New-York tribune., 1912-02-10

always have to the Christian faith I am
not hereto: at the most. schismatic. |
am simply a Christian of the Apostolic
Church, which was certainly Catholic"
Father Hyacinthe repeated her words 10
Archbishop Darboy. The latter pondered
over them for a time. and then decided,
in his own words. to receive this Ameri
can lady" He then added, 1--WE have need
Of new blood"
SO Emily Jane Butterfeld Merriman got
rid Of her doubts and unrest. The Bishop
Of Damascus confirmed her and Father
Hyacinthc received her confession Of faith.
a Protestant friend asked her " she real
lied what she was doing. and she replied;
Yes. | know fun we'll what am doing.
and God alone knows what years of
anguish II has cost me, 7 take the ancient
mantle upon my shoulders which Is worn
by the centuries, and is not only stained
with mire but with blood: but it was once
white. and II Is the mantle OF my mother.
God is leading me, and fear nothing.
Her intellectual and social rank made
Mrs. Merriman's change Of faith an event
Of great interest to the public in both
Europe and America. On her return to
America she was strongly urged TO found
q new religious order, OF which she would
ne the head. but she declined to do SO.
She soon went TO Rome, where the Pope
offered to give her the title Of countess
and subsidy IL she would conduct a
womans college under his direction AMI
patronage This she promptly declined
the title because she was an American,
and the subsidy because acceptance Of IL
would lose her the support OF the Italian
government, which she deemed more inn
portant than anything the Pope could do
for her. Indeed. che witnessed the down
fall of the Pope's temporal power with real
JOY, and on Victor Emmanuers entrance
into the Eternal City wrote: This Is the
happ!est day of my llfe Rome is free.
Italy is united, and the King is in the capt.
tai" She even attended the Kings Ievee
at the Capitol and danced In his ma jestys
quadrille. This gave great offence to the
Vatican. and the Pope himself said OF bis
convert: she is more dangerous. thou
sand times. than II she had remained a
Protestant Thenceforward she drifted
steadily away from the type of Catholicism
impcrsOnated by Pho Mono. When the great
council was held at the Vatican. in 1870,
and the decree of papal infallibilty pro-
mulgated, she arrayed herself with the op-
position.
The result Of the council. especially the
decree Of infalibility. moved Mrs. Merr!-
man to leave the Church, as Father Hya-
cinthe had already done. And It was only
in the natural order of things that they
should seek each other again and, in 1917,
become husband and wife. Father Hya-
cinthe, or NJ. Loyson, as he was once more
called. contended that since he had been
expelled from the Carmelite Order he
was freed from the vow of celbacy which
he took on entering ii. Nevertheless, the
marriage caused a great sensation and
was regarded by Catholics as scandalous
When a son was born to NJ and Nine.
Loyson the most absurd stories were circu-
lated and found credence. II was said
that the child was deformed, having horns
and cloven feet. and the house was actu-
ally besieged by crowds of persons anxious
to get a glimpse Of the baby 10 see IL the
stories were true. AS n matter OF fact, he
was an uncommOnly. handsome child. and
the domestic life Of the Loyscns was al
ways ideally happy