Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23


piness Of these two young lives
Father Francis was silent. and sat with
bowed head and folded arms His face
was stern and unrelenting.
Surely it is better for him to work for
his daily bread?" continued Lady Betty.
"A man can live a good life and be an
example to others without
No. he cried. rising to his feet. II
say no. So long as he stayed In that
shop he was a liar. a thief, aye. even,
dare say, a murderer. Boric acid in the
milk. sulphuric acid in the vinegar. salts
of lead in the sugar poison In nearly
everything and where there was no poi
son there was some cheap adulterant
which was disguised the thing the GUS
toner asked and paid for And all this
for the mere making of money. for larger
profits. in order that the proprietor might
have his horses, his motor car. his estate
In the country tell you tnat or all the
classes in England who worship the god
Of money there is none SO despicable as
your respectable, church-going. middle
class tradesman. He is sapping the vi
tally of the nation. He has been called
the backbone of England. One of these
days he will be the backbone of a skele-
tom
He paused. with flashing eyes. trembling
in every limb. In the enthusiasm of the
moment he had forgotten the identity of
the woman who was listening to him. He
had thrown off all attempt at Disgusting
his voice and spoke in his natural tones
She looked hard at him. as though trying
to recolect something in the past The
voice. save that 1t was more manly.
stronger and more resonant was the voice
of Sir Richard Gaunt. The features were
almost entirely concealed with hair, but
the eyes and nose In the uncertain light
reminded her of the lover she had lost
She did not however. allow her mind to
dwell on the subject for more than a few
moments. She had two other people to
occupy her thoughts.
''Those are hard words she said, after
a pause: very hard words
But they are true. 1 saw a case in the
paper-this very firm. The prosecution
failed. The public are powerless. They
have to eat, apparently, whatever is Of
fered them. That is part Of tha price Of
civilization
''They have the remedy in their own
hands. They can go elsewhere"
"They find the same wherever they 60.
That is the terror of 1T all. Money is
the universal cry. Money at any cost!
So long as more money can be made by
preserving rotten meat with boric acid
and selling potato spirit whisky. SO
long will these practices continue. They
are only symptoms of the same disease
which makes the great flnancier rig a
steal silver spoons
yet young Harry Brandon was only a
servant. He could not help the frauds of
his employer"
matter. He has protested against the
custom OF the trade He has refused to
receive wages for service in so vile
cause"
said Lady Betty. 4ervently, work of
which no man could be ashamed. l am
going to offer him a post here as q book
keeper. at better wages than he has been
receiving from Mr.. Bland
Father Francis frowned. II have heard
of YOUR work. he said OuietlV eft Ia
good and honorable. Unfortunately. how
ever, it Is only touching the surface of
things. 1t does not go to the root of the
matter, which is, after all. in the case of
these poor women. the love Of luxury. of
pleasure. of money easily earned. These
individual charities are worthy and do
credit to those who spend their time in
the work but they are quite Intellectual.
some united effort on the part of all good
men and good women to overthrow the
whole social system in which money is at
present the only god men worship"
II think you are wrong. answered
Lady Betty. nervously II believe in
every one doing his best in his own way.
hoping that 1t will be acceptable to God.
But l did not ask you in here to argue
with you on an abstract question, Father
Francis. I believe you to be a good man.
of strong principles. but with kindly
heart. Please do not take Harry Brandon
from work which will enable him to
marry this girl. You will only destroy
innocent happiness. 1t will be so hard
for both of them. 1t will be cruel / do
not think that it will really serve your
cause to do thing like this
II have not forbidden his marriage"
replied Father Francis. gravely. She
can come with him and help him in his
work She will be welcome"
woman" pleaded Lady Betty. How can
she stand it? 1t would kill her. There
could be none of the happiness of mar
riage the home life the children-do you
understand all it would mean for herr"
Il understand. This will be the sacri-
flee demanded Of her by God. No great
work has yet been accomplished without
sacrifice.
Lady Betty looked steadily into his face
She did not know how to reply to this
stern enthusiast.
Harry Brandon" he continued. has
been chosen for a great work. His heart
the first fruits of the victory which 1 am
fighting for. Would you ask me to give
him back to the world from which have
called him. to think of his earthly happi-
ness. when 1 can offer him an immortal
CROWN
''Oh. please do not talk like that" ex
claimed Lady Betty, pieously. 1T makes
me think that you are not sincere"
Il am sincere he replied, gravely. Il
am terribly in earnest. This young man
will not turn back. He will leave every
thing. give up everything for the sake of
the cause. He loves this girl very dearly,
and he will lose great happiness If he
loses her But the greater the loss the
nobler the sacrifice. God will reward
him..
''He can do good work with me- said
Lady Betty, in a faltering voice: good,
honest work. I will pay him WELL
He will not do your work" he inter
rupted, sharply; che VIII be mere clerk.
His mind will be occupied with figures,
not with charity. Your work is, Of neces
sity. a woman's work, and you have every
reason to be proud of it. But he will be
no more than the pen with which you
sign your name. There is something bet
ter for him to do in the world than that.
He will lay his sacrifice on the altar Of
his faith
But the girl" said Lady Betty sadly.
lit is of her l am thinking. What right
has he to sacrifice her as well? She has
placed her ifes happiness in his hands"
perhaps she, too. will join u.s. re-
piled Father Francis. "Perhaps God has
work for her to do in the world. Who
knows? If every woman were content
with quiet. domestic life. who would do
such work as you are doing now? Are
not you yourself an example of the good
an unmarried woman may do in the
world? 1t is only the unmarried, both
men and women, who can devote all their
thoughts and energies to a great work.
You have sacrificed much-the home life.
the love of husband and children. all
that is most pure and sweet in earthly
pleasures But do you repent? Do you
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