The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-28

Then there was Rev. Arthur d'Arcy
pastor of st. Sebastian'S Catholic
church, of which Mr.. Van Doran was
an honored member and generous bene.
factor.
Twenty years have elapsed since thai
hot August night when we first made
FIR. d'Arcy's acquaintance, and in theil
passage they have left more than aver
age trace on the countenance of this re-
markable man.
Though still in the prime of manhood
his hair was almost silver white. But
this popularity only served as an ad-
mirable foil to the dark gray eyes with
their heavy black brows and lashes
These eyes were like two heavily
charged magnetic batteries, which
flashed powerful currents through al
they touched. But it was only on rare
occasions that their owner turned on
the full flow of their magnetism, anc
| then he Swayed mems souls as the vino
| swayS fields of corn
Men said FIR. darcy looked a disap-
pointed man. Women said he looked
interesting, which was certainly true.
Twice every Sunday they fiocked to
his church and sat enthralled beneath
the influence of an intense personality
and superb delivery. as the fearless
man OF God proclaimed from the pulpit
his views on all matters pertaining to
church and state.
These views if at times declared I'M
orthodox by narrower minds, rang true
as they touched the target of the hear
er's mind with the steel bright arrow of
| conviction.
! 1t had been rumored at times that
Father darcy was not as popular as
might be with the higher powers of
| his CLOTH owing to the extreme liber-
atty of his views and the fearless can
dor with which he gave voice to them.
There are certain characters that in
spire intense feelings in all who come
in contact with them. Owing to an in
definable something in their nature,
| one must either hate or love them.
| They permit none of that mawkish
middle feeling, which we so generous
| ly bestow on mankind at large, and
which, during the penitential season,
actuates benevolent sewing societies to
make chest protectors for the ZuluS.
Father darcy was one of these lucky
or unlucky individuals. He had bitter
enemies and stanch friends.
People always spoke enthusiastically
of him-one way or the other.
The remaining gentlemen, who were
] invited to Mr.. Van Doran'S dinner d'au
revoir, were all the old and intimate
| friends whom he had known for years.
At o'clock on the evening appointed
the six guests assembled in the private
room at Delmonico'S, where dinner was
| to be served. Their host was not there
to receive them, but, as he was going
| abroad the next day, they could read
| lily understand that some important
business had unavoidably detained him.
The dinner table, which was a round
one, stood in the center of the room.
1t presented very dazzling and in
viting appearance, with its load of sill
yer. crystal and snow-white damask,
and it was profusely and tastefully
decorated with flowers.
Half-past s arrived, and Mr.. Van
Doran had not yet appeared. However,
as all those present were well ac-
quainted, and had many interests in
common, none of them seemed bored at
| the delay.
, But when it struck 9, certain yearn-
| ing glances toward the door proved
that some of them had suddenly begun
to discover a void in certain parts of
| their anatomy.
Just then Mr.. Smythe Brown, the
| legal light of the party, proposed that
| they should sit down and begin on the
| oysters, as it was evident that some
| unavoidable business had detained their
host, who would probably arrive in the
meantime.
This suggestion was unanimously
seconded by the other gentlemen, and
very soon the wee fish were being joy
ously and appreciatively discussed.
Though late in the season, the oys-
| tiers were delicate and briny, and with
| the aid of the preparatory cocktail, they
gave a funful flip to the conversation,
| which grew brilliant and entertaining.
The ball was wittily tossed from one
| tongue-tip to the other, but finally
something led up to the discussion of
| the relation borne by the different pro-
| fessions to the family.
The lawyer, Mr.. Smythe Brown,
whose opinion on most matters carried
great weight, seemed to think that the
profession which he represented, from
| the fact of the condolences which it ne
cessitated, got nearer to the family
| hearthstone than any of the others. AS
| a proof of his argument, he explained
how often the husband and father is
compelled to reveal to his lawyer GER
tain matters which he strenuously con-
ceals from wife and children.
Some of the gentlemen present were
inclined to agree with the lawyer, when
DIR. Bloomfield Hunter began to plead
the cause of the medical profession.
He said he quite agreed with his le-
gal friend that the law, as profession,
was very closely interviewer with the
interests of the family, but at the same
time he thought he was justified in as
serting that the family doctors posi-
ton placed him on still more intimate
footing in the household.
You see, gentlemen said he, your
physician is the first person to extend
to you the hand of welcome, when you
kick and scream your little person on
to this gay earth. And all through
your days. his solicitous care helps you
to fight the ills that the flesh is heir to.
MANY a time, when other worlds seem
perilously near, when the great some
thing which is the beyond seems eager
to snap that thread called life, the doc
tor, single handed, battles its desire
and coaXes you back to the here
that we know, so much more comfort
able, for most of us than the there
that we know nothing of. And the con-
fidences, OH but these are condolences,
the things we sometimes hear, If the
way of the transgressor is hard, what
is it to that of the faithless, erring
wife. who is compelled to confide to her
physician that which she scarce dares
whisper to her God?"
Up to this time FIR. darcy, though he
had listened with deep interest to the
clever arguments of both his friends,
had taken no part in the discussion.
Now, raising his eyes, calm and dark,
like pools so deep that no emotion in
their depths can ever reach the sur
face, he said as he looked around the
table at his fellow guests:
GAS a Catholic priest, gentlemen, l
feel compelled to put in a plea for my
profession, and the position it occupies
in the family, which is the foundation
of all society.
oughly appreciate the clever arguments
advanced by my two friends. Between
them it is difficult to decide.
ITO NV mind the one vocation iS as