Evening star., 1915-11-27
YOUTH Of SIXTEEN IS "
BUFFER FOR CARDINAL
Henry Crowley, Washington Boy,
Guards Entrance to Archepiscopal
Residence at Baltimore.
Has Learned to Converse in Four
Languages to Aid Keeping Bores
and Beggars From Priests.
Special Correspondence of Tn. Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
BALTIMORE. Md. November 25.-The
casual visitor to the Catholic archie
piscopal residence on North Charles
street. Just next to the century old
cathedral. finds simplicity in the home
of James Cardinal Gibbons, head of the
Catholic Church in America No uni
formed attendant greets the visitor,
who seeks an audience with the cardi-
nal or with any of the members of his
household. But there Is a Washington
youth Of sixteen years. Henry Crow
ley. by name, who stands between all
visitors and the prince of the Catholic
Church in America
About two years ago. Henry came
from Washington, where his parents
and relatives reside, to take up the inn
portant post of special officer to the
cardinal. The two years will end next
March and in that time Henry has
learned many things in the ways of at
tending to distinguished prelate, es-
pecially m the art of keeping "bores,"
and seekers after undeserving aims
IN particular, from troubling the busy
priests.
A true son of Irish parentage Henry
is roofing" hard for a victory for the
allies, but he believes that all of Eu-
rope will be entangled in battle before
very long.
Henry's best trick is putting visitors
through the third degree 1t matters
not whether the visitors be German or
French, for the lad Is able to converse
suniciently well to get reason before ad-
mittng them to the red parlor.
Has Twang of Old Erin.
When Henry came to the, cardinals
household he was able to speak English
fairly well, but there is strong twang
of Old Erin in lots Of his utterances
One day German came to the door and
in the language of the kaiser said.
Bite geben sic mir funf cent"
Henry was at loss to know what
the stranger wanted. So he called Rev.
Louis ODonovan. one of the cardinals
secretaries. to see the visitor. When the
visitor had been satisfied Father
O'Donovan asked Henry if he knew
youngster replied in the negative. and
was told he ought to learn German.
Henry took the hint very quickly.
The sisters of the household are for
'eigners. one of their motherhouses
being in Germany, and SO he told the
sisters he wanted to learn German.
They gave him the opportunity, and
now no German almsseeker gets by
Henry.
Not long afterward came a very
dark skinned individual from the West
Indies. Henry could not understand
him at all and so Mgr Fletcher. rector
OF the cadethral, was called to look
after the visitor. who happened to be
another almsseeker. After the visitor
left Mgr. Fletcher asked Henry if he
could speak French. Henry shook his
head, whereupon the rector told him
it would be well if he understood
French. Straightaway Henry asked
the good sisters what could be done
in the way of teaching him French
AS the sisters are also good French
scholars, they soon were tutoring
Henry, and today no French seeker of
assistance can get by Henry unless
he is convinced the case is worthy
Yearns to Speak Italian.
Henry is able to converse in four Lam
guages-Enslish, Irish, French and
German-but he yearns to speak Ital-
iano. as he calls the tongue of the land
of sunny Italy. In this language he
expects to receive the assistance of
Rev. Louis Stickney, chancellor of the
diocese, who is an accomplished lin
guist.
The professional beggars and seek
ers of aims know of the liberality of
the cardinal, and he never turns a de-
serving case away, and it is for this
reason that Henry decides to learn all
about all visitors before admitting
them to the presence of the prelate.
Today Henry is happier than usual,
for he is visiting the home of his par
ents In Washington while the cardi-
nal is attending the Thanksgiving
services as the guest of Mgr. Russell
pastor of st. Patrick'S Church