Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-30
Read NJ the recent meetin
/ like a church, ! like a cowl
love a prophet OF the soul
Ralph Waldo Emerson.

THE eve Of All-salnts, 1885 remains
a date unerased from the tablets
of my memory, after the lapse of
over tW enty years, for the happy reason
that upon that pregnant holy-tide |
met an angel unawares.
This fortunate experience came to me
at Wilmington, ohio. a town Of modern
lied Quakers, where the advent Of
celestial visitor was something one
could hardly reckon reasonable to eX-
pect; so that his coming must of ne
cessity, perhaps, have taken us all "un-
awares.'
However, to be quite truthful VIII
mington's visitor had not actually come
post from paradise, though he was a
true ambassador from that country,
and, alas, only few months after
ward, was suddenly called thither.
He had come up out Of the south,
from MOBILE, Alabama, with a travelling
priests commission Gf not from his
church. from his MASTERY, and he
walked the streets of our Quaker town
for awhile unknown, save to the resi-
dent priest, derisvely pointed out by
the village small boy to his fellows as
that man In petticoats." because of the
bundling vestments which he always
wore.
1 met him, as ] say, upon Halloween,
as he walked, and, struck with his
head of flying hair and a benevolent,
other-worldly look in his face, 1 queried
who this man should be. Then, upon
a Sunday, 1t was brufted about that
Father Ryan, "the poet-priest," had
preached wonderful things at ST. Co
iumbkill church that morning. And so
called upon him at Father D-'s rec
tory, ana fingered long in converse
with his guest, because 1 had met a wise
man and a witty man, who talked of
high things and human things, and
threw a charm upon me. such as no
other man had ever done, l think. I
went over to see him nearly every night
and we talked and smoked until the
small hours, sending fat Father John
off to bed, and when he grew somno-
lent and aweary. After that the nights
grew Arabesque." Then I held COM
munion with a kinder Of the fancy
and a prophet of the soul.
In just little time the people of the
town came to know him and to love
him. He courted children and amused
them, and they grew devoted to him.
Their parents, who had never before
set foot in Roman Catholic church,
went out to hear him make plain the
mysteries" in a strange, impressive,
nlRn ueIlOT VOlCe-DuU IuySJlCully luON-
ing, like a passionate inspira tion-and
then went home almost persuaded"
Women thought they could distinctly
discern a nimbus about his head.
He reverenced women, this soldier
priest, who had sung and suffered and
fought for the south. He told me that.
when he was a very small boy, his
father had taken him upon his knee
and said: my son, you should respect
even the shoes that little girl wears"
Once he stood by the chancel rail, about
to speak, when a small girl put out her
hand and plucked his surplice. Looking
down he heard the little one say: "Ain't
you going to tiss me, Father Ryan,"
Reaching over he gathered her into his
arms before the congregation, and turn
ing a beaming face upon them, re-
marked: For of such Is the kingdom
of heaven!"
On wintry nights, the snow piled high
without, with no light save the flick
ering fire in the CRATE, we sat behind
our pipes while the little poet, huddled
in his big chair, would fall into musing
monologues, such as Coleridge was
wont to cadence in the hearing of
Charles Lamb and others, There were
scenes from campfires and battlefields
where he had ministered, what time he
followed the ill-starred fortunes of the
conquered banner; strange confess
sionals, where dark deeds were whis-
pered in his ear, which he must carry
while imperatively commanding repara-
ton and repentance on the part of the
sinner. And, anon, there welled up
scenes of humorous situations. so it'll
lating to the risbles as to stir 'ineX-
laugher." Then there were
tales of Jackson, Gordon and Lee, in
action and at home; tales of bold Ben
Butler at New Orleans; tales of heroic
southern women, upon which he dilated
with a certain chivalrous pride. Once,
long before he had taken the priests