St. Viator College Newspaper, 1902-10

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WAY, ye phantom dreams, away!

Life's path is not so drear.

Why cool ambition's cheek and brow.

Hope's heart, why crush with fear.

in the slimy, stagnant pool There grows the lily fair, So may a noble life be led 'lVIicl squalor, filth and care.

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Life's hard enigma stands unsolved, Unsolved it shall remain For men who live in idle dreams That rob of thought the brain.

The h ero's born, when death claims fear; 'A nd life's enigma solyed vVh en men join brain and muscle both To 路 do the things involved.

Th en hie , thee to the idler's den, Who life's great puzzle shirks; The key. that opens to success 路 I s found in one word: "\1\T ork !" ]. M. KANGLEY.

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THE VIATORIAN.

CHILDE HAROLD. Canto I. First Paper: Character of the Hero.

HILDE HAROLD'S Pilgrimage is the description of Byron's own travels in Spain, Greece, Rhineland and · Italy.

During the co urse of his journeyings the poet sees many things that are inspiringly grand and h e is generally equal to the task of giving his im pressions· poetic utterance; he sees m ~n y things whic h he deems commo npl ace and low and to these he .d6·es . not fail to app ly the wh ips of hi s poetic genius. In any woti< df this kind one must expect a strong s ubj ective element. Clri:t'de Harold is not written like a ;ailroad advertisement of be'a utiful

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scenery and fair cities and paradisaical r esorts. It is instinct and all palpitant with . the writer's own sentim ents. It may ·even he A matter of s urprise to some to find how, in the midst of such grand and varied scen es of nature, in the midst of so many diff.ereni: peoples, in the midst of th'e attractions of so many great cities and the smoke and turm oil of so m any battles, the traveler ma.tr.ag·e s to keep himself so prominently in the foreground. This subjective element is so strongly marked as to leave t~ pon the reader the .· impression that Byron vv :::. ~~ not J. ffiict ed with the shrinkihg- modesty of th e violet.

A lthough Chilcl e Harold 's P ilgrimage is, so far as it goes, autobiographical, yet Byron had at first thought of concealing his identity und er the name of Harold . . To accomplish this design Byron resorts to a ruse calculated to deceive the reader into believing that t h e pilgrim is a pleasure-sated knight of some former age, who starts out in quest of diversions., The quaint artifice which h e uses in v iew of effecting this purpose consists 'in calling Harold

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not a knight or a lord, but in giving hi:u1 't he old title of Childe; and in sprinkling his diction with old and obsolete words so as to give his poem an air of antiquity. For ii1st::mce, he uses the word mote for ought or might; whilome for formerly; ne for never; hight for called, losel for vagabond; shent for disgraced; plaisaunces for plaisances; joyaunce for joyance. It is remarkable, however, that this artifice is i11-sustained, for even in the first canto the poet abandons it and forgets to use any bqt current or modern English words. Again, he destroys what illu ~ion he might have hoped to produce by this ill-marJ:aged rnirage when Childe Harold is made to express opinions on _quite modern ' events, such as the battle of Waterloo, and to discourse upon the modern characteristics of peoples: things quite inconsistent with the character of a mediaeval ~knig}lt, who is not represented as a prophet. The poet throws off all di.sguise towards the end of the third canto, and in the fourth canto he speaks out in his own name. Childe Harold has disappeared: "I stood in Venice on the bridge of 'sighs." 路 As to the hero's character, such as it is revealed to us m this poe.m, we can say . that it agrees in .the. main with what is known of Byron's personality. Even admitting that Byron has been extravagant in painting his own vices, it is certain, as Scott mildly puts it, that this poem gives us no good symptoms of Byron's heart ahd 'morals. Here Byron represents himself as a sad losel, a worthless fellow , who disgraced an honored name, who, upon reaching manhood, had tasted pleasure unto nauseating satiety, who was so sick at heart and so disgusted with his fellow revellers and paramours,-flatterers all and h eartless parasites, that he fled from his native land and even felt incline'd t o seek the shades of hell , just for a change of scene.

Hence, pleasure-drugged, he leaves without a sigh his laughing dames that "long had fed his youthful appetite"; he路 leaves his estates and his home and his "goblets that had brimmed with evthese not to seek a desert . ery costly vine," But h e abandons in which to shed tears of penitential regret,-but to seek distraction in other pleasures. Once only, while in a mountain solitude, in pensive mood, conscious reason whispered to him to despise his early youth, misspent in maddest whim; but as his aching eyes

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grew dim at thus ga zin g on truth h e s hakes him self fr ee from this "moping fit " a nd onward h e pu sh es in eage r chase fo r th e diversion of cha ng ing sce n es He see m s as incapab le of rem orse, of saluta ry sorrow as h e is now di s inclined t o pursu e t h e p leas ur es of sen se, " th e ha rl ot and th e bowl" (so r8) 0

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H e is now m orbidl y mo rose

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Beauty's eyes h ave no cha rm

for hi m He is g iven t o loathin g his ,present st at e He is w ithout hope V ice had buri ed all his h op es H is is the unrestin g doo m of cursed Cain T h e sparkling eyes of Spanis h m aid s may s hoot th eir fervent fl ash es ;-these love missiles but g la n ce off his " m a rble heart 0" T his m or a l dys p epti c ca,n. only de cla r e th e fruit luscious w hi ch n ow no lon ger h as power t o pl ease his palate As with th e wand erin g J ew, th e ceaseless g loo m of con scious g uilt shuts out from him all possibility of r est in this life a nd all hope of a bett er fat e afte r death It see m s it is especially for this cru shin g wea rin ess caused by the over s hadow ing thou g ht of his He poses n ot blig hted life, th at h e pl eads for pity, fo r sym pathy as a m odel, b ut r ath er as a n obj ect of pity Scott th in ks it t akes im pud ence equal t o L o r d Byr on 's oth er powe rs t o pl ead g ravely for sym path y fo r his ennui , his lass it ude caused by the loss of his How ca n h e se rious ly as k u s t o fellow wassa il ers and paramo urs com p ass ion ate his ev il s w h en h e conf esses him self a rank, an incurab le pessimi st and a di sciple of the phil osop h y of despair ? If th er e is a cl ear m oral sense t o this piece of co mposition it is th e solem n warning w hi ch it gives t o all those who mig ht fee l inclined t o fo llow th e doctrin es of Epicuru s an d Shope nhaur T h ose w ho surren de r them selves t o th e r ec kl ess and sh a m eful excesses of sensu al indulgen ce w hi ch t h e philosoph y of pl eas ure will lead th em into w ill inevitabl y w an der into th e black for es t of pessimis m a nd despair.

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Speaking of a S panish r ecluse, B yron says : "Deep in y on cave H onoriu s long d id elw ell, In hope t o m erit h eaven by m akin g earth a hell."

T his h ermit soug ht t o san ctify himself th ro ug h r etirem ent, solitu de, silence, praye r an d m o rtifi cation A ll this, acco rdin g t o Byron , is m ak in g earth a h ell for one's self Byro n was no ascetic, 0

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tnuch less a mystic. He here profess-e s his disbelief in the efficacy of penitential exercises for curbing the passions. St. Paul chasti zed his body for that purpose. Byron leaves out of count the s uperior delig hts which flood the souls of contemplatives.

He would th en have us believe that it is by the gratification of all desires that we can make a heaven of earth, that is, attain s upr eme happin ess ri ght h ere on this dusty globe. Thus would come about th e r eh abilitation of th e fle sh c~ r e amt of by Cabanis, B roussais, Saint Simon. To b e well-fed anirnals do es not seem a ·ve ry hi gh aim for men. To make t~1i s earth a paradise, that is, to spend all c ur efforts to make our hom es the delightful abodes of lu x ury, of afflu ence, of peace and of love and to be satisfied to bask in indolent en joym ent of this Eden unto th e end of our natural lives, ig noring the while any other high er destiny-all this is unsound philosophy, b ecause it is converting m eans into an encl. And even we re this ea rthl y felicity th e summum bonum, it could n either be attained nor preserved without the constant r ep ression of many dangero us natural inclinations. And' should it enter into th e minds or h earts of these supposedly happy mortals to scale th e summits of intellectual or moral eminence, th ey would soon discover- that th ese feats are impossible without mighty effort; and that g reat effort calls for . qualities quite th e opposite of the dispositions dev eloped by self-indul gence .

