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Show LITTLE MARY'S FACE. Has any one ever adequately reflected what a fearful thing it is to be born Irish? It is a grue-'' some thing to be born a Jew, but more dangerous still to have Keltic blood. In one way or another the Kelt is doomed to stir up the nations, wreck dynasties, rouse the blood of patriots or unjoint the noses of bigots. It was thus in Egypt thus in Phoenicia thus in Spain thus in Gaul, and thus certainly in Great Britain. Ireland and America at the present moment. "Stir 'em up and keep agitated." agi-tated." appears to be a racial characteristic a sort of unwritten law. Here, for instance, is little Mary Cunningham, born in Ireland somewhere, a Catholic and said to be beautiful. Because she was poor, Mary camo to the United States resolved to seek her fortune. There are tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of Irish who have done this very thing. It is no sin. and it is a fine thing both for the Irish and the country. We can't think, however, that when little Mary came over she had any intention of creating an agitation throughout the land. She merely came to work and she went to work, probably prob-ably intending to do her humble part in the battle for life to the best of her ability. She became a waitress in a respectable hotel. By and by another Irishman came down her way. lie was a sculptor. The October Century magazine says he was the greatest sculptor of this age. By his own efforts he had risen to the highest place in American art his name Augustus St. Gaudens. Because he was great and famous the government of the United States had trusted him to make the design for the new American coinage. He was looking for a beautiful woman's face and he found Mary. Her face suited him and he chose her countenance for the coin. His desigp was ac- I cepted and so Mary's face goes upon the dollar of the republic. In a little while it will be minted ' and in circulation. Yet now such a roar! The united patriotic societies so-cieties are protesting. They don't want the government gov-ernment to accept little Mary's face because she is Irish and because she is a Catholic. The A. P. A. I is snortl'ffg flame; the illustrious Junior Order rearing rear-ing backward: the Daughters of Liberty bathed in tears. Sleep has fled from the lids of American Patriots and various Ministerial associations are sweating blood. There is wrath because Mary's face will go down to posterity as well as the great American Eagle.- They would not have it thus they don't want it to be thus; it shall not be thus if they can help it. They don't like the name Mary, anyway. It has a sound that appears significant signi-ficant to certain ears. What can they do? It is easy to solve the problem. prob-lem. Let them boycott that particular coin that bears Mary's face and leave those, dollars to the Irish. There are twenty-three million Irish in this country so AJary won't be without takers. Her presence pres-ence on the dollar will inspire the men of her race to greater thrift. They will all be proud of Irish Mary and her beauty and her success. They will regard her as they do that greater Mary after whom she was named, as a protectress and a good omen. So far as the patriots are concerned Mary is secure. se-cure. Ten thousand years hence savants from the planet Mars may be digging up her effigy from amid the ruins of shattered cities, marveling at hei; beauty while reading, amid smiles, how blind, unreasoning un-reasoning bigotry once strove to shunt her off the coin of her adopted land because of her race and faith. Catholic Sun. |