The Irish standard., 1909-04-24

Ward Howe, many times. On one OF
these occasions he was rendered and
accepted a reception from the Catho-
lie Union of Boston. This was one
of the most delightful social events
in the Unions history.
ture tour throughout the United
States, his principal topic being Pope
Leo KILL" whose life and work he de-
scribed most graphically, and with
great sympathy. Mr.. Crawford gave
his lecture for the John Boyle O'Reilly
Reading Circle in Boston College Hall,
before an immense audience of Catho-
lies and non Catholics, the Rev. Tim
othy Brosnahan, S. j., at that time
rector, presiding.
Mr.. Crawford was tall, dark and
athletic looking, with charming voice
and much magnetism. But he had
also, to the close observer, that wear
led, depleted look which seems insep-
arabic from the personality of one who
is constantly producing from tire
brain. He was, doubtless, the most
prolific novelist of the time, and it
was marvellous that he kept so high
a standard Of artistic excellence
withal. Mr.. Crawford, writing so
much of foreign lands and Of foreign
peoples never used foreign express
sions. He had 81 wonderful faculty
for expressing the spirit and the idom
Of a language in English, SO that one
unfamiliar with French, Italian, Ger
man, or any of the many tongues in
which the novelist was proficient. was
not constantly shared by a foreign
phrase as is the way OF lesser story
writer's.
His novels were often exceedingly
dramatic, and some Of them have
been dramatized. Via Crucis." how
ever, has not been dramatized, and
yet there are few passages in any
novel more impressive than the APP
pearance Of st. Bernard Of Clairvaux
before the Court of France,to preach
the Second Crusade, and the. mingling
of the. most tender human sentiment
with the instinct of Divine worship
in his. address; and then, his inter-
view, nnsought Of him indeed, with
the strong and beautiful Eleanor of
Aquitaine.
Here is a description of st. Bernard
which it would be hard to match: at
would have been impossible to say
what it was in the mans form or face
and distinct from other men. 1t was
not alone the Christlike brow, nor the
noble features inherited from a line
of heroes; it was not the ascetic air,
tho look of bodily suffering, nor the
fine drawn lines of pain which, as it
were. etched a shadowy background
of sorrow upon which the spiritual
supremacy blazed like a rising star;
it was something beyond all these,
above name and out Of definition, the
halo of saintship, the glory of genius,
the crown of heroism. He was a
, man who, when he raised his hand
to lead, led millions like children;
who, when he opened his lips to speak
spoke with the tongue of men and Of
| angels such words as none had spoken
- 1,i, lc 1x,1,i o1, f1,1
truth made light; one who, when nc
took pen in hand to write to the
worlds masters, wrote without fear
or fault, as being the scribe of God,
but who could pen messages of tend
crest love and gentlest counsel to the
! broken hearted and the heavy-laden."
After all the crosses Of the crusade had
been exhausted, blacksmith sought
one of the Saint, who promised that
his request should be fulfilled on the
morrow. But the blacksmith would
| not wait, and branded himself on his
naked breast with white-hot iron.
Whereat, though the multitude sent
up a great cry Of praise and wonder,
yet Bernard shook mis- head gravely
and walked on, for he loved not any
madness not even a madness for good
deeds. and the light by which he saw
was as steady and clear and true as
a lifelong day."
Only one real Catholic could thus
have demonstrated the essential
union of sanity and sanctity.
No one can deny to Marion Craw-
ford a high place among the nove-
lists of our time; and it is probable
that his fame will greater with the
passing of the years.
Mr.. Crawford married in 1884 a
daughter of General Berdan, U. S. A.
Besides his wife, two sons and two
daughters survive him. Sorrento and
all Italy mourned for him.. He was
III ~