The Irish standard., 1912-10-12

L was sCan0lnS one morning IN the
vestibule of the De La Sale Institute,
which faces the south side of Central
Park in New York city, when the
door opened and there entered man
carrying In his arms boy of about
thirteen, we'll dressed, plump and
handsome In feature, but evidently
helpless from the waist down, says
the Rev. John Talbot Smith in the
Ave Maria. Even his arms hung
limp. His vivacious expression, how
ever, showed that he was very much
alive. In reply to a polite inquiry,
was informed that the child had been
born in that helpless condition, that
he was incurable, that he had become
Catholic, and that his father was a
distinguished theatrical manager Of
the time,-Mr. Henry E. Abbey. Moth
ing more was known of the boy by
my informant; and, although with the
proper journalistic instinct l scented
good story, years were to pass be-
fore the incident REQUIRED to my mind
Conversions are very much alike
to the experienced. 1t is true that
each one carries it's own peculiar
understanding illustrative of the
character of the convert or of the
times. Nevertheless, In our day they
have sameness. not at all monoton-
Gus, which takes the edge off interest.
A conversion, none the less, is to me
perpetual wonder. In the days
OF persecution, whether of the ancient
Roman or the modern Protestant
time, when hostility to Catholic
truth was so bitter and so triumph
ant that Christ simply had. to take a
direct hand in Strengthening His suf-
fering disciples, conversion, while
astonishing, was not SO astonishing
as in our day; because now, in place
of hostility to our Catholic faith, we
have a profound, placid, universal in.
difference to any religion at ALL 1t
would take the hand of a Newman to
analyze, explain and describe the
present great stagnation OF the hui
man intellect in matters of the soul.
Hostility to the faith means inter
est in two faiths on the part of the
hostile; Indifference signifies interest
in note. The ancient Roman perse-
cutor fought for his ancient gods;
the modern Protestant prosecutor, for
the religion invented by Luther or
Henry VIII. Modern Indifference ig-
nores religion altogether,-regards it
as rubbish which must speedily dis
appear in the rush of civilization
and gives no time or attention to the
questions of the soul, because there
is no soul. 1t does not prosecute: it
is amiable and phlegmatic: it con-
tributes to the building of churches
and the support of foreign missions;
because the professors of the faith
are kindly neighbors, grateful for aid,
and pugnacious in persecution. Why
spend thought, money, and other real
values on that which will soon disap-
pear without any expense at all? Out
of this vast, amiable, profound stag
nation how does poor soul ever rise
to the conception of higher things?
In the case of Henry e. Abbey and
his son, conversion came about in
this fashion: The boy was born in
Northampton, Massachusetts, in
1881, in the helpless condition al
ready described. His mind was in no
way affected by his disease. and de-
veloped with the rapidity peculiar to
the bedridden. The death of his
mother left him to the care of his
grandmother. When he was ten
years old, his father took him to Par
Is on business trip, and placed him
In the care of the most famous doc
tors of the city. Their examination
resulted in the sad verdict that life
could never be given to the paralyzed
limbs.
One day young Henry was taken
by his faithful attendant into one of
the beautiful churches of Paris, and
straightway fell in love with grand
churches. He had to see them all
in the course of time, and then had
to read about them in the most beau
tiful books which a loving father
could buy for his afflicted son. Next
he had to be instructed in the mean
ing of the beautiful ceremonies which
on occasions he had witnessed in the
churches. It was but short time aft
er this step that he arrived at a
practical knowledge of Catholic doc
trine and asked his fathers permis-
sion to become a member Of the
faith. The father had no objections.
Young Henry Abbey was instructed
by his attendant, prepared by the
Passionist Fathers of Paris, and bap-