Pythagoras, Socrates,· Plato and the ·s toics · had saner views by far 0~1 this s't_to'e jct than many of our own nioclerrt would-b e pagans, among whoni. . Ch:.i ftle Harold, · alias George Gordon Byron, can easily be classed. Byroll. l.l.1 ad e his own 'life miserabl e by actin g qt1ite the opposite . of -tli:e saint ly Honorius,· and there is no tellin g how rriahy domesti'c ' Edens he defiled, how many happy lives h e wreck~d in acting OtH his own bad principles: A few more m en lik.e Honorius make t h e world fak e· a' sererier aspect; a few more men lik e Byron would soon inake the earth as inhabitable as h ell itself.

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THE 路VIA TORIAN.

DANIE;L

O~CONNELL. ~-

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0 bear the name of statesman and orator, just.l y, and above all, to act up to the exalted standard of manhood, implied in the term Christian, is surely $ufficient to glorify and ennol)l e any man and to make him an exemp lar to which his race and

nation may turn their eyes for guidance and inspiration. 路 The bare consideration of what these titles stand for is sufficient to make this clea r. A statesman is one who devotes his talents and energies to the welfare of his fellow-men ;, who seeks to enfold the humbl est citizen in the land with the protecting mantle of just law, and to sec ure for every man .the exer~ise of his inherent rights.

This is the ordinary scope of statesma~ship. But there are higher , nobler, grander displays of this mat nificent science. He may justly take his place in the front rank . of statesmen, who lifts the galling yoke of iniquitous laws from the unoffending necks of millions of hi s countrymen; who dries the scalding tears of his cruelly scourged fellow-citizens, and allows them to breathe the sweet air of lib erty ' and security. All this I claim for Ireland's greatest and most beloved son- the immortal liberator, Daniel O'Connell- 路 st at esman, orator and uncompromising Christian.

Why do we today hold this man in such high esteem? Why do we love, honor, and venerate his name? Why do we so fervently perpetuate and immortalize his memory? In a word, what has he done, what great work has he performed that his name is enshrin ed in every Irish heart and in the memory of every Irishman?

Befor e answering these questions let us cast our thoughts . some few centuries back and briefly investigate the sad condition of Ireland b efor e O'Connell appeared upon the arena.

T hat Ireland has been the most afflicted of nations, no man will deny; and never ., was her grief, her affliction, her misfortune g r eater ; n ever was her clark hour darker than at the close of the 18th century. She was cruelly oppressed and persecuted by the tyrannical government of England, as no nation or people had evet路

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been befor e . England had framed a code known as the P enal L aws, w hich Montes qui eu said could have been " made only by devils, and should ·be r egistered only in hell. " Under these unjust and ri go rous laws, a Catholic Irishman was barely allowed the rig ht to live, and scarcely could he lift his hand without violating th e law. It seems oppressive, cruel, shamefu l in the eyes of men that a powerful nation trample under foot , crush and enslave a weaker, an inoffensive p eo pl e, and impose on them the· galling yoke of oppression and t y ranny; but how far more tyrannical and hateful in the eyes of God and man does a nation appear, which not only ens laves and tyrannizes a people thus, but even seeks to enter the very sanctuary of th eir souls . and to bind with chains and shackles their ve ry co nscience, their free-will, denying them that wh ich i-s most dear to m en,-the exercise of their religious, their spirit ual duties-the worship of the true God. This was how E ng land treated and trampled upon th e Irish people, almost denying th em the ri g ht of existence . It is no wonder, then, that this ''Ireland of . Saints and Scholars,'' chained and shackled by the cru el bonds of oppression, was in such a sad condition that one o£ her most cherish ed poets has thus described her: · "0 Ireland, m y co untry , the hour of thy pride and thy splendor hath passed, A nd the chain that was spurned in thy moments of 1iower hangs heavy around th ee at last!

There are mJ.rks in th e fate of each clim e, there are turns in the fort unes of m en; B ut the changes of r ealm s or the chances of time shall neve r r est or e th ee a gain."

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"In th e nations thy place 1s left void; thou art lost in th e list s of the free; Even realms by the plague and the earthquake destroyed may r ev ive, but no hope is for the e."

It was at this ve ry moment when th e nation's spirit was broken, w h en all hop es bad b een abandoned, wh en she seemed to have rep,ched the limit of h er sufferigns and· humiliations, that O ' Connell-then a young man, witho1,1t arm s 1 witho1,1t · rank, without

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wealth, without renown-threw himself in front of the people and begged them to make one more effort. The people, dispirited, disunited, broken-hearted, turned a deaf ear to him. They were unwilling to make another effort. In vain they had fought and toiled and labored. They had now given up all hopes; for they had seen every attempt lead but to the scaffold. This was the people with whom O ' Connell had to deal; a people whose repeated failures had driven them to the verge of despair. Bt1t O ' Connell said: "I will forge these four millions of Irish hearts into a thunderbolt, which shall suffice to clash this despotism to pieces."

The ablest of her statesmen-Swift, Grattan, Emmet, Flood, Sheridan, Curran and Burke, had given their lives to Ireland, but after all what was she? A slave, still clamoring for justice, at the feet of England. It was O'Connell, by his devotedness, his patriotism, his untiring zeal, who moulded these millions of disunited dispirited and broken-hearted people into a strong and formidable band, and compelled England to yield to their demands. He demanded justice for Ireland, and the emancipation of the Catholics.

He did what Grattan told the Irish people on many occasions: "Keep knocking at the union"; and England was forced to yield point after point. And where is Ireland today? Her chains and shackles have fallen off one by one, and now she stands on almost an equal footing with England. All this has O ' Connell clone for Ireland. Yes, and even more-he has layed the foundation, the corner-stone of Ireland's freedom and future greatness; 路 he has deeply implanted in her blood-stained soil the seed of sweet liberty, which shall be reaped in some future generation; and the last and patriotic words of the immortal Emmet: "When my _country takes her place~, among the na ~icr, s of the earth, then, and not till then, let my epitaph be written," shall 1~ e realized, and his epitaph shall be inscribed in letters of gold e n the marble shaft which a grateful nation shall raise to perpetuate the memory of its martyred hero.

Is it, then, any wonder that the Irish people, wherever scattered, love, honor and cherish deep in their heart of hearts the name of O'Connell? Well may they exclaim, "Gratt?,n sat by the cradle of his country, and followed her hearse; but it was left for O'Connell to sound the resurrection trumpet 1 and show that she was not dead, but sleeping."

THE VIATORIAN. Aft er v iewing th e marvelous success of O'Connell as a statesman, let us. now consicl er his abilities as an orator. Wherein lay the g r eat charm by which O' Connell achieved such a wonderful s ucces s ? It was his marvelous, his pFodigious eloquence. As an orator he is uns urpass ed in modern . times; and we may search the reco rds of history in vain to find another man who united millions of his country m en, and inspired them with such lofty and burning aspirations, with s uch an unquenchable fire of patriotism as di d the great O'Conn ell. His oratorical eloquence and skill consist ed not so much in th e splendor of ,his diction; not so much in fin e exp r ession s and rounded periods; but it consisted in the powerful grasp with which he handled the most vital questions; in his deeply r eso nant and thundering voice; in his majestic app earant e ; in th e eye bea min g with intelligence and humor ; in the uplifted a rm , emp hasizing every g lorious maxim of freedom and r eligion.

He was gi ft ed w ith a wonderful m emory, a powerful and compreh ensive intellige nc e, a mos t fertile imagination, a penetrating geniu s, a most t end er · and loyal heart, a truly noble and generous s p1nt. He knew h ow to conciliate in the highest degree the affection, devotedness and loya lty 'of his countrymen; and had such a pow er over th ei r mind s and h e'irts as to obtain from th em whatever he desired. H is invincible firmness of mind; the superiority of hi s genius; his truly nobl e and generous heart; his great and untirin g e:-1ergy of so ul ; and above all a most consummate prudence und er th e m cst try ing circumstances were the means by which 1-c endeared him self to his people and won their love, respect and admiration. O'Connell has a still higher and broad er title than that of " Lib erator. "

It was he who invented; it was he who layed

the co rn e r- ~ to n e of th e g r eat m ethod of constitutional a g itat ion, and the "fir st -g r eat agitator" is the title by which he is universally known, and his proudest titl e to gratitude and fam e. "This," says Father Burke, "is the fir st and greatest victory of peaceful principle v.r hi ch the world has eve r witnessed, the grandest triumph of truth and justice, th e most glorious victory of the genius of one 1nan."

