Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-26
"SWEET DOLL OF HADDON"
HAS BEEN DETHRONED

presented Dorothy Vernon as the heroine
OF the elepement fable and other better
equipped writer's following her lead gave
fuH scope to their imagination and made
her one OF the most popular women In his
tory. But q. lie Blanc-Smith, who has
been allowed to rummage freely among the
papers discovered In the stable loft, has
just written book about Haddon Hall in
which, incidentally. he gives US the mangled
remains of Dorothy Vernon that have been
spared by the rats.
=
A discussion now running In a London
newspaper on the question, Are We Grow
ing Less Religious?" has ELECTED an inter-
esting letter from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The literary knight takes the ground that
statistics of church attendance. or figures
as to the number of people practicing
various forms of ritual afford no data on
which an answer to the query can be pos
tulated
II have known" he says, most admira-
Bile persons who did these things, and L
have known most wicked ones Never yet
have I known a person who was good be-
cause he went to church or evil because he
did not And yet In most of your letters
such practices are taken as a test whether
religion is waning or increasing. There is
no relation between them"
The true tests of progress in true religion,
he insists are the following:
I'D Is there kinder and broader view
Of such subjects, enabling all men of all
creeds to live in amity and charity7 (2) Are
the criminal statistics better? go Are the
drink returns better. showing that man is
acquiring greater animal self-control? 90
Are the LEGITIMACY returns better, showing
the same thing? 90 Is there more reading,
more demand for lectures, more interest in
science, showing that the mind Is gaining
upon the body? (0 Are the savings bank
returns better, showing thrift and self-de-
nial? Cd Are the trade returns better.
showing greater industry and efficiency?
O Are there more charitable institutions.
and does man show more clearly his sense
Of duty toward the lower animals?
There u.s. he adds. "a form of religion
calling itself dogmatic faith, which has
done far more harm to the human race
than pestilence or famine. Directly to Its
door must be laid not only the blood-stained
history OF Mohametanism. but all the muir
derous doings which have in turn disgraced
every sect of Christianity. All sects
frame of mind. and have Incurred the same
blood-guiltiness. / only know four cults
the original Buddhists. the Quakers. the
Dnitarians and the agnostics-who can,
think, say that they have no blood on their
hands. Certainly the atheists cannot. for
their excuses in France-in the revolution
and also IN 1S70-have been as bad as those
of the churches.
allr' he asks. Saying you believe what
your mind cannot grasp, and what your
free reason would frequently reject. A
makes his proofiess assertion and calls IL
his faith. has the right to do the same.
Then A and hate each other with a holy
hatred. and there is the epitome Of the
hlackeEt chapter OF the history of the
world. We. who are like shipwrecked mar
liners upon this little raft of q world NOV
ing upon the face of the infinite ocean, have
enough to do to live kindly among our
selves without quarreling bitterly about that
which Is beyond the horizon"
Cir Arthur evidently believeE that s.his
faith can't be wrong whose life Is in the
right" But that is not the view of theo-
logtans, who draw broad distinct don be-
tween religion and morality.