The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-30


 bits of literature that might be taken up by temperance societies and used as tracte--though 1t is safe to predict that 1t will not be.
 MT. Shaw is one of those writers whose freedom of speech against the -sense of responsibility and talent" against things truly and rightly revered prejudices so mnay that his good things lie long ungarnered-for feeling the many.
 It is certainly good to know on what simple meat feeds the body that bears the mind that can win the audience that Mir. Shaw now has for his lightest word--that large minority that hears before the majority are awake and aware: T have myself tried the ex- pertinent of not eating meat or drink ing tea, coffee or spirits for more than a dozen years past, without, as far as I can discover, placing myself at more than my natural disadvantages rela- lively to those colleagues of mine who patronize the slaughterhouse and the distillery. But then I go to church.
 Of course this last being translated into ordinary jargon must mean that Afr. Shaw loves and mentally feeds on hII that is most beautiful and inspir- lng--for none of the imaginings of poet painter, philosopher have ever trans Gended in beauty what the church gives. Love, Peace, Goodness. Immor- tality There I find rest without Aanguor and recreation without excite ment, both of a quality unknown to the Traveller who turns from the village church to the village inn and seeks to renew himself with shandy guff"
 It is also we'll to be reminded by Mr. Shaw, for 1t had certainly slipped the memory if it had ever been caught there, that Ninon de fEucles was wont @z- sfa nf nf sme." It is good to know that simple aiving has preserved even so earthly things as beauty and fascination be- yond their utmost limit. It can't be Epreached too much that high living poisons the brain and puffs and dis forts the countenance anI wears out Nhe body before its time. When MT. Shaw tells us that a man who ere ates anything worth while must sacri- flee himself and his desires ito the perfection of his work-to the passion for efficiency which is the true master passion of the artist" It is surely a Eood axiom.
 When he sandwiches these things with uuestions as to whether ugly churches Buildings can be made real churches though "the bishop may consecrate-un- Eil he Is black in the face" with dub bing St. Athanasius "an irreligious Hool-that is. in the only serious sense bf the word, a durned fool" with Rubbing St. Peter but a boorish Ly- rfah fisherman" he comes near wreck ing his life-swing boat against rocks of belief, prejudice. what you will.
 Many dreaming on the deep seas of dissipation, or steering to some other From the deep seas thereof are so glad to see MT. Shaw's little temperance aife-boat steering toward them; but why does he stop and run amuck or @hnee old rocks of belief.
 St. Athanasius, too, bore his message pf good It is not damned fools" who win the title Saint, which MT. Shaw gives by the way as readily and natur- ally as he would Count or Sir; nor do the words of damned fools" go wing ing down the ages. meeting as they go hate, love, trust, distinct, appreciation, misunderstanding. Also what MT. Shaw Is moved to call "the naive im- portance of St. Peter" have done vast work and the words of the Syrian fisherman yet live. Is there no good in such long lived utterances? Is there nothing miraculous that make every business letter, calendar, account, bill, news sheet, and poster bear date that recalls Q time when simple fishermen and publicans followed a young Jewish carpenter afoot through his tiny con- huered province and tried to believe in and follow His teachings.
 The vast vitality of that little bands belief and effort has builded the churches which Mir. Shaw wants to en- Soy in his own way, and none will say him nay. Let every man enjoy and hplift himself according to his own Hapability and desires. and thrice blessed Is he if he can lift others unto him.
 So let us all enjoy MT. Shaw's bril- 1iancy Tn our own way, following out fQ n1 nf B. pleases us. and holding fast to what pleases us.
 But for my part can never declare past question that bad which I despise, Dor I remember that one mans meat is Snother's poison.
 Ny churches should be open at all hours. A plea that is at this day very nearly answered before made. Some very plain homely edifices are still kept locked on week days.
 Even MT Shaw admits that this Is well. for the sight of them is not up- lifting.
 Probably if walls think as well as hear these keep shut with the same Sort of self consciousness as that that makes a homely woman sit in the cor ner at any gathering.
 "Even when they (these churches) are open," writes Mir. Shaw. they are @ealOuSly guarded in the Splrlt or that Westminster Abbey verger who. not long ago, had a stranger arrested for kneeling down. and explained, when demonstrated with, that if that sort of thing were tolerated, they would soon have people praying all over the place"
 Of the different atmosphere of churches, of the different effect pro- sauced (upon MT. Shawl by the cathe- drals of Italy this Is most interesting: bGo to Milan, and join the ranks of tourists to it's petrified christening-caleI pf a cathedral. The projectors of that Dostly ornament spared no expense to prove that their devotion was ten times greater than that of the builders of San Ambrogio. But every pound they | spent only recorded in marble that their devotion was a hundred times | less. Go on to Florence and try San | Lorenzo, a really noble church (which | the Milan Cathedral is noD, Bounel- | leschi's masterpiece. You cannot but admire its intellectual command of form, its unaffected dignity, Its power and accomplishment, its masterly com | bination of simplicity and homogeneity | of plan with elegance and variety of detail. You are even touched by the | retention of that part of the beauty of the older time which was per ceptfble to the Renaiscent intel | lect before its weaning from had been followed by starvation. You l the deep and serious re- | spect which Michael Angelo had for | why he said, T can do | different work, but not better" But