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St. Viator College Newspaper, 1908-02

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THE VIATORIAN Facet Spera :VOLUME 25

FEBRUARY 1908

NUMBER 5

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A. Pilon. · HATEVER the Catholic Ch urch may mean to us, whatever it may typify and symboli ze, whatever contrary notions it may convey to you and to me, one thing it impresses upon u s all· th e power, strength and uni ty of its organ ization. Made out of the most disco,r dant elei11ents , with its roots planted far back in the distant past, it has grown or1 and on, sendin g fort,h n ew shoots and new branches, weathering' th e stor.ms of p ersecution and heresy, until today in its -ramifications it embraces · the whole known world and stands unique in histo ry. vVhatever may be the secret of its Ol~ga ni zation, w hatever its object, e111d or purpose, it is an orga11ization the lik·e of which the world has never seen. In it we find th e most perfect blending of sub ordinate and co-ordinat e, the clearest differentiation of governed and governing, the most admirabl e expos ition of dogni.a an cl' mor.al, the most exacting- unifo rmity ii1 discipline and practi ce. - Itself a gigantic society, it embraces in its folds societies · as vas t a s any of ·our far-famed fraternal or ben!evolent organ ization~, societies whose aggr-egate m emb ership is s uffici ent to people the state of New York and to treble th e popu lati on of many of th e sma ll ~ r countr: es of Europeo And thes·e s ubsidiary societies, these soci eties w ithin a soc iety , exi. t both among the clergy and the lciity, haY ing aims as wide ly different as the rescu e of the benighted heath en in India and archiological resear ch work tending to throw additional light on the scriptures. It is of sorne of these societi es th at I w ish to speak, o r rather of a ce rta in class of these known among us as the contemplative orders. These have existed from the earEest ag·es of the Church and include in their numbers both men and wom,en. Sometimes we find the mle mbers of these organizations leading a community life as the mrJnks' with whom we are more f;uniliar and soni.etimes we find them livinZ" isolated and apart from their fellow-beings as the hermits and · solitaries of th e 'desert, but always they live a life· of the strictest asceticism and always they relnOve themselves from


.':!:'HE VIA TORIAN the stir, bu stl e and noise of thi busy-day world. T11ere is no gainsaying that th ere is not a certain fa scination about their life,r no den yi ng that it does not possess a certain poetic charm, but further than thi s let o ur praise b e st in ted until we have h eard all. A nd now let me stat e the ob jection. Let n:e put it with all the vigo r and force that wou ld characterize the attack of a Luther; let m e put it w ith all the st orm of invective, the s izzling atire and envenomed r a n cor of a Voltaire. vVh y, in th e Catholic Church , do these or de r s exist ? W hy, in the n ame of all that is just and holy, are th ese men a nd wo m en subj ected to p er secu tions that wo uld put to sham e the most fabulous tales r elated of the Inquis iti o n ? \ iV hy are these se lf-imposed pen~nces perm itted? \ i\T hy are th ese devotees of r etir em e-nt allowed to wear the coarse hair-cloth , to s have th eir h eads in a g-rotesq u e manner, to exp ose th eir san da led feet to th e piercing cold of an A lpin e wint er. vVhy are they g ive n leave t'.) sco ur ge them se lves, to kis · the ulce rou s wot1IH1s o.f lep ers? \ V hy a r e they made to observe perpetual s il en ce, t o s leep in coffin s, to m editate for · hours ·upon the skull of on e whom p erh aps they kne\v in life? \ V h y are ' th ey torn fr om tl-eir friends and r elati\·es and ~e nt to p eo ple the cl ese rt plains of No rt h ern A fri ca. o r the snow-capp-: d p eaks of Switzerland? vVhy arc th ey deprived o i a ll the pl eas ures a nd ·comfo rt s of a home life and sent fort h-n o on -: know s ·w h ere-to \va~te their li\·cs in self-inili ctecl t o rtur e, and t o sle:: p fur eve r in an unlettered g-rave? And why, with th e cry fo r m en ev ; r cl inning at our ea r s, for men,, g-oocl, hon est. npr is::;ht, Gocl-fea ring- m en, in all r anks of life. in privat e and publi c affa irs . in la y and cleric::d \YOrk. ·w ith the army of labor ancl \'vith the scattered. co mm and of cap ital, why, with the n eecl of these m en ~o pa lp::lb l·e ancl so m an if est, why . I ask yon. in Cod' s nam e. does th e Ch ur ch p ersist in h er policy? Fanaticism, l1as t thcH1 no limit, h a:-c:t thot~. no en cl? R ome, wilt thou not gi,·e e_ar to the disconsolate wails ot berea,·ed parent s and outrag·ecl friends; w ilt thou not heecl t h e nni Yetsa l rum or s of dissatisfaction and clisap prova I? Vl h at ! Th o u \Vi1t not? Then. hear thine accusation. I ch arg-e t h ee wit h th e murd er of e\'er}' hermit whose bleached h on es l1 aYc w hitened the sands of the Lib van Desert or whose clis~ integ-rating: fl es h has mir1g·lccl ',vith the perennial snows of the .\lps. I ch a r g-e th ee wit h the 11l'..ln1 er of the lo\vliest monl· o r nun \vhose life has b e -:: n spent in this in se nsate deYotion. I fasten upon thee a crime ag-ainst w hi ch th e cru elties of the bitterest relig-ious war a r e as naught. t h e crime of treachery -to thine O\Vn children. nut stay! EYen t he base t cr iminal sho uld be permitted to spea'k: in hi s O\Vn behalf a n d, though the charge is clearly proven, nevertheless we \v ill p ermi t the Ohurch to make what feeble response she can. And nowh ere, I say, is the b eauty. dignity and g rande ur of t h e Churc h 's po. ition so much in evidence as in her


THE VIA TORIAN answer to· these objections, centuries· old. Arise from the ton1b, ye monks, ye h e rmits, ye solitaires; arise from the dust where for ages ye have ,slept, t.mknown, unhonored and unavenged. Arise from the gr·ave, ye virgins, ye wid ows, ye holy womei1 ; arise in ac·cusation against that monster who has . desecrated your beauty and caused y_our charms to wither and waste away in des·ert places. And now as ye stand there, men and women, saints of God, with the memory of th ose cruel tortures before you , tell us, t ell us truthfully, is the Churcl1 guilty in having thus tr eated you. And the answer, coming from that long line of thin emaciated figures, ·sancti.fied by sorrow, whose earthly fires have b een chastened by suffering; is like the long-drawn-out peal of a pipe-organ , "No." No, the Church is not guilty. The Church has not act :cl wrongly, not unwisely in this matter. However fal se may :3e,:m her position at fir st g lance, searching inquiry shows h er in this to have a keener ins ight, a firm·e r grasp on the doctrines of Chri ~1 t, than any of the numero us s ects boastihg in the nam e of Christiai1. She takes h er example from the D·ivine Spouse him self. She sees Him praying and fasting in the mountain s, dripping blood in the ·garden . of Gethsamine; she sees I-Iim baring his back · o be scourged, bowing His head to be plaited wi.th thorns.. extending Hi s hands and fe et to be pierced with nails, offering Him.seH to be crucified. She se·e s all this and then she turns to behold some few Gf h er own children, who have st olen up behind l1cr Un '-1 0Seiyed, asking how they may becom e perfect . And oh, you s ho nlcl see the Ionk of anguish in her face , oh, you should hear th:.1t hc;:trt-rending sob, as) with half averted eye, . she turns and points st1e ntl y to the YVay of the Cross. This, this is the path to perfectiot1 • \A/ e need m en in this world, it is tn1 ~, s turdy pion ee rs to blaze a way thro ugh the forests of doubt and the wiljerne~) c·s of crime tha'.: surround u s, but we need guides as we ll wh0 will show u s( the way where no paths are made or can b e ni acl e. \V e need 1~1en for the active work of this life, but we need them for pc1ssi ve ~'"r vice as well. Th e sculptor working at the day does not so mu(:h need other hands to help him at his work as rath er a model, a type fr cm which he himself may form the clay. And so wirh 1.1S, we do not need so much co-workers to help us mould the clay of •mr ~:-110rt.al existence as rather an ideal after which we ourselves mc>.y fa shicn it. It is not so much the upright, honest citizen lab oring in our midst that is a power for good, as it is the memory of that citizen after he has passed away. The mother with her gentle w:1rnings and kindly admonitions had no power to move us when on earth, but ol1, what a force is that same mother now, as we see her there, her face composed in death, a tender smile seeming to force its way through those half-parted lips, while her hands are laid peacefully 1:1pon her breast,- clasping the old familiar rosary. The little child,


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THE VIATORIAN trudging along at our side or vainly clutching at the hem of our garments, all innocent and pure though it is, does not summon forth our better selves as does that other babe, craddled 'neath th~ green of yonder cemetery, whom we sometimes see through the _tear-dimmed eyes of fancy, folding its little hands in prayer before the throne of the Eternal. The services that Washington rendered at Valley Forge and at Yorktown are not to be compared to the services he renders, day after day, sleeping, his last sleep along the banks where the blue Potomac wi nd s its way. "D·e ath is the crown of life," and the Church, in causing her chosen chilClren to . die to the world, deprives socie ty of nothing; the favors sh~ thereby confers on society are innumerable. f Of all creatures, none are so ~H •.ject to fear as man. The very shadow which he casts before him becomes at times a hideous monster, and his heart rises to his throat at the crackle of a twig caused by some small animal itself skulking from him. vV e need the examp le of others "to screw up our courage to the sticking .p oint," and in nothing is this more true than in the moral order. If we are to do the ordinary, ot hers must have done the extraordinary; if we arc to refrain from the illicit, others must have deprived themselves of the licit. If we are to abstain from meat on ,Fridays, others must undert;o perpetual abstinence; if we are to say our morning· and evenmg prayers, others m.ust meditate for hours on the crucifix, if we are to keep from adulterous unions, .others must take vow·s of chastity and virginity. And the Church supplies these others. Supplies them to us who are afraid of our own shadows; s up pli es them from a treasury constantly replenished through her contemplative orders. But do not imagine that this idea of furnishing models and examples is the sole thought that has prompted the Church in the institution of these orders; do not ima-g ine that for this she has · sacrificed the lives of her bravest subjects. There is an active work in even the li ves of these passive saints. Those scourges and lashes that are so ruthlessly applied ate directed by the hands of men and wom en, clear-headed and dispassionate, who have nothing of fanaticism: about them but who, on the contrary, display all the keen-sig·htecln css of philosophers. Theirs is not . an idle life; theirs is not an un practical life. These men and women are students, engaged in the pursuit of knowledge, devoted to scientific attainment. It is true that they do not follow the vagaries of the modern educationa l world, it is trne that they are not familiar with the polished Frer~c h and the society manners of the world of culture; out in all things that constitute true learning, in all matters that app-ertain to educati-on as distinct from instruction, I dare s;ay they are as well versed as any of us. And the distinct science to .which they apply themselves, the science which distinguishes 1

