Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/217

 198 FAMOUS LIVING AMERICANS Gibbons is to be attributed to any particular talent, as can be done in the cases of most men of note. It is due rather to that rare combination of faculties and qualities which make up the complete man and the ideal leader. Without attempt- ing even to mention all of these, I should say that the first in the case of the Cardinal is the entire disinterestedness that has so obviously characterized all his motives and conduct. The service of God and of his fellowmen, individually and collectively, has been his one ambition, to which his mind, and heart, and hand have been unswervingly devoted. Sure of his ideals from the beginning, he has labored long and intensely at their realization. His earnestness may be called his secret of success. Bishop Foley of Detroit who was a comrade of the young Gibbons at the seminary says in rec- ollection of his friend as a football player, ** Whatever he did was done with all his might, and that is the philosophy of his story. ' ^ His intense zeal has been uniformly directed to the best ad- vantage by a very exceptional judgment. The Cardinal is not infrequently referred to as * * the man who has never made a mistake." He is more human than that, but he has cer- tainly made a most remarkable record for doing the right thing at the right time. It is not for lack of opportunity that he has blundered so sparingly; and sure it is that few men of such prominence have suffered so little criticism. With his instinctive judgment fully matured by much ex- perience is united a peculiar tact in dealing with men of every character. A keen knowledge of human nature in all its de- viousness has served him well in the achievement of his great purposes. A wonderful facility in winning at once the con- fidence of everyone he meets has made for him a nation of friends. He is gifted, too, with such a phenomenal memory for persons that he remembers practically all the acquaint- ances he has made. It is said that after his four years in North Carolina he knew at sight and by name every Catholic in the state. An incredible number of the inhabitants of Bal- timore are very proud of their personal acquaintance with their eminent fellow-citizen. And if the cardinal in the course