B ut, after all the final a nd supreme test by which every man 1-1\.l.St b ~ m ~as ured; th e only ~·e num~ crit ~r i Qn of true greatnes~ is

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not what he has clone,, not what he has, but what he is . We must measure him not by the brilliancy of his genius, not by the greatness of his power, not by the vastness of his influence, but by the grandeur, the nobility, the truth and beauty of his life. Now the most perfect, the cleepe. s~, the holiest, the most comprehensive law of right-living ever taught fo-r the guidance of man's conduct is, . without question, the 'sublime teachii1g of the gospel-Christianity.

Consequently, in the last analysis he must be accounted the greatest and highest. typ~ . of man. who mo.s t fully conforms his conduct to the standard of l'ofty action taught by Christ. This is the solid title to enduring great1~ess. which I claim for O'Connell-that he was. a whole-souled, praCtical, earnest, fearless Christian.

Before him lay two .. yvp.ys of life: one led to all the world prized- wealth, glory, title, fame; to the council chambers of the nation; to the highest plaees of distinction in the land. The promptings of youthful ambition, the stirrings of genius which he already felt ,. the consciousness of vast intellectual power placed a ll these grand prizes within his easy grasp, and strongly urged him to enter this golden field, 路 to grasp this grand opportunity. The other way led to humiliation, privation, hatred and contempt; it was a way of danger and of blood and it had ever before ended in defeat; a way in which the noblest patriots of the land .had trodden to a most . shameful death on the infamous scaffold. Nevertheless, it was for O'Connell a way made glorious by the sufferings of his forefathers; sanctified by the blo,od of martyrs and patriots, and illumined by the cross of Christ. Yet he who entered here was bidden to leave all worldly hope behind. It required a man of an extraordinary strength of character, of unshaken faith to resist such temptations. O'Connell \.'~:2-S such a man a true and fearless Christian, and I claim for 4im the 路wisdom and courage of choosing the latter path. Sacrificing the v ast gains of his profession, and loudly proclaiming his religion, he cast in his lot with his people, and devoted his life, his time, his energies and his power with untiring zeal to the cause of right; to the cause of justice and humanity; to the cause of his suffering countrymen- the emanc'ipation of the Catholics. "\TV ere it only to Ireland," says the great Lacordaire, "th?-t emancipation has been profitable, where is the man 路 in the ch.u rch who has freed at once seven millions of souls? Challenge

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'Y((')ut recollection· ·s-earch history from that ·first and famous edict

which granted to the Christ.i:ans liberty of conscience; and 'See ·ff ·there are to be found many such acts comparable by the extent of · their .effects with that of Catholic Emancipation! Seven millions . ®f souls are now free to serve and love God even to the end of time; and each time that this free people ,advancing in their existence and their liberty, shall recall to memory the aspect of the man who studied the secret of their ways, t.hey will ever find inscribed :the name of ·O ' Connell, both on the latest pages of their servitude and -on the first of their regeneration !"

O'Connel had a two-fold mission to perform; and now that he haCJ. successfully accomplished the cr~wning act of his life, Catholic emancipation, he turned his thoughts ·to the secondgrand objectthe repeal of the union. For ten long and weary years h~ sat in the British parliament, amidst the'/' bitterest opposition, hatred, ti. valry and contempt, fighting for Ireland's rights, for Ireland'.s freedomJ demanding justice for that people which he loved with a love next only to that oi his religion and of his God; but, alas! before he had time to execute this grand design, the angel of death spread ' his devastating wings over the .lad~, and the sad news of famine, misery and death went from mouth to mouth. Famine, in 'its most frightful and horrible forms, raged through the land. The strong ·man, the aged widow, the orphan and the tender maii::len alike turning their white lips to heaven in t.he last faint cry for bread, succumbed to this dreadful visitation. J\fany found their way to the churches that .they might breathe their last in the presence of their God. When the aged fa.t her .of his country beheld this sad spectacle, and had not the means to save them, his heart-that tender, that brave, that true, loyal and generous heart, broke within his b-osom. The aged man arose from his bed and directed his tottering steps towards Rome, the holiest spot on earth, to plead for his suffering people; but, alas! afar off on the shores of the Mediterranean he breathed forth his pure spirit. His last request was: "When I am dead, take out my heart and send it to Rome; let my body be brought back to mingle with the dust of Ireland!"

Thus passed away one of the grandest and noblest characters that adorn the pages of history. There may have been men of more profound learning, m en of greater genius than O ' Connell; but

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there are few_who possessed so many and such brilliant and strik.- . ing qualities so marvelously blended together in such exquisite harmoi1y. If everything be well considered; if we call to mind the .i1~.~ · numerable odds which he had to encounter, together with his un~ . .. ' daunted and successftll perseverance, few will be found who m~r:ited as high commendations; still fewer who evinced und er all possible occasions, under such trying and distressing circumstances a gre~ter energy of soul, a greater fort.i tude, and a 111.0re consumate prudence; and none, per.haps, who, placed in the same or in a like situation, confronted by such innumerable, tremendous and seen1ingly insurmountable difficulties, ever equalled him, or could hav e achieved such a grand success, such' a glorious triumph. In this point of 'view O'Connell seems to stand alone; in- this chiefly must 1' he app ear to· every one as an extraoh:linary man; a man truly worthy ofthe gratitude of not only the Irish people, but of all christendotn, whose c:ause he so valiantly espoused. And when we consider his devoted patriotism , his rare disinterestedness; the glorious and ennobling principles of truth and justice which he instilled into the · hearts of his people; his' grand, inspiring faith; his ardent 7.eal for his holy religion; the grand and edifying example which he left, not only to the Irish people,· but to the whole world; the lofty, generous purpose of his ·whole life: when we today recall those grand, noble and inspiring principles which illustrate his life, we can say: "His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up 1 And say to all the world, 'This was a man.' ' D. O'D.

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RICHARD II.

HAT theme i more effecti

in arou ing men to deeds of valor and reno n in awakening dormant nations to pro. teet th ir h n r and their in titutior: , than the inspiring a :: ent of patrioti m. "rhe ;vorld ·s great· h roe ha e found thi motive of ~ uch influence and import a to acrifice life, friend and fortune in order to ~ n ·e their co untr · can e. Even the peru al of the grand eff )rts f uch her . i s ufficient to tir the heart of humanity, to r u, e men to perform like deed f r their country' welfare and happine . Man f the rna ter orators and rit er of all age ha e found no 1 £tier ubject in hich the might di play their genius. Even the imm rtal hake peare ha infu ed into one of his drama a brilliant array of patriotic sentiment wh ich no doubt be peak the love and affection which he b re t v ard the land f hi birth. \Vith uch feeling i the tragedy of Richard II. all thrilling and Iikevvi e doe it become an incentive t noble th ught and action .

"This earth of maje ty, thi seat f ~ ar 'This other Eden, clemi-paradLe, Thi fortre built by .l r ature for herself gainst infection and the land of v ar, Thi happy breed of men, this little ri a, This precious tone set in the ilver ea."

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What a tribute to the Briton and what a powerful incentive t hearts which beat with bravery i the reply of Mo bray to the terrible accusation f Bolingbroke: "Call him a landerous coward and a illain.

Which t maintain I would allow him odd , And meet him were I tied to run afo t Even to the frozen ridges of the lp , Or any other ground inhabitable."

'rBE Vra-T.o:RrAN.

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And, again: "As gentl.e and as jocund as to jest, go I to fight."

We behold, moreover, the stately bearing and faithfulness of spirit amongst the nobles anq all these qualities so proudly predominant.

" 路My honor is my life; both grow in one; Take honor fr.o~11 me, , and my life is done:In that I live and for that will I die."

With such models of bravery and .dignity, Shakesp eare has supplied rich material for a careful study of his rac e, and left high ideals to s1,1cceeding makers of history.

Of probably greater importance;, however, are the characters themselves, who afford us mean scope for the study of human nature. The principal ones introduced are Richard, Bolingbroke and the Duke of York, yet the others bear close relation to the action and, in some cases, reach a height of dramatic power which leads one to forget for the moment the greater personages. Richard is a character who does not favorably impress the reader, but he afford s an insight into that class of men whose wavering character is the sco rn of their associates. Surely Richard is a man of weak action, displaying a woeful lack of such strength as should of necessity exist in a man whose high position demands the exercise of force. This weakness amounts in many cases to a certain effeminacy, which, when weregard his rank, makes him but the more 'despicable.

We may first examine those traits of mind which were the direct consequences of his deficient character and which are so well presented by Shakespeare.

First, he was insincere. Such friends as he had were quickly forgott en if the scaleof favor turned but slightly against thern. Thus loudly does he rail at Busky, Green and Bagot, his erstwhile compamons : "0 villains, vipers, dan;ru 'ed without redemption! . . . Three. J udases, eachon!e thrice worse than Judas!"

