The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-09-08

not forget tnat they mad once been the
masters Of Egypt. Constant conflict
n the streets between the partisans of
each side laid a fitting scene for
Charles Kingsley's religious philosoph-
ic historical melodrama.
Cyril, bishop and later saint, is NOM
inally the leader Of the battling
churchmen of the tale; the great Aug
Justine and the philosophic Synesius,
bishops both, are minor personages of
the drama, with many other passing
| figures Of the church, but the leading
character from that side is the humble
Philammon, the young boy Of the mon
astery in the desert, who makes his
way in the simplicity Of his zeal to
brave the world, the flesh, and the dev-
il, where so many other monks Of fic-
ton have found that interesting triad,
keeping headquarters at Alexandria.
The city was ruled by Orestes, so far
as any project could rule the unruly
cosmopolis, worldly and elusive per-
son, who, not satisfied with the trou-
bles already at hand, would conspire
to erect an empire of Africa out of
the difficulties Of Rome and Constan-
tinople, and to crown as his empress,
Hypatia, idealist, mathematician, neo-
Platonist, leader and teacher Of what
remained Of Greek philosophy as liv-
ing force. Under Hypatia's sway fell
the young PhilammOn by reason Of
her beauty, her power Of speech, and
the inherited appeal Of philosophy to
one whose ancestry was Athenian. An
appeal of another sort came to him
from Pelagia, dancer and beauty, dar-
ling of the city in general and Of in
dividuals in particular. To the charm
Of Hypatia yielded not only the world
~ project and the simple monk, but
the most interesting figure Of the
story, Raphael-Abep-Ezra, descended
from the blood Of Solomon, rich, lazy,
and selfish to all appearance, but the
parsonage In whose soul and mind
was surging most violently the strug-
gle and conflict which is the keynote
of the book. Should the traditions Of
Jewry, the lure of Greek philosophy,
the charm Of a pleasant If tumultuous
world, or the power Of Christianity
conquer in him? In his apparently
easy going way through existence, he
was measuring what every phase Of
that seething cauldron had to offer as
a solution for the problems which a
human soul has to ponder for its own
salvation. 1t took him long to decide,
and it was only by the ministrations
Of Augustine and Synesius and the liv-
ing example Of Victoria that he final
~ found in Christianity the truly dem
ocratic creed by which the world could
best live.
Struggle and strife Of soul or body
-Philammon's yearning to see more
Of the world than the monastery in
the desert; his enthrallment by the
charm Of Hypatia's beauty and her
learning; Cyril's struggles by militant
means toward a spiritual end; Ores
tes' to win an empire; Pelagia's to
win love; Raphael to find the truth;
the conflict between old thought and
new; and as the climax, the conflict
and the end in Hypatia's case:
Eyes, on into the church itself! Into
the cool, dim shadow, with its fretted
pillars, and towering domes, and can
dies, and incense and blazing altar,
and great pictures, looking from the
walls athwart the gorgeous gloom.
And right In front, above the altar,
the colossal Christ watching unmoved
from Off the wall, his right hand raised
to give blessing-0r a curse?
ION, up the nave, fresh shreds Of
her dress strewing the holy pavement,
up the chaDcel steps themselves up |
to the altar-right underneath the
great, still Christ; and there even |
those bell hounds paused.
"She shook herself free from her |
tormentors, and springing back, rose
for one moment to her full height,
naked, snow white against the dusky |
mass around, shame and indignation
in those wide, clear eyes, but not a
stain Of fear. With one hand she |
clasped her golden locks around her;
the other long. white arm was
stretched upward toward the great
still Christ, appealing-and who dare |
say, IN vain from man to God. Her |
lips were opened to speak; but the
words that should have come from |
them reached Gods ears alone; for In |
an instant they struck her down, the |
dark mass closed over her again-and |
then wall on wall, ear-piercing, rang |
along the vaulted roofs, and thrilled |
like the trumpet Of avenging angels |
through Philamm0n's ears"
Copyright 1919. by the Post Publishing |
Co. CThe Boston Post). Copyright in the |
United Kingdom, the Dominions. It's Col
onies and dependencies under the copy |
right act, by the Post Publishing Co.,
Boston, Mass. U. 8. A. All rights re. |
served.
A Devouk Man.