Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-23

anu out oPpottuuttiub VI pOi oOhaA HI
 tercourse were not many. But
 fancy that herein others have had
 the same experience as |: They have
 been drawn to him through some Influence they could not quite define
 or explain. We meet such men oc-
 casionally, and we talk of their
 personality" or their magnetism" "
 My acquaintance with Father 6lo.
 cum began in Norwalk Returning
 to my old parish, some years ago.
 found that the one clergyman there
 who was talked about more than any other, and always in the friend
 Hest way, was this Catholic priest.
 His work was praised, and his per.
 sonal qualities were referred to in
 terms of admiration. My host, who
 was an old parishoner of mine, sug-
 gested that l should call and see him.
 He took me to the pastoral residence on Monday morning and left me
 there. The cordiality with which
 I was. greeted and the warmth of
 his friendliness can readily be ap- preciated by all who have known
 Father Slocum during these twelve years past in Waterbury. I soon dis covered that he was a lover and col
 lector of rare books, and we were at once on congenial terms; but not alone because our tastes were sim liar. we had broader grounds for
 friendship. liked his frankness, his evident sincerity, his manliness, and we talked of matters that lie deep down in the life of thoughtful
 men. l remember that he spoke frankly of the celibate life of the
 priesthood, and said, You Prot estants think we are not faithful to our vows, but" his voice was full of feeling-'you do not under stand how God helps us." He seem ed to be more like one of tour own ministers than any priest I had thus far met; so that when he mentioned as he accompanied me to the gate, that one of his maternal ancestors
 was a Scotch Presbyterian, I ex- claimed, "Ah!" that explains! "a comment which he received with his heartiest laugh.
 x It was grateful news to me, when I heard that this Norwalk father" was to be transferred to Waterbury. I was sure he would make for him self as large and as warm a place in the new field as he had made in the old. and after he came I watched with much pleasure the rapid full fllment of my anticipations. Moro than any of his predecessors he made himself one man among men. Loyal to his church and his priestly office. he was at the same time a thorough going American. He believed in the American type. of manhood; he be- lieved in our public schools. His in dependence and frankness were we'll illustrated in remark he made to me on his return from a trip to .tat West Indies. Referring to the morals of some of the Cuban priests, he said, with touch of humor, "I find new evidence of the divinity of the church in the fact that 1t has survived the priesthood of Cuba"
 Although we were not often thrown together, recall quite a number of little incidents, the re- membrance of which brings him vividly before me. On my first visit to his Waterbury study two things impressed me-the array of ancient books upon the shelves and the col lection dish, filled with money, on the study table. He said, "That is yesterdays collection--one hundred and. elghty-six dollars" and we promptly became engaged in the dis cussion of church finance. He spoke warmly of the liberaiity of his people, of the amount of money placed at his command, and of the plans, he was forming for the de- velopment of educational and charit- able work in the parish. We know to-day how handsomely some of those plans have been carried through.
 The mention of one collection re- minds me of another. I went, one Christmas morning, to hear him preach and to hear the Christmas music. The usual collection was taken, which learned afterwards was Christmas gift of the congre- gation to their pastor Father Slo- cum himself (according to custom, suppose) passed the collection plate in the middle isle,. on one side of which I had been assigned a seat, near the front, By the time he reached my pew the plate was filled with bills, so that felt quite abash- ed as I slipped my piece of silver in. His feeling, however, was very diff ferent. He leaned over and whis- pered to me in the most warm-heart- ed way, My dear man, didn't want you to be contributing to us. It's too bad!"
 I remember with tender interest Father Slocum's work in connec-ion with the memorable strike of the trolley men, few years ago. The breadth of his sympathies, his kind liness and his patience were inn pressIveiy revealed at that time to the other two members of the com mittee of clergymen, Mir Stockdale and myself. On the evening we visit sd the labor. union, as he listened seforehand to the paper prepared for that occasion, he seemed quite im- pressed with its treatment of the knotty problem before us. and quite hopeful in regard to the result. But It amused me to observe, in his com ment upon if. how unconsciously he revealed his priestly point of view and the training of the skilled or yanizer. "A very, diplomatic paper" 1e said fo one nf ne. rnu xro,Id =, .t<o