Evening star., 1923-12-23

ing operations on work of nation
wide Importance. These activities, |
mean, for the gathering in of immense
collections of building funds and of ma
terials for what will be called during
ages to come the house OF God
There is an indescribably charming
fascination radiating from the picture
of any young, strong and self-con-
scious nation girding about it's loins the
craftsmans apron for the lofty task of
erecting its great national shrines
For the task of building it's people,
haiiowed fanes and the great temples
for its devotional, spiritual worship,
after public buildings for its govern
ment's purposes. it's various seats of
learning and its multiple institutions
Tor social service. have all been lavishly
erected and endowed That fascination
IS not something purely sentimental or
transient: 1t is more.
Nations Coming Of Age.
For when a healthily growing nation
takes in all earnest to the onerous task
OF building shrines and temples to its
God that nation has come of age,
Even as a young mans healthy phvsj-
cal and spiritual growth in his ripen-
Ing consciousness OF social commun-
ity and his obligations theretoward
tend to widen that young mans spirit
uai horIZon. his human outlook upon
lie and Will expand his more inner
sondi iueansm. Then, growing toward
more mature manhood and moved as
much by the instincts of his race and
r1r,
!holviduality, he takes unto himself
Wife, And builds for her the com
mon home-the only true nucleus of
state. 'H 10 'iie
The "coming of age" of all nations
IN Europe has been signalized by the
building of great cathedrals and ma
tionai shrines. In England, very
shortly after the establishment of a
Wen organized and centralizing form
Conquest. the so-called old St PanI
was built, from 1885 to 1856: which
cathedral replaced one erected bv
Etneioert, King of Kent. in 607. and
which was burned down during
the conqueror's reign. The beautiful
Saint Paul. were recalled to INV
mind by the ilIustra ton, publish ed
In The Evening Star of Washing
tons new cathedral of Saints Peter
The great fire of London, 1866, de-
stroyed this beautiful ST. Paul, the
Gothic cross-church of London, and
incidentally, made the ancient pre-
reformation 3enedictine abbey at
Westminster from that time on the
real national shrine and mausoIeum
as old ST. Paul had been until its
destruction.
Popular Faith Interpreted.
The wonderful medieval architec-
tural gems Of Europe. like West
minister Abbey, the marvellous Gothic
cathedrals of Chartres and Paris, the
st. Peter in Rome or the San Marco
stantinople or the Roman Pantheon
the st. Stephens in Vienna, the ma
tional cathedrals of Rheims and
Strassbourg, the sumptuous metro
politan churches Of Cologne and OF
fully dozen old cities In the Rhine
Tyroi i' and ID cseesasldeakia s aa aBohemla9 a.
they are really more than an open
museum of European architecture. .
In their exquisite forms, blended
they tell of the mystic Interpretation
of popular faith, as also of the i'm
mense specNlatfonS of the human in
telligence, during a given period
But especially do they relate the in
innate history of their builders, OF
times. And to the keen observers
these historic cathedrals confide
something of the idiosyncrasies OF
certain important citizens. maybe OF
the curious whims and naughty fan
cies Of some OF it's architects. Otter
they have immortalized some of the
queerest ideas and incongruous no.
tions Of otherwise obscure sculptors
masons or craftsmen. Every great
cathedral has its own secret history
besides its own place in the national
history. deftly woven through the
ornamentation; or even embodied
within the structural fabric. in the
rose windows. the flying buttresses
in bell towers, or even in a