New-York tribune., 1919-03-30

MN go--even the faithful June paus-
ing on the porch to pray. 1t was the
turn in the road for us.
Far back in the happy beginning we
had been aware i'll the titles-though
IN the titles alone--of certain didac-
tic stiffness, and as soon as June be
gan to question whether evil is really
sent by God we knew we were to re-
ceive some moral lesson. But even
we are not entirely above moral les
sons and followed the picture with
interest to its morality: the morality
OF Christian Science. This is where
the road has been leading from the
first and the roads final turn takes
place in the mind Of the minister, who
has been shaken by his daughtor's
death and his son-in-laws rcproaches
from his orthodox belief. but whose
struggles are crystallized only when
he sees his little grandchild playing
with wasps and is told by the child
the blessed little Ben Alexander of
Hearts Of the World'-"They won't
hurt you if you don't hurt them" He
knows then that there is no such thing
as evil.
Otherwise, we take it, he would have
been pretty depressed; with one daugh
ter dead the othcr, the familys only
wage Garner, dismissed by her en-
pIoycr for rejecting his inqutous ad
vanccs; his own pulpit lost through
his changed views; his grandson
stoned off the grounds of the multi
millionaire grandfather up the road
while the boys own father is sunk in
degradation and, we fcar-thouph the
cutting necessary for our abominablc
programme system jumps too much for
US to he sure crime. But at this lowest
ebb IN the family fortunes labor takes
hand.
Labor, it may be startled to learn.
decides to enter the millionaire's house
at midnight and force him to sign its
Magma Charta at the pistols point. The
old man refuses, is bound to a chair.
and the intruding laborers line un
against the wall to shoot hirn---we have
an impression that as they lined up
they turned out tho lights, probably
IN order to improve their aim. But
Tor such a midnight nature has pro-
vlded another storm and in one of
IT'S lightning flashes the little grand
chlld steps into the room KNOWING
only that grandpa throws stones at
nm, he has come for fear grandma
might be lonely tonight.
The heart Of man cannot resist the
spectacle; the laborers repent; the
millionaire signs the charter and
clasps the child to his bosom. When
the little boy goes home he finds his
1ather, now tramp, asleep in the hay
loft; the father says that he is lool,ino
1or the True God, the child explains
the principles of Christian Science. the
question of the fathers soul is an
: swered and all hearts are reunited
| NOW we should like to ask that ulti
mate creature, the Public, and more
particularly the Christian Science nub.
lie, one desperate question: Is this
| nonsense?
| II so, how came it to be written by
the artist in genuinencss of the earlier
reels? If not, why was there only one
servant IN the house of the multi
millionaire when the laborers arrived
Why did those laborers, surely un-
aware that the child was to swing ir
on the lightning. leave the front doc,
open behind them? Why WAS the child
followed by six fox terrier puppies, un.
scattered and unspottcd by the storm
j Why were these things done by that
author-dircctor whose earlier truth o1
sight and cxactness Of touch were &c
y fne that now we actually cannot take
our own word against him? Have VIC
I such blind side to religious revcla.
ton that we mistake poetry for bun
combe and fire for a gas log7 Or i;
1t that the religion has been somcwha,
\ unrevcalingly revealed even by light
= ming, puppies babes seeking out stone
2 throwing milIonaircs, repentant mur
{ dercrs and fathers in the hayloft? III,
> wanted to put it over for the idei
. alone"l When even the sinccrcst ides
I. wants to be propaganda. what l.
=, truth?
10 Any one who knows may speak.