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their profes:son ft~om others, if I may use the term, and elev~tes it insuperably above all others, is the science of self. 'T he science of self! What new learning is this, what fad so recent that it has not yet found its way into any of our public schools? · No, I ' answer, you are wrong; it is not a new science, it is as old as the hills, given us, potentially at least, by God when He took that handful__of day and breathed into it an immortal soul. Would you have an appreciation of this science, old though it be? Then listen. Socrates who is considered by many the forernost philosopher of antiquity, was accustomed to go about the streets of Athens making inquiries of the shop-keepers and venders t_hat thronged the n1:arket place in regard to themselves and their business. As a result of th ese in q"-H ries he discover~d that he was the , wisest of men because, whreas others thought they knew somethfng and did not, he knew that he knew nothing, and in this he was infinitely wiser than all others. Socrates did not mean to say that men had no knowledge whatsoever, for the Athenians were crafty merchants, shrewd politicians and skillful warriors as well as being· adepts at art, but he meant to say that, not knowing themselves they knew nothing, and in this he \vas right. Had he lived in our times, I dare say he would. not have found things essentially different, for, thou f!h w,e have made rapid strides in the arts and sciences, though w~ are still crafty m erchants, shrewd politicians and skillful warriors, and thougli. through the corning of Christ we hav.e th e certain guidance of truth whereas to Socrates the way w:as clark ancl full of pitfalls, nevertheless v1e still frequently lack the only knowledge essential, th e knowledge of self. To know one's self is, after knowing God, suprem est learning. · : · .... , - And yet, my clear friends, here · we are, day after day, condemning the Church for her ruthl ess sacrifice of th ese lives. We think nothing of sending a hundred men to certain death in the frozen regions of th e Arctic zone, we think nothing of burying them alive in the bowels of the earth or raising them aloft in balloons, air-ships , to consort with the angels; we think nothing of having them join a poison-squad or causin g them to contract yellow fever infection; we think nothin g of making them withe r and waste away in a lab oratory b ent over some intricate mechanical device or ch emical r e-agen t . We thir:k n othing of all this provided, in some way, we can attach to their exploits th e nam e of science. For w hat? For the material utility . of the human race, for ·our comfort and conve ni enc e, for our emolument and profit, to satisfy our van ity and our pride! Is th er e a thought of God in it all, is it directed from th e highes t, noblest, m ost altruistic purposes? No, too frequently it is not. And yet, if we can justify ourselves, have we not one word of extenuation for the Church· if our action is praiseworthy, is hers condemnable? N:O, I answer:


THE VIATORIAN a thousand times, no. A nd if you t ell m e that · the science of th.e . w~r1 4 has a.n exchange valu e, in as mu ch as it_ can be con1mt.mi.!' ...

cated to others, while the Scienc e of the monastery has not, I will tell yo u that but little of th e knowledge of any man can be irnpart ed to hi s fellowm en, and as for th e rest, I wi ll set but one of t h e insp ir ed se ntences of a Thomas or Kempis or a F rancis de Sales against all the learning of the secular worl d. Every monk ' o r nun that has gone clown to deat h is a martyr t o learning and a · martyr infipitely mo re praiseworth y than any of our self-sacrificing scientists. It i s ~~time, I s hould think, that we shoul d rouse ou rselves · and· ;d iscover that the real world is in ourse lves and not 'outside of us. Vl e s hould get our thoug hts away fr om th e mo on and Jupiter and Mars and try to discover that uni ve rse of se lf. Here there is .abundant scope for inquiry, h ere there is matter for th e most · painstaking r esearch. A nd here we have always a t eac her, pre:ceJ)t or and guide in the voice ofl conscience. B ut we can not make thi s study amid th e cares of business or th e ceas eless round of pleasure; we mu st seek privacy and retirem ent. we can not hear th e voice of th e spi rit w h en th e promptings of th e fl esh are so loud; we must mortify ourse lv es . We cannot enter into ourselves w h en the chamb er of th e heart is crowded with vic e and corruption; we mu st clean se ourselves. In a wo rd, we must follow th e exa mple o f the monk s. Yes , w·e must imitate th e m onks. Our study of th em, if it has had the hop ed-for results, ha s shown th em to b e an order of m en drawn to geth er from the nobl est of impul ses. It r ema ins w ith us to make · the lesson a practi cal one. Be an example for ot hers, be a study for yo urself. Bear in mind , es p ecially th e last point. Unlike Alexander we s hould not sit at our desk over an outspread map looking for new worlds to conquer; but we should h ave a map of ourselves and note its eYery line and every curvature. Lik e Napoleon the n at St·.1H elena, if we do this, we sha ll gain· our g r eatest victory follow in g o.ur worst defeat , for w hen mortality wins the fight from us and we have closed our eyes in death, we shall wake up to hear those words of welcome sounded by Him, J~ w ho was the first monk, " I kn ow mine and mine know me. "

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S_o me Phase~ . of Hamlet's Character '

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old Danish chronicles that furnished the material for ·Shakespeare's Hamlet form a crude, shocking recital of the intrigues o± state and the sanguine machinations of • schemers who, . to gain their own ends, stop at nothing. But these gruesom'e procedures and revolting char·a cters have been given such an unrivaled charm by the dramatic skill of the immortal Shake~peare that we find pleasure ii1 the study of these same intrigues and characters. Of no piece of work and of no one is this truer than of the play and the character of Hamlet. Shakespeare makes his characters so real and true .to life that we talk of them and they affect us as tho' they were· really living -peop!e. Thus we study their actions and m:otives and reasons f01.: doing this or that as if they were personal friends of ours. On Hamlet's insanity vofumes have been written: and discussion is endless. Some hold that Hamlet was thronghout the entire play perfectly sane but feigned insanity. Others say that he was insane only\ in spots and- at stated times, w hile others again at:e in favor of the_ theory that he was more or less insane all the time after his interview with the ghost. Hudson looks upon the second . hypothesi s as the most probable. He claims that Hamlet was deranged, not in all of his faculties no·r in a.ny of them continuously, but that his insanity is partial and occasional; spells of wi ldn ess, as it were, alternating with intervals of serenity and composure. He gives as reasons that from the recent doings in the royal family, the sate of things at court, the interview. with the ghost and the latt er's appalling disclosures together with the general work- ings and structure of Hamlet's mind, that he ought to be demented. This i.s perhaps enough matter to unbalance any delicately hinged mind, but it seems to n1e that a person with a mind as strong and vigorous as Hamlet's could carry a load like this with a little more added. Another of Hudson's reasons is, that being talked to by- a ghost, as old fairy tales tells us, necessarily makes the person interviewed hopelessly insane. H 'e re he would have us accept the stories of a nursemaid trying to put the children to sleep, instead of a philosophical argument. Dr. Ray says: "In all Hamlet's interviews with Polonius, the style of his discourse is indicative of the untmost contempt for the old courtier and he exhibits .it in a manner quite characteristic of the insane." He also notes Hamlet's bad dreams as a symptom of impending insanity.


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THE VIATORIAN Dr. Cono ll y of England draws attention to Hamlet's confession of melancholy" as a peculiarity of the melancholiac and .to the vehem~n~e incorisi~tent ·with a sound mind which Hamlet displays· aft~r kdlmg Po l o~1 I u.s; he asserts that the tests of his insanity w:luch he offers to his mother are not in the least inconsistent with mad~1ess a~cl concludes. that alt~1o Hamlet is a reasoning melancholiac he IS not a ravmg mianiac. Dr. Con6lly sets forth among other tests, that Hamlet's desire for secrecy is among the symp~ to.ms __·of mq_dness recognizable as such by all physicians intimately • acquainted with the beginnings of insanity, and that there are symptoms in the grad ual process of the disease as described by Polonius to the ·king, and in the cuteness which Hamlet displays in drawing out Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.'In spite of allthi$ . evidence I think there is a good deal of ground to warrant the con-clusion that Ham.let is not insane but o nly feigns insanity. Soon after Hamlet's . conversation with the ghost, he declares his intention of putting on "an antic disposition," and also when alone with his mother he tells her he is but " mad in craft." And then again in conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern he says, " my uncle father and aunt mother are deceived. I am but mq.d north, northwest. When the wind i~ south erly, I know a hawk from a handsaw." That is to say; when occasion requires, he is mad , but when the wind changes from that quarter, when necessity does not demand, he is as sane as any of them. Of course we all know that in sane people· generally protest and deny themselves to be d '2 ranged, but here Hamlet's answers are so subtle and meaning that it wo uld be hard to class him with the inmates of an asy lum. Here it is that Shakespeare s hows his consurnmate art. If h e could, acquire so keen an insight and so accurate a knowledge of in sanity in all it form s, he certainly co uld endow _one of hi s characters with th e po·we r of assumin g those form s.' "If," says Cardinal Wiseman, "a dramatist _ d esired to repr esent on e of his characters as feigning madness, that assumed condition would be naturally desired by the writer to be as near as possible to the real affliction. If th e other persons assodated with him could at once di scover that the madn ess was feigned, the whole <-Lction would be :11arred and the obje ct for w hich the pretended madn ess was designed :voul_d be cl efea t~d ~y discove ry. " But I think th ere is a proof of his fe 1gned madne s 111 the consistency . ·with w hich all his actions are carried out . His first sh ow of pecdia1·ity of achon is irnmediately af~er the r_evela-: tion of the ghost, and thi? is clos~ly followed. bf, hts. w_armn_g. to Horatio that he may find 1t exped1ent to put h1s antic disposition on." He first tries the experiment upon Polonius. He knows f.ull well that the old courtier's va.ni ty will be excited by the belief that hi s daughter is loved · by a prince a.nd that the _news will , b ~.

