Page:A Memorial of John Boyle O'Reilly from the City of Boston.djvu/37

Rh she can realize that her care and prayers were not in vain, gives a thrill of joy and satisfaction which no earthly success can ever equal.

How well do I remember the bright, fresh-faced young man who came among us twenty years ago, made his entry into Boston journalism, and joined the group of which I have spoken. Need I tell you how welcome he was then, or how with his joyous and buoyant nature and his contagious helpfulness he cheered on every one of the group during the twenty years he was with us. It is hardly necessary; you who knew him so well need not be told what a delightful comrade he was, or what an inspiration he proved at times to the weary and the heavy-laden, when the battle seemed well-nigh hopeless. Many of those young men have made signal triumphs in different lines of work, and some of them are here to-night. It seems to me, however, that, in a large and broad sense, of all the group, John Boyle O'Reilly made the most conspicuous and gratifying success, especially from a journalistic and literary point of view.

And this was true. When some men succeed, others with a like measure of prosperity, or with a little more or a little less, are frequently jealous when one of their number stands out prominently, even when the achievement is deserving. No man was ever jealous of John Boyle O'Reilly. On the contrary, all were delighted with the position attained