Phyllis of Philistia

ok a step backward. She remai

iews-that outstretched hand which was offered to him for an

annot

by," s

t seemed to you to stand in n

ains. I asked for no e

y the public before taking action against the author," was what was in his mind, but he stopped short, and then added a phrase that had no reference to the bishop

her eyes fell at the same

her. A girl understands nothing of the soundness of an argument on a Biblical question (or any other), he thought; but she understands an app

" he said again, and his voi

pause befo

Mr. Holland, do not stay any longer! Cannot you see that if, after you have made an explanation that should satisfy

d, and he believed that she would, so large an amount of

with the strongest reason why I should

yllis. Don't give me an answer now. All I ask of you is to think over the whole matter from the standpoint of one who loves the truth, and who does not fear the result of those who are investigators. A few years ago the geologists were regarded as the enemies of the faith. Later the evolutionists were looked on with abhorrence. Had an

n against the evil of the world. You say 'think-think-think,' when you should say pray-pray-pray.' Where are you going to end? you have begun by taking from us our Bible. What do

flock with which I have been intrusted, it would be better that a millstone were hanged round m

of the privilege; I will ask you

ill not hear you say it. Three month

ed that I di

r mistake, my child. In love there are no good-bys. I take your hand now, but not to say good-by;

ask me

t I have written? Look at me, Phyllis; I tell you here that I will stand by everything that I have written. Whatever comes of it, the book remains. Even if I lose all that I h

eyond it. His eyes more than suggested the eyes of a martyr waiting undaunted for the lighting of the fagots. Suddenly he dropped he

came f

ression that the murmur of the reviewers was the mighty voice that echoes round the world. He felt that she would think differently when his real persecution began. He looked forward with great hope to the

church, and who would all be anxious to hear his defense. That would show her that the publication of this book had raised him far above the heads of the ordinary clergyman who droned away, Sunday after Sunday, in half empty churches to congregations that never

ws which he advocated in "Revised Versions" were calculated to place the Church on a firmer basis, and to cause it to appe

ch he had published. He had seen the day, not so very long ago, when he would have been frightened at it himself. At any rate he felt sure that Phyllis would be able to differentiate between the case of the author of "Revised Versions" and the case of the mediocre clergyman who defied his bishop on a question of-what was the question?-something concerning the twirling of his thumbs from east to west, instead of from west to east; yes, or an equally trivial matter. He trusted that she was too discriminating a girl to bracket him with that wretched, shallow-minded person who endeavored to pose as a martyr, because he would not

om him all the people who had previously honored him and delighted to listen to his preaching. Someone had said in her hearing that the preaching of George Holland was, compared to the preaching of the average clergyman, as the electric light is to the gas-the gas of a street lamp. She had flushed with pleasure,

? Quite so. In the absence of sunlight the electric light does extremely well for t

r occasionally-leading up to some phrase which

esteem. Although she was a daughter of Philistia, it had never occurred to her that there is such a thing as a succes scandale

osition for a great battle is one from which they turn away. She could not think of George Holland's calculating upon the effect of a crowded church, with newspaper reporters scattered throughout the building, taking down every word that might fall from his lips. She regarded him as a man who had been compelled, by the insidious influence of what he called scientific thought, to write a shocking book; but one that he certainly believed was destined to effect a great reform in the wor

nts on hearing that Mr. Holland had asked her to marry him, would hunt out the sober garments whic

es and hats of the right degree of sobriety. Fas

was the quest

d themselves as having another cha

e sprang to her feet from the sofa on which she had th

im-let them all

d have be