The Irish standard., 1891-09-12
PROPOSED FREE SCHOOLS.
Cardinal Manning Speaks Out What
He Thinks of Government
Education.
THAT ENGLISH BOARD SYSTEM.
Interesting Events in the Early Life of His
Eninenoe and Spicy Interview
With Him.

Eminence and Spicy Interview
With Him.
A writer ia the Standard Magazine,
Mr.. Harry How, writes an Interesting
account of Cardinal Manning, portions
of which we may here give. The arti-
Gle is accompanied by a very full de-
scription OF the archbishop's house, and
some excellent illustrations. He writes:
A door leading from the library opens
into the cardinals s workro0m. What a
litter! 1t is full Of baskets, papers and
pamphlets are scattered all over the
place. Letters, bearing the postmark
Of every quarter Of the globe, lie in a
heap waiting to be opened. The cardi-
nal, who sits in great blue arm chair,
and rests back on real velvet pillow,
expresses sympathy in my astOnlsh"
ment. There are no fewer than eleven
tables about, and he happily remarks,
"You cannot count the chairs, for
every one of them is a book shelf.''
Then, In voice of wonderful 6rmness,
and remarkably clear, he invites me to
sit close to HIM.
eyes, every day brings multitude
of letters. I open them all myself,
Many [ reply to, and the remainder
keep two secretaries busy all day, and
then they are by no means finished. I
have a long day myself. At get up.
and oft-time5 do not go to bed until
past IL. working all ths time. Mydin-
ner is early, at 1880, and tea comes
xound at Z O'Clock. Newspapers? I
manage to get through some of the
principal ones every day. OF course, I
only skim them over, but I make q
point OF reading the foreign news-'' lie
merriIy- and with great hupli!ity-re-
marked in reference TO the many books
he had written that he 'shad spoilJ as
much paper as most people,"
"Will you tell me something about
your boyhood?'' [ asked.
''Wen, if You want me to talk non
sense, I will say that it is a long way
back to remember, for I am So, but [
spent my childhood at Totte1idga. AS
boy at Coombe Bank, Christopher
wordsworth, late bishop OF Lincoln,
and Charles Wordsworth, bishop Of ST.
Andrews, were my playfellows. I
frankly admit was very miscbievous.
The two Wordsworths and conceived
the wicked intention Of robbing the
winery. The door was always kept
locked, and there was nothing for it
but to enter through the roof. There
was dinner party that day and there
were no grapes. This is probably the
only case on record where three future
Bishops were guilty of larceny. We're
we punished? No, we were very dis.
Greet. We gave ourselves UP and were
forgiven.
<I was always fond of riding. shoot
ing, boating and cricketing. I we'll re
member that with the first shot from
my gun I killed hare. chat shot was
nearly the means Of preventing me
from ever becoming SO.
"l went to Harrow when was four
teen, and remained there four years. l
fear can tell you little about my crick.
citing days, I wish could say that our
side won, but, alas, in the three
matches played in against Elton and
Winchester at Lurd'e, We were beaten
every time. I certainly scored some
runs but their totalls forgotten. Then,
as boy, I was very fond of wood carv-
ing, and the principal articles OF home
manufacture were boats.''
AS the cardinal sat down for a special
picture for these pages he exclaimed
wittily, "Well, you look like assassins,
waiting to take me- He tells photo
graphic story, too, whist the operator
is changing one of the plates, as to how
a member of bis clergy was preaching in
open air in the East end, and an timer
ant photographer elbowed his way
through the crowd and prepared to
''catch'' the cleric. The audience, how
ever. were so much interested in the
discourse that one of them shouted out,
'tNow, then, get out with that shooting
gallery!"
My visit to the cardinal, however,
was not only for the purpose of gather
ing some delightful "reminiscences, but
to ask his opinion on one OF the burn
ing questions Of the hour.e The great
affection he has always had for the well
fare Of children, and the thoughtful
Kindness he has ever directed towards
parents. suggested Free Education.
and his eminence said:
I'm the sense understood in America
I in their system OF common schools. free
for al classes and conditions. or in the
sense understood in France, where the