avens bent over him ever smiling with
God's glorious light; and its golden tints lit up all humanity with
hope and joy. Then the sun went down to rise no more. The heavens
were dark and silent, or rent asunder with wrathful storms, only a
transient flash of the aurora relieving the gloom. When the light
dawned again it was to beam upon his soul in the ecstasies of
Paradise.

We know not what to say of his faults, nor can we think that he had
any that were not to be traced to his eager love of God's cause, such
as his overpowering men with pleading for God in their souls; or too
easily crediting unworthy men who prated to him of liberty and the
Holy Spirit; or over-fondness during his illness for playing in the
lists of fancy at an apostolate denied him in the battle of active
life; he repined at being forced to plan great battles in a
sick-room. He could not help betraying a heart heaving with a pent-up
ocean of zeal, while he was creeping about helplessly, often too
feeble to speak above his breath. A lover of liberty, its only boon
to him at last was liberty to accept and rivet upon himself the chain
of patient love.

Some may say "Hecker was before his time." But no man is before his
time if, having a divine message, he can get but one other to accept
it, can arrest men's attention, can cause them to ponder, to ask why
or why not, whether this be the day or only its vigil. The sower is
not before his time though he dies before the harvest; there is a
time to sow and a time to reap.

And now the tree is dead, but its ripe fruits are in our bosoms
bearing living seeds, which will spring up in their time and give
fruit again each according to its kind.

The life of Father Hecker is a strong invitation to the men of these
times to become followers of God the Holy Ghost, to fit their souls
by prayer and penance in union with Christ and his Church, for the
consecration of liberty and intelligence to the elevation of the
human race to union with God. We do not bid him farewell, for this
age, and especially this nation, will hail him and his teachings with
greater and greater acclaim as time goes on. As God guides His Church
to seek her Apostolate mainly in developing men's aspirations for
better things into fulness of Catholic truth and virtue, Isaac Hecker
will be found to have taught the principles and given the methods
which will lead most surely to success.

THE END

________________________

APPENDIX