Another ex ample of his weakness is demonstrated in his vacillatin g mind. This is, perhap s, hi.s most noticeabie fanlt, and thoug h h e endeavors to. conceal his actions in the garb of deceit,

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th e least question of his powers betrays his woeful lack of moral force and utter want of constancy: ''B ut 11ow the blood of twenty thousand men Did triumph in my face . . . . .

And, till so much blood thither come again Have I not reason to look pale and dead?"

B ut a possibility remains in the decrepit Duke of York, a vain hope . how eve r : "High b our thoughts ; I know my uncle Hath pow er enough to serve our turn."

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Are not su ch fee bl e essays condemnable in a man whose only int e re ~ t s hould be th e protectio11路 and advancem ent of his govern- 路 m ent, w hos e actions should portray the boldness and courage of an unconquerable spirit ? Richard even stooped to the level of a culprit .wl1en h e tak es m ean advantage of the unfortunate family ot Hereford. The fath er dead, the son banished, he seizes the possessions of this famil y , an act which finally brought retribution , a nd for w hi ch he paid th e price of his crown. \ Ve L :.. Ye ~ aid that he was effeminate. This is supported by a g enerJ l v iew of his dependency upon oth ers, even th ose weaker t h an himself, and t be tenor with which h e viewed sudden r evers es. ''This earth shall have a feeling and th ese sto nes Prove ar m ed soldi ers, ere her native kin g Sh a ll falter und er foul rebelli on's arms."

A nd , a little later in th e same scene: "Revolt our subj ects? That we cannot mend; They break their faith to God, as well as us !'t A nd, again: " I liv e with bread like yo u, feel want; tast e grief, N eed friend s :-subjected thus, H ow can you say to me, I am a king?"

Y et let us end eavor not to take an entirely pessimisti c view of Ri chard . W e must surely give him cr edit for an evide nt tinge of kinc1n ess 1 w hich lur ked secreted am idst the in cons ist entcy of his

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·nature. However, his benevolence can cast but a faint ray of praise, o'ershaclowed as it was by his detestable weakness of character. Another factor in his favor was his love of conventionality, of ever observing the highest dignity and formality at court.

This fact attests his respect for established customs and the regard in which he wished to be held. More essentially the latter, for surely the se formalities were of greatest aid in drawing from his subjects the estimation which was his clue by descent ap_d established custom, an estimation of which Richard was sorely in need and which l:J.e so little deserved.

In a word, Richard II. was remarkable for his wavering character, the cause of hs infidelity, inconstancy and vaCillatiHg mind.

A man who can rule a great nation under such difficulties is worthy of note, and in studying him we can but conclude that we are viewing the better side of the English people's nature, their respect and support of their monarchs.

In. Bolingbroke we have a character worthy of serious reflection. Many critics have likened him to Richard III., yet his talents do not display themselves as clearly as those of this crafty · monarch. Furthermore, he is unlike Richard III., inasmuch as genius is his· agent for ambition. Yet can we _boldly declare that his ambition soared above patriotic and just motives? Even when Richard is in his power he grants him opportunity for honorable retribution and safety, however, with a certain feeling · of self-impo ·t-aJ1Ce : "Even at his feet to lay my arms and power Provided that my banishment repealed And lands restored again, he freely granted."

We must concede that Bolingl::- roke is worthy of the title noble, since he appears the soul of honor and gracious bearing, willing to trust and desirous of rewarding his benefactors: "I count myself in nothing else so happy As in a soul remembering my good friends."

Above all he is the fearless English nobleman of old, displaying with proud and loyal spirit the dauntless courage which $eem.~

THE VIATORIAN. but as a part of his being, and which is ih such direct contrast to Richard II .

York is the faithful support of Ri chard, the guardian of h is kingdom. He is ever loyal to his word, and his boundless faith in Richard, even though he receives no r et urn from his good advices, will not allow him to forsake the king. He is the victim of circumstances and though his age adds clignit,y to the nbble projects he advances, the vigor of youth is lacki1~g:. for the execution. He is a I model patriot as well as adviser, avo~ving allegiance to the crown even so far as to yield the life of his :only son'; and this of his own accord. h1 this connec.tion ensues a _scene of dramatic power, intensely impressive and of th e hi g hest order. In presence of the painful voice of duty, York stands ui1moved, whereas the duchess displays the deepest emotions of a mother's love: "Forever will I And never see 路 . . . until By pardoning

walk upon my knees, clay that the happ y sees thou bid me joy Rutlond, my路 transgressing boy."

And more: "Our knees shall kneel ti'll to the ground they grow!"

And Bolingbroke hears her prayer, tl'. e appeal of a he路a rt held by but 路a thread of hope.

It is somewhat difficult to criticize many passages which Shakespeare has introduced into this tragedy unl ess we have a keen insight into the customs and liberties of his clay. Thus many have ob jected to what are termed misplaced puns, yet the "Barel of Avon '~ has but seemed to take advantage of the spirit or fault, if you will, of fancies so popular in his age. This tragedy is, perhaps, the choicest legacy which Shakespeare has left in the form of historic dramas , at least from the standpoint of the student of history.

N one are more -vvorthy of serious reflection, for in this sp lendid piece of historical painting an admirab le insight is given into the ch::t racter and manners of the times, as well as the vicissitudes, the heartaches and frequent misfortunes of princes and rulers. The eYe nts of history form the textt1re into which the lives of the char-

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:lCterS are closely ' W0'ven, while in most of his other historical dramas events are but a background to which the characters are af-

fixed.

The tragedy of Richard II. has many qualities which will conduce to its preservation for succeeding ages. It is¡ a lasting monument of the power of the gn~at genius who has infused such life and action ihto its characters.

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THE VIATORIAN. Published monthly by the students.

Edited by the students of St. Viateur 's College, Bourbonnais Grove, Ill. All correspondence must be addressed: THE VIATORIAN, Bourbonnais, Ill. Subscription price, one dollar per year, payable in aova,nce.

Entered at the Bourbonnais P . 0. as second class matter.

BOARD OF EDITORS. J. LYNN,

R~ R;~CJi[;EJR, .

s. SULLIVAN; .

P. J. DUFAULT·, J. DRENNAN,

W. J. CLEARY, W. MAHER.

EDITORIAL. LASSES were resumed on Thursday, September 4· Never in the history of the college have so many students been re. ceivecl during the first week. The number increases steadily from clay to clay. The attendance has now reached last year's maximum. This certainly indicates that the present will be a recordbreaking year for St. Viateur's. The Viatorian extends a cordial welcome to all the students.

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"Here or' nowh er e, now or never Let each one strive with best endeavor. n Students, let this be your motto , clin g to it with fixed resolve, act always n accordance with it. In a short time the results will be evident. Some men never find themselves in the right place.

If they act wrongly, their surroundings are to be blamed; if they clo not make progress, their envi ronm ents · retard them. Oh, if they were but elsewhere, what would they not accomplish!

Unfortunately, they can never locate that elsewhere, even with the aiel of the most complete atlas. All at times are attracted by distant charms which, on b eing approached, vanish and again reappear still further. If you wish to achieve anything, if you desire to mak~ men of yoruselves you must learn to be content with yo ur pres·ent position and utili ze it to the best advantage.

Let not g loomy thoughts tak e possession of the sanctuary of vour mind . Like tiresome visitors they are slow in takin g leave

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and their presence r enders on e incapable of fruitful effort.

Here, not elsew here, as far as the present is concerned, you are call ed upon t o be " up and doing."

Now is the tim e t o sow the seed if you expect to reap th e harvest h er eaft er. Today's \vork mu st not be deferr ed until to-m orrow. Anoth er work awaits th e morrow. Spend not your time in fruitl ess irresolution concerning- what yo u will do. You hav e your tasks assigned. Do them well and overburden not your minds with too anxious thoughts about the r esults . Time ancl th e thou·sand sec r et influ en ces which Providence brin gs to bear up on th e development of the human i11ind, will make the seeds wh ich you sow, spro ut, grow, blossom , and bear frui t a hundredfold. The acorn r equires a hundr ed year s to reach th e full development of the stately oak . Feveri s h a nx iet y to put th e finishin g tou ch es on our work oft en r etards,if it does not altogether destroy,the work intended. No masterpiece was ever produced in a hurry. The p erfect st atu e bas long b een conceived in the mind of th e artist before he seek:; the m a rble on which to reprodu ce his conception. His tools need repeated s harp en~· n gs before he gives to his idea a concrete form. We too are scul ors. The marble on which we work is an immortal soul. Th t ools which we u se are thought and action.