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straightway conveyed to the' king. .Again, when he m eets Rosenc ra ntz and Guildenst ern his dialogue is more or le£:S that of a demented p er son. H e always .ke eps up a s uffl'c ient show of insanity as to d eceive every one but H oratio and the king. The latter rather suspects Hamlet's desigli.s and he n ce sends him off to England after the murd er of P olonius. . · · ·· Thus it w oul d seem that in every instance wh ere it is manifested , Hamlet 's insanity is ther e for a r eason , while on the other hand wher ever th er e is no · n ecessity for deceiv ing anyone, his actions b ear no r elation w hatever to an unsound 111ind. In all of Hamlet's m onolog ues and soliloquiE. s we no:w here find a sin gle trac e of insanity . No r in conversation with his on,ly friend, Horatio, do .his remarks sh ow the r es ult of a disord ered brain. Then again , Horatio n ever s hows th e l east s ig n of b elief in Ham·l et's lunacy, but list en s toi all he says and pledges himself t o h elp all he may b e able t o r e~le n ge the death of Hamlet 's father. Anoth er fa ct is that in t h e st ory fr om w hich S hakes pear e t akes his plot , the insanity of t he he ro is av owedl y a di sguise , h en ce it is m ore probabl e that S hak espeare us ed t his p ersona g e just as h e found him. M u ch lig ht on Haml et 's chara ct er m ay b e ha d fr om th es e lines with w hi ch he add r esses H oratio : "Give m e t hat m an th at is not pass ion 's slave, A nd I w ill wea r him in m y he art 's core ; A y in my heart of heart s, As I do th ee." This a lso serves t o show so mething of H a ml et 's est im ati on of . H oratio. I n it is expressed his own conception of t he g re at wo rth of m an , and what h e a d mi res mo st in others. Hamlet gains mu ch of ou r adm irat ion for him fr or:1 t he love and fi d elity displayed t owar·j s him by Horatio. T h e latte r is somew hat of a stoic w it h a direct nat ur e and a warm hea rt and is o f a r ath er lim.itecl un ders ta nding b u t h e. is full y aware of his own short comings and , alth oug h this is som ething r ar e in people of linri t.ed in.te llect, h e is m odest. He displays at all tim es a t hirst and hunger fo~- k now le(l ge and instruction , h ence hi s devotion t o H a ml e . He loves Haml et w it h all th e mi ght of an ho nest h ea r t yet tt l)eS not eve!l de mand re ciprocati on. H e looks up to H aml et not as . to a prin ce, but as the embodim ent of learning and wi sdom. And yet Haml et is som ething o f an eg otist and sk epti c. l-Ie lives entirely for himsdf but cannot believe in him self. \IV e can only believe in that which is outside . and above ourselves. But the eg o is very clear to Ham{et. He is ever bothering ~bout himself and , like many in our own day, . talks. not about h1s duty, about his rights. He doubts everythmg and of course doubts htm-

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self ; he has a mind t oo well deve loped to be satisfied w ith what he find s within. And yet , like Horatio, h e is self-consciou s of his ow·tl weakness. At tini·es he is seve rely ironical and takes s pecial delight in self-clep r'ccation , and, b ein g alwa ys en g rossed in th e ego, he knows a ll hi s fault s and scorns him self, ye t seems to li:ve by thi s sco rn. H e has confidence in him self but at th e sarn;e time is som ew hat vain and proud. We gen erally fo rm in ou r imagination th e appea ran ce of Hamlet as that of a clark, g loo·m y and m elancho ly fi g ure, tall and ungainly, w ho s eems beaer fi "~ t cd . to wa nder thru grave ya rd s than the brig ht a r ena of co urt life. Ye t it ap1)ears to m e that it i this peculiar m elanch oht that is m ost attmctive. Far from being ungainly h e bears him self witt dignity a nd composur e m ost befitting to a crown prince. H e cei-tainl y possesses elegant m ann er and his sp eec h es are full of poetty and philosophical r easonin g. He seem s . h owe1rer . t o feel him self sup eri or t o oth ers at a ll tim es and has no r esp ect 1v hat ev~ r for the dignity of his majesty, th e king, whom he as much as t ell s to go t o a climate somewhat warmer than th e n orth pole wh en asked w hat h e had done w ith the bod y of Poloniu s. Haml et ·app ears to ha ve b een r ega rd ed by th e o ld courti er as a child r ath er than as a m ad man . He ascrib es hi s chan gea bleness m or e t o the rdn s al of Haml et' s offe r t o O~phelia than a ny thing else. He is , of course . mistak en. but h e und oubted ly und erstands Haml et' s charac t e(. Does Hamlet r ea ll y love Op helia ? I think n ot . He onl y prete nds t o do so. but for w·hat r eason ? \ N h at reason ind ee d oth e r th an th a t of g-i\·ing a ca use for his feigned ma ~I. ness? Ouite likely h e had so m e r eg-ard for h er o ther than m ere fri end ship b efor e his inten ' iew w ith th e g h ost . for h e says t o h er, (( I dicl love yo u once. " To w hich s he replies , " Incl ee cl m y lord you mad e m e beli eve so.'' Th en Hamlet r emarks, " You s hould not have beli eved me ; I loved yo u n ot.' ' Thi s s hows that h e no longer cares for h er. bnt allows th e p erso ns of th e cou rt to b eli eve that h e do es , in ord er th at hi s strange action s rnayJ)e accounted for. Hi s extra vag-ant b ehaYior at Oph eli a's fun eral seems to bear out this stat ement. Haml et 's d eath pr ese nt s a _ye ry touching sce n e. Hi s last wonls ar e sublim e. H e g:rmvs calm, r esig n s himself. and bids Horatio Jive, and raising his dying vo ice in behalf of Fortinbras, the legal heir to the thron e, he quietl y ex pires.

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Claudius, U n c 1e ·to Ham 1e t F. CLEARY, '11

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··m11r .phq(a tf1t tf1iug 1WJf1trtiU 3fll ratrf1 tf1t fOU!ifttUrt of tf1t king.'; UCH were the words of Hamlet; words pregnant with truth; for Claudius; king · of D'e nmark, was inwardly a coward. · However this may be, his cunnirigness and . shrewdness were remarkable. His royal dignity, his '"=====-~::::!::!~ kingly sway, his powerful government, bespoke much to the unsuspecting· ·Danes, for with outward flourish es and wonderful affectation he held th em ali within his grasp . . Bolder than the boldest, fal ser than the falsest, villain among the villains, he was inwardly the frailest of weaklings. What a miserable being,! D'epraved from avarice, h e loses all sense of honor and shame, until "conscience, that unerring guide of truth," breaks forth _in awful vengeance. Tr7 as he will, that internal warfare in the soul cannot be mastered. When that good and faithful old Polonius r emarks : 'Tis too much prov'd-that with devotion 's visage ·A nd pious action we do sll.gar o'er the devil him self. " H

T 'he king feels the weight of the utterance and to himself

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"0 ' t1s . too true .' How smart a lash that speech cloth give m.y conscience! The harlot's cheek, beaut'cl with plast'ring art, Is not more ugly to the thing that help s it Than is m y deed to my most painted word; 0 heavy burden!" · Such was his remors·e and powe rful as h e was, h e could not conquer or even cast off this burden. His deed was heinous and the blood of an innocent victim cried for vengeance upon1 him ; blood of his own blood, for such it wa.s, being that of his own brother, it was such an act that{ it cried to heaven itself for revenge. Claudius, with all his bodily strength, trembles and shivers. in


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r'bnorse. He 1s almost in despair and now we listen to him as he exclajms :'

"0 wretched state! 0 bosoin black as death! 0 limed sou l, that, strugglir'lg to be fre<;, ... An nJP.J:een_ga,.g' d !. Help, . an 1gels! .l\1ake assay! . . . :... -· Bow, ·s't ttbbnn1 knees; aficl, lieart with ·stfili.gs ·or s tee~;-" i ·But t.hiough .'a ll ' th~ ·. Qlcirkne~s artd 'g;l- o0~T1in~ss; cH:spa,'ir there is a flickering of light ~nd hope, and he tries to comfort ai1cl strengthen

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'- . .. ... .... --.. ............ ------··· .. ··-- . ·' "What if this. cursed hand \i\f_ere thicker than itself with brother's blood, Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow?" .

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Also; "My words fly up , my thoughts remam below; . \TV ords without th oughts r.ever to heaven go." Such is the king and such is his wretched mind. Ever restless and suspicious, he is a ll th e more aroused by Hamlet's madne ss.; and, determining to put an end to all this, he at length sends him to England, where he has planned to have him put to death. But his villainou's plans are again thwarted . Haml et returns, thus arousing old fears in the king, who rem·a rks:

uLi.ke the hectic in my blood h e rages, 'TiU I know 'tis clone, Howe'er my h aps, begun."

