senior, with one hand in a sling and the way through all their proprieties, feeling other at his brow-like herself, apparently, all the while how they have lost their a refugee from the too insistent event of shaping virtue for the men and women of the day. He had evidently come to think the time. A day in Mr. Raif's school as a things out on his own account, and he was preparation for the shock of our modern quite unmindful of her presence.

battle of life! A day in Mr. Raif's church! She would have preferred to be alone. Really, some religions are not much better It is amazing how few opportunities of than some stimulants. The Dutch courage this sort any of us enjoy. There is ever of these rites for the ordeals of poverty, some one by, within intrusive hearing or pain, and death! And most of them so scarcely less intrusive sight. The partner- dreadfully old-fashioned, as if the chief ship of bed and board with humanity is business of the science of all the sciences sometimes too rigorous. We have to be was not to be perpetually renewing itself gathered together even for prayer. We live with the larger outlook on nature, and the in crowds, think in crowds, and rarely have expansion of the mind and soul. Never the happiness to stand with no fellow- has any church been the same thing, thank creature beyond the range of suggestion. God, in any two ages, or even in any two Even in this instance, it was still possible generations. Man's religions are as the to spy other strangers of a kind on the hairs of his head for number, and inevitably pictured wall. Its fine sacred art told of so. And Mr. Raif trying so hard to make things done long ago; yet these might still us all letter-perfect in the prayer-book of have been kept more in the key of repose. the day before yesterday ! The too thunderous and tumultuous fel- The ray from the skylight, after illumilowship of the prophets, with their deeds nating the face of a pictured apostle, was of judgment, the excessively strenuous, now rendering the same service to a marthough glorious, company of the apostles, tyr. Nothing else had happened. The with their energy of ministration, seemed stranger kept himself to himself with a dissuperfluous in such a connection. The cretion beyond praise. He stroked his Founder in the wilderness, another founder wounded hand from time to time, but he under the tree, an apostle of quietism in never once looked Augusta's way. his cell, would have been enough for that “And sometimes, to be fair," she mused, contemplation, “without form, likeness, being still fancy-free, “the poverty of the manner, or figure,” which is the all in all. discoveries, the mere islands under the lee

So Augusta just shut her eyes and began that are mistaken for a continent! Our a meditation. She was sick at heart. Her smart set touchingly busy under American grief for the death of Rose, long and deep, leadership in applying the principles of the had gradually been merged in a sort of game of bluff to man's relations with his personal disappointment. She had come Maker - trying to will themselves into a out to her new life with such high hopes, good time, and the prolongation of it in and it had all ended in this! At first she earthly immortality. Religions that satisfy meant to accept the system and work it the sense of wonder, the sense of credulity, out on its own lines. This failed when she without making any troublesome demands found that it ground out poverty, depen- on the sense of duty. Mere fancy patterns dence, and depopulation as by a mechani- in believing, without even the tables from cal law. Then, fatuously, she aspired to the Mount. Made-up mysteries of the reform it, and that hope was now buried great panjandrum, coupled with the right in a grave. The system had triumphed to do as you darned please. Life all apover her more than over all the rest of paratus. Automatic cures for drunkenness, them put together. The only part before and medicated baths for weakness of the her now was the insignificant one of leader will. Interesting quests for missing faculof fashion and ornament of the country- ties stolen or strayed through the ages. side. What a business, to be forever set- Whole drawing-rooms full of Pointed Toes ting an example in trivial things, as one of trying to think anemic glands into energy, the great exemplars of a nation perishing in the hope of coming on the track of their of the imitation of its betters!

lost tribes of sense. Why not make the "The old order, the old manners, the best of those you have? Marcus took old faith-piteous to have to smirk one's overmuch pains in the enumeration of his

LXVI.-112

debts to the wise. He forgot his debt to Americanize? Match factories and steam the fools in teaching him what to laugh at lines are nearly done; but social justiceand to loathe.

how do you stand for that? America eaten "Poor Points! on the issue of this war- up with the pride of life, with Europe waitfare between them and the Squares turns ing for a lead. Are you going to carry it the welfare of England, and of all human and yourself farther, or only to sink back society. History is but a record of its into mother's arms ? Once the hope of the varied fortunes. The Points had a merry nations, now only their competitor and contime of it in the Italy of the Renascence, queror-a very different thing! Money and, as we know, their symbol actually the too universal test: preachers and poets curled upward with the sense of successful filing their return of income for the newsaspiration to the mastery of life. But a papers, to show how well it pays. Not less time came!

riches or less comfort for all, but a better " The time is coming here; and Eng- share for some. What are you going to do land 's going to win, and beat down its about the back premises ? baser part under its feet. Let us have that “Come over and help as soon as you faith in our race.”