The masterpiece whiO'~ each is to produce is a perfect man. This of course is a work v/J hi ch will cease only with the last throb of our life-giv ing h earts. But eve ry throb as it adds to the life and strength of the ph:Yisical man should likewise indicate progress in the development of what is high and nobl e within us. Each moment as it drifts us close r t o the shores of eternity should aJso bring u s closer to wisdom and goodness. If you strive thus to advance st eadily in slow, natural and healthy intellectual growth, you will learn to make all that is fair and nobl e in life a part of your own b eing. _ T h en the bread which will nourish your inner life will be the manna of life's tru est happ iness, which you will not eat alone, but, with a genero us hand share with your fellow m ~n and find in the distribution a constant multiplication of your supply.

It is Vi'Ond erful what you can acco mplish when you set your ;·n inds firmly on any task. Obstacles may tower up rnoupta.in-like befo r e you , your path may be steep and rugged, the biting bl·a.st of advers ity may sm ite your che eks, no sympathfti:€. friend may be

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near to apply the balm of consolation to your bleeding breasts; but if, with firm step and hearts aglow with determination, you stride 11pward and onward, brushing aside all that would thwart your progress, you will e路ventually rise above the commonplaces of life, and with hearts strengthened by activity, find yourselves prepared for greater achievements. One obstacle overcome enables you to surmount two others. The lessons of today well learned fit you for the more difficult ones of tomorrow. E x ert not the mind in . useless erideavor to find knowledge without labor. Set it down as a first principle that your mental capacity is in proportion to your mental labors, modified b.y the manner in which you execute them.

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THE VIATOI-U AN. EXCHANGES.

E are pleased to have before us at the beginning of, this s-c holastic year so many college journals that abound with essays, debates, orations and poetry. Indeed 1 we w is h that the numbers tor June and July were " double numbers ," as there is a fre shn ess and flavor of originality to be found in th e w 路r itings of stud ents during th ese two months that seldom appear. at other times. This we believe is owing, in some measure, to a more careful preparation of the subjects treated, on the part of th e wri t ers; but especially to th e fact that they have made progress in the art of writing during th e preceding months. Surely ther e is 11othing that can g ive a young writer more encouragement than this o n e co nsider ation: to know that he has made progress , and hence t h at he is capabl e of making still g reater progress. While we adJ11ire th e talent di splayed by the writers who have contributed art icl es to th e r espective journals which are now upon our table, w e express the hope that ~y will continue to keep up th e good work fo r th e year '02 - '03. / "The Fo rdham;~v'Io nthly " for July is replte wth interesting and up-to-date t opics,.J ut we must make special mention of the articles: R:ttionalism in tf~ Press, in the School-room and in the Pulpit.

The writers havf treatedtheir subj ects in a forceable and masterly way and this , to}, at a most opportune tim e-wh en so many of our Ame rcan yo uth ~ have th e tendency t o place t oo mu ch confid ence in their r easonin g' powers. The poems, " In Me moriam ," 0 Salutaris Hos tia," and "The College Cemete ry, '' are we ll written; but what appeals to us m os t is th e high and nobl e sentiments which th ey b r eathe . uThe U nive rsity of O ttawa Review" has a well-written and instru ctive article entitl ed "Those Filipinos." In this the writer s h ows how unjustly the S panish friar s are characterize d as a body Df avaricious and co rrupt m en, b esides h e points out the fact that -t hey have contributed 路i ncomparably more toward the conversion o f the heathen than their accusers, n otwithstanding the two great fo r ces w hi ch th e latt er had at th eir disposal-dollars and free B ibles .

We have r ead with no littl e surprise in the commencement

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n umb er of "Th e Spectator" the fo llowing extract, taken from "Aug ustana J ournal : ''Th 'Away from Rome' move m ent is sp reading, and has also entered I taly. Every effort ha been made t o keep the Protestants out of Italy, but it seems that th ey are all quite unavailing. A t the present . time ther e arc P rotestant services in at least 300 places in Ital y. In addition to these there are 12 congregations belonging to the Catholic Italian church, 42 Methodi t congregations, 12 congregation and 40 preaching tations are in the hand s of th e Episcopalians, and the Baptists have 8o congregations and preaching places . In this way is the good wo rk kept up and developed, in pite of all oppositio n on th e part of the Roman church. " The fa.ct that all t h ese various sects and preaching p laces, which are so car efully enum erated above, exist in Ita ly, is not, after all , o wonderfu l. V\' eeds are som et im es to be found growing in the mo t fertile gardens., in s-p it e of eve ry effort on the part of the gardener to eradicate them-even in Italy. . s for t he preaching place we are all aware of their importance. A dry goods box placed at the corner of some sicle ~ treet and a Dible are about a ll that is requir ed to co nstitu te such a place-preacher 2.rc only too numerou . But it wo uld appear that the Spectator is jubilant over the numb er of sects and preaching place , ince it devotes valuable space in its "exchange column " to this extract. ~ow, since truth is es entially one, indivisible and un chrt_n geable, and hence, sin ce th ere can be but one relig ion t hat is true, we wo uld like to know how the Spectator or th e one w ho first penned these lines can recon cile a number of ects, each professing different beliefs , with this one religion? I s it not evident to every thinking man that th e g reater the number of religious denominations that exi t in any country, the greater is the number of ouls in that country who are feel on wind instead? But this is precisely w h at Protestantism ancl a 路few of its legitimate chi ldren-the sects and congregations named in the extract-are doing for the inhabitants of Italy. And this is w hat路 i. called the good work that is being kept up in spite of a ll opposition on the part of the Roman cht\rch. \Ve would respectfull y suggest that the Spectator in future displaay better taste w hen se lecting an xtra t for its "exchange co lu mn." ]. LY r

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SILVER JUBILEES - .o f-

Rev. H. Boeckelman.

~ R~:y.

]. Lesage.

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REV. H. BOECKELMAN, Elkhart, Ind., -andREV. J. LESAGE, Aurora, Ill. N September of 1877, th e t wo r ever end jubilarians who were r ece ntly feasted were advanced to sacred orders. They had b0th been stud ent s of th e p_hilosop hy and divinity courses of. the coll ege and had lent the faculty th e aid of their talent as pPO'fesso rs in this institution. Both distinguished themselves by their zeal and tact as teachers, and gave promise of the successful minist ry, twenty-five years of w hi ch they have just rounded.

Students of the present ge neration feel a k een joy in the sue-

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ce路sses of their elders and also in the glory which they shed upon our common alma mater. We can look with but eager admiration and hearty applause upon the efficient work of those who have left these halls and gone forth to build churches and fill theni. with . devout worshippers. And when an in stitution begins to count the years of its ex istence by quarters of centuries it is an assuring sign of its solid stability in the mid st of the sw eeping changes of our fast g oing age. Hence th ese jubilees , th es e epochal dates are for us y oung students of St. Viateur's .oc casions of genuine delight and encouragement. They are opp ortunities we gladly seize of congratulating those worthy alumni upon their distinguished services to the sacred cause of religion during th ese many years, and of wishing them full many more years of blessed labor.

Rev. H. Boekelman celebrated his silver jubilee in St. Vincent's church, Elkhart, Incl._, on the 3rcl of September, and Rev. J. Lesage, in Sacred H eart church, A urora, Ill., on th e 9th of S eptember.

There w er e at both feas ts la r ge numb ers of form er students of St. Viateur's and fri ends of th e r eve r end. jubilarians . R't. Rev. lVfgr. G. M. L egri s , D . D. V ., R ev . JVI. J. Mar sil e, C . S . V. , and R ev. J. L. L aber ge, D . D ., r epresented th e co ll ege on th ese fes tal oc casions and w er e am on g th e numb er of those wh o made addresses .

R ev. Fath er L esa ge was th e recipient of a solid silver t ea-se t and many other valuabl e presents fr om his num erous fri ends. R ev.

Father Bo ek elman was present ed with a purse of n early $8oo and many oth er g ifts fr om his parishioners and his confr ees .

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RE CEPTION OF RT. REVEREND JULES CHATRON, D. D., Bishop of Osq.co, Japan.

EFORE the openi n g month of scbool drew to a close, it was our good fort un e to r eceive the honored visit of Rt. Rev. Jul es Ch atr on ,D. D., bishop of Osaco, Japan. The most reverend bi s hop, accompanied by th e Rt. Rev. Mo nsignor Legris, arrived at the coll ege F ri day, Septem ber 19, and was m ost co rdiall y re ceived by the priests and faculty.

