The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-06-25
AFTER=TH0UGHTS
A Priest Relates His Pleasant
and Interesting
Experience Of a Collection Tour
Of His Parish.

Father Hickey of st. Joseph's parish,
Dayton, Ohio, gives his experience of
collection tour in his parish.
For the past seven weeks the priests
have been engaged in making house
to house canvass of the parish. At
times sympathetic individuals have ex-
pressed the idea that it was very mon
otonous. Sometimes it is, but there are
always some odd episodes, and these
furnish the material for this article.
In many cases no one was at home,
and a second, third and even a fourth
call has been made without success.
10 find a mans name on the pewbook,
owing for six months, and then to call
at his residence, only to find it an
empty house, rather suggest the line
about 1.-The Arab, who folded his tent
in the night and silently stole away
but then that thought of stealing is too
painful.
Although for four Sundays the pastor
announced that families should discuss
the subscription among themselves,
and have some one authorized to in
form the priests when they would call,
yet they have often been told 'You
must see my husband; 1 don't know
what he will do" and perhaps the
husband works at the NIalleable Iron
Works on the West Side or the Davis
Sewing Machine in the East End, or is
brakeman on freight running into
day or night, and the priest YEARLY
tramps to the next house, wondering
what good it did him to call. Again,
there has been q faint suspicion that
the lady of the house has just COM
menced some wifely economy, and cut
in two the amount her liege lord prom
Used. The annual report may disclose
some discrepancies in this regard, just
as it did some years ago, when man
gave SIS to pay his pew rent. Unfortu-
nately she stopped to look in at dry
goods store and the money was spent
in a center-piece-s'just the loveliest
you ever saw" Nothing was said about
it, but when the harmless Parish Mes
senger appeared and the husband got
no credit, he called the pastor to ac-
count for the omission, and when an
investigation showed where the money
had been diverted, there was a merry
scene in that house, and one indignant
lady had lost all admiration for the
Messenger.
Then, again, in the discharge of his
duties as pastor he has invited num-
Der Of men to call at the priests house
in the evening to confer with them on
questions pertaining to their own vel
fare, or their families, generally on
spiritual matters, and in several in
stances the pastor sacrificed other en-
gagements in order to be at home when
they called, and how many, think you,
We're courteous enough to accept such
an invitation?
Just two out Of the first twenty
three invited; then the pastor quit
counting them, and now, when he in
vites man to call on him, say next
Wednesday evening, he does it with
the wearing air of man tackling a
doctor for a subscription to Christian
Science institute.
There was not one Of all these TWEEN
ty-three who did not feel that he had
perfect right-we will not say, to in
vite the priest-but to call him at any
hour of the day or night and woe be-
tide the priest if he didn't drop every
other affair and come at once, for his
tongue and his wifes and his mother
in-law's would be set going, and the
priest would be roasted in every house
on the block.
Are not duties and obligations of this
kind-favors, if you like-reciprocal-
binding on both parties?
If any other man invited them to
call, from Dr. Loves down to Nose
Moore, they would likely so, but then
it's only the priest, and anybody can be
rude and discourteOus to him.
Take man of this stamp, and the
more stubborn he is, the more he
thinks of himself; the more he devel-
ops mulish qualities, the more confident
he is that he is decidedly manly.
Some strange contrasts have forced
themselves upon the priests notice.
He enters plain, unpretentious
home.
a widow lives there with her five
children. The priest remembers her
name well, for she rents a seat in
church, and her family are found on
the monthly collection list, and the
two younger children are attending our
school.
could she give anything for the new
residence?" the priest asks, somewhat
hesitatingly. "Of course, Father, we
want to do all that we can, so put me
down for IS, and John and Mary will
each give IS, and we have been saving
the money ever since you spoke of it
in the church, and here it is" she adds,
taking the money from a dish in the
cupboard. 1t was about three times as
much rs he might expect and the priest
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