New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-31
LIE splRIT AND The WORD.


THE INSIDE OF THE CUP By Win
ston Churchill. Illustrations by Howard
Giles l2mo. pp. 5i3 The Macmillan
Company.
Much reflection has gone to the writ
ing Of this novel. much observation OF
present day conditions and tendencies,
much seriousness Of purpose. The book
reflects that expectation Of a revival
Of the religious spirit Of which others
have spoken confidently OF late and
WHICH. they predict. will be progress
sive spirit. casting aside the shackles
Of the letter OF the Word that is dead,
seeking 10 establish on this earth jus
tice in the place Of charity. the brother
hood Of man fer the survival Of the
fttest
It is i'm large mid Western city
that Nh churchill has placed the char
acters Of this story Of the struggle. be-
gun in the last century, between rea-
son and superstition. between free in
vestigation and arbitrary ecclesiastical
authority. between the scientific spirit
! seeking 10 serve humanity and the an
/ tiquated theology fearing the new
light. The protagonist Of the tale. the
rector OF the citys most fashionable
/ church. progresses from blind ortho-
/ doxy 10 doubt, both theological and So
/ cial. and thence through slum work and
| the consequent recognition of the
things that are. 10 n vision Of the n"
! faith which. give II what name one
chooses, IS still most aptly described
as Christian socialism" For the sake
/ Of the argument, this clergyman rs
( taken through the whole series OF sue
| cessive awakenings through which the
world has passed since Huxley under
/ took 10 lead the struggle. From I'M
| questioning faith he advances 10 the
! conservatism that deliberately closes
| It's eyes refusing TO see, lest it's peace
/ be disturbed He observes the bar
renness Of the lip service OF his par
ishioners. the contrast between their
worldly practices and the creed they
profess. the motives behind their ortho-
]
charity springs. the methods by when
/ their fortunes are won and secured
and augmented and their cost. He
confronts the economic problem, and
then comes the revelation that It can
not be solved by the amelloration OF
material conditions. by the spread Of
enlightenment alone. The things Of
/ the spirit must leaven the whole. and.
/ he discovers, the need Of the things of
/ the spirit is being reborn.
Much OF this is familiar to many, II
as yet but imperfectly realized by more.
The authors exposition is admirably
well done Much thought, as has al
ready been said, has gone to the writing
OF the book The vehicle, the story,
Is in direct touch with most Of the
questions OF the hour. 1t utilizes con
ditions with which we all have been
made familar-with crooked finance,
low wages. Stun life. institutional at
tempts at rescue; with the hatred Of
the submerged for the religion that
wealth, and with the invincible igno-
rance OF that wealth itself. its belief
in its own righteousness, its comfort
able acquiescence in the things that
be. which may be ameliorated by
charity, but cannot be cured. That in
this plot the rector should meet his
richest parishioner's victims i'm the
slum, that he should be- able TO lay
at his door the direct responsibility for
suicide and the moral death Of a
woman; that another Of his parishion-
ers should be the knowing owner Of
an infamous hotel are condolences
which the foreshortening demanded by
the limitations of space in even the
longest novel amply justifes. And 1t is
m integral part OF Mr.. ChurchilIs