The Irish standard., 1900-07-28

bian Exposition of 1898, signal honor
should be conferred on the SIMPLE ear
nest worker who had strivcn so long
and faithfully in the highest interests OF
the church. The cardinals, archbish-
ops and bishops of the American hier-
archy, recognizing the scope and the
worth OF his work, presented wish to
the consideration of his Holiness that
Mr.. Onalan might receive from the
Pontiff himself some mark of apprecia-
ton for his services. The following let
ter was received in reply:
Vatican, Dec II, 1893.
His Holiness has most benignly de-
signed to add to the number OF his Sc
cret cllamberlains OF the Sword and
Mantle, Mr.. William ]. Onalan OF Chi
cago. The undersigned Major-domo
of His Holiness is pleased to forward
the announcement of this gracious act
of the Sovereign Pontiff.
To Mr.. William Onallan.
Francisco della Volpe.
So Mr.. Onallan has a right to the
title OF Count. But like the simple gen.
tleman that he is, he much prefers the
palmer rank of American citizen, while
still taking an honest pride in the great
mark OF favor that has come to him,
all unsolicited. In Rome, where the
private chamberlain OF His Holiness has
an important place and duty in the
papal court, he is like knight OF olden
story in his plumed hat and flowing
black velvet mantle, with a clanlsing,
cross-shaped sword at his side. So he
is arrayed on ordinary occasions; on
court days he naunts forth in brave
vesture OF scarlet and gold. Mr.. Ona-
han showed me the curious gold chain
of his Office. 1t is triple chain, like
the tiara of the Pontiffs, one part sepa-
rated from the other by quantity
wrought medallions on which appear
the tiara itself and the symbolic keys.
Now while I bow my head in proper
awe of all these things, to my mind
there is something else in Mr.. Onallan
which is far more deserving OF honor
than the meriting OF high Roman titles,
the founding OF libraries, the plotting OF
Catholic colonization movements, or
the promotion of the first Catholic con-
gress. 1t is his rare goodness OF heart,
his tender regard for the poor and
needy, and the sublime ignorance OF the
left hand regarding the doings of the
right. My DEAR" said the reverend
mother of very poor community to
me not long ago, Il often find myself
on the point OF knecling at Mr.. Ona-
hans feet and asking his blessing. |
forget that he is a layman." And as
she showed me around the convent I
found evidences OF his kindness every
where. Nearly every article OF furn-
turc and every book in their little IL
brary had been procured by him The
community had been especially unfor-
tunate, losing their all in boarding.
school venture in Nebraska They had
then gone to a fashionable suburb OF
Chicago, where rents were high and
cultured Catholics few. Being ladies OF
superior birth, breeding and education,
however, they soon made a place for
themselves and today have fairly pros
porous academy. But" to quote again
the reverend mother, next to God, we
owe everything to MIR. Onahan"
1t seems to be his especial mission to
seek out and help poor priests and poor
communities, in the quiet way that is
characteristic OF him. a worthy bish-
op, who has an unusually poor diocese
in the northwest, once said to me, Il
cannot understand how Mr.. Onalnan
finds out the needs OF struggling par
isles. Although it is terribly uphill
work, we do not often appeal for help
except to our own people You can
therefore imagine my surprise to re-
ccive recently from Mr.. Onahan, en-
tirely unsolicited, generous check"
And yet Mr. Onahan is called poor
man, though it always seems to me
that the wealth of his charity makes him
richer than many men whose fortunes
run up into the millions In the things
that count, how much richer could he
be? His wife is an ideal companion,
his home is rich in all he prizes and
loves. his talented daughter lives close
by, happily married, and his friends are
legion.
Stocks and bonds and sky-scrapcrs
might have been his, had he not valued
other things more, had he not what
Maurice Francis Egan calls ga too re-
fined sense OF honor" Gle is type
OF that old-fasllionned aristocratic
SENTIMENT goes on the same writer,
the decay of which Edmund Burke
lamcntcd. He would feel stain like
wound. and he has always too scru-
pulously-cvcn his enemies admit
shrunk from making legitimate profits
from political position. He might have
been as honest as the late John Kelly,
and he might die as rich, but he has
never been casuist in politics or dis
tinguished between political morality
and moral morality; lie has never ap-
piled any other than the more severe
test to his political action. He has
done more to assure the stability Of the