Blanche: A Story for Girls
"extreme." Forthese worthy women had an exaggerated horror of everything "high," or,as they expressed it, "verging on papistry." That God could beworshipped "in spirit and in truth," in any but their own pet"evangelical" fashion, was a possibility that had not yet suggesteditself to their dull brains. And they too, this Sunday morning, felt ashock of disapproval when, looking up at the sound of the vibratingvoice, the fair face of the strange preacher met their gaze.
"Like a young novice, or whatever it is they call those who are going tobe priests; looks as if he fasted and half-starved himself," whisperedone to the other. "The Rector should be more careful. Who knows butwhat he is a Jesuit in disguise?" replied the third.
And at intervals during the sermon little groans or ejaculations ofdisapproval might have been heard from the seats of the wealthyspinsters.
"I did my best not to listen," said the eldest candidly, as they werewalking home, "for I knew in a moment what it was going to be. But nodoubt he had a persuasive tone and manner. Poor deluded young man--hewill be over to Rome in no time! Did you hear--all that about `theChurch?'--"
"The `invisible' Church, he spoke of also, I think," suggested theyounger sister timidly.
"Ah, I daresay, just to hide their real meaning; but I can see throughit. There was all that in favour of images, too--symbols he calledthem. What was it he said, Janet? You have the best memory."
"`The childlike expressions of human yearnings after the Divine, whichis not for you to condemn or despise,'" quoted Janet.
"Ah, yes--all very fine. We shall be having Madonnas and rosaries andgraven images in our English churches next," said the eldest sistersomewhat confusedly.
"He seemed to me a conscientious young man, very much in earnest, Ishould have said," observed the younger sister humbly.
"Of course, they take that tone; that is the very danger of it,"answered the elder lady. "I really must ask the Rector to be on hisguard."
And yet by another group seated just across the aisle the stranger'ssermon had been criticised in a very different fashion. By some amonghis hearers his views were pronounced to be, not too "high," or "leadingto Rome," but dangerously "broad."
"I dislike those allusions to `evolution' and `development' in thepulpit. It is not the place for science; our preachers should keep tothe Bible, and not give heed to all the talk of the day about matterswhich have nothing to do with religion," said an elderly gentlemandogmatically.
His companion smiled; they, too, were walking down the street. "Yes,religion or teachers of religion get rather out of their depth when theytouch upon science, certainly," he said.
"But if science be true, and religion be true, _truths_ cannotdisagree," said a young girl, who was walking between the two, herbright intelligent face raised to the last speaker, her brother, as hespoke. "You are a very clever and learned man, Gerald, and I am only avery young and ignorant girl, but yet I _feel_ you are wrong, and Inever felt this more intensely than when listening to this stranger thismorning. Why should we refuse to believe what we cannot understand? Isit not the very height of presumption, and even stupidity, to do so? Icannot remember his words, but they seemed to me to say it as I havenever heard it said before. And--I hoped you felt it so, too."
But the philosopher only shook his head. The two were some paces infront of the old gentleman by now; they knew that such talk annoyed him,hedged in, in his "orthodoxy."
"I am glad if you were pleased, my dear child," said the brother; "but Imust keep to my old opinion. Reality and dreams _cannot_ be reconciled.We can only know that which we have experience of. Still, I allow thathe put it in rather an original way."
"You mean," said the girl, eagerly, "when he said that our refusing tobelieve in God and the spiritual universe, because we cannot see andtouch them, is like a deaf-mute refusing to believe in music--that wecomplain of the things of God not being proved and explained to usbefore we have learned the alphabet of the spiritual language."
"That we complain of not being treated as gods before we have learned tolive as men. Yes, that was rather fine," the other allowed. "Butstill, my dear child, I cannot see that these discussions areprofitable. We have plenty to do and learn about matters as to which we_can_ arrive at certainty. Why not be content to leave those matters asto which we _know_ nothing? I don't quarrel with the clergy for tryingto bring us to a different way of thinking; it is their business, and aslong as there are priests, we must submit to their platitudes. But whatcan a young theologian, determined to see things in but one way, know ofthe researches of science, the true spirit of philosophy?"
The girl looked grievously disappointed, and tears filled her beautifuleyes.
"Gerald," she said, "I could not live in the negation of all belief thatyou advocate; still less," she went on in a lower voice, "could I die init. Uncle thought the preacher dangerously `liberal;' _you_ think himnarrow and ignorant. For me, I can only say, if I may use the wordswithout irreverence, that my heart burned within me as I listened."
"Little enthusiast!" said her brother, smiling. Mentally he thought tohimself that it would really be a pity if Agatha went too far in "thatdirection," and his eyes wandering across the street, caught sight of aparty of young people, laughing and talking, though in well-bredfashion, as they went along. "She should be more like other girls ofher age," he reflected, as his glance again fell on the thoughtful youngface at his side.
"You should be pleased and flattered, Agatha," he said, "that I gave somuch attention as I did to this pet preacher of yours."
"I don't know him, Gerald," she replied. "I never saw or heard himbefore."
"Really," he said, "I had half an idea that you had some reason for soparticularly asking me to go to church this morning."
"Oh, no. I expected the Rector would be preaching himself," she said."But I am glad you came, Gerald. You do allow that it was a remarkablesermon."
"Ye-es," he replied, smiling again, and with that Agatha was forced tobe contented.
Across the street the same subject was being discussed.
"I feel quite tired," laughed one of the pretty girls to the man besideher. "Do you know, for once in my life, I really listened to thesermon?"
"You don't mean to say so," he replied. But something in his tone madeher glance up at him archly.
"Why do you seem so conscious?" she said. "Were you asleep?"
"No, I scarcely think so. I was very sleepy at the beginning, it was sohot. But there was something rather impressive in that fellow's voice.To confess the truth, I caught myself listening, like you."
"If one could always listen, it would make church-going less wearisome,"said the girl. "As a rule, I never attempt it; they always say the samething."
"And there was nothing particularly new in what that pale-faced youngman had to say this morning, after all," said her companion. "It wasthe mere accident of his having an unusually good voice."
"Yes, I suppose so," replied the young lady, indifferently, "though I'vereally forgotten what it was about--there are too many other things tothink about when one is young and--"
"Lovely," interrupted her companion. "Yes--and for my part I don't seewhat we're in the world for, if it isn't to make ourselves as happy aswe can. That's _my_ religion."
"A very pleasant one, if it has no other merit," the girl replied, witha laugh.
At that moment a carriage passed them. It had but one occupant--anelderly lady. Her face, though worn and even prematurely aged, wassweet and calm. Her glance fell for an instant on the upturned laughingface of the girl.
"Something in her recalls my Margaret," thought the lady; "but Margaretwas more serious. How is it that they all seem to have been so near meto-day? All my dead children who have left me--I am so glad I went tochurch. I have not felt so near them all for years. I could almostfancy that young man knew something of my sorrows, his glance rested onme once or twice with such sympathy. How beautiful and howstrengthening were his words! Yes--we are not
really separated--I amcontent to wait while God has work for me to do here. And I am glad Iam rich when I feel how many I can help. God bless that preacher,whoever he is, for the strength and comfort he has given me to-day."
Mildred in her place sat quietly waiting till the congregation haddispersed. Then she rose and went forward to speak to the verger.
"Will you tell the clergyman," she said, "Mr Lyle is his name--that Ihope he will return with me to the rectory to