Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-30

|
last remark. "This is the climax,
which have copied out for the bene
fit of the bishop, even exhibits doubt
of the very existence of God!"
Sometimes | have thought read
| Lady Donoyle, taking the paper from
his hand, that there Is no such thing
as personal Deity, and then l have
remembered the countless millions OF
prayers, the vast sum of human en-.
ergy, the awful total Of human suffer.
Ing, martyrdoms and deaths, offered
up on the affairs Of religion, and
have said to myself, If there has been
no one listening, no one in all these
centruies to hear those prayers, NO
one to pity those sufferings, II they
have all been meaningless-then a
play has been written, SO horribly dra.
matte that the tragedy Of 1t staggers
conception
What do you think of that?" asked
Mr.. Strayne, when his hostess had
handed him back the document in
thoughtful silence.
| II think" she answered, slowly,
that it Is the strongest argument in
favor of a personal God that 1 have
ever heard. and the most convincing -
"But can't you see how unorthodox
1t all is?" pleaded the clergyman. "And
can't you see that the throwing of
doubt on the doctrine of eternal pun
ishment suggests a tragedy almost as
bad? For if there are no hell fires,
then men have lived their lives in ag-
ony, and tossed in tortured sleep, and
lifted up imploring hands, over an idle
threat, and that is what Mr. Dare is
trying to make us believe. tell you.
Lady Donoyle, that you must get rid
| of him."
Really, Mr.. Strayne, am sorry TO
refuse you. I know you mean well,
but I happen to know that Mr.. Dare
has done a great deal of good by his
sermons, even if they are unorthodox.
| |, myself, have been much impressed,
and Kitty has got quite religious. He
suits me exactly"
The clergyman felt defeated, and
saw he must shift his ground, 10th as
he was to bring charges against one
Of his own cloth. Ills heresy is not
the only charge bring against him"
he said, sternly, though l had hoped
it would suffice. But can you look at
his face and say that a man who
shows every sign of leading a de-
bauched life is fit to minister 10
souls?"
Eyes, l admit poor Mr.. Dare looks
dreadfully dissipated. He reminds me
lof the way my husband began to look
before paresiB set in; but as long as
you can prove nothing against him,
| it wouldn't be fair to give him the
sack After all, it may be nothing but
liver. Have you spoken to him on tho
subject?"
"Yes,' answered Mr.. Strayne. 81
have tried to get him to confess to
me, for the very secretness of his
vices seems to make them more ap-
palling."
"And he wouldn't?"
He confessed that once in his life
he had yielded to an overwhelming
temptation, but that his whole life now
was devoted to battling with the re-
suits of that days weakness. More he
wouldn't say"
How annoying to arouse ones cur
iosity in that way! And it sounds
thin, too, for he gets to look more
and more rakish every day."
"Then can't you see, Lady Donoyle.
that he is not fit to be clergyman"
I'm the ordinary acceptance of the
term--no. He is not really a clergy
man. Mr.. Strayne--he is a poet, per
haps with the weaknesses of one;
but the world has learnt much from
poets, and now that the day has come
when people no longer read poetry,
perhaps poets will express from the
pulpit what 1t is hardly worth while
to put ON paper No. Until you can
~ =, fc 80 nh
atty on the part Of Mr. Dare, de-
cline to dismiss him" She got up,
and held out her hand, to indicate
that the audience was at an end.
Mr.. Strayne rose to his feet, crush
Ing his soft black hat nervously To-
gether against his breast. "Then,"
he said, ut becomes my painful duty,
Lady Donoyle, to tell you that the
ancient privilege of the Donoyle chap
lain to preach in the church of Clon-
boyne is withdrawn. The word of
the Lord shall not come through the
month Of a loose liver in any church
under my control and may as well
tell you that the tongue of scandal is
very busy about your chaplain, and
the fact that he conceals his debauch.
cries SO oupningly is only taken as
additional proof of his depravity. 1t
will be my painful duty to commune
cate his humiliating information to
Mr.. Dare this very day."
eff you only knew" observed Lady
Donoyle, sitting yawn, chow very
little all this interests me-"
Poor Fabian was only too well
aware of the rapid deterioration in his
face. Since Won Tarsenheim came to
gloat in secret over the success of his
invention. his powers of resistance had
been weakened. His personality seem
ed to fit him better now, but he was
painfully aware that that was because
his moral fibre was beginning to be
attacked by some insidious poison.
Still, he fought gamely to retain his
true self, knowing, only too we'll, that
at the least sign of weakness, the
least pandering to temptation, the dam
which his will power had
created would give way, and
he would be swept into the
arms of the powers of evil in roar
Ing flood of vice. He pictured them as
wolves waiting in nirolo thai,, ouoc