The sun., 1892-02-07
Father HeckeE.

Ine lie VI SuiNtT ffckP1, " tue NeN. NALihh
ELLIOTT New York. the Columbus Prcssh de-
picts With welcome ciearness and fulness an
interesting movement Of American thought,
namely. the current OF feeling and conviction
which during the last fifty years has impeled
many native Americans to embrace Cathoii-
cism. religion which previously had for the
most part been confined in this country to
emigrants Of European hirth Among the
conspicuous and eminently useful converts
from Professionalism to the Church OF Rome
Father Heeker was one OF the ea rliest. having
preceded Otestes Brownson by q few months.
He became. it is we'll known. tho head OF the
Paulist community. distinguished for the
scholar-lko attatnments of its men,
ters and for their energetic and sue
ccssful missionary service. and he gained
for himself a firm hold on public atten-
ton through his indefatigable exertions in the
capacity OF preacher and controversial writer.
and through the periodical publications which
he founded. tho Catholic World and the Young
Catholic. From the time OF his admission to
the priesthood until the failure OF his health
com mpeled him to give UP active labor. he was
very Important factor in tho growth OF Ca
tholicism in the United States. What renders
his career peculiarly remarkable Ia tho fact
that before becoming Catholic he had lived
in intimate relations with Unitarians and Uni
versalists and with the American leaders OF
liberal and progressive. not to say acnostic.
speculation and opinion. After all. however.
as he hmsel. used to say. the distance from
Brook Farm to convent is not so great as it
at first sight appears. for seclusion. self-denal
and conservation to the common welfare were
as much the rule and practice Of the ono CON-
nunity as they are Of the other
I.
Isaac Thomas Hecker was born in Chrystie
street. New York. Dec 1S. 1919. He was the
third son and youngest child Of John Hecker
and Caroline Freund Roth OF his parents
were German emig.ants. John Hecker having
been born in Wetzlar. Prussia. and Catolne
Freund at Elberield The elder Hecker. who
BY trade was a machinist and brass founder
was not prosperous. and his sons had to work
for their living while they were still! mere chill
dren. It is noteworthy that neither John
Hecker nor his Tte's father. Engel Freund.
professed any religious faith. There was.
however. nothing aggressive in the attitude Of
either toward religious observances. We may
mention further that Engel Freund never lost
in his new homo his fondness for the ways and
customs OF his father!and. and to the end Of
his days spoke only his own vcrnacular.
Isaac Hecker was not much more than 10
years old when necessity or mistaken thrift
forced him away from school to earn his first
wages In the service OF q religious periodical
Thence no went to learn trade in type
foundry. but by the time he was II took the
path already followed with success by his
elder brothers. and worked by their side in tho
bakery which they had already established in
Rutgers street. Such instruction as he had
obtained before beginning to earn his own
bread by kneading it had been received in
Ward School No. T. The Liographcr Ques-
tons whether he had any natural aptitude for
close continuous book work on ordinary and
prescribed lines He was to the ast an indefat
igabe reader. but perhaps 1t would not be
true I, say that lie was either studen; or
a scholar in the Us sual sense OF the word. 1t
is certain. however. that ne seriously regret
ted and soon set himself to make good. the
deficiencies Of his early training. 1t WAS
mainly for that purpose that he went to Brook
Farm. He was led to Join this community by
Orestes Brownson. who had been one OF the
original promoters OF the experiment in prac-
teal sociology at West Roxbury. and who
recommended q soi"uru at Brook Furm as
! likely to afford the young ,naa tI,e leisure and
opportunities for study viii l. he needed
II.
The tamoua though short i.yel community at
West Roxbury. Mass.. where in January. 1913.
lSdoc fiecset u.nOf MS lrSt ttiai Oh COINEluHai
life had been started il the spring Of 1871 by
Geora. Ripley and his wife: Marianne Rip
icy. his sister; Sarah Sterns his niece; Nathan
lei Hawthorne. John $. Dwight. George r.
Bradford, and four OF five others. In Sep
tember OF the same year they were Joined by
Charles A. Dana: iawthOrne's residence at
the Farm. conmemorated in the " Bli:hela.e
Romance" had ended before Mr. Dana's be-
gan. The Curtis brothers. George William
and BurriL were there when Hecker
came. Emerson was an occasional visit
OF: SO was Margaret Fuller; and Bronson
Aicott. then cogitatinG his own npheEsral e;;-
rerimsat at Frui,lands. sometimes descended
on the community. Nh Rip.ey's scheme Sas
more elastic than WAS that OF other associa-
tions started about the same time at Hopedale
and Northampton. and tho author Of this bog-
raphy can see no reason on the face Of things
why II the money basis OF his experiment hal
been mora solid the comm unity at Brook Farm.
nigh; no. have enjoyed q mach longer lease
OF life 1t mas una iestiorabiy left pleasant:
memories IL. the minds OF all who We're ever
members OF it. In matters Of belief and of
opinion no hard and fast lines wee drawn
at any point. In matters OF conduct
the morality Of se!i-respectng New
Englanders who while ahiurns Puri-
TAME c,esds had by m means aban-
donsd purtanic discipline.was rightly deemed
a sufficient guarantee Of socia! detorum. OF
the earliest additions to the cooperative house.
hold few wore already Catholics; others, IN
eluding the wife and the niece OF the founder
afterward became So Sons attended oytho-
| dox Protestant churches. but the majority were
| doubtless Unitarians. Discussion on all sub
jects seems to have been free. frank. and good
| tempered. There was no attempt made at
communism beyond that Of intellectual ard