National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-07
The Pharisee's Prayer.
To the Editor of The Republican.


When Christ was on earth he was a
great composer of felton, but every story had its
moral and was sermon in itself Every one of
them too, possessed the true poetical element
that presents picture to the mind of the reader.
There is one however that to my notion excels all
the others in this; and that is the story of the
Pharisee and the Publican praying.in the Temple
close my eyes and see stately form, standing
with head erect, hands outspread and eyes looking
proudly upward, his very pose proclaiming his
many eXceIlencies before he utters a word of the
very long list, which began thus, God, I thank
Thee that am not as other men are" and ended
Even as this Publican" His attitude, also, pro-
claims even more than his words, for one can read
in the naughty arrogance Of his whole bearing the
private opinion which he enertains that he is do
ing God considerable honor in all this, and that in
his heart he feels that his Creator is and ought to
he infinitely obliged to him. But the poor Publ
can standing afar Off would nOtliftupso much as
his eyes unto Heaven, but smOte upon his breast,
saying, God be merciful to me- a sinner Can
you not see him, friends? Look at the dOwncast
face, lined and scanned with sin, and shame, too,
perhaps. What a contrast it makes to the other,
with its clean record of life spent in rectitude
Yet Christ said: 81 tell you this man went
down to his house justified rather than
the other" This picture was called up
afresh one day by glance caught as it was be-
slowed upon onewoman by another passing her ON
the street. The glance said, "Stand aside; am
more holy than thou" and as the fair, jeweled
hand held her skirts aside, lest they should touch
the other, looked, and behold the Pharisee was
standing in the temple scorning the Publican still,
though nearly two thousand years have passed
since both Pharisee and Publican have gone to
meet the God to whom they prayed. The woman
thus scOrned was q Magdalene Her face was sad,
and seemed to me almost repentant; and yet she
was on the street at that moment seeking Opportu-
mites to sin. 1 know the man who gave her the
chance, too, telegraphing her as he stood pretend
ing to be absorbed by the contents of a show win
dow, as she made the same pretense at another; at
least know exactly the seat he occupies in the
House of Representatives, and as saw him care
lessly approach her, and then follow her out of
sight-he an old gTay-haired man, and she apen-
nilesS girl not yet out of her teens, with that look
of repentance in her face-ny heart cried: How
long o Lord, how long and felt Almighty yearn-
ing in me to save all such girls. 1 felt something
else too for my fingers fairly worked to get their
loving grip on that gray haired villains throat
looked to see if there was blood on my hands, a Ia
Macbeth felt so much like a murderer can
not think of that girl to this day without
an ache in my heart, for the pitiful
child looked hungry The proud dame who swept
by her holding her skirts from contamination, did
not look hungry, though the glow on her cheek
and the light in her eye told their tale of the
warm nest she had found in life. She was the
wife, in worldly parlance, of one of our money
kings, q disgusting, ENJOYABLE old man, with a
face so encrusted with dollars that the soul never
more can peep through: man without one single
trait to win woman'S heart, even without the
chasm half a century wide between them. This
female Pharisee could thank God that she was not
like many other women not single imprudence,
even had laid blot upon the fair countenance
lifted SO proudly toward heaven. Yes, she was
not like the wicked Nagdalene, whose contact she
avoided. The best pew in the church was opened
to her. and the preacher, at least, felt himself hon
ored by her presence, if God did not. Yet, reader
NINE let me ask you in all candor, where is the
difference between those two women? Honestly,
fail to see any, unless there be little in favor of
the door sinner, who lives in sin because the
world gives her no other means of living, and who
does not make a mockery Of Gods holy ordinance
of matrimony, at any rate.
MOUSE IN THE-CORNER.