The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-13

good healthy bit of mendacitv Some
Jay ana come down to my place and
see what l do to people who don't tell
ene truth you may change your tune
Hltrlol as complexion wash is a low
forever when compared to the treat
my bailiwick." -
You are giving me an entirely new
view of your function 1 thought your
chlef ambition was to DESTROY that
which is good,'' said I.
No; i merely test it." said Mephis-
topheleS. You can't tell whether anv
kind of a construction is of my use un-
til you have subjected it to severe
test. Take your battleships, your
cruisers, your floor spaces, your yachts.
your automobiles, your boiler engines.
your best girl-everything is tested by
a trial of great severity. Why not do
the same with character? That's my
job"
Oh said I. Then life here is moth
ing but trial trip. eh?'
That's all, and 1 am the tester that
puts you to your trumps shortly after
you are launched" Mephistopheles OBJ
served quietly.
And yet you say you are hopeful
about New York" 1 said
''Very-she stands the test mighty
WELL, Mephlstopheles replied. Even
with the churches closed and other
safety valves corked up. as seems to
be the fashion here in summer, with
the supremest tests possible applied to
her moral character, every autumn
New York comes up smiling, without a
screw loose anywhere or a strained
: timber in her construction or a blow
hole in her armor. DR.. Broadviews
can seek the Matterhorn with a calm
and equable frame of mind; Bishop
BicepS can seek the secluSion of the
Adirondacks for the whole season
without fear; the Rev. Mr.. Scarletibis
can spend his summer vacation casting
for trout with unruff1ed mien-for all
goes well. See that?'
Here MephistophOles leaned forward
in the cab and pointed out the great
common in the park. 1t was crowded
with youngsters, rolling on their backs,
tossing balls, dressing doll babies, eat
ing popcorn, smearing their cheeks
with ginger bread and molasses candy
"a Chattering, Gathering mass of
laughing humanity at play.
You can substitute fiat houses for
churches, from Dan to Beersheba; you
can SOW the seeds of anarchy and dis
content wherever you will; you can
apply any test of character that pleaSeS
you, and that has dragged down many
a soul in the past, but city that has
that sort of thing going on in it's midst
day after day and all day long need
have no fear of fire and birthstone, for
1t is proof
AS Mephistopheles spoke, his words
received a sudden and unexpected con-
firmation, for, perceiving the extra
ordinary figure in red at my side, Il
group of romping youngsters came
running madly down the path to greet
us. They apparently thought we were
a circus and they wanted to see us at
closer range. The effect was instant
and startling, for in the face of this on
slaught of innocence my companion
gave nervous start, and with
a loud report. very much like that of
an explosion of gasoline in a fractions
automobile, disappeared from sight.
I allayed the disappointment of the
youngsters by distributing a dollars's
worth of candy balls among them, and
still hungering for refreshments pro-
ceeded up to the Abbey. This not be-
ing a church was open, and | enjoyed
a special service upon my arrival, con-
sisting of a horses neck, a fine broiled
chicken and a plate of strawberry ice
cream, after which I drove home to my
apartment in such a frame of mind
that agreed with my guest, Mephis-
topheles, that in spite of some things to
her discredit, New York isn't wholly
to the bad after all.
1t is only proper for me to add that
l have since learned that at two or
three churches that Sunday morning
the usual services were held, but L
have unfortunately mislaid their names
and addresses.