Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-07

since 1907, will 1-@A'A''
fail 10 credit MAURICE F. Eo
him with the possession of rare tac,
quality without which no man can
ceed in diplomacy.
Mr.. Egan, perhaps he should be
Doctor Egan, for he can write aftd
name the letters standing for
scholarly degrees, has proved that
a man of tact. Notre Dame Univ
made him a doctor of laws in 1873
next year Georgetown College madt
4 doctor of civil and canon law, al
1907 Villanova College decided thd
was worthy to be a doctor of philos
He is a Catholic and one of the mos
tinguished literary men in that chu1
America.
Denmark, to Which he was sent al
voy Extraordinary and Minister
potentiary in 1907, is Protestant
try OF it's 100000 population, 2,5|
are Protestant. The Catholics nd
less than 5000. Yet this man, whd
been closely identified with the actl
nf the Catholic Church all his life
succeeded in becoming and rema
persona grata to the powers that
one OF the most Protestant countrH
Europe. If this is not evidence hi
possesses urbanity. savoir faire, AM
various other qualities deemed ess(
to success in diplomacy, then we
give new meanings to words.
The appointment of Doctor Egan
diplomatic post was in line with Al
can precedent. Bancroft, Lowell
John Hay are only few of the Anne
literary men who have represented
country abroad. We have now at
Thomas Nelson Page, and at The +
Henry van Dyke, and at Brussels
Whitlock, who, along with Doctor
are keeping up the literary trad
Doctor Egan is poet, but he doe
take his verse writing too seriously
"I began to write sonnets years
years ago." he said once, "and Il
spoken of by the critics of my
youth as a promising young poet" "
He paused and smiled the indu
smile of a man within year Of fifty
continued
"I am still referred to as a prom
young poet. I write a sonnet year
Yes, one every year. I am writind
now"
Still Remembered in st. Philips p
He was born in house on the
side of South Sixth street, between
tian and Carpenter streets, on Ma
1859, and is consequently GA years
He is still remembered pleasantl1
Mother Laurentia. of the school atta
to st. Philips Church, in Queen s
above Second. He married his Wi
Philadelphia in 1880. She was
Katharine Mullin. A son and two al
ters have been born to them. u
Egan likes to talk of his Philade
life. Once, when in a reminiscent 4
he said:
"Our house is still standing there
the garden, of course, has long
gone, and the house is now tene1
1t was a very quaint old place bu|
bricks brought over from England
srched door and two or three low M
steps opened into the vestibule, and 4
rear was a wonderful garden. Tha1
den was my first recollection. There
a great tangle of old-fashioned nq
running riot all over it-sweet WI
hundred-leaf roses. larkspur, four oe
mignonette-al those delicious old
garden flowers. That garden, the
and a few of Sir Walters books ar
first and pleasantest recollections O
childhood. My mother was the
teacher of myself and my sister. 81
longed to one of the old families OF
delphia and had been reared with q
and old-fashioned simplicity. she n
great lover of Shakespeare, and OF 60
OF Scott, Addison, Steele and oliver
smith. She would read to us in the
ming.
Didn't Like the Law
"I never reached the adventure :
most boys had. The atmosphere q
home was so quiet. simple and u
tentious that-well, I don't suppo
had any chance for fighting lndiai
running away 10 sea. / went 10 q
school not far from our home. 81 fi
Academy. and did my elementary
there for La Sale College, when
tered at about fifteen. l graduated
La Salle-oh, yes, with the A. b. us
and then. went to Georgetown Co
where 1 studied law. The lawyers
tion l found neither TO my talents y
my taste, so l commenced writing as
as left college. At length setlf1
New York. where | edited the Freep
Journal. In 1883 / decided TO 8
Leipsic to reside. but the pRofesso|
OF English literature at Notre Dams
offered me, So took up the hh7
teacher and lecturer there"
He remained at Notre Dame untli
when he went to the Catholic unifs
in Washington to share with Cn
Warren stoddard the chair OF En
literature. He occupied that char
President Roosevelt. with whom ns
on terms Of friendly intimacy
him 10 Denmark. He has wFltls
books and done considerable transA
In addition to his work as teaehef.