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Again Claudius prepares Hamlet's downfall. But that downfall was not fo11 Hamlet alon e, for in the e nd it meant the death of the Queen, of Laertes , ai1cl lastly the king himself, who is cut down in the blossom of his treachery. There he lays, naught but a heap of dust; ,ancl.that blood that once flowed through its narrow channels with the warmth and breath of ear-thly life, still flow s, but carries with it, not life and health, but death and suffering. Thus ends Shakespeare's famous Claudiu s, king of D·enmark. and one of the central characters in the play. How realistic are the deeds and wurkrngs of this characte1;:; his life, his hopes, his . feelings, and his evevy ·action! How true to man a:nd nature!' What a contrast - between this . character :· and that . o£ Hamlet!' Hamlet was a man thro~tgh. a·nd through. Though ··otttwai-dly he


THE VIA TORIAN Iacke·d · ·adibn, ·his ifivtard ·i1a tute- was respl~ti.de~t ~ith-- l;w~or·; .:~i_~J tue -and truth~ · He,_ was a~, vrinct; o£ ~1is m;yp sphere; a s~ar amort~ stars; and '·a hove all 'the light' of"the co·dtt .a.~d · ort-lie . 'p·~-~-1,~. _~How':' ever, w.e niust adtJiit the king' surpassed hitl.1 )rt this one> thing; 11~ · co'uld "suit the action: to th~ · word~" fur I:I~mfe( · ;tho~1ght much, but acted little. The king ~deliberates; theri acts, at).d, acts vety quickly. Who can fail to admire sttch traits as the character of, Hamlet possessed; namely, that true and · undy ing love for a ' dead· father; that - esteem for the honor. of ..a -mother; that loyalty to friends and that und ying ferv6r ±or right. Are· -riot .thes..e-; e~.?:ugl1i to rank him w ith the greatest characters? Pure as the hly of the· field, sweet as the ambrosial breath of springtime, and sparkling: with rarest gems of beauty is this most noble Hamlet . . B.tit a1as t :n ot so with our km b' o· for "man rnay smile and be · a villain."- That.. "King of shreds and patches, A murderer and a' villain; A cutpurse of the empire and rule, That from a shelf the precwus diadem pocket."

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He was a man, above all other men, marked for life, marked with the stigma of fratricide. See him in the · splendor of the Danish court; his stately form and comrnanding voiCe; and there, amidst the pomps and lux uries of e.o urt life, voicing commands, listening in audi-e nce, and all the while, beneath that vain and apparent grandeur, . concealing a burning fire, a ·1 iving death. He could sway the hea:rts of millions, but could not for one moment sup-' press that awful voice of conscience. W1e can best express hi~ thoughts in his own words: "My ~ffense is rank; it smells to heaven ; It hath the primal curse upon't A brother's murder. " He could "buy out the law;" he could steal a crown; he could murder; but he could neither buy nor steal peace of soul, and h1s end was t errible. At one moment we see him standin()" in all the blaz e of his kingly glory. The next moment he lies de~d and fallen. What an awful scene to look upon! Hamlet is the · center of . the grpup; the king, the queen and Laertes are also stricken, and now the darkness of death falls like a pall to take from our vtew. this bloody sight. , I<

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LEIBNITZ R. PLA · TE, '09

@===============~ HE . tudy of the lives of g reat men is alwa.y a strong incentive for ou r own adv an cement, whether in the culti .. vation of our mind or soul. Tho e great mind , whose mighty deed · we are eager to emulate, and which hould ever be before us as guide in the path to cience or religion, are persuasive argt.1ments which improve more than the mind, w hi ch do more than cultivate our facult_ies, they tell on the h eart. They are th e men who hould ver be present to young 1ninds, for th y will teach them to build their intelle t , to tren the n th ei r manhood. At times they dLplay such win orne moral beauty as kindles in young heart the de ire to imitate them. At oth er times it is their vast genius hich the world wonderingly admires and looks up to a~ the repository of all science and philo . ophy. . If by study we arc· brought into contact with tho. e virtuou meil, those master-svi rits, tho e heroe , poet , artist , philo opher , w ho in th eir lives or works ha ve spent in behalf of mankind their life-blood their soul, their love, their in piration, if we actually fill o ur minds with acrecl enthusia m for the thought and deed of these elevated minds, there is no doubt that we will be in pired to imitate these models· and thi, spirit of emulation will be a cau e of intellectual g rowth and moral b etterment. We would laud and g loriously proclaim the name of any one of these epoch-making men, for the y are the great luminaries that di ' pel the darkne urrounding us, and op n to n ' new paths to profounder and ublimer truths; they are the center planet ~ around which revolve new ystems of beautiful speculation, and which reveal a new world in the firmament of thought uch wa Leibnitz. the greate t German philo opher, and perhap , the most extraordinary example of univer al cholar. hip upon record. If Germany mu t with , hame and confu ion admit that · . he i the mother of Luth er and hopenhauer he may point with pride to Leibnitz, a man ' ho e gloriou achievements would bed h1 tre upon any nation. · glance into the life of Liebnitz ill prepare u to love and appreciate all the more thi mighty geniu . He was a precariou outh and eem to have been hi O'\i n teacher. On account of his father' death which occurred ·hen he wa only ix year old, he


THE VIA TORIAN was left -quite ·to htrrtself. But Leibnitz was .born a genius.

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Frorri two Latin books which fell in his way he learned the Latin language at . the age of eight. Before he \vas twelve , he writes that he miderst ood the Latin authors very well ar1d had begun t o· lisp in Greek and wrote verses with regular success and ease. At! th e age of fifteen he had be co me a cquaint ed w·ith ph ilosophy . H e appli ed him self w·i th s uch great zeal to this study, that as his instructors had fear ed that he would be seduced by poetr)'1 fr om m or e seriou s stucly, so now _hi s fri~nds b ega~1 to fear that all his energies would be b ent on phdosop h1c subtl eti es. It was about thi s tim e that h e entered the Univer$ity of Leipsic, where he distino-uished himself as a brilliant and deep stud ent. L eibnitz b ecame ~ candidate for the degre es of doctor of law, but, on account of his yo uth , the office was r efuse d him. Upon thi s he left his native city, n ever to r eturn. He therefor e r epaired to th e unive rsity of N urem.burg, w her e the doctor's degree was at once conferred upon him. "His Lreatise on becoming Bachelor of Arts," · writes one of his biographers, "is perhaps the m.ost extraordinary d emon stration of . erudition and power of thought ever achi eved by a yo uth of seventeen.'; In consideration of thi s brilliant cllssertation, th e professor's chair wa.s offered him , but he de clined thi s, hav ing as h e said , "very different things in view." . In the world of -science h e ranks high. " He mad e discov eri es and originated ideas," says Bro. Azarias, "which -even at the present day are instructive, profound and ?~t gges ti ve.'-' To him is ascrib ed th e discove ry of the hi g her math ernatics; differential and integral calculus. Such is th e mind of Leibnitz, that it would b e difficult to take in one grasp th e vast range of his ideas, so we will r estrict ourselves to the study of his philosop hy. L eibnitz appeared at a tim e when he could see th e extremes t o which D es cartes, L ocke and Spinoza t end ed. He spur-ned and rejected these doctrines and attempted to r econcil e th e different systems of h·is predec essors, and this r esulted in the formulatin g of his famous Monadology and Pre-established H a rmon y. H e begins his speculation w it h t he n otion of s ub stance w hich h e defines as activity, and consequently manifold, and these many s ubstances he call s m onads. The study of his th eory of monad s is interesting, and it is this which mak es his nam e live in history. "Th e m onads," he says, "are the very atoms of nature, in a word, th e elements of things," but as centers of forc e they have neither parts, extension, nor :6gure. There is no mo nad exactly the sam e as another, and as each monad of its nature mirrors or represents th e whole univer se, it foll ows that the perceptive content of each m onad is in accord or correspondence with that of every other monad. The monads, unlike the -atoms, do n ot a ct upon on e another, and in consequence comes the ·difficulty of explaining the joint action of body and soul 9r the ,.joint action of two or mon~ monad s~ - He supposed the tninq .


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and b ody t o be t wo distin ct ma chin es, each havin g; its ow n indepe ndent a ct , th oug h th ey would happ en at th e sam e tim e~ T his co-incid ence he expla in ed as b ein g p t>e-estab lis hed by God. An ac t of the body is not influ enced by an act _ of t he w·ill , but both body and soul have been pre-est ablish ed t o act at the sam e tim e . . S uch, in bri ef form , are the main t enet s of L eibnitz, but we must not think that s uch a mind as hi s ·,could adher e t o this syst em v.rhi ch led t o s uch ·ab s urditi es . A ft er having built this g rand -i deal st ru cture w ith its mag nificent m o nacl ~d porti cos, its gall eri es, all ha rm oni zin g into one 1:.n a jesti c form ; h e abandons it as unsafe; it s loft y spires upsp rin g ing from id·e alistic bases t owered heave nw ard and loudl y proclaim ed the keen ~nd mig hty min d of their author, but th e sys t em lacked a sound foundation. H e abandoned it in ord er t o take up th e scholastic th eory of matter and form·. L eibnitz also contend ed in his doctrin es that thi s world is the b est possibl e, for w hat ever God creates must be most p erfect. Boss uet ve ry ably refute s thi s optimi sti c view of L eibnitz by ar g uin g that God could n ever exh a ust his infinit e pow·ers on any finite b eing . A n oth er monum ental work to hi s fam e is his "Sys t ema Theologicum " in which is portrayed th e ge nius of L eibn it z. Not only does h e, w ith few exceptions, a gr-ee w-i th the scholasti cs, but th e w ork s hows a dilige nt study of St. Thomas; b esid es, b ein gi the last gr-eat ~ork of his mi ghty mind , w·e find iti it that he has entirely thrown overb oard his theori es and has adopted the w hole of · S cholastic Philosophy. · · We -have r epresent ed L eibnitz, th e theorist , b-ut h e w as also a practi cal man : H e · t ook an active part in th e negotiation for · church· union and th e theological discuss ions eonnected h er ewith formed a · protracted corr espondenc e with the cel ebrated Bossuet . Th es e discussion s ·broug ht m any learn ed essays t o the literary and s ci entific jotwnals of -hi s cl ay. U nfortunat ely th e plan did n ot succee d . . L eibnitz did not p erseve·r e in tb e loft y int-e r ests in w hich h e had enga g·ed , but bec am e ern broil ed in politica1 affairs and the co r. r espondenc e w as discontinu ed. But even th e att empt at this g rand w ork s hows w hat g reat ideas w·er e ever present t o his mtind. H e saw and ackn owledged th e we akn ess of prot estantism , and op-enl y , avow ed th e s up eriority of th e Catholi c church and sought t o repair th e breach b y unit ing- both. \ Vhile still y oung he di splay ed a de ep , far seeing mi n d, delving into the serious problef!I s of philosophy wh en y outh s at hi s a g·e '~re r e only beg inning t o learn the elementary branch es. In a short time he a rrived at a remarkabl e profi cien cy in letters and sc ienc es. T hese are indeed manifest sio·ns of hi s bo-reat mind and spirit of in dustry, but ther e is foun d in b him a trai t w hich leaves u pon his min l th e stamp of true gr eatn es_s and wo rth-hi s p ersist en ce in search of truth. This is ev icl e n ~ecl fronT the fac;t that aft er h aving w:i th pain and t oil r eared a, ma,ss1ve