can, if only for the sake of helping yourA fly buzzed, not without shock to the self. Society everywhere apparently under spirit of the scene. It was tumult of a sentence of death for ill-distributed wealth kind. Augusta thought “shoo!” to it -pomp and privation both exceeding all with the happiest results; and, after this healthful bounds, with resultant deadness triumphant exercise of will power, re- of soul and stint of body. For the last sumed.

see factories and 'far-flung battle-line.' Meanwhile the stranger had not been “Touching, yet foolish too, the idle idle on his own account. He uttered no rich everywhere, now so extensively reword, gave no outward and visible sign sorting to cremation in the vain hope of beyond the occasional stroking of the giving the recording angel the slip. He'll bandaged hand. He merely thought his find the body, you bet. Discourage, if

. thoughts, like his neighbor, but, by a law possible, by suitable remonstrances. Creof sympathy which others may know how mation a good thing, but must be loved to trace, they flowed more or less in the for itself. same current as hers. For this is what he " Will anybody give England a new type was saying to himself :

of young man, the nation's pride? The “Real superiorities anywhere the rarest government might offer a prize. High thing. Whole sections in church and state marks for modesty, simplicity, earnestness, perishing for the want of them, and the book-work in the things that count, and mere caretakers not likely to be of much the power of 'swotting' at the art of life. avail on England's coming judgment-day. General aim — highest possible differentia

— I mind me of a certain sheep's carcass tion from the snipe. Class 1, Young Men seen outside a butcher's shop at Christ- of Family; Class 2, Officers and Gentlemas-tide, with its card to indicate high men; Class 3, Officers; Class 4, Sons of honors at Islington. Yet the throat bore Toil. Extra prizes for young women to witness to just the same treatment as that match. of the common fellows alongside which A new sort of person wanted very had gained no decoration. And the pom- much everywhere. Meantime, the counter

. pous victim had no doubt been hustled to jumper may be of help. Strike, but hear. his doom and stretched on the rack as He is frugal, hard-working, obliging, and rudely by the fierce tireman with the of a more than courtly civility. His whole knife. Fancy its ineffectual bleat: 'Mind life a training in these qualities, with their what you are doing! I 'm a first prize at underlying self-denial and self-control. the cattle show!' At this stage, alas! it Has been under the harrow, no small part was but one sheep more."

of it. A wise legislature should see that In his next flight he almost touched every child had a touch of this instrument Augusta mind to mind.

at the start. It is far more important than "America, best of actual nations, no the lancet; and, in this case, we might doubt, as once was England before it. But fairly abolish the conscientious objector. ware breakers! What are you going to Similarly, little shop-girls (maids of all

work, with ten in family preferred) quite Payne. More and Montaigne and Shakthe hope of the nation. No damn non- spere saw that the machinery of feudalism sense in them, and the country is perishing was outworn, and that we must cross the of that. They see life in its realities of Atlantic for a new start in truth and nature, labor, temperance, simplicity, low-pitched if not, as now, to re-teach its second crop claim. Young ladyhood is killing the one of aborigines the lesson they are themhalf of us, and young sparkishness the selves making haste to forget. With all its other. Post-office and other clerical va- faults, America still looming large as the rieties of our modern miss, of great prom- land of ideas. We must pass through and ise, but should be warned against being too beyond it to get to higher things. They sweet on themselves, and prayed with, beat us by their impertinent curiosity about morning and evening, against airs. Com- everything under the sun, including their pulsory marriage between these and young

own souls.

They are actually trying to navvies of good conduct worth considering make a new religion, and, though the as an extreme measure. Marriage with the attempt may not succeed, it must have merely muscular heathen in the boating precious results of the experimental order. and football line placed in the table of “That Easter-day metaphysic of a prohibited degrees.

worthy bishop-sin and death abashed "The absolute necessity of reorganizing before a miracle, and utterly overthrown. our duffers in the interest of the social He owns, to his sorrow, that the church order. A possible revolt of them how is not in possession.' How can it be, good awful! Think of their finding a second man? It does not meet the facts of modSpartacus, these failures in all departments, ern suffering, modern discontent; and we and rising on their lords and masters, the want a new adjustment. Be not alarmed; clever fellows! The feudal system no other there have been hundreds before, each more than the clever fellows in their setting of or less adequate, and therefore true for its age and circumstance. Muttered wrath of hour. There will be thousands again. the duffers against these for their usurpa- "Try brotherhoods of social justice, but tion of all the best things of life as their brotherhoods of the world instead of the fee for leadership. ‘After all, we have our cloister; sisterhoods—and more especially stomachs as well as you; and why make - as well. Anchorites of the warehouse us suffer so fearfully for want of brains ?' and of the drawing-room, desperately conIf they found no Spartacus, the defect cerned in finding out how a fine life should might still be made good by mere weight be led, and in bringing liberty, equality, of numbers-as though the sheep turned and fraternity into every-day concerns. on the dog, on a deliberate reckoning of Beings pledged one to another by their the cost in torn fleeces. Defeat in the end, vows-coöperators of the affections; trusts no doubt, but what havoc in the course of of the heart; contrivers of corners in magit! Perhaps more economic in the long nanimity, self-sacrifice, self-control, leading run, in every sense, to admit them to a the world's life, but even that to finer larger share of the pudding. “Let us in, issues, and the soul's life in the temples or we will spoil your universe' – what a that are also their homes. rallying-cry!'