Th irt y years have elap sed si n ce, as a humbl e missionary, Father Cl1atron went forth from. his native land, sunny France, t o sp t ead th e gospel of Christ in that land to w hi ch the g lad ti dings we r e fir st carried by t h e saintly Francis Xavier . D urin g this long period th e zealous missionary never left Jap o_n , but labo r ed there ince. santly to fulfill his sublim e mission, ever r eady t o r eceive the re (' omp ense which was given to so many of his fellow miss ionaries -the martyr's crown . T he h ealth of his g race, a路nd th e interest of th e church .in Japan made it neces~l::,Y fo r l1im to v isit this cou ntry .

On the morning after !1is arrival~ tb~_ l~~bratecl mass .

111 the co ll eg e chapel,路 a t w hi ch all the stud ents wer~ present. Very R ev . l\1[ . J. fl/{ars ile, C . S. V., was assistant pri est . That mornin g he was grve n a r ecep tion by the st ud ents and fac ulty in th e study hall. Mr . J. 1\tf. Kangley r ead th e following Add r ess of Welcome: " Your Lo r dship : With g r eat joy did we lea rn a few clays ago that a bishop from far-away Japan and a friend of our learned and devoted professor, 11onsignor Legris, was to v isit us. vVith eagerness did we look for~ard to the moment w h en we would have th e p leas ure to gather around yo n and bid yo u a h earty welcome t o our college home. Be welcome among those w hom your 路 fri end, fl/{onsignor L egris, not only h on ors by his sojourn amon g th em, but whom he loves eno u gh t o feed daily fr om the cop ious fund of his knowledge and whom h e daily edifies by his many virtues . Your acquaintance with Monsignor Legris and the hi g h esteem in which

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THE VIATORIAN. he holds you , both bid us op en wide the doors of the fri endliest hospitality and r ec eive you with the warmest affection.

The episcopal dignity which you b ear t ells us that you are a prince of the church, that you ar e inves t ed with th e plenitude of that sacerdotal power which rul es th e spiritual world. We feel honored by your princely presence and we w elcome you with all the resp ect which is clue to one who is v es ted -in the maj esty of Go clg1ven power.

"W e kn ow , t oo, that you are orie of thos e s elf-sacrificing missionaries of wh om the holy spirit exclaims: 'Blessed are th e feet of those wh o preach peace'; w e know that when you left your sunny France for distant J apan th e pious multitudes kiss ed your feet in w ishin g you God-sp eed on your so ul-saving journ ey ; w e kn ow that you are one of th e w orthy succe sso rs of th e saintly Francis X avi er , apostl es w hose li ves have all been san ctified by the m os t arduous labor , by pove rty and ever-trustful prayer. Believe us w h en we say it is with feelings of th e profoun dest r ever ence that we loo k . up to yo u a.s one of those elect souls w hom God uses t o work out th e con ve rsion of peoples . Be you, th en , thri ce w elcom e amon g us to bl ess and ch ee r our direct ors and t eachers, t o bl ess an d inspire those who ar e to b eco m e preachers of God's fecund wo rd and to bless a nd g ladd en all th e youn g gath ered h er e around yo u, th e lamb s of th e fl ock, w ho, li ke th e children w ho pressed around th e ge ntl e Christ, eage r fo r his car esses a nd bl essings, now lovin gly surround you a nd cr ave the favo r of your sage co unsel and patern a l blessin g . " A ft er thankin g th e stud ents for th eir fri endly g ree tin g, t h e m ost r ever en d bishop, spoke on th e con dition of th e chur ch in Japan . H is lecture was most inter estin g and instru ctive. I t aroused th e a dm iration of lli s au dience for th e zeal of St . F ranc is Xavier , th e h eroism of th e m issionar ies w ho succee ded t hat great apostle o f th e In dies and J apan an d, above all for th e g ran d constancy of th e converts t o th e faith . Th e distinguish ed p r elate also toucheel upon t he political situat ion in J apan and th e g r eat p rogress 路 w hich th at co untry has m a de t owards civilization.

H is g race left t h e college fo r Chicago, but we hope t o have t h e pleas ure of seeing him on ce mor e befor e his departur e for t h e land of h is labors.

THE VIATORIAN.

GOVERNOR RICHARD YATES' VISIT. OVERNOR YATES and many other prominent ment from various parts of the S ta t e did honor to the fact1lty and students by th eir v isit to the institution on Thursday, September I I. The v isit of th e fir st man of this great State 'of Illinois, of one w ho has been raised to that exalted position by the choice of a free people wo uld , at any time, b e a pleasure and an honor; but at the present time, w h en th e gove rnor has so many appointments, so much im portant wo r k to acco mplish, it is to be considered as do ubly s uch. O ur distinguished v isitor and those who had the honor of accompanying hi m, aft er r ece iving a cordial welcome from t h e p residen t, Ve ry Rev. lVJ: . J. lVI: a rsil e, were given a reception by the stud ent s and faculty, in the Entertainment hall. After the ech oes of th e applau se w hi ch g r eet ed his hono r had died away, Mr. J. M . McCarthy st epped forward and l路eacl th e following Address of We lcome: "Your Excellency: It is for us a pl ea ure as genuine as it was a n unexpected honor t o be able t o welco 11e you in our college home. Both the pleasure and the honor w 路ch you are doing us by your visit sh all b e long and g rat efull y r em e 1b er ed.

"We always appreciate as a very high bono indeed the p ersonal visit of on e whom P r oviden ce and th e con:fiden e of his fellow citizens have placed at th e head of the State, as the guardian of justice, the executor of law and th e defender of those sacred ri ghts upon which the social organism and all true civilization rest.

"It is ever a pleas ure for us to lay our tribute of respect at the feet of those to w hose car e are committed the momentous affairs of governors hip , and t o profess our loyalty to those who represent the supreme authority of th e St at e.

"I t is a source of pa rticular delight and encouragement for us yo un g men to greet your excellency, whose years still mark him a young man and one capable of deep interest in the youths of this Stat e. Your presence here as ou r gove rnor is a shining proof that youthfuln ess is no bar to promotion to the highest office in the gift of the people . It is a sign that th.e age places large confidence in

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its young manhood and that it is disposed to r eserv e for young men its highest honors, as well as its weightiest r esponsibilities.

"O nce- more h eartily greeting you, we assure you of our r espect and loyal regard."

Governor Yates arose to r espond and, in a short but eloqu en t spe路ec h , exp r essed his appreciation of the welcome extend ed to him , and also of th e proi'nising appearance of th e students and t h e g rand opportuniti es w hi ch were within th eir r each to prepare th em for that s u ccess whi ch , in a fr ee country like our s, li es ope n to men of persevering endeavo r . In th e course of his remarks, which were interspersed w it h strikin g comparisons a1: d nobl e fi g ures, he brought v ivid ly befo r e the minds of his auditors the necessity of labor , science and relig ion in education.

The oppo rtunity of meeting, h earin g and coming in close contact w it h a man who, in the ea rly years of life, h as forged hi s way through great obstac les to rioble achievements, certainly sh ould b e, for the young especia lly, an in centive w hi ch will nerve thetn t o endure manfully the h ards hips w hi ch must necessarily be und er gone to prepare them for the battle of life . The stu dents h ave been g iven an oppo rtunity s u ch as t his at the beginning of t h e s cholastic year; it is their d uty to profit by it. vVe w ish to thank Govern or Yates in a s p ecial manner for his friend ly vis it and w er e it not too" mu ch, to hop e that it may be r ep eated.

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PERSONALS. -Rev. J. H. Nawn, St. Mary's Church, Chicago, recently spent a very enjoyable d~lJ with his friends at the college. He was present at the reorganization of the elocutionary classes and gave the students a practical lesson in that art. His ability as an elocutionist needs no com.ment here. It will be our good fortune to hear him as a pulpit orator on October 21, when he will deliver the panegyric on St. Viateur. Although but a few years 路 in the ministry, Father N awn's success in sacred eloquence has already been assured. The Chicago Journal for September 22 devotes a whole column to a criticism written by JVIr. J. O'Donnell Bennett on a sermon which Father N awn recently preached at St. Mary's. From this appreciation of Father N awn's eloquence we quote the fol lowing: "Excepting _only a few discourses by the erudite and polished Jesuits, I have never heard such a stirring sermon from the lips of any Catholic as Father J oh~. N awn preached at St. Mary's. A young man, this priest, c~~ ~\ slender, animated, having clear, sharp eyes, a far-carrying, melodiot. s voice, much elegance of gesture, utterance and diction." The crit' goes on at length, analyizing the sermon and pointing out its m ny perfections. We need not remark further on this quotation; it , eaks for itself.

