A Fanatical Crank'

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 12, 21 March 1907, Page 9

A Fanatical Crank '

A woman's strength is greatest when robed in gentleness ; a man's, when clad in Christian courtesy. Strength and dignity are lost by a man when he swears, by a woman when she nags. In such circumstances it is well to give either a good deal of- leeway. This is, no doubt, the reason t why the Catholic ecclesiastical authorities in Melbourne decline to touch the clergyman of a small conventicle who has for some time past achieved a very- unenviable notoriety for the utter recklessness, the coarse vehemence, and the venemous iteration of his attacks on the Good Shepherd nuns. ' That man is sure to iose Who fouls his hands with dirty foes ; For where no honor's to be gained, 'Tis thrown away in being maintained.' Like the prince's clown in ' Much Ado About Nothing,' he is a -dull fellow, with a gift for spreading imposr sible slanders. The third of his attempts — all unsuccessful—to remove girls from the care of the nuns was met with an official minute by Sir Alexander Peacock to the effect that ' a very complete report ' had been made on the case ; that the parson's ' statements are not correct'; and that 'the child will, re-, "main at Abbotsford Convent, where she was placed at the request of her father on his deathbed.' In his report the official investigator • sized up ' the reverend ' Pasha of many tales ' thus-; — ' The writer of- the attached letter is a fanatical crank t who is constantly bringing himself under public notice by his wanton attacks on the' Abbotsford Con-r vent, and getting people like young S. to sign them.' If a Catholic .priest made such unjustifiable attacks upon a Protestant charitable institution at this • fanatical caank ' has been making on ours, he (the CathoXc) would very soon find himself under ecclesiastical censure.