The Irish standard., 1902-11-01
A TOUCHING STORY.
How an Old Doctor Was Converted to
CathOllc,ty.

Church for earnest souls outside her
pale:
Dr. Gil was one of the old school
OF medical practitioners, and he had
an extensive practice in the country
districts of one of the states of the
Middle South. He was devoted to his
profession as a priest is to the welfare
of souls. His services were at the
command of the poor ut any time DUR
ing the day or night and frequently
When called to Il home of the very
poor he would stop at the grocer's
and the butchers on the way in order
to carry to the sick bed the nourisb.
mcnt which he knew was more necs-
sary than the remedies from his med
icine chest. He was we'll known over
wide stretch of country, and when
he drove into Il farmyard his coming
was hailed as an angels visit.
The good doctor had been brought
UP Il Protestant, but had never asso-
clilted himself with any of the sects:
and why should he? for, as he mr.
gued, none Of them have any claim
TO be or God, but are mere human
societies, among which there is no
choice and no authority. Protestant
Ism did not appeal to him at all, and
as there were no Catholics in his town
or i'll the county or, in fact, in any of
the nclghboring counties, lie knew but
little of the Church of God. In time
he came to doubt even the existence
OF God and the immortality of his
soul; for if there were Il God. he ar
gucd, why did not lie reveal Himself
TO His creatures? Manifcstly none of
tllese scctS was divine. Sometimes he
thought of the Catholic Church, of
which In his few leisure moments bo
lld read, and more and more it was
impressed upon him that il there wa.
amy real religion it was that, and the
Catholic religion became his argument
Lpi 'ilt tAlSlcllCG or GOD.
But he was Il busy man with his
poor sick, whom he served faithfully
ana time went on until the doctor
himself fell sick, and then a still small
voice within told him he must settlo
'he affairs of his soul. 1t occurred
TO him to send for Il priest. This
special grace was probably the answer
10 the prayers of the poor who had 81
frequently said God bless himv"
lie requested his wife and dnurht.r
10 ask Father D----n to pay him y
visit, but they, thinking that he want
cd to become Il Catholic, fatty refused
TO do so and even Knocked him. for
they were ashamed of what thc world
would say.
The rumor reached the priest how.
ever, that DIR. G--n wanted 10 SOP
him, ana putting everything else aside
he made Il Journey of 1870 miles to see
him. only to be refused admittance.
Day after day the doctor begged his
wife and daughter with tears run-
ming down his checks, but IL was AL
ways refusal.
The priest, thinking of the old man
who could not come to him ANA whom
he was not permitted to see, was
prompted to write to the daughter n
very strong letter telling her of her
duty. The letter was deemed often.
sivc ana insulting, so that she sent If
to her brother, physician in one of
our large cities. The brother, how
ever, viewed 1t in different light. rre
visited his father ana there WAS q
scene in the family. The son, in his
larger experience, believed that the
last wishes of his father Should be
acccdcd to, that lie should see the
priest IN peace; so he picked him up
as he was in his rolling chair, placed
all in the baggage car ana started Off
to the nearest church.
1t was a joyful procession when the
town was reached where there was Il
church and the old man was wheeled
along the street crying out aloud his
thanks to God and telling those who
had charge of him to hurry. Passcrs-
by thought It n strange sight, and it
was strange. When the old gentle
man reached the church the chair was
rolled into the sanctuary; there the
doctor made his profession of faith,
received conditional baptism, made his
confession, was anointed for death and
received his first Communion as Wat
icum.
And such 4 profession of faith os
he made when he again was wheeled
up the street! He spoke it out loud
to every one he met, to the Protest
ants who knew him and stopped to
shake hands with him, to the strang-
crs to whom he was pointed out His
face was radiant with happiness as he
called upon all to witness that now
he was a Catholic and had the one
faith.
Though this happened six weeks ago
the good old doctor is not dead vet,
and few days ago, as the wife had
so far relented as to admit the priest
again, the fervent convert had the
happiness Of receiving Holy Com
muniOn.
lie has NOT long TO live hownunr aud