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edifice of philosophy; having discovered his system .to be false, he ·instantly pulls it down, r eject s- th e material and seeks for new ma.terial in scholastic philosophy and begins t o build anew his struc- tur.e which -today stands as an eloqu ent tribute t o Leib11itz's tr\le genius, and to his grea~ clev()tedness and love for truth ; THE

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. A few 11ights ago, s.~veral philosophers o-f the class ot "N aughty-8," were gathe r ed in a roo m on the second floor of Roy ~1all , ar_1cl n eed less t o say1 all w•e r e " ta lkin g shd-p." Aniong th e sub-=Ject s discussed w as Rousseau. A ft er a few quiet r emarks concern" ing his general principles, the t alk turned to a criticism of his work Emile. D'urin g th e discuss ion seve ral took the part of the French . philosopher, and, to start a•n argument, ad voc ated that most of his teachings were good. A mong the opponents of Rousseau was numbered Jim Haggerty, and suddenly he broke in on an argument and asked leave to relate a story. Everyone being s ilent, h e com-i11enced. First he stated Ro usseau's contention that children should lljever be disciplined. Then sudd enly breaking off, h e told the experien ce of a lady, recently appointed supervisor of public schools in his state. On1e cl;:;_y sh e happen ed to b e visiting a school where a yo un g incorri g ible was und er going punishm ent for a series of misdemeanors. Asking the cause, she was surpri sed to learn that the offender was the wo rst boy in the school as the t eac her said, "One I am unabl e to control ; I 've clone everythin g in the way of punishment, but he r emai·ns the sa m e, and even see ms to g1et worse." " Have y-o u tried kindness?" was th e gentle inquiry of th e offi cious sup ervisor. " I did at fir st, but I 've got beyond that now.': Th e s-Ltp ervisor seemed g ri eved and asked th e t each er to r·e · ·m ember Rousseau's advice. A t t he close of th e clay's lessons the lady asl{Jed th e boy if he would like to v isit h er on the' foliowing Sat urday. Saturday came, and a boy arri ved promptly at the hour appointed. _Hi s hostess showed him h er b est pictures, enli ve n ed him with her b est 111usic, gave him a wonderfully pala tabl e lunch , then sh e thought th e tim e h ad arrived at w hich s h e shoul d com m ence h er littl e serm on . . "1\!Iy clear," sh e said , ''were yo u not unhapp y .w h en you stood before vour class for punishme nt?" "Ple-ase, ma'am," an swer,ed th e boy, l1is mouth fill ed w ith v iands, "it wasn't m e you saw; it was me brother, Billy, 'Nho gave me a dime t o co-me h e 1~e and take yo ur jaw ing !" When he had concluded the supporters of R ou sseau changyd the subj ect , and needless to say it was not brought up again that S.M. even mg.


THE VIATORIAN _Published monthly by the students of St. Viateur's College , Bourbonnais, Illinois EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor in Chief-J. DOUGHERTY, '08. Alumni-C . MAHONEY , ··os. ·E xchan ges-EMMETT CONWAY, '08 Societies-A. SAVARY, '09. Athl eti cs-B . J. MORGAN, '09. Personals-D. BOYLE, '10. Locals-D. ·McAULIFFE, '09.

Entered at the Bourbonnais Post Office as second-class niatter All correspondence must be addressed" The Via torian," Bourbonnais, Illinois. S ubscription price One Dollar per year, payable in .advance. All business communications, should .be addressed : R ev, J. F. Ryan, St. Via.teur's College, Bourbonnais, Illinois .

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EDITORIALS. With th e passing of the sem i-annual "exams," ·.v e l1a v e consigned th e first portion o.f the scholastic year to the se· "~ hing ct:rr ent of that swiftly flo,,ving stream, lime; and The now we turn our fa ces to that collegiate sun, Semi-Annuals. comm encem,ent day . We have been weighed in the ba_lan ce by the august boatel of exani.iners, and have we been found wanJting? If we hav•e, it i~ our own fault and we s hould hail thi s new s.emes t ~ r as a Godgiven opportunity for r etrieval, and for strengthening ourselves where we have be en found wr~ak. If we have passed satisfactory . examinatiO.ns, we · shou ld be encouraged and should striv e t o perfect ' ou.r selves still more, b<?th · intell ectually and sp iritually. For som e this semes t er vvil( be the last; let them m ake it th e best; let :thos~ w ho seek :prom~t i oi1 make the work of th e comit~g months a -solid rock in th~ edifi ce of learni ng. \ A/ e should , then, enter this new semester with r esolutions o f g r eater and m ore <:;oncentrated study, w ith hi-gh er a~1d nobl er aspirations, and keep ever before our eye~ :Success, w hich is the goal to . w hich we all aspire; and let us

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, reme mb~r that although the road to hell is t) ave cl w ith ,-r e:?olutions broken, the stepping stones to heaveri ar e good _r e olution kept.

It _has been said th at tim e w r eaks vengean ce on genius, and ~t might have been added that Providenlce duly punish es geniu mi sused. The sad death of "O!uida/' Lo uise de la Ram ee, th e n ovelist, attest th e truth of both the "Ouid:a." ab ove statem ents. ·As a w riter she b ecam e farii.ous, and also wealth y; . h er " H eld in Bondage," and • "Under T wo F lags ," a r e well known w orks. In the former, she sn ee rs at every thin g that sho·uld b e r espect ed, a·rid most virulently attacks the marriage state, C!:ncl ch a t e marital life ; an cl in the latter, i:111 fa ct in all h er w ritings, sh e contin ually arrai gns society, and accuses it of sordidn ess, inju stice and iniquity . As· ·a result she was soon des erted by her friends and lat er ·h er fort urie· vanished; and a few w eeks ago she died in p overty, deprived of every comfoti: s ave a w oman, form edy h er maid, and a number of dogs, of whi f'h sh e w as insanely fond. Som e may say that this is . the irony of fate, but t o the Cl1ristian thinker this consid eration presents itself, that "the w ay of the transgr es sor is hard. "

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all times , and in all climes, trne celibacy has b een highly revered and ·honored. In R om e th e V cstals, in Gaul th e Dt uidess es, and in Germany th e Prophetesses were a ll virgin s, and th eir state, even by t hose pagan nations, Celibacy. was greatly resp ected. Y et in this golden ag e of· superlativ e enli ghtenm ent, v irginity does · not receive so much r ever ence. A t least this is the conclusion that one would imm ediately drawi fr om the pi cture that appeared in the Sunday R ecord-H erald magazin e . of F ebruary 2nd. ln this picture th ere are portra ye d, w ith mor e or less skill , ty p~s of thos e indi~l:duals ' w ho shun ma rri age and th e- r.espons.ibility of parenthood ; afn-Gng these the artist has placed -·._thJe picture of a Catholic nun , and in doin g so, h e has ad m irably exhibite d · hi s nar.:. row-mind edness and bigotry . Th e picture of _the si's te'r is entirely Otit of place in tl~e company of w hi ch this artist w o uld ~(;lk e ber a member, and ir :no t op enly in sulting to , is, t o say .th ~ l e a s ~, 'l1ighly uncomplim·ent~ry of Catholic sist erhoods, and also o.f. the Ca.t h.o lic


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priesthood, for if th e a rtist wi hed to he more complete he might have added th e picture of a priest, or even oL Cl].ri t, for it i Hi ex ample that t his holy n un is following ·by remaining a virgin. The r eason of this covert .attack o:n c.elibacy is probably due to a misconception of this p.e erless vi rtue. No one denie that the paucity of chU0ren in many American homes is di graceful and sca;ndalous, but it is litt le short of insult to lay the c.au e of depopulaton at the doors of Catholic convents and monasterie . The work that is bein g done by sisters and prie ts is a~ work that could be done by no o th ers, and knowing this, why is it covertly in inuated that these ar.e not doing t h ~ir duty by choosing a life o.f celibacy ? N o; such an imp utation ca.n be made neither implicitly nor expli citly . " The a ugmentation and diminution," ays Balmes, "of the population dep end on many concurnent cause , and religious celibacy, if it. be a mong t h en-1, ha.s a very m ignificant influence." ......

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ResolutiOns of Condolence. Whereas, It h as pleased the Heavenly Father to take from earth Mrs. M cMahon, the beloved mother of our esteemed fellow~ classmate, Stephen Mcl\1ahon, be it R esolve d, T hat w hile it is best to submit to the ruling of Divine Providence, we sincerely condole with our fellow-member a.nd t end er, our heartfe lt syrnpathie to him; and be it further Resolved, T hat t hese resolutions be inscribed on the records _ of the clas , and th at they be printed in The Viatorian. THE CLA S OF I909·

R esolutions of Cbndolence~ Whereas, I t has pl,eased Almighty God, in hi infi·nite wi dom , t o r eniove from this world the beloved brother of our e teemed classmate, Adh emar Savary, and Whereas, Ry his death hi f:tmily lo e an affectionate on, a loving broth er, an d hi a ociate a in cere frien~; therefore be it R esolved, That the la of 1909, t. Viateur' College, proffer the ir ympathy to Adhemar Savary and hi father and mother ; and b it further R e olved, That a cop of the e re olution. be ent to our 1

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,THE VIATORIAN' classmate,' that a copy be spread upon the minutes, and a copy be

publis~vd ·in The Viatorian, as a mark of our sym,p athy. ,

TI-{E CLASS Q:F I909· R 1esolutions of Clondolenc·e. . Whereas, Almighty God, in His benign wisdom, has seen fit to call from the turmoils and troubles of this world the father of our ~steemed .friend' and classmate, Edward Stack, and Whereas, By his d.eath his family has been deprived of a beloved husband and a devoted father, and his associates1 of a sincere and true friend; therefore be it Resolved, That we, the class of 1909 of St. Viateur's College, _ tender to Edward Stack and the members of his bereaved family, our deep-felt sympathy and condolence; and be it further Resolved, That a copy of these resolution's be spread on our records.

