The Irish standard., 1906-05-19

Paris, May S.-A recent issue from
tine French press is "Au Pays dc Ia
Vie Intense'-"In the Land of the
Strenuous Life"-by the Able Felix
Klein, professor at the Catholic lnsti-
tute of France. says the New York
Sun. This book has been crowned"
by the French Academy and is dedi-
Gated by permission to Theodore
Roosevelt 1t has already attained to
the dignity of Il seventh edition, as
e:ribable to the great interest which
the personality of the President OF the
United States arouses in France. AS
an observer and traveller the author
shows breadth. tolerance and eXcep-
tional fexibility under varying ten
sions A warm ad,nrer of MIR. Roose-
welt and of the United States, his pre-
tlilection in favor of one and the other
colors his pictures in hues somewhat
more brilliant than a less enthusiastic
and optimistic looker-on would employ.
None the less. at times he knows how
to use words expressive of emphatic
tiisapproval. Evidence OF this is found
in his remarks concerning certain
type Of American child, such as he
voyage to the United States. He in
terested himself i'll some of his; fellow
passengers. particularly i'll few Of
both sexes between the ages of ten
and sixteen. He promptly made friends
and romped with them about the deck.
The parents of these children he did
until the ship was tied TO the dock at
New York. He comments upon this
singular indifference of American pa
ternity. Among his youthful acquaint-
ances was boy about ten Years OF
age. He assumed censorious atti-
tude, he chided the abbe and his play
mates for their 'frivolity' The the
ologian studied this specimen with
considerable interest. He found his
youthful critic insolent, egostical and
ridiculously grave for his years. These
defects developed as acquaintance pro-
gressed Not once was lie trapped into
divergence from his type, nor could
rudeness and impofiteness. From ex-
perience with those children the able
gives it as his opinion that an Anne
can child, Independent and good. is an
interesting creature, but independent
and disagreeable he is an un monstre
achve-;l finished monster.
AS priest and admirer of the
breadth and liberality of certain Amer
lean prelates, he lost no time after
landing in plunging into the vortex
Of American Catholicism. From the
ship he went to the home of the Paulist
Fathers at Fifty-ninth street and
Ninth avenue. Here he made his head
quarters during his stay in New York
The day following his arrival happen
ing to be Sunday, he was able to wit
che worshippers at the Paulist church.
His surprise was great when he was
told that they numbered $4,000, all
earnestly interested as workers in some
branch of church comfy or as fervent
attendants upon the mass on Sunday,
confessing and taking the communion
ar lp2
day. He compares this congregation
with that of churches at Paris. where
Il single parish might have from 10000
to $4,000 members; but Of them not
more than 10 per cent could be called
Christians. In the afternoon of this,
his first Sunday in New York the abbc
visited fashionable Presbyterian
church in Fifth avenue He entered
in the footsteps of perfectly clad men
and women. He was startled at the
lavish attractiveness Of the interior
Of the building, from what he calls the
stage" Uestrade). containing the or
gan and pulpit of "the orator." to the
richly carved pews containing superb
ly bound books of devotion. Every
thing in what he designates as this
lecture room. was comfortable and il
perfect taste. He was impressed with
an interior which the millionaires at
tending the church evidently intended
should not fall below the level CT heir