The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-18

/ z 4 II . q
All voluntary sacrifices OF personal Dig
nifty affect the average English temper
dtnent III this way more or icss. How
ever much the apologlsts OF the stage
may cry art or "bcncncial Influence"
your British thinker Is not. convinced
TINT there is anything very worthy III
painting tile face and making the body
n public show for u wngc. And there Is
sometimes q kind OF wonder III, the heart
OF q sincere Christian who attends a
theatre ns he remembers that the body
Ia tile Temple OF the Holy Spirit.
Still Basil was tolerant enough. But.
this case which lad thrust itself before
him was quite different. lie kry,w TINT
the sburlesquc, the modern music play,
made. first and foremost. a. frank appeal
to the senses Its hopeless yulgarity and
coarseness OF sentiment. It's entire lack
OF appeal to anything that WIS not de-
based and materlalistic,. We're ordinary
)indisputable facts OF everyday life.
And so his lady, of evensong was high,
priestess OF nothing better than this
cult OF frotl, and gnudy scnsunlity. More
than all others. his experiences OF late
had taught him that women of this class
seemed to be very nearly soulless. Their
souls had dissolved In champagne, their
conscienccs were burnt up by tho fever
ish excitement and pleasure Of their
lives. They sold themselves for luxury
and the adulation of coarse men. Il
His very chagrin made him bitter and
contemptuous more than his won't.
Tlien his eye lit upon q photogravlire
hung upon the opposite wall. 1t was
the reproduction Of quaint, decorative.
stlted picture by an nrtist.of the early.
Umbrian school, and represented st.
Mary Magdnlenc. s
c1,ccL NJ HE cnpf oyI,pt :.
nous thoughts.
He began to reconstruct the scene in
his BRAIN II fayorite and profitable ex-
ercise of his. using his knowledge and
study OF tho old dim times to animate
the picture and make 1t vivid.
They were all resting. or rather lying.
around the table. tho body resting on
tho couch. the feet turned away from
the table In the direction OF the wall.
while the left elbow rested on the table.
And then. from tho open courtyard,
AN ante-chamber. and by the open door.
passed the agurc OF a woman into the
festive reception-room and dinlng-lnll.
How had she gained access? How in
,conSrlious her figure must haye been
there! In those days the jewish preju-
dice against any conversation with wo-
men--evcn those OF the most lofty char
;,ctcr--was extreme.
The shadow of her form must have
fallen on all who sat at meat. But no
ono spoke, nor did she heed any but
One only.
The woman had brought with her an
aiabastroii OF peffumeI 1t was flask
OF precious foliatum. probably. which,
women wore round the neck. and which
hung over the breast. The woman stood
behind Him at His feet, and as she
bowed reverently shower of tears. like
sudden summer rain, .'bedewed'' His
I, feet.
Basil went through the whole scene
until the final Go into peace" not go
in peace. as the logical dogmatics would
have had 1t.
And so she. the first who had come
to Him for spiritual healing, went out
into the better light. and into the eter-
nal peace of the Kingdom OF Heaven.
Basil tore up the vulgar little photo
graph and forgot than aspect OF the
dancer. He remembered rather the dim
figure by the font.
There was sudden furious knocking
on the outer door of the chambers, and
he went to open it.
CHAPTER XII.
POWERS OF GOOD AND EVIL.
Gortre felt certain that his vicar stood
without. His knocking was full OF mills
tant Christianity. The tumultuous energy
of the man without communicated its own
stir and disturbance to Basil's brain by
the most subtle of all forms OF :tele-
pathy-that etclegraphy'' which, in a
few more years. will have Its definite
recipes and formulate,
Father Ripon refused to live ty any
standard of measured time. He refused
80 he said-to believe that q wretchetl
little clock really knew what tile great
golden sun was doing He had found it