The Washington times., 1937-01-25

ing TO say dlrecCly TO eacn OCner,
but on the few occasions when
Sonia ventured a remark to him.
she found Norwood quickly atten-
tive and apparently eager to draw
her out.
Mrs. Crandal observed that it
was a pity the great and solemn
ecclesiastical conventions couldn't t
be attended by few little folks
like celeste, who might clear the
fog with an occasional comment;
then the party adjourned, Talbot
and Simpson excusing themselves,
the ladies returning to the upstairs
parlor, Norwood wheeling the dean
into a quiet corner of the living
room. 1t gave him a feeling of
tenderness.
Dean Harcourt plunged at once
into a series of questions. Did DR..
Norwood believe in "a planned uni
verse;?
1T certainly seems so, some
times" DR.. Norwood heard him.
self saying, not quite sure whether
his reply had been dictated by
courtesy, conviction, or confusion.
Well, if it was planned at all,
what proportion of its phenomenal
activity, in the opinion of DR.. Nor
wood, was directed, and how much
of it was ION the loose? Take a
devastating peStilence, for exam
pie: was that put on for the pur-
pose of pruning superabundant
or undesirable population; or was
it just the natural recompenSe OF
filthy living?
1.-THE latter, more likely" guessed
DR.. Norwood, adding, though I
make no pretense to be an authori-
ty on sociology, or pathology,
either"
"How about a costly forest fire,
touched off by lightning; would
you consider that accidental or
ordained?"
It am not a theologian, sir"
parried Norwood, pleased that he
had found temporary shelter.
Granted. You are not a Soci-
ologist, biologist or theologian.
You are historian. Now-When
the monarchieS began to cave in,
was that attributive to a wide
spread epidemic of democracy, or
did it indicate that the monar-
chial system had, for the time at
least, served its purpose? And now
that the democracies are giving
it up, in favor Of relationships,
does that mean that the monar-
chial system was right, all the
while, and that the effort to
democratize was a mistaken"
But it hasn't been proved that
we ever had any democracles.
What we have called democracies
were oligarchies."
But the private citizen has had
the right to vote for the kind OF
government he prefers. Isn't that
true?"
"Not quite" objected Norwood.
"He has been permitted to choose
which of two or three oligarchies
he would consider the least inSut-
ferable."
'Then democracy hasn't really
failed, seeing we've never tried II"
"No-it's the oligarchy that has
failed" said Norwood.
would you call it a failure" !"
uueried the Dean thoughtfully,
"or might it pe more correct to
say that the oligarchy had been
brought on to dispose Of the
abuses Of despotism? If the lat
ter, it was not a failure but a
phase of political progress. Does
the present clamor for dictators
indicate that the social order is
at its best under absolute mon
arches? DR.. Norwood, do you
believe that whatever is, is right
in the long run?. I dol"
I'm not so sure about that"
"Then you'll have to Gve up
your idea of "a planned universe
"Well-that won't be hard to
do. I'm not sure of that, either" "
Eyes, but what becomes of his
tory, then? Doesn't it lose all its
significance?"
DO you mean to say. sir"
asked Norwood seriously, "that
you interpret every social, politi-
cal, and economic movement as
a response to a predestined ar
rangement? The bloody reVolu-
tions, for example; not a very
happy arrangement for the peo-
pie who experienced them, surely"
NO" said the Dean, "but they
were a phase Of human progress
and, as I said to you the other
day, the ship is more important
than the crew. You and I both
know that this is true, in our
own experience; don't we?" His
voice had lowered to a note of
comradeShip.
Ito Be Continued
| copyright, 1887. by Lloyd C. Douglas.
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