The Irish standard., 1899-05-13

Bcaudclaire till professor from the
high school spoke OF her
oh, mammal" said Miss Oliver,
reproachiully
YES, dear, and Dant and Gothy
were unknown names. Even our own
dear Swinburnc was forbidden litera-
ture; Gucndolen actually assures me
that parts even OF Shakespeare were
considered unfit reading for the young
ladies'
This, as Father Sheelan tells us later
on i'll his story, is the usual affectation
OF certain class OF Catholics Any
thing done in the name and under the
protection OF the Church (oi which
they are merely nominal members)
comes under their criticism. Can any
thing good come out OF Nazareth"
is the cry.
Godfrey Austin's experiences in Dub
lin are varied enough. He is un-
fortunate in his quest for situation,
studies German metaphysics, faints in
the street through hunger, nurses an
alcoholic patient, and finds some old
friends from Mayheld-among others
Herr Messing. Here is Messing's esti-
mate OF Ireland and the Irish-divested
of Teutonic spelling:
"You are children, babes. You can
fight like the devil. You can love like
women. You can trust like the little
children You cannot think like men.
| do not know where you came from
it was an awful fate that anchored yor,
to the side OF England You should
have made one OF the Cycladcs and been
put between Chios and Samos.'
The career OF Charles Travcrs, ono
OF the Mayiield boys, seems to us the
pith and kernel OF the book. Tray
crs, who failed in his examination for
the Indian Civil Service, becomes a
sort OF lay missionary. His sermons
are an exposition of the deadly havoc
that sin and its dread accompanmcnts,
l,crcsy and nfdclity, contempt for holi-
ness, passion for wealth and pleasure,
are making among the children OF God
and OF the wonderful results that must
come when the intelligence OF
ireland, emancipated from the
shacklcs OF a false education, shall go
forth to stir the world with the watch
word-"Christ and Rome" He is ap-
plauded, aattered, honored, and, at last,
comes to grief-is arrested for getting
money under false pretcnses. OF course
the charge was groundless, but the ex-
pcrience killed the young apostle. His
life was failure from one point Of view
He might have become lawyer in
good practice. On the other hand, he
would not have been followed to his
grave by multitude Of shaggy workers,
whose lives had been bettered by his
words OF wisdom. The poor rcvercnccd
him as savior, and young men had
caught the inspiration OF the high ideals
he held out to them.
The result of Godfrey Austins cx-
pcriences with the world was his con-
version and the fruit OF his conversion
was peace. At last he becomes a priest.
Why this book is called the "Tri
umph OF Failure" is as hard to find out
as why DR.. Barry called his latest work
The Two Standards. The title is not
happy. Like DR.. Barry's book, there
is too much in it. The learned author
seems to have utilized all the expert
cncc and reflection that came to him
since the writing Of "Gcoffrcy Austin.
The book is not story but rather a
study If Father Shcchan had only seen
fit to put the splendid thoughts with
which the volume is filled into some
such shape as Father Farrcl's immortal
- Lectures" he would certainly have
won the laurcls OF successful cssayist
instead OF the mcagrc renown OF an un
successful novelist