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-We were pl.eased to learn of the return of Rev. J. D. Laplante, C. S. V., to this country, after an absence of four years, spent in pursuing an advanced course in theology, at the seminary of St. Sulphice, near Paris, and at the seminary of Cambriai, France. Father Laplante made his studies in the classics and in philosophy here, winning in the latter the honors of the class of '94路 Leaving the college he entered the Novitiate of the Clerics of St. Viateur and, after the required probation, became a professed member of that order. He taught for a few years previous to his departure for Europe at the Holy N arne school, Chicago. As a student, Father Laplante was no less remarkable for his diligent application than for his good qualities of mind and heart. The many friends :which his kind, gentle, and affabte manners have already

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won for him will hear with pleasure of his advancement to the important position of 1viaster-of-Novices for the Chicago Province of his Order. The Viatorian wishes to congratulate Father Laplante and hopes that his efforts in' leading the young men committed to his care in the paths of religious perfection, may be crowned with a success equal to that which he achieved so often in the classrooms and .cle?ating halls of his Alma l\!Iater.

-Rev. J. Ryan, C. S . V., has resigned his pos1t1on as prefeCt of studies and discipline, which he had held for the past twelve years. As treasurer, he has now charge of the financial affairs of the college.

-Rev. W , J. Bergin, C. S. V., r ecently ordained, replaces Father Ryan in the prefectship. Father Bergin will also teach the Philosophy of History class.

-Rev. Brothers F. Clark and P. Brown are teaching at the Holy N arne school, Chicago. Rev. Brother Sheridan is teaching at St. Viateur's Normal Institute, Chicago. The Viatorian wishes them success.

- Rev Brothers Corbett, Quirk, Surprenant and Solon, formerly of the Holy N arn e school; also Rev. Brothers Brower and Hazen, of St. Viateur's Normal Institute, are stati on ed at th e college this year.

-Rev. B rother A. D. J'vlanville, C. S. V., whose connection 路 with the college extends back over a quarter of a century, has retired from active service to seek in the calm retreat of Novitiate life a well-earned rest . Brother 1vfanvill e, cluhng his many years at the college, has successfully filled the following positions: Professor of Telegraphy, Stenography and Music; he has also been procurator and assistant treasurer. The Viatorian is not unmindful of the reverend brother's connection with it in its early clays, and in return it wishes him health and happiness.

-Rev. Brother Senecal is expected t o return to the college in a few weeks. He has been in Canada since last June and, previous to that time, he had spent nearly a year in Colorado, for the benefit of his :health , vVe hope to find him much improved in health.

THE V I A T O RIAN.

34

- O ur es t eem ed fri en d a nd k ind b en efa ctor , R ev . M. L et ellier , is w ith us on ce mor e . He has just r et urn ed fr om D ewtit, Ia., w h ere, for the past fo ur months, h e r eplac ed R ev. F ath er H enn essey . He is delig ht ed w ith th e ap pear a nce of eve ry thin g at the coll ege , esp ecially t h e lawn an d fl ower beds, in w hi ch he tak es. a specia l interest .

-R ev. 0 . E. Paq uin , C. S . V ., has ch arge of t h e tailoring esta blis hm ent, w hi ch h as b een moved from Chi cago t o Bourb onna is.

He is prep a r ed to g iv e comp lete satisfaction in th e lin e of cleri cal goo ds t o a ll w ho desi r e it.

-Rev. D . O' Dwyer , Ch eba nse, Ill. , v isited his fri ends h er e a few weeks ago .

-Rev. W. J. Gr a n g er , St . J osep h's church , Chi cago, whil e r ece nt ly v isiting his parents in th e v illage, call ed at th e coll ege. F r.

Gr a n ge r 's m an y fr ien ds h ere w ish him s uccess in th e new fi eld of endeavo r w hi ch h e has just ent er ed .

- R ev. D r. O ' Callagha n an d R ev. Fath er M urphy, Belv eder e, Ill. , an d Rev. J . Lam b , L yo ns, II ~ we r e th e g u est s of th e p r esident. Fat h er JVI urp hy m ade arran g~.m ents for Mast er T. B utl er , of Be lvede r e, Ill. \ \ - Rev. l\11. A . Dooling, pas t or of St . J o hn 's chur ch , Clinton , Ill. , ca lled r ec ent ly on his fri en ds at th e ~~ l ege . F ath er Dooling h as closed th e contract fo r the p rop erty o w hi ch he intends t o b u ild a n ew ch urch , w hi ch , w h en com P, let e ~ ill be on e of th e mos t magnifi cent ~ hur cl1 es in th e Peo ri a diocese . F ath er D ooling's efforts we ll de serve t h e su ccess w hi ch crowns th em. .

-Rev. Fath er Nawr ocki, of Chicago, sp ent an aft ernoon with l1is fr iends h er e .

- R ev . Fath er W h a len , past or of St . P atri ck's church , Kankakee; Rev. Fat h er Dennison an d Rev. Fath er J ennin gs, of Chi cago, v; ere t he g u es t s of th e p r esid ent one afte rn oon in Sept emb er.

- R ev. H . D urki n , Rantoul, Ill. , broqght some of his parishone rs over to see t h e college a few clays p r ev ious t o the op enin g . rf h eir imp r essions of th e place evidentl y wer e good , as w e have severa l stu de nts fr om that t ow"n. O ur sincer e thanks to Father Dt-irkin for th ~ i n te r~ s t h ~ t al<: ~ s in th ~ w~ lf q.re of th e college , J

THE V I A TORIAN ..

35

-1\.ev. f. l\IIcDevitt, Chicago, made a trip t o th e coll ege with some new stud ents from St. Colum bkille 's pa rish. We full y app r eciate Father l\IIcDevitt 's efforts to forward the good work of his A lma Mater.

-Rev. J. Kelly, Clinton , I ll. , was with us fo r a few days in September. Father K ll y m ade all his th eological studies h er e, an d was amo ng th ose who went forth last June to take an active part in th e work of the ministry. For th e past three year s Father Ke lly ably fill ed th e important position of ~Erector of vocal and in strum ental music . His effi ciency in work of this kind was amply demonstrated by th e fre quent triumphs of our yo ung choirist ers ; but by none bett er than by that w hich he enab led them to achieve in th e r endition of th e oper etta, "St . Patri ck," at the Illinois th eat er , Chicago . While h er e, h e gave th e st ud ents and fa culty a ve ry pl easant musical ent ert ainment . \ Ve hop e t o h ear Fath er Kelly again soon and, in th e m eantim e, wis h him that s uccess in th e n ew fi eld of endeavor w hi ch h e h as entered to which his many qualifications entitle him.

-Mr. Doran , 1\/[r. N a urocki, M r. U ehlein and 1\/[r. O' Rourke ar e among our n ew se minarians. Last year's seminarians are all back, with t h e excep tion of those w ho we re ordain ed, and Messrs.

B. Tarsky, w ho has enter ed St. 1\IIar y's , Baltimor e ; N . Lamarre, St. Lau eren ce, Canda ; E. and A. Caron, St. Francis, W is. , and also Nir. J. Staeger. The th eology class is larger tha n that of any preceding year.

-Mr. D 'Arn alle, in co mpan y with Mrs. Ost and Mrs. Wilde, of Chicago, mad e a trip to th e coll ege in September. Mr. D' A rnall e is professo r of vocal and instrumental music and has his stu dio in th e art institute, Chi cago . Befor e leaving, he entertain ed th e faculty with selections from va rious operas . We hope to have th e pl eas ur e of h earin g M r. D ' Arnall e again.

- We were p leased t o learn that l\/[r. A . Caron and his brother , U rich, have comp letely r ecover ed from their r ecent and severe illness .

- We r eg-ret

that l\,11:, C,

..

Johpson 1 Ol1e

of last ye ar's s t11d ~nts 1

THE VIATORIAN. is clown with typhoid fever. We hop e .that he will sp eedily recov er a nd b e back with u s o1ice more.

- M r. a n d M r s. Robinson spent an aft ernoon with their son, Edwin, of th e minin department.

- Master A. Lam b eau had th e pleasa nt visit of his father recently.

-Master R. Daley r eceived a p leasant v is it from his mother a few weeks ago .

-Mrs. S. Holland v isited h er son, Carl , of the Junior department.

- Mr. B urke, of Chi cago, _spent a pleasant afternoon with his sons, W illiam and Robert, both of the senior department.

-Mr. and J\1 rs. J\-1o r an, 1\/[attoon, Ill. , ma:cle their first visit to the coll ege last week. Their son, Willi-am, s howed them the buildings and gro und s . They were very well pleased with the appearance of things in ge n er a l.

