The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-05-26
FIR, ABRAM ]. RYAN
Memory Of One Who Electrified q
People ., Izpg tire Stormy
$ Days X aRebellion.
PoET-PRlEsTV az SOUTH.

- NJ
Life's Miseries, Defa>> bespaire
Always Welcome to I, Glow
ss.. Of His Great Hea1X
It might be decade of years ago that,
in Southern city, within sound of the
storm waves Of the Gulf of Mexico, a vast
throng flied g theater one evening in
early spring, says M. E. Henry Ruffin in
the Catholic Columbian. An intense,
eager, enthusiastic audience, drawn to-
gether by the magic of two names-Rob-
ert e. Lee and Father Ryan. A com.
memorative service was being held in
honor of the dead soldier, and the poet
priest was to read a memorial poem ).
Think of what that meant to that people,
just passing out of the shadow Of de-
feated hope;-the meaning and the magic
Of those two names, Robert E. Lee, the
Sword of the South, and Abram j. Ryan,
the Song of the South. @ WI
The curtain is up, some preliminaries
are going through, some explanation of
the occasion is given; and then We are
aware that Father Ryan has walked out
upon the stage. Say, we are just aware
of it, go quietly, SO dreamingly, with such
apparent Inconsistencies Of his sur.
roundlpgs does he appear. One can feel
the silence fall, so intense is it.
BY no means handsome presence and
yet far removed from the commonplace is
the picture before us. The strong, we'll
knit figure does not show to full advan-
tsge from its careless, stooping carriage.
The form is more sinewy than robust;
the slow walk more suggestive of alb
lstracted thought than weariness. The
fine head is almost leoninn in it's sugges-
Hon Of strength; and the .wny name of
clustering. struggling curls tossed back
does not, in heated moments, lessen the
impression. The broad brow, full over
the temples, the square jaw, the clearly
chiseled nose, the firm, habitually COM
pressed lips, evidence the virile genius of
the poet; as the delicate chin and soft,
almost feminine outline of throat, testify
to the tenderness that attul es it's rugged
harmonies. Thoroughly unconventional
is the man before us; but I question if
any one patterned after any accepted
standard could so impress the hushed d,
expectant audience as did that strange,
out f-date character.
say tout Of. date" because believe
Father Ryan was the last poet-the lone
survivor of the lost tribe of bards who
flung customs and conventionality to the
wind, and dared 10 be as free as air. Our
poets are conventional as we'll as our
poetry. They are as faithful to their
barber and their tailor as bankers or
merchants. But our dear, unkempt
Father Ryan! How near he came to the
traditional ideal OF the poet, the bard of
ancient days, who was expected to be
totally unlike his fellow men, in all small
matters Of dress and manner; and who
generally realized these expectations.
But I am keeping you longer than
Father Ryan keeps his audience. His
small roll of ms. is unfolded; and that
clear, ready voice, we know so we'll, is
giving out his burning verses. Now the
paper is laid down; and the white, finely
nodded hands become eloquent as inter-
prefers of the stirring lines:
NBut OH If in song or speech.
In major or minor key,
Ny voice could over the ages reach
I would whisper the name OF Lee
" SIS
t.Ah statue for his tomb
Mould 1t of marble white!
For Wrong, spectre of Death and Doom.
An Angel Of Hope for Right.
..But Lee has thousand graves
II In Thousand hearts, #een;
And tear drops fall from our eyes in waves
Thatwin keep his memory green.
.sAb! Muse! you dare not claim
4 IA nobler man than he,
Nor aobler man hath less of blame,
Nor blameless man hath purer name,
Nor purer name hath grander fame,
Nor Fame-another Lee!'
How we listenl How we applaud! He
d our voice, speaking our full hearts
thought; or cong, singing our sorrow,
our echo, repeating what is in every soul
tonight. 5s.3. .
For what he said, the stanzas called
.sSentinel Songs, !" viii repeat; but as you
resd them, at this day you miss the mag
netism Of the man. Father Ryan's per-
sonality strongly dominates his genius
ana that same personal power measured.
his opularity. az
VA turn over the pages of his verses r.e
M, Tie gentle sorrowful llnee very
lovely s ig,sms of thought shining out
q Estlaroueh tthe heaps of wort hless pebbles
|ril ths hastty. /. iinnp atuousI I11lal hand q.
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