People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 45, 10 November 1904, Page 10

People We Hear About

A graphologist (says the ' Sacred lieait Review '),' who ahects to laid a key toapcison's character m his hcindwi.it ing, has been studying the caligrapny of Pius A., and lie says that ' the laige, round letters, substantial. gia\e, elegant, and haimonious, point to an artistic imagination, a large-, strong, simple intelligence, a great drpih of thought ' The signature, it is added, denotes ' gentleness and l-iindness,' but the flourish beneath the signature ' discloses the man of action. The eoii'luvion of the whole matter is that the man is gentle, good, modest, conciliatory,' but likewise linn, cnorgqlic, and,-abo\e all, t,he " supreme chief " of the Church, who will strike hard when necessity arises.' This corroborates tnc estimate already given by other obsencrs. A story told by Mr. Thaddeus, the arlist who painted the pictuic of Pius X., gives, perhaps, as good an idea as it is possible to form of the Pope's ehaiactev. Mr. Thaddeus says that when he asked the Holy Father what pose he wanted to assume for his picture, the Pope answered : ' Paint me looking right out of the canvas. I like to look at people square in the eyes.' The actual owner of Abbotsfoid is, of course (says the ' Glasgow Obsener '), the Hon. Mis Ma.vwell-Scotl, gicat-granddaughtei and only suiviving lineal descendant ot the great Sir Walter. It is jiust half a century sinco the mansion and estate of Mibotsfoid, which had been acquired by Sir Walter some thnty years previously, came into Catholic hands, passing (through the failuio of maie heirs) to Mr James 1 lope-Scott, who had married the grond-daughter and hen ess of the no\ehst, and had added her name to his own Mr. 1 lope-Scott, the intimate fuend ol Newman and Manning, and one of the most distinguished come ts, as well as one of the mo&t thaimmg personalities, of his time, added a Catholic pin ale chjpel to Abbotsford. He also left only a daughter by his first marnage (Mr. James Hope, M P., is his son by his second w itc, Lady \ lctoiia Howard); and she ultimately succeeded him as ownei of Abbotsloid,, and married the Hon. Joseph Maxwell, otoe of Loid Hcrries' younger biothers, who added, as Mr. Hopo had done, the patronymic of the heiiess to his own. Mrs. i\la\v. ell-Scott, although her descent from the famous lomance-wi iter is entirely in the female line, is well known to h.ue mhented nuuh of his literary ability . and she combines an enthusiastic interest in the lnstorv — es'pe'ially its lomantie side — of her country with a zeal in the cause of Catholicism, which gives to all that she writes no little chaim and value. ' There is union that is heroic in this figure of Redmond (sa\ s ' Haipcr's Weekly '), this man who by all instincts, by training, and by eaily s'linoiuji dings should be an aristocrat. Thcie would be nothing unseemly in his standing to-day with those la'ivdloids of lieland who, he says, will not sell their lands, but who will be made to" sell. Bui that John Redmond is what he is, the star of the mighty diama now unfolding itself in the House of Commons, is one proof of his genius. The son of William \icher Redmond, of Wexfoid, of a family of blue blooded Norman Catholics, he was sent for Ins education to Clongowcs Wood College, a historical Jesuit institution of Ireland He finished in the equally exdusne and anslocratic surroundings of Trinity College, Dublin Hi* family connections, his friends', his associations of all his class should have produced a dificient kind of young man than John Redmond when he stepped out to enter upon a career. At Tiinity the history of his country hail pio\ed an enthralling study. He toi-nd himself face to face with the woild at a time when Ireland was in the throes of a struggle that needed new blood, and when the brilliant attainments of Charles Stewart Pamoll were da/ /.ling nations. Redmond opened his ears to the voices of the times ; his conscience was touched by what he heard, and he went to Parnell, who lived in the neighboring county of Wicklow, and asked to be permitted to follow him.'