The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-18


till that minute. She tried hard TO see
through the mystery of 1t all, and with all
the intensity Of hope and despair mingled
she said. almost harshly:
II cannot follow all you have been
saying. know so little Of books
cannot give them the place you do.
| You say you have convinced yourself
| the Gospels are like those books, full OF
mistakes and credulous like the people OF
the time. Therefore you can't take what
they say as you used TO take 1t. But what
does 1t all quite mean2 l am not clear
cannot see my way clear from there to
there as you do. If there are mistakes, does
II matter so-so-terrbly to your Do you
think nothing Is true because something may
be falsef Did not-did not--Jesus still live
and die and rise again? Can you doubt--do
you doubt-that He rose, that He Is God,
that He Is in heaven, that we shall see
! IIimT'
without linching Robert answered;
~ can believe no longer in an incarnation
and resurrection. Christ is risen in our hearts
in the Christian life OF charity Miracle is
n natural product OF human feeling and
imagination; and God was In Jesus-pre-
emnently rs He is in all great souls, but
not otherwise--not otherwise in kind than
He Is in me or you"
There is no stronger scene TO be found In
literature than this soul torturing passage
between husband and wife, so closely and
tenderly united, yet so inexorably divided.
And finally when she said, "And the end Of
il all, Robert The end of itl' he felt
driven to reply;
"Thc end OF 1t, so far must be, IL re-
main an honest man; that l must give
up my living, that must cease 10 be min
lister Of the Church of England. What the
course OF life, after that shall be, is in your
Enthusiastically"
Could he have acted differently? Nor
could Catherine. Her faith grew stronger
and deeper inasmuch as she felt herself
standing alone. She seemed 10 feel an awful
SENSE of responsibility, and prayed that she
might 'guard her faith not only for her own
sake--her child's, her Lords-but for his,
that IL might be given 10 her patience
Mt last 10 lead him back" The
mission he was engaged In at this FL
good Conyenticle rounds out and forms n
fitting supplement to parish duty at Murc-
we'll The transparency Of Mrs. Wards pur-
pose from the first to follow up the develop
ment of character like his forces her in
order to be consistent, TO do just what she
id in bringing him to London. Despite
the divergent opinions rs 10 the novel IL is
HAWKES. in construction, IL is rational,
natural, sequcnt and logical, and affords
deep insight into the motives and incentives
OF widely separated classes OF the greatest
nation on the earth. Her pictures stay with
and haunt the reader, and she makes con-
slant and severe draughts on the sympathics,
even 20 tears. George Eliot has left no
more mastrriul work. made no finer test Of
her admittedly m, s'uline abilities.
That Robert Elsmore should meet with
temptation in London In the shape Of a Sc
ductiye, unprincipled woman is easy enough
10 imagine. That he should spurn and re.
pulse her wics aud Establishments with all
the ficrcencss Of his soul aud strength Is
just what one might look for in n man pos
scsscd OF 50 high moral code and in love
with his wife. lie iclt nothing but contempt
FOR himself. II such things became possible TO
his life. "Whai, preach TO Others ana STUN
bic himself into such a mire as this" His
constancy was soon 10 be rewarded. The
barrier that had risen between Catherine
ANA himself at tho time OF bis resignation Of
orders was soon 10 break down. His wiie's
voice broke the spell:
II have seen things rs they arc, Rob.
ert You wcro right | would not un-
dcrstand; and in sense, | shall never
understand. ! cannot change. My Lord
!, my Lori always; but lie Is yours, too
Oh, lksoN ~ Jay what yOuwill! That's what
hat been hidden from me; that Il what my
trouble has taught me- the powcrlossncss, tic
worthlcsme u words. n IL ne Spirit that
quck1isih l should never have felt u 10
but for this hery furnace Of pain. But |
have been wandering In strange places,
through strange thoughts. God las not
one language but many. | have dared
81 think lie had but onc-tho one
know | have dared to condemn your
faith as no faith. Oh, | lay there 20
long IN the dark down stairs. seeing you by
the bed. ! heard your voice. | crcpt To
your side Jesus was there, too. Al. lie
wss--llc was. Leave me that comfort
What are YOU s1ying3 Wrong your I'm.
kiidl Your wife knows nothing OF H. o
did you think when yOu came la Just now,
before dinner that I didn't care, that |
had heart Of 's,onc2 Did YOU
think | had broken my solemn promise,
my vow 20 you that day at MurcwolP so !
have, hundred times over. | made
IL IN ignorance. had not counted the cost
how could u II was all 20 new, 20 strange.
! dare not make Il again, the will j. 10 weak,
circumstances ~ strong. but, OH take mo
back into your lifci Hold me there Ro.
mind me always Of this night. convict me
out of my own mouth. Hut I will learn my
lesson: | will learn the two voices the voice
that speaks 10 you aud the voice that speaks
To mel must IL Is all plain 10 me now.
II las been appointed me"
And Catherine. yielding herself 10 a con
cluson inevitable from the basis OF her en-.
crossing affection, takes her place beside hcr
noble husband ~ his aid In great humani.
tartan work nj the Elgood Convertible In
the very slums Of London. and among an
Anaruhic population driven to tho point OF
; desperation by their surroundings Of 9th
and the resulting squalor u their dependent
aud degraded condition Of life.
!, Mrs. Ward tells Us that the saddcst mo
mont In the lives of these two persons 4
: over and done with.
From the profoundnos Of polemloal dis
cussiona 20 the brilliancy aud badinagc o.
social life, the tenderness OF love, or pasaioni
Of grief, MnL Ward IL always the artist ~
the u,c Of her materials. Nothing could b,
happier. when the reader Is introduced q
Burwood farm, the home Of tho Lcyburns
than the scene between the two sisters
Catherine and Rose, chosen by the writei
2 Tor the opening chapter Of her book w
Y listen With increasing surprise aud de
= light TO the enhancing tones Of yiolii
. swelling In ccslale abandon In IN
. sweet aud ruined beauties OF Spohr
but not until Rose, that bcwiiching. half
: grown thing. In aesthetic blue with mas
| ~ rsaIiah ar.ll hale afrua attl iufa.tht