Had He Been a Stranger

Powell O’Kelly’s strict, narrow upbringing in Ireland was always with the expectation of a religious life in the ministry, so when his parents became suddenly ill and died, his world seemed to collapse. Nevertheless, just as he had been successful in his academic studies, he was equally effective at incorporating self-control and acceptable behavior as the primary traits of his character. In 1897, after the deaths of his parents, he left the ministry and Ireland for America. To his profound...