The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-07-14
THE ENGLISH SMART SET

have candidates for whom to vote.
THE ENGLISH SMART SET.
Father Bernard Vaughan, a brother
of the late Cardinal Vaughan of Eng
land. has been delivering a series of
sermons in London recently which
have attracted worldwide attention.
The subject of the sermons is The
sin of heaping up riches" Despite his
denunciations thousands of the rich
have been iOcking to the Cathedral
has wide reputation in England as
Il pulpit orator He was in MAN.
chester twenty years before taking up
his work in London. He is as familiar
with the White Chapel district as with
the district in which the wealthy live.
He is Il friend of King Edward and
his influence and advice is eagerly
sought by those high in political life
in Great Britain. \ sermon recently
delivered at Farm Church, London, has
been widely published and quoted In
the course of that sermon he said
From what we all read of smart So
ciety. from what we see of it and
from what we know of it, we need
have no hesitation in saying that if
Dives who was buried in He'll were to
~,
have the entrec to LondOn's smartest
set to-day. He would be pelted with
Invitations. In giving His account of
Dives our Lord was. really describing
to perfection the smart people in the
smart set 50 much in evidence in So
ciety to-day. Society nowadays is al
together self-centered. catering Only
to self. It's fair votaries must be set
up by the best man-milliner and fed
up by the best man-cook, and then.
provided they are known at the opera
by their diamonds. in Mayfair by their
motors and at Cowes by their yachts
what does anything else matter, espe-
cially if they have house for Ascot
and q launch for Henley? There is
but one sin less pardonable than be-
ing dull and that is being poor. After
all there is some excuse for dullness
il YOU have money but there is none
OUT of society's sight brushed away
like mud on ones shoes. Shirk the
question as we will there is no getting
away from the fact that the set about
whom ! am speaking is regarded by
most people as the concentrated eS-
sence of seltlshness. Unclean aud TN
Wholesome as any condemned product
of Chicago or. to borrow the Masters
language. 'whited sepulcfres full of
dead mans shoes and all tilthiness'
Do they ever pretend to fulfill their
duty in life? Certainly they do not
spend much time in prayer nor do they
give much care to their children, nor
good example to their servants nor
consideration To their yieighbor''
The noted priest pretty we'll defined
the smart set IN society in this country
as well as in England. The sermon
might with equal appropriateness be
delivered at Newport or hundred
other watering places where our
American millionaires are gathered at
this time of year engaged chiefly in a
vulgar competition to display their
wealth. All this display is self
centered here as it is in England 1t
seldom enters the minds OF amy of
the very rich to do anything to help
the unfortunate Or to better the con-
dition of society in general. Wealth
these days seems to make people
vicious. Instead OF making its pos
SCISSORS more powerful to accomplish
good it renders them useless and
dangerous members OF society.
Father Vaughan's work may accom-
plish good i'll London where he seems
to have large audiences drawn from
the very circle that he Is denouncing.
II he preached in this country he
would have no listeners from the
wealthy class. Our wealthy Amcri-
cans go only to hear such preachers
as please them. Their religion, like
their mode of living, must conform to
their own sweet will or else they will
have none of it. The English million
aires at least submit to hearing them
selves denounced.
ENGLISH CATHOLIC OPINION.
1t is a pleasant sign of the change
of heart among a small h,,t influential