PERSOINALS. There is virtue in the waters of some health resorts, if appearance of its visitors counts for anything. Mr. Joseph Legris returns after a few weeks' stay in West Baden, robust in physique and hearty in spirits. Athletics will receive an "infusion" of Joe's newly acquired vigor. The eve of Washingtor.'s birthday was interestingly spent with Rev. ]. T. Bennett, w·h o carried the students over the scenes of his travels. Father Bennett's stereopticon views form a rich collection and he has so linked them thaf they furnish material for an interesting narrative. The recent visit of Rev. William White brought us a new acquaintance ·in Rev. Father Timmons of Gilman. We received helpful encouragement . from Father T'im,mons' interest in our work, ,and altho he is not an alum111us, we hope to have the honor of cl9-iming him: aS! one of Alma Mia ter's adoptedt sons. Pfaces of interest line the business paths of Henry Taussig, but he finds none of more charm than his old college home. His st,.tccess in the tobacco industry tells what thrift can do for a young man. Patrons of McN1eil & Higgins suffered but small inconvenience from · the fire that destroyed the grocers' buildings. New quarters · wer~ . q.t· opce ~(;tur~d ancl the same reljable commodities were on


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THE . VIATORIAN .

sale without delay. Th e prese nce of. J oseph KeLley in tlic firm's affairs assur e it of success and their patrons "of just the thing . they are looking for. " The town of U1rbana, Ill. , w ill soo n know a new galaxy of orators. The Lenten discourses will be open.ed by R ev. W. ] . Berg in , C. S. V., foll owed by s uch speakers as the Rev. J ohn Cavanaugh, C. S. C. Father Cannon, of 1 rbana , is a tireless wo rk er in the cause of edu cation and h e s pare s· no pains to g ive th e stu dents :::.;: d pcc pi-:: cf tl:2 n:-;,i\.~c :· ::: :~ y ~ :.::: ·:,- ~: t~ :::: b e::;t that can be obtain ed in Catholic in struction. The esteem in which Father Cannon is h eld by the people of Champaign and Urbana is proof of the work~ he is doing. · · Encouragement lo ses none of its str eng th from len gth y journeying. We find g reat h elp t o our lab ors in the interest shown by Rt. R ev. Jul es Chatron, Bishop of Osaka, Jap an. We hop e to see I-Es Lordship: celebrant again at scm e of our festal se rvic es. l\!Ir. Thom as Legris ~ and w ife have found the clime and mountains of Canada conduciv e to rest and health. They are at prese nt '\vith Mrs. L egri s' fat her , L . N. Parent, w ho has undertak en the construction of the Transcontinental railway in Canada. We are sure that builders .in finan ce and roads of steel find much of int erest to int erchan ge in r egard to their r e~pec ti ve labors .. l\1r. Ernest Swift, formerl y of Vanderwater's, lately we nt into business fo-r himself on Court stre et , opening a haberdashery so well stocked in quality ;;mel vari et y that non e who visit him can go away disappointed. G. P. Miu lvaney, C. S. V., has r egained strength enoug h to undertake a trip to T exas w.here h e w ill spend the r emainder of the w}riter recu:perating. · It will be good news to th e old boys t o know that Bertie Elwes is assistant manager for the Ameri can E x press company in Chicago. . The American Eilectrical Supply com:pany have found the services of F. L. Ferreira valuable and in recognition of his worth they have promoted him to a position of trust. There are leagues of land between h ere and l\!Ieaderyill e, Mont. , but they have not kept us fr om knowing. the good . work clone among the Austrians and Italians th ere by th e Rev. S. J. Sullivan, D. D., and the inestimable good resulting from his zealous labors there shovv- him: a man ably fitt ed to carry out the work of the late ]. ]. Callahan in the Sacred Heart parish of Butte. Like his predecessor, he is a builder of schools , a friend of the poor, and a: tireless toiler for thy ~a lvatiop <?f s<;mls~ OJP behalf of

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tl1-e faculty- The ,Vi,? -torian . ~xt_e:i~d:i . him_~inc ere .c;ongJatulatioii.s ··a ttd ' . .·_ . _. ... J\!Iiss Laura M\llvaney visited h.er : brother before ·his departnre_ f<or th'e sou.th. · · · · · ,_ · · · - : · · a he~~.ty we1come to .the Alnia l'vl?-ter oL;hi~ pi-edec.~_sson." .-

Visitors, registered during the past month were 1\!Ir. and Mrs . Murphy., Mr. and M'rs. Sutton, Mr. and Mrs. Decker, M:r. and J\tliss MicAndrews·, Mr. and -Mrs. D. Boyle) M'r. Davenport, Mrs. Jacoby, Mrs. M. Kotzenberg, Miss C. Magee, 1\tir. A. McAllister, l\d:.rs. B'i.ad'enn:atl., Mr. Whitman, Mrs. Charles Dean.

O·B ITUARY. The poor lost a friend in the death-of. Rev-. Charles B. Guend- · 1ipg, who departed from this life Wednesday, February 19. St. Joseph's O·r phan Asylum owes much of its prosperity to the un, ·s elfish labors of Father Gt:iendling, who was always a friend ai1d a father to the waifs. Oin January 29th, Mr. Edward Stack of Chicago expired, afte.r illness. Among the relatives who mourn the loss is Edward Stack of the senior department, son of the deceased. Rev. -" P. J. O'Mahoney C. S. V. , president of the College, attended the ·obse-quies. Interment was at Calvary.

a lingering

After a lingering illness of .s everal months, William Savary died at the Emergency hospital · in Kankakee, February 6th. ~Wil­ liam Savary was the son of Attorney Savary, a prominent lawyer of Kankakee, and a brother of Aclhemar Savary of th e Senior department. Several of the college clergy attended the funeral servtces. In the demise of J\1r. John D·immer, St. Sylvester's parish, Chicago, loses one of its best parishioners and the city an honest and· upright citizen. At the funeral services held in St. Sylvester'·s church February I rth, Rev. P. Griffin of Freeport, was celebrant of the mass, Rev. M. ]. Breen, C. S. V., deacon; Rev. M. F. Hallinan, sub-dea.c on, and Rev. W. Foley, master of ceremonies. Mr. D1im'riler was the father of W. J. D'i mmer, who has a host of friends in Chicago and a number among the college faculty. On behalf of the college faculty. The Viatorian extends sin- · ·cer:e sympathy to Mr. William Baron, for the loss of ·his wife, and to the relatives of M. Gordon, who was killed recently at Rantoul, Ill. Mr. Alexis Rivard was recently laid to rest at L'Erabk, Ill. Mr. Rivard was an uncle of Rev. E. L. Rivard o:f the Colleg~. ·. Fat}ler Rivard sang the requiem mass, assisted by Fathers L,abrie ' a ,nd . Berard. Requiescant ii1 Pace. I

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Basketball. The basketball sea .~on is gaily trending it merry way, and it draws to a close we feel corufident that the ' ar ity quin will succeed in its effort lo k("ep the fickle bird, Victory, perched on the purple and gold tlag-pole. \Vith the addition of . _ hiel and Mahoney of ba · eball celebrity, the team has acquired the poli h necessary for a winning combination, and has also picked up a fine se which seemingly keeps opponent._ gue.~ ing. Aside from the regular weekly games with team .~ in .our vicinity, the 'Var. ity manager ha .- scheduled a game with t. Cyril's college of Chicago, which will be played February 22nd n . their floor. He i: al:·o arranging for a trip into ~.fis:ouri. Great preparation for these games i: being shown and Capt. Rainey will undoubtedly pre:ent for inspection a machine as well oiled as an five among the smaller colleges and univer ·itic · of the \\' est. Y. M. C. A. 13; St. V:iateur' 8. On the eYening of January 29th, the 'Var ity was defeated by the . !\f. C. A. fiye, representitl1g our neighboring city. The game was hotly contested and brought prolonged cheers from out the gallery. The 'Yarsity .· ttf'fered in its team-play throughout the entire game, on account of the sickne-s. or ab ·ence of ·everal of the chief performer~. The lack of· "subs'' wa .- keenly fdt when Kankakee commenced it: final ~· J?Urt, for they :ent in "amb" after ''. ub'' agajn t the tired '\"ar:ity five. for whom there were no fresh resource. . ll1e quin, neverthele ·s. put up a clever and \·atiant defen. e, and until the final whistle the re · ult wa in the balance. The game was mo.·t intere:ting and can be described in a fe wonl:: 'fhere was no perceptible advantage gained by either ide until the clo:ing moment.~ . In the first half the college lads put up their best work and <L' a rc:·ult the . core at the end of the initial p ~rit)(l read: St. \ "iateur. 6: Y. ~L C. A., + Through the infusien of new blood the- As. ociation team was able in the ~· econd p{·riod to tie the . core and finally win out. For Kankakee, . T:utt and ~""'ene .' ac hone, while for us • hiel, Berr · and Carroll played consi:tcnt ball. They were strong on offen and defense, and on numerous occa ~ ion broke up combination. which eerned to be working well. ~ lattery' basket from the field th feature of the game. Takt:n all in aiJ. the 'Varsity put up

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THE VIATORIAN · clever game, a:nd in ni,ne ~as ~s .o"'tt of . ten. their efforts would have· · t(hr:ought home the bacon." The Iitl.e-up: St. Viat~ur's .. Platt . .. ..... .. . . . . . . : .. ,. R. F ............. . ,. ..... •. Maher B ~ch.and ... ·.:· . . ·.·.... .. · : ., .. ' .L. F ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . SlatteryG~ rr.i s h , w Ul1derli<,:h l. M·c C<;tpe. . . . C.. . . . . . . . ' . . . . . .. . . Shiel . , . : . . ···.: .. -·:: ·.·· : R · · · G Berry ··.: S ~nesac ... ·. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .......... . .. ;. . . . . . .. . . N utt ... 1•; • • • • • • • · ·• ·• : ••. ••• L . G .. , .. .. ,... .. . ~ , ... .. .. .Ca.rrolr

Y:: M. C. A.

