The San Francisco call., 1905-05-07

and some day 1t VIII KNOW MIN as i
dol"
The sound of a slow hymn rose from
the floor below, and Teresa's companion
stole to the hall where the words came
clearly UP the marble staircase:
o spirit of the living God
In all Thy plenltude of grace,
Where'e the foot of man hath trod,
Descend on our apostate race.
AS Mary listened, Teresa came and
stood beside her Convent bred, re-
ligion TO her had meant churchings,
candled professionals and alterations
before the crucifix which hung always
above her bed. Her mind direct, i'm
aginative, yet with a natural freedom
from traditional constraint, suffered
for the home -nurtured ceremony left
behind in her fight with Gordon. But
her new experience retained a sense of
devotion deeper because more primi-
tive and instructive than these: n1ys-
tic leaning out toward good intelli-
gences all about her--the pure longing
with which she had framed the prayer
for Gordon so long ago. She listened
eagerly now, not only because OF the
priestly suggestion in the sound. but
also from thought that the ceremony
below had been a part of his England.
This was in her mind as weighty
voice intoned the opening sentences, to
drop presently to the recitation of the
collect for the day.
While thus absorbed Gordon and
Shelley came and leaned with them at
the top of the stair. The congregation
was responding now to the litany:
From all blindness of heart; from
pride. vainglory and hypocrisy; from
envy, hatred and malice and all un-
charitableness,
Good Lord. deliver us"
1t was not alone Mary Shelley to
whom memories were fastening. The
chant recalled to Gordon, with singu-
lar minute distinctinesS, the dreary
hours in the Milbanke pew in the old
church at Seaham, where he had pass
ed that ''treacle-moon" With Annabel.
Blindness of heart, hatred, uncharita-
bleness; he had known all these.
From lightning and tempest
One phase of his life was lifting be-
fore him startlingly clear: the phase
that confounded the preeept with the
practice and resented hypocrisy by
wholesale railing at dogma-the sneer
with which the philosophic Roman
shrugged at the Galilean altars.S The
ancient speculation had. fallen in the
wreck at Venice-to rise one sodden
dawn in the La Mira forest. The dis
carded images had re-arisen then, but
with new outlines. They still framed
skepticism, but it was Responding, not
scofffng-a hopelessness whose climax
was reached in his souls bitter cry to
Padre .Somalian at San Lazarro: IF 1T
were only truei" Since, he had learned
the supreme awakening of love which
had already aroused his conscience,
and now in its development, that love,
lighting and warming his whole field
Of human sympathy, made him con-
soious of appetences hitherto un-
guessed.
THAT it may please thee to forgive
our enemies, prosecutors and SANDER
ers, and turn their hearts;
I'VE beseech thee to- hear us, good
Lord
Gordon neither smiled now nor
frowned.
The chant died while the visitors
said their adieus. The feeling of es-
arrangement had been deepening in
Shelley's fair-haired wife. For mo-
ment she had been back in old ST.
Giles lint Fields, whittier she had
gone SO often of a Sunday from Will
liam Godwin's muSty book shop. She
put her. hand on Shelley's arm.
.Bysshe, = she whispered, 'let us stop
while as we go down. 1t seems so
like old times. We can slip in at the
back and leave before the rest. VIII
you?"
Shelley looked ruefully at his loose
nankeen trousers, his Jacket sleeves
worn from handling the tiller, and
shook his tangled hair. but seeing her
wistful expression, acquiesced.
Very well, Mary" he said; come
along" He followed her, Struggling his
shoulders.
At the entrance of the impromptu
audience room, Mary drew back uncer-
tainly The benches had been so dis
posed that the late comers found them
selves fronting the side Of the audience
and the center of curious eyes. Shelley
colored at the scrutiny, but it was too
late to retire, and they seated them
selves in the rear.
At the moment of their entry the
Rev. DR.. Mott, in cassock and sur
plice, having laid off the priest Che
was an exact high-churchman) was
kissing the center of the preachers S
stole. He settled the garment on his
shoulders with satisfaction. He had
been annoyed at the disappearance of
Cassidy, on whose aid he had counted
for many preliminary details, but the
presence of the author of Queen Nab"
more than compensated This would
indeed be good seed sown. He pro-
ceeded with zeal to the text Of his
sermon: :,
Eye are of your father, the devil,
and the lusts Of your father ye will
do"
A fiutter winged among the benches
and the blood flew to Marv's cheek as
he doled the words a second time.
With his stay in the town, the clergy
mans concern had grown at the tolera-
tion with which 1t regarded the pres
ence of this reprobated apostle Of hell
ish unbelief. The thought had been
strong in his mind as he wrote his SER
mon. This was an opportunity to sound
the alarm of faith. His face shone
with ardor.
The doctor possessed vocabulary.
His voice was ssonorous, his vestments
above reproach. He was under the very
roof of Asteroth with the visible pres
ence of anti-Christ before his eyes. The
situation was inspiratory. From a
brief judicial arraignment OF skeptic-
ism, he launched into illusions unmis-
takably, personal, beneath which Mary
Shelley sat quivering with resentment.
her softer sentiment of lang syne
turned to bitter regret. Furtive glances
were upon the pair; Pisa-the English
part of twas enjoying a new sensa-
ton.
A pained, flushing wonder was in
SheIley's diffldent, bright eyes as the
clergyman, with outstretched arm.
thundered towards them the warning
of Paul: