The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-12-28
GIFTED NOVELIST
ON CONVERSION
Tells Why he Became a Catholic
Though Prejudiced Against the
Church of Rome.
The Good Example of a Pious Cath
olic Family influenced Him to
q Great Extent.
Modern Miracles Were a Stumbling
Block in His Path and a Serious
One to Get Over.

Frank H. Spearnan, the gifted now
elist, tells how the good example of a
pious Catholic family with whom he
lived for a time was largely instru-
mental in leading him into the Church.
I1e says:
Temperament disposed me very ear
ly In life to much reading. read
onnivorously, chiefly perhaps of fiction
but among other matter some history
fell in my way. While the claims Of
some fiction being history are always
on the point of question, we need not
cavil here over the claims of some his
tory of being fiction; I mean especially
to indicate such history as has to do
with differences in the matter of re-
Mgion. Easily moved by cruelty Of
any sort, my earliest sympathies were
enlisted toward the victims Of religious
persecution by Catholics. Naturally
I found it an easy mental step to at
tribute the misdeeds of the persecu-
tors to the doctrines and practices
Of the Church itself. was quite In
nocent, too, Of knowing that these mis-
deeds, atrocious enough in themselves,
were distorted and magrified a thou
sandfeld by the tgenious malice. Of the
nafTators.-. h 49,
As to the Protestant Reformation,
which I had come to look upon as a
sort Of divine Magma Charta of religi-
ous liberty, and which certainly has
proved itself so admirable Magma
cense; the suspicion that it was very
largely a movement Of politics and
greed lay as far from my mind al
possible
Z Cruelty was my first and strangest
impression concerning the Catholic
Church and it's doctrines. and it came
to me wholly through my reading; the
springs of history are poisoned against
all inexperienced readers.
At eighteen 1 was we'll out into the
world and without any fixed or definite
religious discipline to hold me, easily
lapsed into indifference. In my read
ing: I had become interested in the
brilliancies of the French Encycloped-
fsts-We used to hear more of them
then, than now-and I was superficial
ly agnostic. In the large city. how
ever, to which had been drawn, ]
made my home with Catholic family.
and when the time of indecision final
ly and disquietingly came, one of the
factors in strengthening me on the
road toward Rome was the edifying
life of Catholics whom had intimate
ly known.
had strong impression, too. that
Catholic practice savored of credulity
Modern miracles were a stumbling
block to me and a serious one. My
attitude on this point was one of con-
tempt for the vagaries of Catholic be-
lief. Indeed, my position toward
Catholicity was one of suspicion and
contemptuous distrust, based on the
consciously superior, not to say in,
solent, attitude Of reading and though,
on that subject among English speak.
ing Protestants.
It was, then, upon a vague and gen.
eral indictment, based on errors sucf
as these, that I hailed the grea
Christian Church into my sorry cour
to plead for herself. However, thu
august Mother had learned humility
long before sought to humiliate her
and had long been used to pleading
for her Master before tribunals almos
rs unworthy as that to which I hat
summoned her.
A further personal matter inter
posed an obstacle. I was a Mason ant
the order was interdict. From tn,
Masonic side Of the question in m,
case, there was no reason that I coult
see why I could not belong to tn,
Church and to the order. But what
4 realized instinctively was that Ma
sonry was not vital in my life, where
I as the choice Of an authoritative re-
ligion was extremely vital.
~ On the subject of miracles I fount
my difficulties based on mere misap