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. . B askets from fi eld: N'utt 2; Platt 2 ; Slattery 2; Bachand, S en esac , Shiel a nd l\7I al~e r. Free throw s : Platt r. R efer ee Brown . Time of halv es, 20 ti.1in·,.ltes . St~

Viateur 23; Y. M~ C. A. 7· O n th e ev enin_g of F ebruary 5th , th e Y. 1\IL C. A . fiv e· of th e Asylum town ag a in journ eye d t o the classic shad es of old Bo urb onn a is . Boasting of a v ictory over o ur weak en ed fi ve, th e· reel and w hit e s upport ers w er e hi g hly confi clrent of v ict ory, and before th e g am e disp ort ed th em selves like la mb s in a g r ass cove red . m ead ow. A nd lik e la mb s th eir quin w as led t o th e s lau g ht er. A fter the ga m e was over a depressed bun ch fil ed back t o · K ankakee w ith th e S kidoo ig n tack ed o n th eir back s. Th eir tal e of woe r ead St. V iat eur 's 23 , Y. l\~L C. A . 7· T he game star ted well for b oth sides, an d for a few m inutes t h e g am e was nip and tu ck. B ut as in many oth er cases , th e g ood b eginnings of th e K a nka k ee a ggr egati on wer e turn ed into a ba d fin a le. B uri ed un der an avala nch e of b as k et s, p rop ell ed by the m ig hty h a n ds of Ma hon ey an d S latt ery, ass is te d by th e w hol e t eam , t he gam e w.as o n e-side d and K ankak ee was left waiting at th e p ost. Slatte ry and lV[ ahon ey dese rve most of th e cr edit fo~­ the b askets a ccu m ulai:'e'd, w hil e th e pass in g of S hi el, Be rry, M ah er a nd Carr oll made th e ba sk et s p ossibl e. Th e featur es of the gam e we r d th e 'Var sity's super b te am wo rk and defen se pl ay. l\1aho'n•ey and S lattery's b askets fr o m th e fi eld we r e " thin gs of b eauty' ' an cr made the scor e g iven b elow " a joy for ever. n · S1t. Viateur's 23 . Y. MI. C. A. 7·· M ah er , S latter y .... . ... . .. L. F.: .. .. . ... . ... .... .. ·... P latt Mahon ey. .. . .. . .,. .. ... R. F .. . . . ... .. . .. . . . .. . B ach a nd B erry, Shi el. . . . . . . . . . . ... C.. . . . . . . . . . McCab e, W und erlich Carroll, Ri ce . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. L. G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... S en esac S lattery, Rain ey, Capt .. . . . . . . R. G.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. N utt

· · Bas k et s from fi,eJcl : l\l[lah oney 5 ; S latt ery 4 ; M aher , Rainey, Platt 2. · F o uls: · S latt ery, Platt. Referee, Conway. ·Tin1:e· of ha.1 v es, ' 26 ', minutes .

·Nutt,

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Junior Basketball League. Captain. Played. Won. · Got•man ... ..... 12 14 · Cunningham .... . • ' • ... . · : · 14 9 Dwane .. .. ... . .. . .. . ... 8 14 \i\T arner ... ... . .. . .. " 13 7 Delihant ... 14 4 I ·C. Boyle ... .... . . . . ·'· . . 13 •

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5 6 6

Pet. .857

.643

·57 I

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·539 .286

12

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.. Besides the ' Varsity five, another quin has appeared and is de~ lighting the onlookers with th e speed , v im and eagerness. of its lmninou s play . Th e St orks, as th e n ew· t eam is called, consist of elongat ed anthropom orphi s m s, w ho are all r equir ed t o attain' high purs uit (of the bask etball ) w hi ch for th em s hould b.e an easy matter, as all m eas ure over six feet. Stack, L egri s, Carey , Shannon a.ncl l'vforgan form tb e fiY e. Capt. Stack has tak en charg e of the ~ quad , and with th e ass istan ce o·f Co a ch E:d. Do u g herty, is preparing the t eam to cope with th e ext ensive sch edul e which is being .a rranged. Th eir trip will soo n comm en ce and it is hoped they will ·s ecure a s tring of sc alp s from lV[inn esota , \ i\Tisconsin and Iowa, in th e wi lds of w hich th ey \vill soon journ ey. Th e Junior and l\Iinim departm ent. also have their representative team s and both fi\.·es ar e able to boast of an untari1ished r ec·ord. Th e Juni or league sco r e I S gt ve n ab ove. Baseball. A lth ou g h bask etb all h as th e cent er of the r ostrum at present, th e ba se ball stars are beginnin g t o cintill at e and au g ur a s uccessful seaso n. Imm edia te ly afte r th e mi d-yea r exam s, { anage r K\ell y iss ued a call for candidat-es . It was r es ponded t o by a large and exp eri enc ed s qu ~~ d, whi ch is bein g ent throu g h th e stunts in approv ed st y le. Had w e t iL desire we could ladl e o ut enough elop e t o glut the m ost rabid fa n, but as \Ve are n ot in t he sleepprodu cing bu siness, and as it is t oo earl y t o prognosticate, we w ill m er.ely content ours_elY es w it h say ing that according t o form sheets th e team of 1908 sh ould be th e best that eve r r epresented the old g old and purpl e. In Sta ck , Shiel and l\fah onr~ y we h ould ha ve a staff equal , if not superior , to any . 'Varsity in the country . In all probability they will b<t: back ecl ·up by- Capt. C. Cottw~ay·; Legris, O'Connell , ::\1cCarthy and B erry , all of w hom ha,,e w on their emblem . in previou years . V\ ith th~ s e " yets" and last y ear's scrub to draw from, we feel certain that the ' Varsity nine of "naughty-8" w ill _do justice to the schedule which Manager E. lZelly is preparing. For the present most of the time will be spent in locating the ball, and


THE. VIATQRIAN the latter part of the month will probably see the batteri es w or ki ng and also .witness the fir st "c ut." While on th e subj.ect of th e " cut/' we take advantage of an opportunity t o ask the r eject ed candidates not lo join the anv il chorus . Th e t eam _. a s .s elect ed b y the coach _and captain ; w ill be th e- best they can mak e up. T o be· sure it cann ot carry ev·e ry on e, but th e m en w ho a re left out i11ay feel r ea sonabfy certain th ey either have a t enden cy t oward ragged balL or ·e lse will disturb the even runnin g · o{ th e m a chin e, and play ers w ho have either of th <:>se fa ults, s hould gracefully "ack n owl edge th e co rn" and lend their ass istan ce t o th e R oot er s' club ,. w hi ch we h ope w ill b e r e-org anrzecl and in ev idence b efo re th e n ext iss u e. Th e sc h edule, on w hich l\llan age r Kell y h opes to g ive somethin g definit e for publi c0-ti on in th e l\l[a r ch numb er , embrace·s gam·es w ith th e leadin g uni ve rsiti es and co ll eges of th e count ry. Ca p t. Cull erton ar-:.d Capt. l\/[cAuliffe have issu ed calls for th eir . . . m en t o r eport in the cage for th eir w int er wo rk-out. Three new bo wling a.lleys, ·th e g ift of the co ll ege t o th e A thlet ic assoc iati on, have been install ed, and num ero us t eam s a r e bein g or gani zed . Class and Inter-h o us·e lea g ues are am on g th e features of th e v ari ous or gani zations, a n d it is oi.u earn est ho pe t o see spar es ancl _strikes executed in national t ournam ent sty le, r ecord ed to th e cr edit of th e va ri ous bow lers. T h e h andb all fan s have r ece ntl y got t oge ther ancl a tonrn aJ11e nt is in p-rogr ess to d et ermin e th e ch a m.pions hip of t h e college. E ig bt t eams have b een org ani zed , a nd excell ent s hot s an d w oncler o us a mbid ext erity ar e daily in ev id en ce in th e corners of t he "gym .' Cue E\xpe1rts1of th:e Future. Th e fo llow in g is fr om " Th e St. L o uis S portsman :" Whil e th e w orl d's billiard experts a r e try ing out conclusions .w ith each oth er in New Y ork ju st at · prese nt, t h e pros pecti ve cham pions of the futur e. are ge ttin g into form at Bou rbo nn ais, IlL , w her e th er e is a s tar t ~i n g array of ju venil e billiard t alent . A mon g th e stud ents of St. V iate ur's Coll ege fo r boys a.re th e ,1,3-year-old sons of Jacob Sc haefer, the w izard of billiards, a nd H. F. D ave nport, ge n eral m a n ag er of th e B run sw ick-Dal ke- Collend er Co., also th e three yo un ge r so ns of Geo. S utton, th e wo rld 's champ ion at 1 8-2 balk-lin e billiards. · Yo un g D 1aven.po rt and littl e J v.ke _, son of the w iza rd , h ave a 5x10 profession al size billi ard tab le f01~ th eir pri vat e use. Th ey ·pi.1_t in two ho urs' s t eady pra ctice dail y. Littl e J ak e r ath er lays it over hi s pl ay ing pa rt ne r ,. and for th e m.a tt er of t h at ta kes car e of an y ·ch an ce n ewcom er in '[h e w ay of local or for eig n . t alent w ith ,vh,om h e may try co nclnsion s. If h e hap pens t o w in th e ba nk in

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THE VIATORIAN

breaking for lead it is not uncommon for him to r un out the game of so points at three-b all strai ght-rail billiard without giving his opponent an opportunity to get a single hot. He has the quick, g raceful style oJ play so much admired in his world-famous father, w h o has been the popular favorit e of the billiard fan for more y ears than most men can -remember. Youn g Dav enport is reckoned a star pool player. but little Jake has undertaken t o con v~ rt him to billiard , and something pyro~ tec hni cal is to b e exp eCted wh en the youngsters get into form. _ "The re is nothin g better for them in the way of moderate exer cise," said Father R yan, th e vice-presid ent, who with a large number of abl e assi stants has made a life study of the1education of boy s. " We al so h ?.ve billiard t ab les in one of the gymnasium buildings for all of t h e small er boys , and find th em a great h elp in our ed u cational work. The larger boy s also have billiard tables and bowling all eys , etc., and as we a lways try to ge t th e be t in equipm ent th e boys enjoy th e g·am es and ar e gre'atl y ben efit ed b y the r elaxation in conn ection \v ith their sc hool work."

