LAST YEARS OF LABOR



lost none of its vigor; his heart none of its warmth; his
zeal none of its fire and glow; his will none of its
strength and determination. For this reason, Father
O'Brien's stay at Saint Rose's, after he returned there
from Louisville, was brief. The call of a distant apos-
tolate and the voice of God which spoke through his
superiors placed him on the band of parochial mission-
aries.
  This was not a new work for the harvester of souls;
yet he had never been so constantly employed in it as
he was to be for the next year or so. Back and forth it
carried him across the country in every direction. A
more edifying sight could scarcely be imagined than the
way in which the grand old priest gave himself up to
such arduous labors.
  Despite the fact that his form was bent under the
weight of years and toil, his looks frail, and his gait
unsteady, apparently even almost tottering, he was still
quick in his movements, as well as showed a vitality that
surprised those who did not know him. Not even the
youngest and strongest of his companions were more
regularly or continually at their post of duty. All this,
no doubt, helped to give potency to his ministrations no
less than to win the admiration of the crowds that at-
tended the missions.
  In this apostolate Father O'Brien indulged to the
fullest his passion for hearing confessions. Through
much of the day and far into the night he sat patiently
in the sacred tribunal with numbers gathered around to
have the aged but zealous and mild-mannered agent of
the Lord help them to make their peace with God. None
selected him but rejoiced over the discovery of a skillful



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