Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-26

you to be contributing to us. It's
 too bad!"
 remember with tender interast Father Slocum's work in connection with the memorable strike of the trolley men, a few years ago. The breadth of his sympathies, his kind Illness and his patience were i'm pressively revealed at that time to the other two members of the com mittee of clergymen, MT Stockdale and myself. On the evening we visit ed the labor union, as he listened beforehand to the paper prepared for that occasion, he seemed quite i'm pressed with its treatment of the knotty problem before us, and quite hopeful in regard to the result. But 1t amused me to observe, in his com ment upon 1t, how unconsciously he revealed his priestly point of view and the training of the skilled .or- ganizer. "A very diplomatic paper" he said to one of us; you would make a good diplomatist; you ought to have been Catholic bishop" That he was himself possessor of the quail ities he admired became apparent at the subsequent meeting-so propitia, tory was he and at the same timo SD dignified, so persistent and at the same time so good humored and patient. And when the failure of our effort was reported, think no one felt it more keenly than he. He was carrying heavy burden of the sorrows of others.
 My last interview with Father Slocum was made a few weeks ago. Being in Waterbury and learning that he had recently been out of doors, I called at his residence. When he came into the parlor l was impressed with the change that had taken place. The virile look had given way to an expression of feeble ness. He seemed twenty years older than when I had last seen him. There was but little remaining of the overfowing vicacity of other days. His words were not sad, but something in his tone made me feel that life seemed more ser ious to him than of old. Not that he was Respondent, for he spoke quite hopefully of his physical con- dition, explaiding in detail how the physicians had been misled. And then he passed readily to other mat ters. He revealed his old-time in- terest in books by telling how he had secured, while in Washington, sev- eral volumes of the library of the late Senator Hawley, including the senator's set of the Waterbury his- tory, He expressed his satisfaction with the great success of the sub scription flor the Catholic hospital, mentioning with special pleasure the gift he had just received from that friend of all good causes down in Naugatuck. And then, by an easy transition, he passed to that larger work of philanthropy and social ser vice which is enlisting all the churches to-day, and the need of which is becoming more and more deeply felt in this selfish world. I listened quietly, and was presently gratified to find him touching on the delicate subject of cooperation and Christian brotherhood. And 1t was with no uncertain sound that he con- demned the folly of those who per petuate harmful antagonism, who re- fuse to adapt themselves to the needs of to-day. who under the influence of ancient prejudices stir up hate and turn their back upon grand op- portunities of usefulness. It seem, ed to me a sort of farewell message. and 1t stirred my heart to think that its keynote was so entirely in harmony with that gospel of brother hood which We hear in our Protest ant churches to-day. Brotherhood vas the thought upon which he laid stress-this the one key that would unlock the problems of our time. Such was his mopd-his deep and conviction rather-as rose to say goodby-"ffrowins." Ike