Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-04-23

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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 dew
II, where so many other monks of fic-
tlon have found that interesting triad,
keeping headquarters at Alexandria.
The city was ruled by 0restes, 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 consplre
to erect an empire Of Africa out of
the difficulties of Rome and Constan.
tinople, and to crown as his empress,
Hypatla, ldealist, mathematician, neo-
Platonist, leader and teacher OF what
remained of Greek philosophy as a liv-
ing force. Under Hypatla's sway fell
the young Phllammon by reason OF
her beauty, her power Of speech, and
the inherited appeal Of philosophy to
xxshO tvsxy
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 BOT only the world
ly project and the simple monk, but
the most interesting figure Of the
story, Raphael-Aben-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 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 seethlng cauldron had to offer as
solution for the problems which
human soul has TO ponder for Its own
salvation. It took him long to decide.
and 1t was only by the ministrations
of Augustine and Synesius and the liy'
Ing example of Victoria that he final
ly 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; Cyrils struggles by militant
means toward 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:
"Yes, 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--or curse?
"On, up the nave, fresh shreds Of
her dress strewing the holy pavement,
up the chancel steps themselves-up
to the altar-rlght underneath tho
great, still Christ; and there even
those hell 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, earpiercing, rang
along the vaulted roofs, and thrilled
like the trumpet Of avenging angels
through PhiIammon's ears"
Copyright 1919 by the Post Publishing
| Co. (The Boston POST. Copyright In the
United Kingdom the Domnions, its Col
onies and dependencies, under the copy
right act, by the Post Publishing Co.
Boston, Mass, u g. A. All rights re-
served.
nauotI1 Man