Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-05
A WOMAN'S MAN.
A Keen Analysis of Mrs. Wards Hero
by Gail Hamilton.

From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
The quarrel Is not so much between Mrs.
Humphrey Ward and orthodoxy as it is be-
tween agnosticism and Mrs. Ward. This quarrel
also, let it be triumphantly remarked, is OF the
head and not of the heart; is of the matter and
not Of the manner. Both Mrs. Ward and the
author of John Ward, Preacher"-honorable
women-have set an admirable example, es-
pecially to theological and scientific disputants
They have avoided disgusting their opponents
by vulgarity Of treatment They have attrib-
uted to their antagonists the same refinement
and elevation CT character that they have be-
slowed upon the representatives Of their own
views.
Mrs. Ward has even gone further than this
with perhaps unconscious generosity-a gen.
crosby not less magnanimous because instinc-
tive-she has pictured the orthodox far
superior to the agnostic. Agnosticism has far
more reason to complain than orthodoxy. In
deed her statement cannot be accepted as a
presentation of agnosticism in its present
stage unless we qualify it by remembering al
ways that what it presents Is the present pop
ular stage; the conclusions and condition of the
intelligent receptive, agnostic lay mind, not Of
the original agnostic student, scholar, thinker.
Mrs. Ward loves her agnostic hero just as many
a woman loves her husband-for what she
thinks he is, not for what he is. She fancies
him man OF thought, and he is but
MAN OF STRAW.
He has as little appreciation of the vital point
of agnosticism as he has of orthodoxy. In fact,
he has far less. His orthodox wife, in the
silent nobleness Of her character, in the force
and tact of her love, sel-sustaining, but never
self-asserting. grandly docile. renewedly bat
ting and repeatedly overcoming the narrow
ness of her inherited and taught belief, repre-
sents practical if old-fashioned Calvinism, far
better than her liberal husband, grooming,
dependent, tlmorous, accepting without dis
elimination and bowled over without resist
ance, represents the glory and the Joy Of ag-
Mysticism. He thinks that he is hampered by
his wife's intellectual limitations;" but he
himself has no intellect From beginning to
end, SO far as theology is concerned, there is
not one single convolution under his skull. He
is a fine lad; he makes love charmingly; he
falls into the wiles of the adventures as
HIGH-MrNDED MALE IDIOT
may; he breaks away from her with simple and
direct horror, as the high-minded man, though
an idiot must But when it comes to theol-
ogy he has not a word to say for himself. He
Is pushed into agnosticism by one man; he is
pushed into his wife's confidence by another
he Is pushed into his city work by a third; he
Is pure and sweet and unselfish but as an ad-
vocate and recommended of agnosticism he is
lncarnated weakness. Nor can one too en-
phatlcally repel and resent the inference
nay, even practically. the assertion-of Mrs.
Ward that the way of truth Is dismal, desper-
ate, destructive of happiness. Her reverend
investigator revels in misery The reading OF
his first book of critical exegesis he ever after
ward remembered with such tightening OF
the heart, associated with such a night OF
misery, that we almost forget to ask how il
| happens that an Oxford student should have
! taken holy orders and be in active and regular
\ service in the established church without hay.
ing read single book Of critical exegesisi II
would seem as If the church installed over her
aocks not strong-limbed shepherds but
BLEATISe AND pEFENsELEss LAMBS
| So it is perhaps less to be wondered that
with the first breath of critical exegesis there
swept over the soul of this little lamb a dry
destroying whirlwind Of thought. Elements
| gathered from all sources, entered into hi,
| SOUL and as they passed seemed to scorch hi,
heart He groaned indefatigably, sometime,
with only half groan, occasionally with al
most groan, but everywhere was the element
| of groan. He claimed to be an object Of pit,
till his will refused, it were, to carry ON ths
/ struggle any longer at such a hfe-destroyins
| pitch OF intensity. The intellectual Oppression
Of itself brought about wild reaction and recoi
| till some chord even OF physical endurance
gave way and something seemed TO snap within
him. This is not thought, il IL hysteria. I
| came, not because the young man was q con
scientious high-thinker, but because he hat
never received q proper theological training
and had not sufficient intellectual impulse fe