Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-04-02


not forgss thar they had once been the
masters Of Egynt Constant conflict
"a the streets between the partisaIIs Of
each side laid a 6tting scene scr
Charles Klngsley's religious philosoph-
&c historical meIoflrama.
Cyril. bishop and later saint, is nom.
.naiIv the leader Of the battling
churchmen of the tale: the great Aug
ustine and the philosophie Synesius,
bishops both, are minor personages OF
the drama. with many other passing
figures az tie church. tiut the leading
character from ftat SIDE IS the humble
Philammon. the Young boy Of the mon
astery IN the desert. VINO makes his
way in the simplicity of his zeal TO
brave the world. the flesh. and the dew
i. where 50 many 0vhpr monks Of f1c-
ton have found thar interesting triad.
keepiag Headquarters at Alexandria.
The city was ruled by 0resEes, 50 far
as any project could rule the uurulv
eosmopOlis. a worldly and elusive per-
son. who. NOT satisfied with the trou-
5les already at hand would conspirs
TO erect an empire of Africa ont Of
the difficulties of Rome and COustan-
tinople. and 20 crown as his empress.
HyDatia. idealist. mathematician, ne0-
Piatonisr, leader ana teacher of what
remained Of Greek philosophy as a llv-
ing force. Under Hvpatias sway fell
the young Philammon by reason OF
her beauty. her power OF speech, and
the inherited appeal Of philosophy 70
one whose ancestry was Athenian. An
appeal. Of another sort came TO him
from PeIagia, 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.
II project and the simple monk. hut
the most interesting figure of the
story, RaphaeI.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
Jewrv. the lure az Greek philosophy,
the charm Of a pleasant if tumultuous
world, or the power of Christianity
conquer in him2 N his apparently
easy going way through existence, he
was measuring what every phase OF
that seething cauidron mad TO offer as
a solution for the problems which a
human SOM has to ponder for it's own
salvation. II took him long To decide.
and it was only by the ministrations
" Augustine and SvnPsius and the Hv-
ing example of Victoria that he final
liz found in Christianity the truly dem
ocratc creed By which The world could
best live.
Struggle and strife Of soul or body
-PhIlammun' yearning 10 see more
Of the world than the monastery in
the desert: hts enthraglment by the
charm Of Hvpaua's beauty and her
learning: CyrIls struggles By militant
means toward a spiritual end Ores
tes' 80 WIN an empira; Pelagia's 70
win love: Raphael ~ fnd the truth
the conflict between old thought and
new; and az the c!Imax. the conflict
and the end in Hvparia's case.
yes. on into the church itself into
rhe cool. dim shadow. with It's fretfed
pillars. and towering donles. and can
dyes. and Incense and blazing altar,
aud great pictures, looking from the
walls athwart the gorgeous gloom.
And right in front above the altar
the colossal Christ watching unmovea
from of he wall, his right hand raised
20 give a blessing-or a curse7
"0n, up the nave. fresh shreds Of
her dress strewing the holy pavement.
up the chancel steps themselves-up
to the altar-right underneath the
great, stiIl Christ; and there even
those he'll hounds paused.
'She shook herself free from her
tgrmene0rs, and springing back, rose
for one moment 10 her fun height.
naked. snow white against the dusky
mass around. shame and Indignation
in those wide. clear eyes. but not a
stain % fear. With one hand she
clasped her golden locks around her;
she 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 we're opened 70 speak; but the
words thar should have come from
Their reached Gods ears alone: for in
IN instant they struck her down, the
dark mass closed over her gain--and
then wall on wall, ear-piercing. rang
along the vaulted roofs, and thrilled
like the trumpet Of avenging angels
through Philammon's ears
Copyright. 1919 by the Post Publishing
CO. Crhe Boston Postl Copyright ia the
United Kingdom. the Dominions its Col
onies and dependencies, under the copy
right act. By the Post Publishing Co.,
Boston. Mass. Z. 5. A. Al rights re-
served
A Devout Man.
49, L. J. E-<+--.