"But not overmuch organization. The Then Augusta struck in with a stray'plan of salvation '-ill-om'ened phrase! thought : " Beautiful on the mountains, It is all so pigeonholed and docketed Scottish or American, the feet of those nowadays in affairs of the spirit--so far poor students working as plowmen, stokers, in the fetching, so remote. Rome and packers, and cabmen in the intervals of Lambeth these bureaus of paradise! Less their college terms. Surely Oxford might crimson tape. be restored to persons of this stamp with- “And give the men thus bred their chance out troubling Mr. Rhodes.”

of the land, and of every other good thing And thus the stranger again, still harping going. The land for the people, without on England's daughter across the seas : a revolution of blood-unless you insist on

“New and serious attempt on the part it. Break the territorial aristocracy, old of our writing clan to rediscover America, and new, and buy them out. Liddicot following in the wake of our modern Co and his Grace of Allonby quite ready for lumbus of philosophical literature, E. J. heaven; Kisbye also ripe for a bit of a

a

change in another sphere. The state as The sky became suddenly overcast; there owner; and, as holder at a fair rent, anybody was a threat of storm. that can put the brown earth to good use in Another vehicle was at the gate, rather any quantity. Other ownership, other rent, to the ducal coachman's disgust. It was of it, a crime, as between man and man." a curious structure, mounted on a lorry,

Augusta was just getting ready for the as though for repairs, and evidently much antistrophe; and how much longer the the worse for a late mishap. silent choral might have gone on between Augusta at once recognized the yellow them no man can say. But at this mo- van. And, as she did so, the stranger, ment the attendant came in, and making stalking forth erect, like a soldier taking a sign to her, held out his hand for the his place for battle, nodded a marching expected shilling, not in vain. It was time order to the man at the horse's head. to go; the carriage of the Duchess of Al- Old Redmond stood confessed; and the lonby stopped the way.

van served as an introduction. The duke was waiting for her.

“You have met with an accident?” "I am in luck," he said. "I was look- "Hardly that, duchess."

chess." And he ing for you in the drive, and I met the

touched his cap. carriage.” He seemed uneasy for all that. She started.

“I have asked him for to-day, Augusta, A broken head and what not; a house just to get it over. Would you mind ? broken over it in a riot raised by the landThere 'll be nobody else.”

grabbers. We shall get both mended, and "And who is the somebody?"

go on as before. Such things are among "Well - Kisbye, you know !"

our rules of the road." It was the sign of capitulation.

Poor man!” “ As you please, Henry, of course," and "I need no pity: we 'll have England she turned her head to save him the sight for the English people yet." of a wry face.

All moved away-the battered veteran There was a sense of something impend- to his line of march, the Duchess of Aling in the banners, the roll of traffic, the lonby only to dinner with Mr. Kisbye! She hum of the street. Was it the end of an sighed; it was impossible not to feel the epoch-the old order that had passed difference in the dignity of their fates. away, the new that had come to take its When last seen, the van was in a ray place? The omens were not all favorable. from a sunburst that parted the clouds.

66

THE END

TOPICS OF THE TIME

WORDS FITLY SPOKEN

nence; the wide-spread system of " graft"

and blackmail which has grown up in all IT T cannot be denied that of late the classes in the haste to be rich— these fa

soberest-minded men among us have miliar phenomena are crowding upon our been filled with a solicitude amounting to attention, straining our optimism and anxiety in noting the momentum of certain shaming our national pride at the very dangerous tendencies in American life. time when we are called upon to exult in The trend toward mob law in various sec- the commercial greatness of the country tions of the country; the increased violence and its peculiar qualifications for redeeming of the aggressions upon the right of work- the benighted regions of the world. It is ingmen to labor unmolested; the revela- indeed a day of humiliation, but it will not tions of public and private corruption, and be without its uses if it shall become also especially of the buying and selling of legis- a day of humility, and if we shall be lation and franchises; the growth of the brought back to the standard of an elder gambling mania among women as well as time when justice and private probity were men; the vulgar rush for social promi- more prized and praised than the agglomer