The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-06-04


I courtyard of the hotel carriage an
four. It contained Lord Denbigh witt
his chaplain. He had guessed from hi
sons letters that he was in danger o
''going over to Rome; and deeming thi
the worst that cou befall that beloved
child, the old earl posted day and night
there we're few railways in those days
to Edinburg. Hearing from the hote
servants that Lord and Lady Fielding
had retired for the night, Lord Denbigl
said he would not disturb them, anc
went to his own apartments. And there
he slept soundly, when in the early
August morning Of the following day
Lord and Lady Fielding wended their
way to st. Margaret's convent, and in
the beautiful Gothic chapel were re-
ceived into the Holy Catholic Church,
and Strengthened with her mighty sacra-
nents, no longer to "eat of the crumbs y
but to be fed with the children's bread.
! They needed all the strength they
could ind; for ON their return to the
| hotel the storm burst. Lord Denbighs
anger was excessive. He would, he said,
disinherit his son, leaving away from
him all the property in his power. But
this threat weighed little with the fer,
vent convert, it was far harder to bear
the breaking up Of family t}es-the
anger of the father he loved so dearly,
| the enlargement from family and
! friends.
In gratitude for the grace received
| within the walls OF ST. Margaret's, Lord
Fielding afterward placed in it a stained
glass window, with Latin inscription
composed by cardinal Newman.
Another hard trial was at hand The
church to which We have alluded at
Pantasaph had not been legally con-
veyed to the Protestant bishop, and Lord
Fielding could not in conscience give up
the land and the partly built church to
the professors of false creed. Tt must
now become Catholic Church. Tue
Protestants were furious, and for long
time Lord Fielding was the best abused
man in England. But he did not quail,
and bore all bravely, even joyfully, for
his Masters sake. The building went
on, and in 1852 the church Of St. David
was consecrated to the worship Of the
Catholic Church, and confded to the
care of the Capuchin fathers for whom,
later on, Lord Fielding built a monas-
terry. Several of the winters following
their conversion were spent by The
Feil0ings in Rome, and there it may be
said their spiritual life "grew into color
and distinctness.
This peaceful union of heart and soul
with his wife, which had frightened
Lord Feilding's life FOR nearly seven
years, was about to end. On May /, 1858,
Louisa Lady Fielding died. She lett no
children, so Lord Fielding WAS alone in
the utter blankness of his SORROW. The
remains of his beloved wife we're inferred
in Pantasaph church, and place beside
her prepared for himself.
Had he followed his own inclinations,
he would have withdrawn from the world
and remained widower; but as time
passed on on perceived this was not
the will of God for him His path was
to be in the world, though not of the
world, and he WAS to turn away his
thoughts from the memory of his angelic
wife. and dwell only On that blessed
meeting On the eternal shore, where all
are as the angels of God.
With this faithful servant, to know
Gods will was also to strive to do it.
Conquering bis grief, he began to move
in Catholic society. Lord Fielding had
always a great devotion to the angels,
and especially to the glorious st. Michael.
On the feast Of the archangel, Sept. %,
1868, he married Mary, daughter of the
late Robert Berkeley of Spetchley, the
head of one Of the old Catholic families
in England, noble by long descent, and
still more by long fidelity to the faith.
Mary Berkeley was born on the feast of
the Assumption, 1888.
| God abundant]y blessed this union,
which lasted nearly thirty-fve years.
Husband and wife were knit together in
closest affection and union in heart and
mind, and saw their children grow up
around them according to their hearts
desire. Their eldest son will now take,
as far as possible, his fathers place. He
married, in 1884, the Hon. Cecilia Cliff
ford, sister of Lord Clifford, of Chud-
leigh, the head of another of the faithful,
noble Catholic families. A younger son
is preparing for the priesthood and one
daughter is Sister of Charity.
In 1865 Lord Fielding became, on his
father sdeath, Earl of Denbigh. He was
again the object of severe public censure
for having said in speech at a public
meeting he was ''Catholic first and an
Englishman afterwards" These words
| vuoro of oourco +nrtnrod into an assor