The critic., 1891-03-02
PHILLIPS BROOKS.
He Is n Judge OF Babies.

TTOW Nt tNtCUVO NcfCs.
The Rev. Phillips Brooks would have
made famous diplomatic. He has the
faculty Of saying so much in so little--of
conveying so much sweetness without
really uttcring many words. The women
in bis congregation probably regard him
rs the lovcliest man on earth, and he
certainly has most persuasive way; then
again he has so superb personality,
being q Hercules in stature and an Apollo
of face and an Orpheus of voice. He
looks like a magnificent, giant boy; his
checks are rosy, his eyes are bright, his
step Is bounding and his spirits are mirth-
full They tell of his having applied at
farmhouse, during one of his summer
vacation excursions, for u pail of milk.
The farmers wife supplied him. but
would not take any remuneration there
for but, supposing him to be rich mans
son, she gave him this parting shot as he
whisked away: "If YOU wliz my boy,
strappin' and healthy ez you be, I'd make
YOU work for your livin' ~
The real genius Of the man is exhibited
in the artistic and artful manner in which
he conducts a christening. OF course he
is called upon to preside In the course Of
year over many an affair of this kind,
and he has always made IL practice to
say something of soothing nature to the
timidly proud mother who presents her
tiny offspring at the baptismal font. Now,
Mr.. Brooks knows, as all men know, that
when the dear women folk get together
they are exceeding prone to discuss the
prodigious excellence of their own prog
cny, and on such occasions it is customary
FOR them to repeat with great glsto what
compliments socver have been paid to that
progeny.
Mr.. Brooks also knows that, as pastor
of q large flock, il would never do for him
to discriminate in favor of this baby or of
that; he Is aware that, in order to preserve
peace among the women folk, strict
impartiality must mark his dealings with
the little folk. Yet it is proper, IL not
necessary, that at the baptismal font, some
ploycd to Halter the fond mother, and
such speech has the Rev. Phillips Brooks
devised and such a one he invariably en-
ploys when called upon to oificiate ut q
christening.
This speech is in the form of an eacu-
lation. There is little to it, yet its effect is
instantaneously paralyzng.
Great, strong man that he is, he takes
the fuzzy, red, pulling infant in his arms,
and, gazing down ,benignantly upon its
wrinkled features, he smiles ono of his
ineffably tender parochial smiles and cries
out in that glad, sonorous voice Of his;
well this is a baby; isn't III"
Now you come to analyze the compli-
ment and you find that there's really
nothing in it. But the beauty of it all is
that it is delivered with such artistic gusto
and comes SO unexpectedly that the
mother is simply overcome by it. She
recalls IL ever afterward as the sweetest
compliment she ever heard, yet she can
never recall the words, for they are so
commonplace that the recollection of
them cannot survive that sweet obliyio,s-
ness into which the fond mothers intel
lectnal functions are temporarily knocked
by the handsome pastors artful ebulli-
ton.
well, this is a baby; isn't it?'
The mothers upand down Beacon street
and Ct mmonwealth avenue have been in
the habit for years Of getting together and
comparing notes, but while all agree that
Pastor Brooks said .jua The sreetest thing
about ''our baby" none has ever been
able to recall the exact language of the
compliment.