The San Francisco call., 1898-03-27
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 WITH ENTIRE FRANkNESS.
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By HENRY JAMES.

 1 anonymous traducer by as thing un- l clean He must be considered as one of an ignoble class Upon the untruthful meddler who, disguised and hidden, in- dites calumny with intent to injure an- other, it is as seemly to place the heel as upon the neck of the hissing serpent. His tongue may be as busy as his pen, and I do not propose to submit to sian der through the medium of either. TO my individual beliefs there can attach no importance, and yet it is not pleas ing that they should be misrepresented by hypocrite. A single epithet would describe him, but the use of this would be neither polite nor convincing. l do not know what Sap means by 'inidel.
 His shallow mind cannot realize that there are those who believe implicitly in a Supreme God, and for Him have a reverence so profound that it irritates and depresses to observe a lot of pur- veyors of petitions directed on high but never reaching the ceiling, thanking the Infinite that they are doing His will, rendering counsel as to how the world should be run, trying to impress upon the Creator the advisability of
 
 human beings who do not like to see people dead to every impulse of charity, bending knee in the house of prayer They object to the bigots who declare all must live according to their plan or go to hell, while the plan may be so narrow, the personalities of it's advo- cates so repellent as to place pre- mium on the chance of going in any di- nYlfO mt fn believe the power which launched into measureless space this whirling globe is able to guide it's flight, nor needs the assistance of the gnats with which it swarms. Now and then I have attacked creeds which in no manner conform to divine teaching nor excite humane emotion. It has befallen me to help, as I might, tear the cloak from some clerical sinner, who, speak ing out of the midst of depravity and guile, has alike insulted the Deity he made hideous mock of worShiping, and the misguided persons who have lis tened only to be betrayed. If memory serves I have made remarks concern ing Rev. c. O. Brown, Parson Davies, Rector Walk and other pulpit freaks. I imagine such classification would en- brace my unknown friend, Sappy. In fancy it is easy to see him, the dim light from a homemade halo suffusing his face as he raises voice of grat- itude that it has been permitted him to be not as other men. His good ness is bogus, his nature sour, his mentality shallow and dull. It is such as he who form stumbling blocks in the path of those who, with prompt ing to step onward and upward, are baffied at seeing the way apparently crowded by a Pharasaical rabble pro- claiming themselves alone to be worthy the boon of salvation. No word sus- taining them comes down to us from that wonderful NaZarine whose benign and gentle character they would drag in the dust by pretending to fashion their own after it. As to other points advanced by MT. Sappy I de- cline to treat them. It Is impossible for me to get down to the plane of idiocy where they are. I do deny, however, that a canting apostle of self-righteousnesS is the best exponent of a moral law or any other. No sen- sibIe reader will understand me as railing against any form of good It is counterfeit piety for which l have endeavored to express disregard, and doing so before now have caused Sap to run There are good men in the church and good men out of it. honor their principles and their deeds. Whether we agree in doctrinal details makes not even enough difference to cause argument So good-by, V. s. Please try to lead a better life.
 Senator Thurston of Nebraska has never had my warm admiration. He had seemed to me more a favorite of fortune than a man of ability. It is true that his gift of eloquence has long been recognized, and as a railroad at torney he had acquired reputation and money. But training in the legal de- partment of a subsidized road is not best calculated to fit a statesman for the duty of representing the people it had often been his official duty to op- press. But for ThurSton's recent speech in the Senate he can be forgiven much. It was patriotic, timely; an appeal to humanity and national honor, vivid picture of Spanish cruelty, and withal a tender tribute to a loved one he had just laid to rest. It can almost be for gotten that he had no business to go to Cuba under the yellow flag, so well he rose above the hampering clog of such association. It struck me as pecu- liar that the most bitter attack upon Thurston should have come from rail- road organ of this city and been based upon his former connection with busi- ness of which that paper is still a com-