The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-05-19
FATHER VAUGHN IS DEAD.

FATHER VAUGHN Is DEAD.
Boone Democrat: These words will
bring sadness to the hearts of thous-
ands of loving friends of the humble
priest of God. noted author and elo-
quent orator. Perhaps no lecturer on
the American platform IN recent
years has touched to the quick the
lives of more people and awakened
their hearts to deeds of loving serv-
ice to God and to humanity than has
he. A native Of Wisconsin. the CEN
ter of devoted Catholic faith. his
highly artistic temperament early
led him into the dramatic field and
he soon became an actor of marked
promise and ability. stirring the
hearts of thousands by his masterful
portrayal of the Shakespearean char
acters. Soon, however, he felt the
call to the high spiritual life. aban-
doned the stage and after years of
study and preparation at st. Johns
University was ordained to the priest
hood twelve years ago. He returned
to his native state and took up his
work as priest, shortly afterward
he was placed in charge Of the par
ish at Altoona, Wisconsin, and while
there his great love for humanity led
him to found school for boys which
he conducted for number of years.
His work there grew to large pro-
portions and in order to sustain it he
took to the lecture platform. turning
all the proceeds over to the support
of the school. Here his dramatic art
served him to good purpose and he
soon became foremost SIS popu-
lar lecturer before the American peo-
pie. His death came early in life,
caused by the over exertion and
great privations that his love for
humanity induced him to suffer. He
passed away at the Mercy Hospital
in Dubuque at 600 o'clock Monday
morning. The funeral was held from
his parish church at Cuba City, Wis
consin. Tuesday morning. burial at
Evansville.
Following is gem of thought from
his most popular lecture. "Tke Power
of Love-" In it the heart of the
priest shows it's great love for human
ity:
"Men in blue and gray who looked
with hate into one another's eyes and
tried to shoot away the life of a
brother have crept close together to
die in the trembling twilight. Men
and horses lie heaped in confusion.
Men with their limbs torn from their
body, men with their throats cut. and
men with their scalps lying bare and
their heads raised to heaven, and they
are crying: Water, my God! water y
and in all Gods world there is not
a soul to answer. Yes there is an
answer. See. there come two wom-
en-. stealing over the battlefield.
creeping along under the beams Of
the moon. Is it some mother come
out to look for her son in the MIDST
of death? Js it some woman who
seeks the man to whom she has
pledged her love? All, no. Th,
cross of Christ is on her breast. tn.
bonnet of st. Vincent on her head
Two little Sisters Of Charity. alon
with God and night. How they NOV
without fear through the valley Q
death and of darkness! How tender
ly they stoop DER each diving soldier
For them there is no North or South
no blue or gray, no nationality. n
creed, no denomination. In ever
soldiers upturned face they sc. tn
face of Christ. How tenderIy the
moisten the parched lips. how the
cool the fevered brow, how the
close the gaping wound, how the
murmur words of consolation in tn
dying ear, how they take the la'
message to bring back to the moth,
and the wife and the loved ones fl
away! Ever there-even in the deaf
and the blood and the carnage of bal
tle-the power of love reigns 8,
preme. And stamped forever On tn,
flag-the Sars and Stripes-stamps
forever. is that lesson of love, TIL
! as it leads on in the vanguard of ci,
llization it may teach to the worl
Americas story: the fatherhood {
l God and the brotherhood of man-tI
glorious, the splendid lesson of love.