Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-18

means hardship, privation, isolation,
overwork. 1t means exile, sacrifice,
sclrow. 1t means being two years
from a lamp chimney. But it also
means putting ones finger on the pulse
of the world and knowing what symp-
toms of the worlds disease will yield
TO what form of applied Christian love.
II. means the use of civilizations finest
products, and civilizations greatest
appliances in the one task which
alone is worthy of such an equipment.
II means the steady and steadily &C.
celebrating march of Christianity across
ali the kingdoms Of the world"
THE Pageant of Darkness and
Light" will crowd the Auditorium with
thrilled and reverent people every day
except Sunday during the five weeks.
It is a wonderful combination of dra-
matte art, musical genius, scenic beau
ty and the triumphs of the Christian
faith. Given first four years ago in
London in connection with THE ORR
attempt to use the methods of pagean-
t:y for purely religious ends.
There are four episodes, represent
ing the north, the south, the east and
the west, with a final procession of
the nations Of the world gathered
around the Cross.
The north episode is an Indian camp
( in Canada. Its central interest is in
/ the lost child of the chief, and there
are highly dramatic incidents involv-
/ ing the child's mothe1 the medicine
man. a band of Eskimos, a wounded
brave and a missionary.
David Livingstone is the hero of
| the south episode, and the dramatic
moment is the coming of Stanley,
bearing England's invitation home and
the promise OF glory. But the great
missionary stays at his work. This
noblest chapter in Livingstone's life
is rendered with a simple realism that
makes a tremendous impression on
every audience.
In pathetic appeal the east episode
is easily first. 1t reproduces the last
days of "suttee," or widow-burning, in
India. and drives home the cold-blood-
ed horror of heather rites as no book
and no picture can 90 IT,
The west episode visualizes the his
toric moment in the history of mis-
siuns in Hawaii, when Queen Kapio-
lani daughter of the chief of Hilo,
freed the people from their old re-
ligion Of fear by defying the vengeance
of the Volcano-goddess Pele, who was
supposed to dwell IN the crater Of
Mauna Loa. This episode is particu-
larly rich in spectacular effects.
Then comes the final procession, in
which the chorus and the participants
in the four episodes enter to the music
of a spirited march. They carry palm
branches and arrange themselves in
a mighty group around a great rugged
Cross. And then the final chorus rises,
an Christ there is no east nor west,
in Him no south nor north" and the
audience comes to it's feet to join in
"Old Hundreds" stately challange to
praise: "All people that on earth do
dwell"
There is no describing the effect of
this moving spectacle. 1t is so huge,
vet so human, so varied in incident
yet so direct In appeal that the mind
does not quite take it all in until to-
wards the last, and then there comes
the sudden thought, why, this is the
real meaning of missions. This is the
thing that makes people give for mis-
sions, and work for missions, and be
come missionaries. And it is worth
It."