NUPT'IALS.. At St. R ose's ch urch , vVilmington, on F ebruary I 9, 1\Ir. J ames Pbe lan an d l\lfi ss 1\lf ary Hayden wer e united in th e hol y l.:H) Il <L::; uf matrim ony . Solemn hi gh m ass w as celebrated with Rev . - J ohn Hay den, brother of t he brid e, actin g as celebrant, R ev. 1-Iug-h 0. G. ::V[cShane a s d eacon, R eY. ]. lVI cGuire a ub-deacon, and Rev . Thomas O'Gara a s m aster of ceremoni es . R ev. D. Conw av ass isted in t he clwir. 1\{iss Hayd en belongs to one of th e i11ost re spected familie s of vVi lmington and one noted for devotion t o th e Ch\.uch. \ Nithin a ye ar an oth er broth er of 1\Iiss H ay den 's will r eceiv e H oly Or de rs ·and at th e a nn tim e ~ Ir. l\ Ia rt in Ha yden, a cou sin, now in R om e. v.rill be eleva t ed to th e pri es th ood. St. R ose Chu r ch , Kank ak ee . ·was rece ntl y th e cen e of a pretty w edding b eh vee n 1\ I r . Ac1 elar cl Ca ron an cl 1\Ii ss R ose J\1o rin. R ev. Father Granger officiat ed 2 t the c ~ r e moni es . · Singleness is not the "s ummum bonum" for ~ f r. L eo n Rivard. His marriage to 1\Ess Alma Breault has made him the r ecipi ent of man y cong-rat ul ations and we wi h the n ew couple th e choicest l) owe r and fragran ce in the groves of H y men._ o stud ent who has attended St. Viateur 's in the pa t few years can be uninterc ted in the marriage of Miss Fanny Bonavitz to Frank Gerdesich. Miss Bonavitz's se rvices a t the College b uil t up a large circle of friends .,an~ she has .t4_e best, w ishes of all the actual stud ents an-d of· all the .alumni wh-0se acqwa.intance he has made. 1

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lErcbanges ',

One of the m1arked features of\ the exchanges recently r eceived is tilieir tardiness in arriving at the sanctum; they seem to be unable to comply with the schedul e as ·it is now arranged and hen::e w·e find a dearth of praisewb·rthy productions fron1' the college· : world. At this tim.e of the year, when th e new semester is tli)on ' us and the work of the ·past half year must be rev iewe d, ; here · seems to be a terl.d ency to postpone th e duties which w·e )vve to · our journals. No; indulgent reader, we are not going t o gro\v e loquent in denouncing such failings-ther e is too much t J !Je done in our own backyard, to p ermit of s uch a course-for althongh it is inconvenient to have the journals arrive b ehind tim e, ~t ill we realize and fully appr·e ciate the ard uous duties of on e who k ~ e p s · apace with hi s classes at this season and a lso tries to b e loyal to his college paper. · But the worst is over-and wiLh the ar/proac'h of the spring season and its never-failing harvest cf :tmbiticus' rhym sters , we may apply ourselves mor e faithfully to our literary tasks and bring th e sch olastic year to a brilliant and s ucc e sful final e. 1

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A m ong th e quart erl y journals rece ntly received The C'olle'ge Spokesman· easily tak es th e lea d and mu st be co nceded fir st .honors for its thoroughness in detail , the harm onious blending and dep th of its articles, and th e pleas ing C'Jlitents of the entire production. The first glance bestowed upon the jou rn al produces a pleasant sensat io n in the r eader, fo r its cover is a mo st attractive one, seld01~1 equaled in the coll'-ge world. In "Agenc ies of Social Reform:' the r eader is treat ed to a worthy a nd carefu ll y vvritten article in which three impor':.: ant topics are practically treated . . Fiction, , civil law and the church as agents of social reform are forces whic h we seldom consider as bearing towards th e same end or striving for a common purpose, but iti th e above mentioned article each is logically shown to be a stron g factor in the soc ial -life; ·· Several other articles of m er it grace this edition, while the ver se 1s in conformity with the entire publication. .. .

The S,t , Ignatius Ool1eg1ian is ve ry pl easingr in its mak~-tlp, bt~t . i inclined to give t o stories precedence over essays an~ other articles· of a more lit erary value-which offense is som:etimes p~r- . donable in a monthly publication , 9nt 1s an exceedingly' 's;eHO.ns :


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TBE VlATORI~N . .

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shortcoming in a jnurnat :"w{l_i q appears only . qv~rterly. T:ru.e,. . "Englis h Public Schools" makes so m~:~ pf'etens\9n~ ~,tO~fp'S literary excellenc e, but at best it is on,ly a! narrative article and di,spla:ys no journalistic abilitle on the · part of the writer. The stories themselves have a certain attractive11 ess and are worthy of perusal, buf · in our estimation they detract . from the m-erit of the Collegian when offered <l;S its ·principal attra:dions. The· poetry in this rtum~ per is very r·e adable and the di:ffetent departments s.h ow the results of capable managem ent. l\1any coll ege papers are devoting · considerable space in eulogizing Jam es R. Randall , the author of "Maryland! My Maryland!" whose death occurred re cently . E specially are the journals· of the state, which furni s hed the theme for ~is fam ous poetic effort, bestowing abunda nt praise upon their departed friend. The February edition of the Mount S1aint Joseph Co,l Jegian is resplendent in' appropriate ver se and prose concerning this loyal son of Maryland . "Maryland' s Loss" pays fitting tribute to the poet and places the name of Randall "high in the brightest hall of fame." The story bearing the title , ·"W hen ? Where? How·?" is no doubt of interest to those acquainted with the local colorin g, but to th e outs ider its plot is far from clear. The ex-man apparently thinks li g htl y of hi s duties, as hi s criticisms consist of little more than the ap-plying of the terms "good" and " bad." Musings of Daddy D1a n. -A prefect' s outing is frequ,ently a student's mnmg. -Hatred and jealousy are generally instigated by inferiority. -l\tfany a man b ec_omes a bad fell ow in hi s desire t o be kn~~vn as a good-fellow. · - I f yo u are desirous of getting in troubl e, strive to have your own way. -Good t empe r, lik e a s umm er day, s h eds a brightness over everything. - I f yo u \-'I rish to die unm onrn ed th en live fo r yourself alon e. -Mela:ncholy is, ometime s onl y a dignified name for plain ugrouch". -Destiny is something which you can neither bo rrow, loan, nor bank on. -Wh en you ~top on the road to count w hat you've lost the other fellO\V gets what's COtni.ng to you .. -As summer dews fall upon v ineyards so kindness done falls back upon the heart. ·


THE VIA T O RI AN

177

LOCALS. -It's ·a g-ay life. · it ~1 p Sut. -Som:e class to L eft y . ~Th e Frat. was give n a quack banqu et. Th ey had the warm bird, but not the cold bottle. -N:ed from Wiscon sin visited u s 'last month: He is thinking · seriously of study ing embaJming. · -To the tni sii1formed we beg leave t o state that the "400" are not the elite of our society, but only the H. R. ~s - O ur editor has r eoe ived man y direction s fr om v arious students as how t o nm The Viatorian. 1\!Iost of them have heen carried out (in th e waste basket.) -Our new bow ling all eys will soon b e r ea dy. Speaking of bowling, 'can a s uga r bow l? • . -. If at ·e ight in the mornin g yo u hear a cry of pain , of sudden agoti y, terribl e, bl_oocl-cL~rdling-then silenc e, calm , serene-fear not, for Con has yawned in 224. -.H~rri $ .: "Say, thi s rheese is all hol es." . Foxy : "That's nothin!g; it ne eds all th e fre sh air it can get."

· -Ke'ep

-What blesses most , and co ts no gold . A nd' lies at hand for all who live, I s never bought a11d never solcl'Tis n ot to give, but to forgi ve. -Small JVIinim : " \ tV e had a h en that laid the bi gges t egg you ever saw." Smaller II~nim: "That's nothin. ·' l\Iy fath er laid a cornerstone." _ uW hen the leaves begin to turn"-the ni bo·ht b efore i..he semt-anns. -A Chinaman's maxim on woman: Th e tongue of a woman is a dagge r and sh e n ever let s it grow rusty. The spirit of a woman is of quicksilver, a nd h er heart is of wax. -Teacher (in poetry class): "Are the feet correct 111 that l ast line of poetry I just r·ea cl. " . Rowdy: "No, I don't thi:n k so; th e feet don't look like mates." One· of the '07. _ ''Give m.e the crested, curling sea! I like the land no more;" But when he sail.ed the ocean free, He begged to be put ashore.


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TH E V I AT O RI AN - . Lo u! e (in candy stor e) : "Do you keep stationery?''" Candyman : "Say, do you th ink I want to lose rny j9b ?"' - "Yes, once I saw a house fly," Said Mary w it h a sm.ile, "And with it t h e chim ney fl ue;" She smiling all the w hile. - Eddie: '"~.h ere did you get t hat scar on your face?''" Sho rt n ess: ''A m ule k icked ri1e on ce." Edd ie: ''D id you kick him back?" Shortness: uNo, I kicked him first ." - Shorty: ''What's t he differ ence between charity and philanth ropy?" B ill : ''Philanthropy hi res an advertising a.ge·~t.n - - Miss Kankake·e : " I can a.lways tell a coll ege boy :tt first sig ht." .l\1 iss Bourbonnais: "Yes, but you can't tel! him very much/1 - Bach elor Girl : " I w? nt a ticket to Chicago.'' R . R . Clerk: "Single?" Bach elor Girl : " I t's none of vour business. Even if it is leap y ear I wouldn't insult myself by~ proposing to such a shiftless w reck of a man like you!" -Paul : "Gee, but the wind is sure howling some tonight; it must h ave the toothach e." T urkey: "The toothache!" Paul : "Sure! Didn't yo u ever hear of the te-e th of a gale?""

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St. Viator College Newspaper, 1908-02 by Viatorians - Issuu