The Irish standard., 1899-05-13
LITERARY METHODS OF The AUTHOR
According to a Critic, the books
Are Not Successful.
STUDENTS in THE QUEENS COLLEGES
FIR. Sheehan is a Man of Courage
and Discernment.

Two years ago Father Sheehan pub
lished "Geoffrcy Austin; Student" He
dedicated the book to the Catholic
faith OF Ireland and in the dedication
limited that the book was "a prelude
to deeper and diviner things" AS a
story "Geoffrcy Austin" is disappoint-
ing, says a writer in the Providence
| Visitor. The author seems to lack I'M
aginative power and his work is OF
unequal texture. When he describes
actualites he is at his best. When he
invents, the result is unsatisfactory.
The like OF the school at Mayfield never
existed in Ireland or anywhere else,
and the episodes of the hcro's little joke
on the jarvey who brought him to May
| field, and of the dinner party impress
| one as feeble limitations Of the doings
| of Charles O'Malleys contemporaries.
But. on the other hand, the description
OF Frank Costigan's death-bed, which is
probably based on fact, is OF rare power.
In that scene, as we understood it, is
the moral OF the book-to wit the dan
ger that the Catholic young men OF Ire
land run when they attend the Queens
colleges. Education must be made
more Christian, in view of the para
mount necessity of religion as the
basis of all that is true and noble and
desirable in life.
Father Sheel,an has way OF saying
things at his countrymen which proves
him to be man of discernment and OF
courage. Here is something which he
puts into the mouth OF a French STU
dent at Mayfeld: ...
81 have noticed that you Irish whilst
continually boasting of your faith and
censuring less fortunate nations forget
to practice its most elementary, yet
significant, ceremonies. You boast OF
the antiquity OF your faith, but you
are ashamed OF it, Your semi cdu-
Gated, professional and middle classes
would be ashamed to be seen at cam
fcssional; in your hotels not one OF
you would dare to make the sign OF
the cdoss before meals; in your con-
vcrsation the name of God is never
mentioned and religious subjects are
strictly forbidden; you pare down and
minimize the teachings OF your Church
to suit Protestant prcjudices. We, in
France, arc one thing or another. We
arc infdcls or Catholics. But you
Irish arc such race OF abjcct slaves
that you cling to your faith because it
will save your miserable souls; but
you are afraid to practice the duties
OF that faith, because it might inter-
icrc with your miserable bodies The
Frcnchman rctractcd all he said, but
perhaps for economic reasons.
The Triumph Of Failure" is the Sc
qucl ii "Gconrcy Austin and is pre-
sulnably the feast of deeper and di
vincr things promised by Father Shce-
han to the readers of his first book
1t is continuation OF the queer career
OF the crstwhile student at Mayfcld.
By this time Godfrey Austin's faith and
religious feeling, though theoretically
intact, were practically shattered and
undermined. His beliefs had grown to
be a negative quality SO far as their
Influence on his daily life was concerned
they had ceased to be a principle OF
action. The motive power Of his life
was an Unsuitable curiosity to pry into
human beliefs and resolve to seek hap
pincss in simple living and in the pursuit
OF knowledge.
We meet Mr.. Godfrey Austin in
lodgings at Dublin. His landlady, a
Catholic, draws her own conclusions as
to his religion from his refusal to eat
bacon on Friday-a discovery which
lowered him fifty per cent. in her es
teen. Mrs. Oliver, the landlady in ques-
ton, is type, and SO is her daughter.
The mother considers Protcstants high
ly interesting, the daughter thinks that
they have monopoly OF all the culture
and refinement OF the country, that
there is really no other society, and
apologies for the fact that she was edu-
Gated at convent Mrs. divers csti-
mate of the nuns is too good to be
passed over.
"Nuns are very good, poor things!
but they are not all courant with the
age. The advanced education of the
day has no place in our converts.
Fancy, my daughter never heard of