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Show CUMJIINGS' WELCOME VISITOR. Cardinal Gibbons Cheered the Dying Hours of the Late Congressman. A pathetic incident not hitherto published, pub-lished, in connection with the last few days of the illness of Amos Curamings, the great newspaper correspondent and I member of congress from the city of New Tork, was related to the writer' a few days ago by an intimate friend of Mr. Cummings: : A few days before ., Mr. Cummings' death this man paid a visit to the bedside bed-side and found Mr. Cummings' face all aglow with excitement He could hardly hard-ly restrain himself until Jais friend took a seat before he drew himself up on hig pillow and said in eager tones: "Well, Charlie, who do you suppose called in w aee me toaayr ijnarne answered: "Well, I don't ' know." 4Well, guess, Charlie. I want you to guess who called in to see me today." His eyes at the sarrie time were beamingi with the delight de-light which the news he was-going to impart gave him. : Charlie answered again, "Well, I don't know, Amos. I might, guess all night, and then perhaps I would not gness right." "Well," he said, "it was Cardinal Gibbons. I never spent happier moments mo-ments in my life than the time when the cardinal was here with me. He came over to my bed and paid: 'Mr. Cummings, I am Cardinal Gibbons. I have never hpd the pleasure of meeting you personally, but I have known of you for a greant-many yeurs, and I thought-1 would come to see you.' 'Cardinal,' 'Car-dinal,' I answered, 1 am glad to see you; but I am not a Catholic' . " 'I know that' replied the cardinal, 'but you are a good man. Tou have done a lot of good work. In the world. You have used the brains and energy which were given -you by God for the betterment and uplifting of : your fellow-man.' -A ;., , ' 'Thank you, for that.' I said, 'I appreciate ap-preciate that compliment, coming from you, more than anything that has ever been said to me. I simply have done what I thought was right In the world and fought for the under dog, and what you say aoout my worK pleases me better bet-ter than any compliment I could receive.' re-ceive.' , " 'The world is better for men like you, Mr. Cummings,' replied the cardinal. cardi-nal. 'I have watched your career for a great many years and I know the difficulties diffi-culties you had to contend with in your youth and how -you struggled against them, and I have watched your career in public life and read your newspaper stories with the greatest interest, and in every sphere of life I noted that you j have been a good man; that you have done good work, and I hope that God will bless you for if Then the cardinal cardi-nal left" Mr. Cummings whole being1 seemed to be moved with new life as he told the story. The day before he had seemed discouraged and disheartened at the thought that he was surely going to die. After Cardinal Gibbons visit his spirit seemed to have changed. He seemed to have a load lifted from his shoulders, and he was as happy over the visit of Cardinal Gibbons as a boy with a new found toy. |