The record-union., 1897-08-25
A PRINCE-PRIEST.
The London "Slum" Work Of MAXI
milan of Saxony.

i
tained short paragraph to the effect
that the health of Young Prince Max
imilian Of Saxony had broken down,
and that his physician had ordered him
to leave London Immediately and seek
recuperation in Dresden.
This marks the elimination of one Of
the strangest sacrifices of royalty in
modern times. A year ago the Prince
became priest. He forsook the pleas
| ures of Continental court life to delve
into the miseries of Whitechapel He
was delicately constituted when he be-
gan his work in the most hideous slum
in the world. To-day he is a physical
wreck.
Back in the medieval times it was
common occurrence for Kings and
Princes to cast aside all the pleasures
of exalted position to suffer and battle
for religions sake, but the minds of
these neen were frenzied by the pecu-
liar teachings of Christianity of that
era and by the glory which marked the
warrior of the crusade Besides great
riches were to be wrung from the Turk,
TO say nothing Of the wild license toll
Grated in the ranks of the men who
| were pledged TO free the Holy Land
from the yoke of the infidel The CRU
sadas offered a wide field for the in
diligence of all the sordid passions. and
1t was this that tempted the great men
quite as much as their zeal for Chris
tianity.
For these reasons there is small
scope to parallel the motives of Prince
Macmillan and the royal leaders of
1ac ~.
kind could be won by his sacrifices. OF
riches there are none in Whitechapel.
Fame is never found there. The Cru-
saders gloried under the wild enthusi-
asm of leading a vast host in battle.
The Prince walked alone into the abode
of sorrow, shame and poverty.
1t vas less than a year ago that the
Prince made the Whitchapl District
his home. He had searched the wide
world for the place most in need of
Christian teaching and help, but in
stead of finding it among the sayages
or Africa, the fanatics of the Soudan
or the ignorant millions of Asia. he
saw what he was searching for in the
very heart of the greatest and richest
city in the world. Such was his tri-
butte to boastful London.
Prince Macmillan, or Father Max.
as he has been known for the last year
VIII De u years old on November 18th
next His full name is Maximilian
William Augustus Albert Charles Greg
DRY Odo. His uncle is King Albert of
oaxony His father and heir presume
i've TO the throne is Prince George.
F1eld Marshal Of the military forces
OF Saxony. Prince Max has two elder
brothers. one of whom has children
IN event of few deaths in the line
OF succession the Whitechapel nriest
would become King of Saxonv
In the population of Whitechanel thera
are thousands of the poorest Germans
and to these the ministrations of Father
Max We're Godsend. But he did not
conflne his work to the people of his own
race He speaks English as if it were
his own tongue, and this made it an easy
matter for him to extend his work to
the native population of the district
The TACT that he was Prince of royal
blood did not influence feeling one way
OF another in his parish. The people
are TOO desperately poor, their misery,
IS too deep-roOted and absolute for them
to judge men by any other standard
than by the unsentimental one of actual
results. And Father Max was not long
IN proving that he was an agent for
their good. There was nothing of the
Prince about him; he was simply a
priest of the highest type.
There was nothing too offensive or OBJ
noxious in that cesspool of human deg
radiation for him; he took hold of every
condition that confronted him, wrestled
with it manfully, and when he desisted
there was change for the better. He
studied the people and preached SER
mons which they could understand and
appreciate.
But with the enthusiasm of youth he
shouldered a contract which no single
human agency could handle. In the
East End of London there are $500
souls, and 100000 of these are fit sub
jects for every charity that was ever de-
vised. 1t is said that there are never
less than 100000 starving people in the
East End. Tens of thousands are al
ways sick. The whole district reeks with
the germs of contagion and the death
rate is enormous.
All stripes of criminal and abandoned
classes flourish there, making it's social
complexion as hide0us as its physical de-
formities. To contend against this YER
liable ocean of want, misery and crime
was beyond the energy of one man, or
hundred men.
The Prince made a brave fight for al
most year, although when he first
started in many predicted that he would
sicken of the work in a week. Now he
is back in Dresden, but when he re-
oa inc his STRENGTH which &c q dO11htf11
natter he promises to return to the
Whiteehapel battlefield.-New Orleans
Picayune.