The Concordia sentinel., 1921-04-02

not forget that they had once been tht
masters of Egypt. Constant conflic
in the streets between the partisans o.
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
| ustine and the philOsOphic Synesius
| bishops both, are minor persOnages OF
the drama, with many other passing
| figures of the church, but the leading
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 prefect 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 IIypatia'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
ly prefect and the simple monk, but
the most interesting Sgure 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 a pleasant if tumultuOus
world, or the power of Christianity
conquer in him? In his apparently
easy going way through existence, he
"'as measuring what every phase of
that seething cauldrOn had to offer as
q solution for the problems which
human soul has to ponder for its own
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 finaI-
ly found in Christianity the truly dem
ocratic creed by which the world could
best live.
Struggle and strife Of soul or body
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; Cyrips 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:
"Yes, on into the church itself! Into
The cool, dim shadow, with its fretted
pillars, and towering domes, and can.
lies, and incense and blazing altar,
md great pictures, looking from the
walls athwart the gorgeous gloom.
And right in front. above the altar,
he colossal Christ watching unmoved
rom off the wall. his right hand raised
% give blessing-Or a curse?
"On, up the nave, fresh shreds of
Ter dress strewing the holy pavement,
lp the chancel steps themselves-up
20 the eltar-right underneath the
,reat, still Christ; and there even
hose hen hounds paused.
"She shook herself free from her |
and springing back, rose
or one moment to her full height
aked, snow white against the dusky !
mass around, shame and Indignation |
n those wide, clear eyes, but not a
tain Of fear. With one hand she |
lasped her golden locks around her;
he other long. white arm was
tretched upward toward the great
till Christ, appealing-and who dare
ay, In vain?-from man to God. Her
ps were opened to speak; but the
lords that should have come from
hem reached Gods ears alone; for in
n instant they struck her down, the
ark mass closed over her again-and
hen wall on vail, ear-piercing, rang
long the vaulted roofs, and thrilled
Ike the trumpet Of avenging angels
arough Philammon's ears"
opyright. 1919, by the Post Publishing
Co. CThe Boston Post). Copyright in the
United Kingdom, the Dominions, its Col
onies and dependencies, under the copy
right act, by the Post Publishing Co.,