The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-08-05

There was nothing whatever Of austerity
or of asceticism about Father Mathew.
His eyes beamed with delight at any
chance of finding amusement and pleas
ure for the young, and, indeed for the
old as we'll as the young. He thorough
ly entered into the Irish love for music,
and his temperance movement, as di-
rected by him, brought with it an or
ganization for bands and musical So
cieties in the city where he worked, and,
indeed, all over ireland. We used to
have great professions OF teetotalers, old
and young, with bands and banners, ON
all manner OF holidays and as important
parts of-every open-air temperance DEM
-onstration. We had Temperance Halls
all over the city, and in each of these
halls there used ito be from time to time
temperance tea4parties, which Father
Mathew honored and frightened by his
presence and where he spoke words of
encouragement and comfort to those
who were gathered around him. Music
always formed a great part of these en-
tertainments, and Father Mathew knew
everybody, and if any of the guests had
the gift OF song Father Mathew was
sure to call upon him by name and
to insist on his giving the company
a specimen of his Skill. He understood
human nature and especially Celtic hu-
man nature far too we'll not to know
that innocent amusement is splendid
weapon against vice. He made his
movement educational in the narrower
as we'll as the broader sense For in
stance, he started in Cork society
called the Temperance Institute"
which became an immense influence for
good among the boys and young men OF
the city. 1t was large hall, almost in
the very center OF Cork, with a library
attached to it, and with reading rooms
and writing rooms; and this institute
was open all day until reasonable hour
every night for the benefit OF its men,
bers. Father Mathews idea was to form
a sort Of literary and educational club
house for the benefit of his young teeto-
talers where they could be brought into
frequent intercourse with himself and all
the leading members of his temperance
organization, representing every class
and every religious denomination. The
rooms were comfortably and even ele-
gantly fitted UP, and the library had
many shelves filled with histories, books
OF reference, standard authors i'm all
branches of literature, and the best mag
azincs and newspapers OF the day. Each
member paid small subscription, and
Father Mathew himself exercised Ger
tain control over the admission of men,
bers. Many boy who was too poor to
pay even the small subscription found
himself, nevertheless, admitted men,
Der OF the institute, at Father Mathews
suggestion and the members in general
were not allowed 10 know that the men,
Der had not paid his subscription for
himself. The place became regular
home OF evenings for numbers Of
boys who would not otherwise have had
much OF a home in which to spend their
hours happily after school or after work.
Many OF the leading members of the
temperance movement in Cork used to
look i'll there good deal during the
evening, and used to direct in an unas-
suming way the studies and amusemcnts
of the boys. We used to have evenings
set apart for the reading OF essays on all
manner OF literary and historical sub
jects, and for discussion OF the ques-
tons they opened up. One evening was
generally given to the reading OF the cs-
. say, and later evening set apart for its
discussion. Father Mathew himself
often attended these greetings, and spoke
d few pleasant, appropriate words on
some casual question that happened to
arise in the course OF the debate.
] remember that on one occasion the
dispute wandered off into controversy
as to whether ambition was or was not a
noble feeling i'll the human mind We
debated the matter in true schoolboy
fashion, every speaker adopting the as
sumption that his own definition of am
bition was the true and only one, each
speaker citing portentous authorities to
justify his own view, this set OF speakers
pointing out that but for ambition no
great work could ever be done, and that
set OF speakers insisting that because OF
ambition the noblest efforts OF mortals
had been fully undone.
Father Mathew quietly arose, and in a
few bright sentences pointed to the fact
that without some definition being
agreed upon as to what we meant by am
bition, and without some limitations as
to its aims and its powers, it would be
hard to get any satisfactory conclusion
from the moralist's point OF view. But
then he added, with a humorous smile
he was glad to be able to say that his
young friends were not more wanting in
definiteness than Shakespeares Brutus
who said OF Caesar: "There are tears for
his love; JOY for his fortune; honor, for
his valor; but death, for his ambition,