The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-25

name must be Myra, too; 1t was her
voice heard in that dream That
was hasheesh. What did they drug
me for? But the whiskey was all
right. It's all done with now. unless
/ get ashore--hut will IT.
The moon rose above the castellated
structure to the left, flooding the Icy
beach with ashen- gray light, sparkling
in n thousand points from the cas-
cades, streams and ripping pools
throwing into blacklist shadow the
guliies and hollows. and bringing to
his mind. In spite OF tho weird beauty
Of the scene, n crushing sense of lone
liness--of littleness--as though the
vast nile of inorganic desolation which
held him was of far greater import
ance than himself. and all the hopes.
plans and fears Of his lifetime. The
child had cried itself to sleep again.
and he paced up and down the ice.
up there" he said. moodily. look
ing into the sky. where few stars
shone family in the food from the
moon; Up there---somawhere---
don't know Just where-but some
where up above, is the Christian
heaven. Up there Is their God--who
has placed Myga's child here---their
good God whom they borrowed from
invented him. And down below US
somewhere again---is their hell. and
their bad god. whom they invented
themselves And they give us our
choice---heaven or hell. IL Ia not so
not SO. The great mystery il not
soived-the human heart Is not help
ed in this way No good, merciful
God created this world or its condi-
tons Whatever may be the nature
OF the causes III work beyond our
mental vision, one fact Is individually
proven---that the quantities OF mercy,
goodness justice. play no part in the
governing scheme. And yet, they say
The core 81 XII religions on earth 10
the belief in this. Is IL? Or In 1t
the cowardly. human fear OF the un-
known---that impels the savage
mother to Throw her babe TO croco-
nile-that CNpels the civilized man to
endow churches--that has kept In
existence from the beginning a class
OF soothsayers. medicine men, priests
and clergymen, all living on the
hopes and fears excited by them
selves.
And people pray-miilions of them
and claim they are answered Are
they? Was ever supplication sent
into that sky by troubled humanity
answered. or even heard? Who
knows? They pray for rain and sun
shine, and both come In time. They
pray for health and success and both
are but natural in the marching Of
events. This Is not evidence. But
they say that they know, by spiritual
uplifting, that they are heard. and
comforted. and answered at~the mo-
ment. Is not this a physiological ex-
pertinent Would they not feel
equally tranquil II they repeated the
multiplication table. or boxed the
compass
Millions have believed this--that
prayers are answered--and these mil
ions have prayed to different gods.
Were they all wrong or all right
Would "A tentative prayer be listened
to? Admitting that the Bibles. and
Korans. and Nedas, are misleading
and unreliable. may there not be an
unseen, unknown Being. who knows
my hea-t---who Is watching me now?
IL so. this Being gave me my reason.
which doubts Him. and on Him Ii the
responsibility. And would this being.
II he exists, overlook n defect Tor
which / arm not TO blame. and listen
to "a prayer from me. based on the
mere chance that l might be mis-
taken? Can an -unbelieser, In the
fuu strength of hin roano01ug p00QUA