Of that body.
The Sister of Charity who relieved
the Empress Victoria during the last
watches at the bedside of the late EN-
peror was known in the world as Prin-
cess Pauline Ridziwill, for many years
at work in the Catholic hospitals Of
Berlin. Sister Hedwig has one brother
in the Society of Jesus. and another
who, after eminent services as secular
priest, has j,ined the Benedictines.
The Radziwill princes have connexion
with the Imperial family.
Since 1904 Gibralter has been in the
possession of the British, but not with
out many contest with France and
Spain, who longed for that important
rock which gives to its owner the key
to the Mediterranean Sea. England
guards this garrison with jealous care.
Every available point for defense is
bristling with weapons; the mountain
is honeycombed with galleries, and bat
teries hewn in solid rock frown from
every side. Immense stores of proyis-
ions and munitions Of war are con-
stantlY maintained, while all army of
infantry, artillery and engineer make
life on its barren peak.
Grover Cleveland was born on the
18th day of March, 1887. The bonn
bardment of Fort Sumter, OH April IL.
1861, opened the civil war, Mr.. Cleve-
land was therefore twenty-four years
old. While teaching in New York, and
while studying in Buffalo, he had al
ways sent whatever money ne could
spare to his mother, for the support of
herself and her daughters. At the
opening of the war Grover Cleveland
was earning enough to make his con-
tributions of the family purse Of some
Importance. Tt was heretofore decided
that the two younger brothers should
go to the army, and he, the bread win
ner, should stay at home and work.
The golden wedding of Mr.. and Mrs.
Gladstone recalls "Reminiscences of the
day, now more than half century DIS
tant, when Mrs. Gladstone first saw
her future husband. It WAS at dim
ner party in London where the younger
Miss Glynne's attention was directed
by an eminent statesman who WAS by
her side toa tall. handsome yong noem-
Der of Parliament, who sat opposite.
',Do you see that young man ~ asked
he, mote him we'll, aud mark nv
words. If his life is spared he will one
day be Prime Minister" Miss Glynns
naturally took keen note of Mr.. Glad
stone, but they did not speak, nor WIS
it until some time afterward that she
made his acquaintance in Italy. The
prediction has been thriced fulfilled,
and Mrs. Gladstone will probably have
the qualification of seeing it fulfilled a.
fourth time before long.
John Goldman in August Century: 1
once heard Father Taylor preach a SER
mon On the Atonement. 1t was in a
style that no one but sailor could I'M
derstand, a style that every sailor could
comprehend, although a treatise on this
subject from an uptown pulpit
would have been Greek" to him. This
was one of the passages: you are
dead in trespasses and sin, and buried
too, down in the lower hold amongst
the ballast, and you can't get out, for
here is a ton of SIN OH the main hatch.
You shin up the stanchions and try to
get it open, but you can't. You rig
purchase. You get your handspikes,
capstan bars and watch tackles, but
are no good. You can't startis. Then
you begin to sing out for help. You
hail all the saints you think are On
deck, but they can't help you. at last
you hail Jesus Christ. He comes
straight along ALI he wanted was to
be asked. lie just claps his shoulder to
that ton of sin. 1t rolls Off, and when
he says, tShipmates, come out!' Well,
if you don't come out, it is your own
fault" 1t was on the Sunday before a
State election. Briggs was the candi-
of the Wing party, but Father Taylor
desired that he should be elected be-
cause he was a religious man. This
was his prayer: 80, Lord, give us good
men to rule over us, just men, temper
ance men, Christian men, men who
fear Thee. who obey thy command
ments, men who-But, o Lord, what's
the use of veering and hauling and
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