The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-04-17
Just Among Ourselves
Passins Comment censidsred or Ineensidsrsfs

extends to people who prnt-and who read or
fail to read proof-sheets. There careful
emendation of "are" to were" (Which spoiled the
the Specification if any, of the sentence in which
IT appeared, and made the reference topical instead
of generaD. And the great theologian Suarez was
presented in about four out of five appearances
"Saurez' Well things like this must ever be, and
even old Kaspar couldn't tell why.
There are other things that BATTLE explanation
Things of mystery Things that bear upon the
face in their apparent selves no evidence of suf-
ficent for existence One of these things is
just by way of illustration of a pont--conven-
tionS Not business conventions merrymaking
conventions but conventions of the learned, of
the reasonably accurate facsimies of the learned
OF course, one must always discount surfaces and
dig for reasons. No is so foolish to suppose
that General Meetings and Departmental Meetings,
with long papers full of statistics and dotted with
references TO fields" and "areas" and trends"
and s'leVels, ever meant more, could mean, any
thing to anybody. The for conventions does
not appear in such things for these be merely social
and verbal opiaes diffused through unoffending
atmosphere.
Contacts cries the conventioneer People 20
delegates TO conventions to meet other people
who go to conventions to meet them. Well, perhaps
so A faithful delegate to a recent learned conven
tion said with manifest chagrn that his efforts to
have next years meeting IN the far west had proved
unavailing. And" he added sadly 'there are lot
of good friends of mine out there that haven't
for years" Contacts, Of course, may mean renewed
contacts is here manifest. Contucts may also
free trip, an excursion mild variety of va
cation. dull kind of good time. In short, bnee
And for male delegates to almost any kind of
vention contacts may something that is spoken
of very fayorably indeed. and we'll illustrated by
TY That is to say, coH'""fs may mean beer
Consider the daen diScarunannt nj tho foIloNina
lines from poem which still awaits the clsmor of
demand from eager publishers:
The true convention delegate
For important convention meetings is never late
This is not because he is prudent and punctual and
doesn't allow circumstances to circumvent or
forestall
No; il is because he doesn't attend any meetings
at all.
How can a delegate
Rightly celebrate
The distinction of being sent to a convention
AT personal expension,
BY lodge, chapter branch court, club,
or department. or other section dimension,
II he is to be tied down to session and round-tabe
and panel and forum,
And other such gatherings can only hamper and
borum?
Anyhow there will always be enough frumps to
listen to papers and speeches,
And To sit IN serious discussion at svmposla like
many undisillusioned, vain-clingnp leeches,
And vote and adopt measures and elect candidates,
Who will carry out say they will carry out, the
conventions mandates
The poem land can anyone challenge this noun
in this use?l goes TO say that the true delegate
will enjoy every min le of the convention. far from
the maddlng meetings, and will wait till all Hacienda
are set down facta, and all agends turned into
acta. and the whole business printed and sent to
him by second-clasS mail. With this handy document
before him he will prepare his report to the home
group that sent him to the convention.
His constituents will be pleased with their delegate;
Him they will cordially CONGRATULATE;
Him thev will fewently felicitate.
They will say he has made splendid report.
And so he has. tooail a matter of printed record
And I'd like TO hear anyone offer retort!
But conventions were mentioned here merely
TO instance item of mystery. There are countless
others. For example the learned review You know
the sort of thing publication.-usually quarter
R, which means that il is published every now and
then when the wind is in the right quarter We have
here such booklet heavy with embalmed thought
mot too we'll embalmed. in some instances) and
simply crawling with culture II is the autumn num-
berer of 1882 it appeared right on time in March
OF 1853.
Why do such reviews exist? Who knows? II is
q mystery Surely, there is sufficient reason for
their existence in the burden of their message,
which brings such things the opinion Ct pro-
fessor of English in the middle west that Francis
Thompson had not quite firstrate talent" lnow
that's SettledD: and that Robert Lowell deserves
TO be eassed with Hopkins and Claudel as formd-
able International poet" twell, may he get his
desertsD The sapient and obscure professor
remarks. Merton docs not strike me poet of
strength Mavbe Ezzsrd Charles could strike him
effectively Whv does critic obtrude himself into
his critiqueS? II is If he should say, THE pyra-
mids, as see them, not impressive.
The same professor thinks that Cheserton's
poetry at its best is "a poetry of throbbng sur
faces" Might not remark learnedly that such
criticism is criticism of palpitating piffle.-even
at its best? Another sagacous doctor is praised for
avoiding enthusiastic provincialism" in his esti-
mate dow. of coursel of American Catholic writers
Is there anything more provincial, enthusiastic or
no. than this fear of being considered provincial?
The unenthusiastic doctor is quoted TO this eff
feet liturgical revival exists in America and Its
impact on the arts is almost inevitable and makes
a fuller future something that one may anticipate
with certainty in proportion to the degree that