-Mrs. M. Gaine, of Chi cago;\ is ited h er son , Clarence, of the minin department. \ -Mrs. \ li/. Yo ungs v is ited h er so'~, F inius, a few days ago.

- J\1iss A. McGinniss, Chi cago, cif~d on her broth er, Frank, rece ntly. l~: ~ _ - J\1r. Vv . Gi llam, in company with his ~ u ghter, Miss Kath erine Gi llam , were the g uest s of M iss J. Be r ge~, Bourbonnais, last week. While h e r ~, they made Edwin fo rget all about homesi ckness.

- J\1r. a nd M rs. J. Conn or, J oliet, III. , spent a Sunday in September h er e, w ith their son, Thomas.

- Mr. W. F lannigan, who was on e of the seniors of 'or, made a t rip to th e college a few weeks ago. His many friends here were g路lad to see him looking so well.

- ~\irs .

E. Lister, Chicago, passed a few pleasant hours in th e co mpany of her son, Edwi n , of the n.1inim departmept ,

~rHE VIATORIAN.

37

MILITARY NOTES. The battalion was organized on September 14, by Colonel Cleary and prospects for a successful year are very flattering, owing to the manifest enthusiasm in the ranks and the large number · of. recruits who are being initiat ~~ into the ranks of army life.

Adjutant W. Hayden has s):lcceeded l\!Iajor Maher, and Capt.

Burke, of la-st year's victorious ~{6. B., has taken the post left va·:t·l·· cant by lVIajor Hayden's promotion.

The Marsile Light Guards (\re in charge of Capt. A. Burke, who hopes to see the pennant float over the ranks, where, in former years, it has so often been borne, whilst former aide DeCamp Sheil will gtfide the erstwhile victors, ,the Rivard Light Guards . .; A new departure in having · s~nior captains, R. Mudd and W. McKenna, · over the Junior companies, insures a race for honors which already begins to grow exciting, and every effort is being put forth, especially in these early drills, when the rudiments npon which te> build perfection are being acquired.

The Ford exhibition squad will bid for first honors on St. Viateur's Day. Although composed almost entirely of new men , th e organizatibn promi ses to uphold in an able manner its high standing among the l.ead·e rs in Western college squads.

Military exercises are becoming very popular amongst the young men of today, and justly so, since the beneficial effects of such training cannot but result in men of strong physique and systematic habits. The discipline of drilling has a threefold advantage when, combined with college life. Besides emphasizing th e necessity of order, it renders a young man physically attractive, whilst in sustaining needed balance between mind and body it accomplishes a result which is too often offset by the elaborat e athletic .systems of the modern college.

C.

'

'\ 1

THE V IA I'ORIAN.

'~

ATHLETICS.

The campus pr esents a live ly scen e during the autumn days? w h en the rigors of w intry confin ement b egin to be anticipated and l every moment of free time is utili zed by th e devote es of sport after the weighty duties of class and study hours .

The baseba ll diamonds are th e scene of many interesting contests, w hilst h and-b all claims an eve r increasing popularity. The bowling alleys were opened early in th e season and? judging from the numb er of knights of the p in , we shall h ave an expert league for the winter months.

T'he Senior A thl etic assoc iation · elec t ed the following officers at the last meeting: P r esident·-\ V. Cleary.

Secr etary- J . D r eman.

Treasurer--Rev. Vl. J . B~gin. · · . .:!' ..

Ass istan: T r eas u~ e r.- P. J \ \V ahl. . ; .. · The Jumor assoe1at10n has the followmg ·officers·: · P r esident-F. M unch.

Vice-P r esident-J. Finn. ,, Secr etary-J. :Monahan.

Treasurer· Rev. J. Boudreau. ·,IJ ., t.': · ..

Ass istant Treasurer-J. Finn~gan. ·. ~ . v: , The football t eam is rapidly assuming shape; under . th.~ coni; . · pet ent leadership of Capt . Martin, although no remarkable talent has appeared amongst th e n ew men, but there are some . whose .. weight and speed will be of advantage, and hard . practic~ . should develop a team which w ill excd that of last s~asqn. . J\t leas~ ,h alf . of last year's eleven are back to don the moleskin and w:it.h . su~h bright prospects the "O ld Gold and Purple" js ,sJ-ue to .a,qq Jq it~ ,· already long list of victories on the gridiron. Alfhough the schedule is not yet complete, th e foll owing teams will probabLy appear on the college fi eld : . . _ . · .,,..-~ 1 North Division High School, Lewis Iq.stitut;e,,.Annour, ,Irstk tute, Morgan Park Academy, By de Park High S chp'ol. · . ·.·; _· .~ ·:: .· •·

'tfl:E

VIATO RIAN.

39

With the close of the football season the n ew gymnasium wi·H be co m~ th e cent er of a ctivity.

The pool and billiard tournaments w hi ch proved s u ch an attraction las t year are to be contin ueft-, w hilst the Indoor Baseball L eagu e is a lready being promulgat ed in order that t eams may be d eveloped early and interest increased.

O n the whole, at hl etics h ave assumed an enthus iastic asp ect an(l the propo rtion of m ental activity and p leasant r ec r eati on assur.e likewise a year of hi g hly benefi cial work. "

;'

KANKAkEE HIGH SCHOOL, o; RESERVES , o. >' Th e second eleve n lin ed u p against the Kankakee High school team on September 27, and,althou g h n eith er goal lin e was cr ossed, ·the cont est was exciting and st:J irited. The game aws p layed during a showe r of r a in ; h enc e th e fo otin g was insecur e and fumbling characterized nearly eve ry sc rimm age. In sp ite of the fact that the R ese r ves are n ea rly a ll n ew men, th ey p r ese nted a st rong lin e up against th e season ed High sch ool eleve n, and wi ll doubtless p r ove a difficult p r opositi o n befo r e th e seaso n i fa r advanced.

Vl ah l, Ho ll a nd and Hayden p layed fast ball for th e college, t eam, and the enti r e eleven put up a s urpri sin g ly strong exh ib ition of lin e breakin g and ta cklin g.

• T h ese teams will meet in a se ri es of games, th e second to b e C. p layed on Oc t ober 2, at the fair grounds.

,

THE VIATORIAN.

VIATORIANA. T h ey' r e off!!!

Toothpi cks .

Un um strik e.

O n the roof.

" I bought it:"

"Wh ere ar e the golf links ?" Are you going to join the automobile club ? " H e's all right! He played in P aduckey . " A ll are w elcom e at the Wayside Inn. Have you seen the fiv e dollar pants? They 'are tailor-made, t oo !

"All stud ents in the scien ce class must be single. " Wa nted-A good umpir e for hand-ball games . He must have his life ins ur ed .

K . -"I know a color ed lady in Chicago. " Ch arl ey from K entu ck y- ' "Oh!!! !" ~. (In th e Latin class ) P rof\-Has poss um an imperative?" · · Bri g ht stud ent-"Y es; po\eto (potato). " P.- "Say, vVilliam , w h at ar<r yo u taking out of my pocket?" · W illiam-" Y our r ep utation Ray- "Wher e is th e carp ent e ?"

B. -" Y ou w ill fi n d him in his r ~rn under the basement." .. A lex. B_.- " I drill da~; y (J?ailey) n~, although I only have to d'f:·i ll t hree tim es , a w eek.

(In th e As t ronomy class ) D.- " \iVh at is the Earth?"

M. H.- "A c01net. " . Charl ey fro m Padu ck ey- (( I w ond er why Vivo took the purse from Mart in?"

Kelly-" I suppose h e thou g ht the change would do him good."

Shorty--"I kn ow som ebody who sm okes better cigars, now."

Dick-"\Nhy sh ouldn't he ? He's the treasurer. " Joe- "Our fri end in the Poop will have a long way to come to Gr eek class this y ear ." \ATillie-"Oh , h e can rid e his. pony down!"

·h

Cure for baldn ess: Go to the music room and you will hear m usic that will raise th e hair on y our h ead.

I

r{.

.

THE VIATORIAN.

41

A WARNING TO THE KICKERS. \Ve know it has occurred before, That some are prone to feeling sore, If they but see their name in print.

To such as these we drop this hint: We have no use for any bloke Who cannot stand a decent joke.

We're here to write the jokes on all From learned Profs. to minims small.

For kickers we've no earthly use; For them we've nothing but abuse; They'll find that kicking 's rather thin, For v\re'll proceed to rub it in, Untll they humbly bow to us, And cease to kick, and fume, and fuss.

J. AND?路

..

)

J. W. BALF,

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~

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