The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-11-20
DARWIN A
BELIEVER
IN CHRIST
English Noble Woman
Tells of Scientists
Belief
SPOKE TO HIM
IN LAST YEARS
Great Theorist Asked
Her to Lead in
Prayer
ey THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.

h ey THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.
Lady Hope, British woman OF
title, well known in religious circles
for her lifelong activity in Christian
work, has been spending consider.
u able time in this country. attending
the Billy Sunday meetings, the
Northfeld conferences. and other
similar gatherings TO prayer
meeting In Mortified. she told
Remarkable story concerning her
s.personal experiences with Charles
h Darwin that II so at variance with
i the. popular conception OF the great
naturalist's religious belief, that
Lady Hope was asked 10 write down
n her story for THE Watchman-Ex'
amfner." According to the recoliec.
sion OF Lady Hope, Darwin in bis
Iater years, was a devoted Bible
student and an outspoken believer
IN Christ
Darwin. IL will be recalled, set out
rs study for holy orders in the
q Church OF England, and completed
Ms course in Cambridge university.
Y HIS mind was OF scientific bent,
\ hoNever. and he welcomed the oD-
I, purtunity to go on "The Beagle" to
the South seas, where he spent Ave
pears pursuing his Investigations
\ and gathering the scientific data
<ou which his subsequent revolu-
X 1IonAry works were based.
During the two years which
4o16psed between the return Of "The
\ Zongls" and his marriage, he pom
<xoesd the subject of religion seri.
ously. % that to use his own words.
rDlsbelief crept over me at a very
oj0w rate. but 1t was at last COM
4 ylste" That he never felt prepared
have his position on religion
<ouefed In controversy upon the gen.
%oral subject Ia clear.
What Darwin thought toward the
close OF his life is thus reported
4 ~ Lady Hope, in her written state
Y ment:
1T was one OF those glorious au.
tunn afternoons that we ometimes
on5oy In England, when was
& asked to 60 in and sit with the
B Wsll.known professor. Charles Oar
WIN. He was almost bedridden fol
x nons months before ne died.
4 med TO feel when I saw him thai
his fine presence would make q
e7and picture for our Royal acad
envy, but never did think so more
n otrongly than on this particular &C
easion.
He was sitting up in bed, wear
4 lng . soft embroidered dressing
oown Of rather a rich purple shade
~Propped up by pillows. the was
I nauing out on . farstretching scene
~ woods and corn-nelds. which
11owed In the light Of one Of those
m6RveIous sunsets which are the
1oouty Of Kent and Surrey. His
no6le forehead and nne features
oemsd 70 be Lit up with pleasure
k&U 9ut0feu tuc rOOfb-
He waved his hand toward the
NJ window ~ he pointed out the scene
1eyond, while In the other hand ne
1old m open Bible, which he wss
to1ways studying
what are you reading nowr
4 nGksd, - ] seated myself by bis
d ho1Gida.
Hebrews!" he answered: 'stiy
lEQeesws. -The Royal Book" cal
- Isn't II grandr
Then. placing his finger on Ger
toln passages, he commented or
II made soms silusion TO tn,
ovung opinions expressed by man,
ogDons on the history OF creation
~ grandeur. and then their treat
noat o. the earlier chapters OF III,
- o. Genesis.
ssHe seemed greatly distressed
"A ~ singers twitched nervously, an
= look OF agony came over bis fac
~ he said:
Il was q young man with ur
armed ideas. ] threw out queries
toeeestions. wondering all the tim
Dter everything; and to my astor
lament the ideas took like wild
~ People made religion O
<nem.'
Then he paused. and after a ke1
more sentences on the holiness Q
NJ and the grandeur OF thl
Dook, looking at the Bible. whic
vss holding tenderiy all II
lxse, he suddenly said:
~ have summer house In IN
trden which bffdA about 30 pe,
II Is oycF1hore. pointin
<fourh The optn window. ! wan
I~R yery much 10 speak there.
IN you read the Bible In the vi
'rcmorrow afternoon I shout
W servants on the place. som