The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-12-27

| VI tHC HOuS0 Is 1lS uIluS DIS uOSI
His personal distinction somehow com.
municates itself to the whole environ.
ment. Besides--if you've heard any
thing at all about Father Mahony,
you know that other people-the
needy, the sick, the lonely, of what
ever faith and kind-are the ones who
| profit by all his material resources.
| They only ask, and it is theirs.
Charity to All.
| Apropos of which, they tell you
down in Mendoza, that his door used
to be the regular stopping place of
every hobo between the Mississippi
| river and the Pacific coast; the whole
| fraternity knew it as one from which
no one was ever turned away hungry
or penniless.
But after time the good priests
conscience smote him. Himself a
warm advocate of temperance, he felt
that his duty to these pilgrims was
only half done unless he accompanied
his largesse with a friendly but earn
est little tabloid lecture on the evils
of strong drink.
And somehow or other, the tramp
guests are becoming fewer and fewer.
One truly remarkable tribute to his
spirit Of generosity appeared a few
years ago in posthumously published
letter from an Episcopal clergyman in
Philadelphia
The writer told how, not long before
his death, he had faced the prospect
of leaving an invalid wife and several
little children entirely unprovided for.
Shrinking from the idea of becoming
beneficiary of any of the accredited
charitable organizations, he tried an
unusual means of seeking help.
From various newspapers and peri
odicals he chose, quite at random, the
names of a number Of clergymen of
all creeds, and situated in different
parts of the country. He wrote let
ters to each, setting forth his case,
and adding his hope that respect for
the cloth and a sense of fraternal duty
might open not only their hearts but
their pocketbooks.
There was only one" he recorded,
from whom had an answer. He was
Rev. Martin Mahony of Mendoza,
Mimi, priest unknown to me, who
inclosed some monev. saving tSat tn
his regret it was all he had at the
time. And | believed him"
So would everybody who has ever
known him.
Loves Animals.
AS for his love of horses, for years
he was the happy owner, first of one,
and then another, of the famous Dan
Patch stock, which were sent him from
the Savage stables. Spring, summer
and autumn saw him, day after day,
driving swiftly about the countryside
in his little sulky, profoundly happy to
be holding the reins over a thorough
bred and enjoying nothing so much as
to hobnob with some horse trainer or
other
He hasn't a horse now.
1t was a year or two ago that his
conscience bade him part with the last
OlC 1Ol IIlS LULU lO1 IuC
Of the Faith
Suffering animals, like suffering hui
manity, make an effective claim on his
sympathies and advocacy.
1t was that same winter day on
which this story opens that he spoke
of reading in detail of the methods
whereby animals are trained for circus
and stage exhibition purposes, and his
customary gentleness famed into
righteous anger.
Did you know he said, that the
poor beasts are fairly tortured before
they can be taught to show off the
tricks that everybody laughs at?
did you know that any number of
them die Of fright and cruelty in the
process of training! I'm afraid that
| l, like other thoughtless persons, have
| often been delighted at their little per-
| formances. I never shall be again.
| And my people shall hear this same
| account read from the pulpit; I don't t
want them to be Indifferent, hereafter
| to such suffering; / want them to
know what is back of the so-called en-.
| tertainment provided for them!"
Perhaps that is only one way OF
doing it unto the least of these"
Obivious to Comforts.
| Father Mahony's obliviousness tc
the ordinary comforts-not to mention
the luxuries-of life is aptly illustrated
in the story told by st. Paul priest
who visited him one evening at about
the supper. hour. o.
The pastor of st. Peters sat at his
table, engrossed in reading, while be
side him, on the floor. stood a kero
sene lamp, a small, improvised kettle
holder attached to the chimney, ovel
which water was boiling in a tin cup
in preparation for pot of tea.
AS he rose to greet his guest, tn,
hosts cassock caught the lamp ant
overturned it.
/ Picking up bit of the broken glas
he regarded it ruefully, then said, witt
a whimsical smile,
Martin Mahony gets no dinner to
night"
And that ended the matter, al
thought OF an evening meal being ar
parently lost in his enjoyment of th