The Irish standard., 1905-01-14
GOOD AND TRUE
And Beautiful Approved by the
Church Wherever Found.
The Stage Considered From the
CT urch's Viewpoint.

CT urch's Viewpoint.
Srnbanh-5c1v e. cmfwyp cmfwyp nj
The setting was so absolutely I'M
like any that had hitherto graced my
i environment, that-well, it is no use
| pretending that l felt easy and conf
dent, for l did not \ mere passage
separated me from st. Agnes church,
picturesque and glowing with the
warmth and comforting color of the
Roman Catholic ritual. The church
was filing with people-men and
women. sitting in silent communion.
Marble saints, aloof from the Forty
| second street region stood in pale ap-
| peal by the altar There was the all
ways indescribable atmosphere of re-
fined rcpose. My little theatre thoughts
were hard to realize; they dwind!ed.
/ But it was not in ST. Agnes church
was led, up dim, interpreted stairs to
the sanctum Of Father Henry Athana-
SiuS Brann, the rector. 1t was Il large,
reverberant room, furnished almost ex-
ciusively with books. They Uttered the
tables. swarmed on shelves, crowded
! themselves upon stands, and doLlin-
ated the occasion. Here was q Dante
collection that would have filled the
bibliophile with acute JOY, for the Rev.
DIR. Brann is Dante enthusiast, and
he knows his Vita Nuova' as you
and l know our Gray's "Ele::y." 1t
was a riot of books, and there was
nothing else. Otherwise it was bare
| The outside world still chung to me
i, rs Father Brann, with short gray hair,
! and face that strongly recalled the
features Of Coqueln, the actor Every
thing was there except the merry lit
tie twinkle in Coquelin's eyes, but
intuitively felt-and it made me feel
casicr-tlat Father Brann's eyes could
also twinkle, on occasions. AS a rank
outsider. l naturally looked at the
sympathy. found it in his eyes.
They seemed to Indicate Il subdued
sense of humor and I chung to that
buoycd myself up with it.
You may SMOKE" lie said gently,
too courteous to notice my diffidence
and discomfort, land IL will have a
cigar. have smoked for-oh, for two
years"
Perhaps 1 have smokers heart"
Doctors inveigh against the smokers
heart. They think it very bad. I
don't. Iprefer it to any other kind Of
IL heart-even to the conventional "lov-
ing heart" Father Brann made me
feel happy. and delicacy of breeding
can go no further. One feels unhappy
only with the unbudging egotist, with
his faith in himself 1 could have
confessed" OH the spot to Father
Brann. l should think it must be a
pleasure to do SO. (All this from my
smokers heart''-from the bottom of
IT'D
Before l talk to you about the
theatre" his soft, educated voice
soothing any rutlled feeling, Il must
tell you that there is prohibition
against the clergy attending the play
house, 1t is a general prohibition. 1t
is not interpreted very severely
| He looked at me keenly to see if
was quite all right. l was. Then he
vent on: You see. the clerical state
IS supposed to be one in which man
makes sacrifices. He cheerfully gives
up worldly pleasures and amusements.
1t wcllld create scandal if the clergy
nan were seen ut theatres when the
,lay might perchancc be-er-off
.oor''
| He used the expression. 1t is GER
ailly secular. but significant.
but l dare say you know that we
profit occasionally by charitable en-
ertainmcnts, and we go to them and
i ire glad of the opportunity. When
,ver we get a legitimate chance to go
| D lne IneaCre, we go. Priests ana
people, we all love the drama, which
s a potent instrument for instruction,
deviation and amusement, when the
,lay is written by man of talent who
an make not only clever plot but Oh
:erve in general, and in detail the
avs Of truth, and decency, and NOR
,lity. The late archbishop always
vent to these charitable entertain
ncnts: so did the vicar general, and
he others
I made up my mind not to argue on
my point, for the life of this amiable
father was serene and arranged. Still,
It seemed to me rather like begging
the question. If they all rushed to
, entertainments labeled charity" in
which the dramas best does not inevi.
taby leak, was not the general pro.
hibton bit illogical? u only thought
this; one can't help ones thoughts,
Hven if they be heretical.)
Father Bram saw my attitude, and
+ helped me out. Don't YOU under