The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-01-17
CONVERSATIONS OF OUR CLUB
Introduction.

Your reports, Mr.. Editor in your vol
ume for 1854, of the converse tons of
Uncle Jack with his nephew, have en-
| boldened me to send you some reports
! of the conversations of Our Club
which, in my judgment, fully match
| those of the old fogy with the young
American. When Our Club was formed
| where it meets, and what are its spe-
cal purposes, are matters of no i'm
portance to the public; but l may tell
| you that it is not political club, a
revolutionary club, sporting club a
/ drinking club or an eating club, but
simply a talking club. All the mem
| bers talk, and talk precisely as they
please, on any or no subject just as it
happens, with no other restriction than
that each one shall receive the talk of
the talker civilly. courteously and
good-humoredly Every member is free
to free his mind" and any discourtesy
toward any member by another is a
legitimate cause of expulsion from the
club. o
Our Club consists of five members,
all laymen except the president, Father
John, who, by the way, was the found
er of the club and is its president. Fa-
Their John is Jesuit, and a fine rotund
specimen of the monk. In what coun-
try he was born I have never been able
to ascertain, although / have my sus-
picions that his early life was spent in
England, Ireland, America or some
other part of the world He speaks
English without an accident, like a ma
tive, but so he does German, French,
Italian and Spanish. He is we'll versed
in ancient and modern learning. is at
home in any of the sciences, a respecta-
Bile metaphysician and a profound the
ologian. He has not only studied, but
thought, and compelled whatever he
has read to pass through the alembic
of his own mind. He has digested, as
simulated, made his own whatever he
has learned, and always speaks out
from his own living heart and mind.
With all his rare learning, original
genius and ability, he is as simple as
child, and within the reach of the hum
blest with whom he cOnverses, avoid
ing with great care all show of learn
ing, science or genius
After Father John comes Monsieur
de Bonneville, a native of France, and
Catholic after the good old French
fashion, a legitimist, who royalty ac-
cepts the God and the church of his
king, but is prepared to swear by any
or no religion as his king bids. After
NJ. de Bonneville comes Mein Herr
Diefenbach, man of learning, dark
and profound genius, a Catholic indeed,
but inclined to mysticism, and to rely
on the inner witness in preference to
the external authority of the church.
Next in order comes Mister O'F'lana-
gan, genuine, warm hearted, impul-
sive Hibernian, who takes life easy
is a Catholic and patriot, full of
faith and of trust in God, carrying out
literally the injunction of the Lord,
Take no thought of the morrow" In
the last place comes William Winslow,
a descendant of the pilgrims, a thor
ough- going Yankee, not long convert,
and still in the first fervor of his Cath
Ollie faith and zeal. He feels that he
must maintain not only the authority
and sanctity. of the church, but the
Catholicity, wisdom and holiness of
of everything that has been a custom
among Catholics, or practiced by Cath
Ollie nations.
Here, in brief. is the personnel of Our
Club: yet we all, owing to the harmon
izing influence of Father John, who, as
Father Hecker would say, is not only
a many but an ''all-sided" man,
ccalesce marvellously. and are warm
and devoted friends-all of us having
wisdom, good nature and good breed
ing enough to bear with each other S
peculiarities. and to express freely each
his own opinions without wounding the
self-love of another. In Our Club we
use great freedom, and allow ourselves
wide range of remark. We talk on
all subjects that present themselves,
and sometimes our conversations be-
come real discussions. and are neither
uninteresting nor unimportant AS l
am allowed TO be a good reporter, and
am seldom absent from the meetings
OF. the club, have been authorized TO
furnish you with reports of such con-
versations as | judge the least unim-
portant. and, as you are growing old,
and getting a little prosy withal, to
send them to you for publication in
your pages, trusting that they will
prove not only a relief to you, but a
God-send to your readers, who must be
growing tired of reading always the
lucubrations of one and the same mind.
Subioined to this note you will find the
reports of two conversations. If you
find them acceptable. others will fol-
low in due season. 1 have the honor to
be etc