The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-01

bedroom with painted ceiling and
pane!led wnlls. The furniture was idS 81
Keeping witt the design, but electric u,
lamps had been fitted to the massive
pewter sconces on tho wall, and ta tha II
towel.rai by the washing stand ~ wa
made OF copper tubing through which Il
hot water passed constantly. n n,
The dinner-goig doomed ut eight and n
Rinon went down into the great l,,ills S3
where n group Of people wore standing Il
round an open fire OF peat and coal. a55
Mrs. f3urtlllly a widowed sister 81 v 81
Atichael's. acted as hostess, QUIET , Y. 81
tronly woman, very Jewish in INSPECT,
shrewd and placid In temper, an admir-
able cl1atelaine. 23i3lf S$.
Talking to her was Mrs. Hubert Arm
strong, the famous woman novelist MIS-
Armstrong was tall and grandly built.9
Flor grey hair was drawn over q ma sstve,s5S
manlkc brow IN smooth folds, her race "
was finely chiselled. The mouth was
large, rather sweet IN expression, VI tsS$S
with slight limiting of Superiority IN a
rcposc and condescension IN 21novement.8i
When she spoke, always in fun wells
chosen periods, it was with an air ta
somewhat final pronouncement She was
ever excathedra. n 55sB
The lady-s position was great one.
Every two or three years she published III
n welEhty novel, admirably written, ftll l 8fR
OF real culture, and without a trace OF
humour. IN those productions treatises
rather than novels, the theme was gems
orally that Of n hiGh-bred philosophical s
ncgntion OF the Incarnation Mrs. Arn-8,
strong pitcd Christians Will, passionate
certainty. Gently and lovingly she es-.i#f
sayed to open blinded eyes to the truth
with great condescens ion she still bc-SS
lievcd in God and preached Christ as "a
mighty teacher. 81 38S $s
One OF her utterances sufI1ces to show
the colossal arrogance almost laughablosi
were 1t not so bzarre-of her intcllect:is
"'rllc world has expanded since Jesus VI
preached in the dim ancient cities 9 OK
the East Men and women Of to-day,
cannot learn the complete lesson OF God v
from him now--indced they could not III III
those old times. Hut all that Is most "
necessary in forming character, all that Il
makes for pureness and clarity Of soul
this Jesus has still for us as he had for 4
the people Of his own time NJ. 5l3s $s
81 After the enormous success OF her BOOK
Jchn Mulgravc. Mrs. Armstrong more
than half believed she had struck a. final n
blow at the errors Of Christianity #
s Shrewd critics remarked tina ohm Mul-Bi
grave described the sprevcrsion Of this y
hero with great skill and literary pc Wer,$
WINE Qullc lUIsClLLlS ~ tcCtipilu W StiuH
arguments which had brought it about. 5Si
The woman was really educated II but q
her success was with half-educated read
$ers. Her works excited to a sort OF L
frenzy clergymen who realised their ln-aa},
sdlous hollowness. Her n success was Y
real: her Influence anppearedS to be real
Also 1t was a deplorable fact that She
swayed fools. SSS
BY laying on the paint very thick and
using bright colours, Mrs. Armstrong
caught the class Immediately below that
which read the works OF Constantine
schuabe. They were captain and lleuten-8;
ant, formidable in coalition, 8 a, s85
a. short, carelessly dressed mnn-his& VI
evening tie was badly arranged and hts
trousers were i'll cut-was IA the Duke 70 fS5
Suffolk. His face was covered with DUST
coourcd hair. his eyes bright and rest
less. prhe Duke was the greatest Roman
Catholic nobleman in England. Ilis vast
wealth and eager, though not 1rst-class,
brain were devoted entirely to 1.-THE con-;
version OF the country. lie was beloved IN
By men OF all creeds. {5 NJ s
Canon Wake, the great popula Jar prcac CHI
icr, was a handsome man, portly, large
and gracious IN manner. He was des-ssss
tined for high prefermGnts, q persona 1;
grata at Court, sauve and iredolent or
the lofty circles In which he moved. s.S8 3Si
Conon Wake was talking to SchuabeS
with great animation and a sort Of plrr-t5
Ing geniallty ll5 81 \ Ss
Dinner was a very pleasant meal.3s3
Every one talked we'll. Great events In
Society aud politics were discussed q by
the people who were themselves respon-#s
sille for them. III # 5asz $
bland and guarded from the crowd out-#
slde And perhaps, with the single ex-4af
ception OF Father Rhpon, who never
thought about it ut all, every one swas
pleasantly conscious tof@ pulling the q.
strings. they sat. Jovc-like, kindly toll
Grant OF lesser mortals, discussing, over
dessert, what they should do for tho III
world ggFFs$
At eleven nearly every one had re- III
tired for tho night. Father Ripon and en-
his host sat talking In the library for a
another hour discussing church matters. II
At twelve these two also retired. 5S
And now the great house was SILENT
save for the bitter winter wind whicll Ss
sobbcd and mnnncd round the towers, ss
1t was the eve of the twelfth of Dccen-$
Der. The world was as usual and the #
night came to England with no hlntings
OF tho morrow NJ 55g t5
Far away in Lancashire, Ras' Gortie @
was sleeping calmly after 4 lons. quleEs2g
evening with Helena anu her fatncr,& sSN
Father flpon had said his prayers
and lay half dreaming in bed, Watching NJ
the freight slows and shadows OH BtheGE
and listening to tho fierce outs
side wind as IL It were ln,laty ssSS4S
Mrs. Hubert Armstrong MAS touchnSSg
up IN article for the Nineteenth Century,
In her bedroom. An open volume OF Ren1n 81!
stood by her side; here and there tho
lady deity paraphrased a few lines. Oc-s#l
casionally she slipped q cup of black Ill
currant tea--an amlable weakness of tl,ss Spy
when engaged upon her stirring
labours. Sa5
III the next room Sch,labe, with hag- q
gard face ana twitchng lirs, paced rapids
~ up and down, From the door to the sa
dressing-ta bleseven steps, From there to SSss
the firepaceten steps-ayoding the si
flower pattern of the carpet, stepping
only on the blue squares Seven! ton! and
then hack again. ffssl4 5E
Ten, seven, turn. a cold soft dew
came out upon his face, dried hardened. M
and hurst forth again. g]is