RELIQUE OF FATHER PROUT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 105, 1 May 1875, Page 8

RELIQUE OF FATHER PROUT.

We presume the reader is aware that there was such a person as Father Prout ; that he was par sh priest of Watergrasshill, a place ' a"bout about nine miles from Cork and as many more from Fermoy ; but that what are known as the Prout papers are not his productions, but those of Francis Mahoney, a man of versatile genius and varied learning, who abandoned the duties and responsibilities of the priesthood for the more congenial life of letters and society. Of Father Prout, Dr. R. Shelton Mackenzie writes to us •.—. — " I knew the real Father Prout, P.P. of Watergrasshill. He was a good-natured, small padre, hospitable and popular with all classes and creeds. He was neither witty nor learned, and Francis Mahoney's greatest joke, in the Prout Papers, was to credit him with both. In the same way one Miller, a melancholy comedian in London, ■who never made a joke of his own, was called, by way of contrast, 'Joe the Jester/ and there is a book of ' Joe Miller's Jests/ not one of which he made." Strange caprice of fame it is that, in the scroll of literary honor, should be written for ever a name that made no pretentions to literary merits, and is enrolled upon the book of immortal happiness for the numerous hidden deeds of charity and holiness of which its bearer's life was full, and for which he has received his reward. How far better it might hare been for Francis Mahoney to have changed lives as well as names with the good, simple priest, it is difficult to decide. Suwtn cuique. Man's talents are for a purpose, and each gift has its proper sphere. Who knows the amount of good Francis Mahouey may have done among his literary compeers ? Looking at the cartoon in front of his Beliques, we hesitate not to say that the prejudices of Carlyle and AmsTrorfch, of Thackeray and Lockhart, were mellowed by his influence ; and that to each and all of these writers his sparkling conversations supplied many a literary gem that is a brilliant ornament to their pages.* But Francis Mahoney has performed deeds of charity, of which the world knows nothing. It is of one of these we would speak. We tell it as it was told ourselves by the late Mr. Thomas Smith,t of Norfolk, Va. :— . " Once, when travelling from New York to Richmond, I met a Southern lady with whom I was acquainted. I handed her the paper I had been reading. She cast her eye over it, read a paragraph hastily, dropped the paper, and burst into tears. After a while she showed me what she had been reading. It was a short announcement of the death of Father Prout. I wondered why that name should require a tribute of tears from her of all the thousands who had that day read the same paragraph with cold indifference or some trite remark. What was Father Prout [to |her — an American lady — or she to him ? Such were my thoughts when she turned to me and said : — ' You are surprised why I shed tears over this death. When I tell you all, you will say that I have reason. I was in Paris in 1864. The Civil War was devastating my sunny home. My family was one of the victims to whom it brought reverses of fortune. Remittances ceased to come to me. I found myself in that large city without resources. I pawned trinket after trinket, went from boarding-house to boarding-house, eachjjeheapor than the other. I was on the brink of falling into the undercurrent of population in that heartless city, and of being reduced either to starving or begging, so utterly helpless and a stranger did I find myself. When I had abandoned all hope of relief, a friend told Father ProuL the story of my misery and helplessness. Without considering my creed or my politics, he sent me next morning a cheque for 2000 francs, which supported me until I heard from my friends and received the wherewith to return.' " Here, indeed, was charity that let not the left hand see what the right did. The act speaks for itself ; and as we are taught that charity covereth a multitude of sias, let us hope that Francis Mahoney's name shines alongside of that of his friend, Fr. Prout, in the regions of eternal bliss. May he rest in peace. B. A. M. ' Manhattan Monthly' for Feb. * This influencing power was shared by another Catholic, the scholarly Sergeant Murphy, who made the Greek rendition of the " Groves of Blarney" for the Prout Papers. t Mr. Smith died two years ago last December. The writer knew him to be a zealous and enlightened Catholic, an energetic business man, having the interests of the community deeply at heart, a fond father, a loving husband, and a warm Mend.

Some of the adventures encountered by colonial Governors in their vice-regal progresses are ludicrous enough, but it not often than any of Her Majesty's representatives meet with such a series of contretemps as recently occurred to Mr. Weld, the Governor of Tasmania. His Excellency, who wis envious to visit the north-west portions of his dominions, made arrangements with the steamer Derwent to touch at Circular Head, and leave him there. The detour was strongly objected to by a number of Melbourne betting men who were on board, but the Gonernor, as may be supposed, treated their remonstrances with the utmost contempt. In due time the steamer arrived at Circular Head, and Mr. Weld landed and was duly addressed. But when hia Excellency had arrived at his ho el, he found, to his horror, that the wrong baggage had been brought off, that all his impedimenta had gone to Melbourne, and that he had with him only the samples and effects of a commercial traveller in the interest of a Melbourne firm of softgoods-men. But bad as was the plight of Her Maje'ety's representative, it was nothing to that of the unfortunate bagman, who found himself reduced to the uniform of a Governor-in-Chief, including a dress-sword, cocked hat and feathers all complete. Fortunately, owing to the existence of a line of telegraph existing between Victoria and Tasmania, the desired change of baggage was made before much inconvenience had been caused. A lad named Kruse, residing in Melbourne, has shown such remarkable talent as a violinist, that a movement is on foot there to raise .£4OO to send him to Berlin, where he will receive the best possiblejinstmction/;