phyllis of philistia-第10部分

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ey　become　a　hissing　in　the　earth；　and　properly　so；　for　those　who　hiss　at　the　spirit　which　has　always　animated　Judaism　show　that　they　abhor　a　thing　that　is　abhorrent。　〃All　Scripture　is　profitable；〃　continued　the　preacher；　〃and　practically　all　that　is　referred　to　in　the　text　is　an　indictment　of　Judaism。　The　more　earnestly　we　hold　to　this　truth　the　greater　will　be　the　profit　accruing　to　us　from　a　consideration　of　the　Scripture。　But　what　more　terrible　indictment　of　the　Hebrew　systems　could　we　have　than　that　which　is　afforded　us　in　the　record　that　the　father　of　the　race　had　twelve　sons？　He　had。　But　where　are　ten　of　them　now？　Swept　out　of　existence　without　leaving　a　single　record　of　their　destruction　even　to　their　two　surviving　brethren。〃　He　concluded　his　sermon　by　stating　that　he　hoped　it　would　be　clearly　understood　that　he　recognized　the　fact　that　in　England　those　members　of　the　Hebrew　community　who　had　adopted　the　methods；　the　principles；　the　truths　of　Christianity　even　though　they　still　maintained　their　ancient　form　of　worship　in　their　synagogues；　were　on　a　line　with　civilization。　They　searched　their　scriptures　and　these　scriptures　had　been　profitable　to　them；　inasmuch　as　they　had　been　taught　by　those　scriptures　how　impossible　it　was　for　that　form　of　superstition　known　as　Judaism　to　be　the　guide　for　any　people　on　the　face　of　the　earth。



CHAPTER　VIII。

I　HOPE　THAT　YOU　WILL　NOT　EVENTUALLY　MARRY　AN　INFIDEL。

Some　of　the　congregation　were　greatly　disappointed。　They　had　expected　a　brilliant　and　startling　attack　upon　some　other　Bible　personages　who　had　hitherto　been　looked　on　with　respect　and　admiration。　But　the　sermon　had　only　attacked　the　Jewish　system　as　a　whole；　and　everyone　knows　that　there　is　nothing　piquant　in　an　attack；　however　eloquent　it　may　be；　upon　a　religious　system　in　the　abstract。　One　might　as　well　find　entertainment　in　an　attack　upon　the　Magnetic　Pole　or　a　denunciation　of　the　Precession　of　the　Equinoxes。　No　one　cared；　they　said；　anything　more　about　the　failure　of　the　laws　of　Moses　than　one　did　about　such　abstractions　as　the　Earth's　Axis；　or　the　Great　Glacial　Epoch。　It　was　quite　different　when　the　characters　of　well…known　individuals　were　subjected　to　an　assault。　People　could　listen　for　hours　to　an　attack　upon　celebrated　persons。　If　Mr。　Holland's　book　had　only　dealt　with　the　characteristics　of　the　religion　of　the　Jews；　it　would　never　have　attracted　attention；　these　critics　said。　It　had　called　for　notice　simply　because　of　its　trenchant　remarks　in　regard　to　some　of　those　Bible　celebrities　who；　it　was　generally　understood；　were　considered　worthy　of　admiration。

Why　could　Mr。　Holland　not　have　followed　up　the　course　indicated　in　his　book　by　showing　up　some　of　the　other　persons　in　the　Bible？　it　was　asked。　There　were　quite　a　number　of　characters　in　the　Bible　who　were　regarded　as　estimable。　Why　could　he　not　then　have　followed　up　his　original　scheme　of　〃showing　them　up？〃that　was　the　phrase　of　the　critics。　There　was　Solomon；　for　instance。　He　was　usually　regarded　as　a　person　of　high　intellectual　gifts；　but　there　was　surely　a　good　deal　in　his　career　which　was　susceptible　of　piquant　treatment。　And　then　someone　said　that　Noah　should　have　a　chapter　all　to　himself；　also　Lot；　and　what　about　the　spies　who　had　entered　Jericho？　Could　the　imagination　not　suggest　the　story　which　they　had　told　to　their　wives　on　their　return　to　the　camp；　relative　to　the　house　in　which　they　had　passed　all　their　spare　time？　They　supposed　that　Jericho　was　the　Paris　of　the　high　class　Jews　of　those　days。

Then　the　conversation　of　these　critics　drifted　on　to　the　Paris　of　to…day；　and　the　sermon　and　its　lessons　were　forgotten　as　easily　as　is　an　ordinary　sermon。　But　all　the　same　it　was　plain　that　the　clergyman　had　fallen　short　of　what　was　expected　of　him　upon　this　occasion。　His　book　had　gone　far；　and　it　was　felt　that　he　should　have　gone　one　better　than　his　book；　so　to　speak。　Instead　of　that　his　sermon　had　been　one　to　which　scarcely　any　exception　could　be　taken。

But　the　bishop's　chaplain；　who　had　watched　at　intervals　of　praying；　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　was　a　good　deal　cleverer　than　the　majority　of　youngish　clergymen　who　endeavor　to　qualify　for　prosecution。　It　may　be　unorthodox　to　cross　one's　arms　with　the　regularity　of　clockwork　on　coming　to　certain　words　in　the　service；　and　young　clergymen　had　been　prosecuted　for　less；　but　it　was　not　unorthodox　to　speak　evil　of　the　Jewsfor　did　not　the　Church　pray　for　the　Jews　daily？　and　can　anyone　insult　a　man　more　than　by　praying　for　himunless；　of　course；　he　is　a　king；　in　which　case　it　is　understood　that　no　insult　is　intended？

The　bishop's　chaplain　prepared　a　report　of　the　sermon　for　his　lordship；　pointing　out　its　general　harmony；　broadly　speaking；　with　the　tenets　of　the　Church。

Mr。　Ayrton　also　seemed　to　perceive　a　sort　of　cleverness　in　the　sermon。　There　was　nothing　in　it　that　was　calculated　to　shock　even　the　most　susceptible　hearer。　Indeed；　it　seemed　to　Mr。　Ayrton　that　there　was　a　good　deal　in　it　that　was　calculated　to　soothe　the　nerves　of　those　who　had　been　shocked　by　the　book。　He　said　something　to　this　effect　to　his　daughter　as　they　walked　homeward。　He　was　rather　anxious　to　find　out　what　chance　George　Holland　had　of　being　restored　to　his　daughter's　favor。

But　Phyllis　was　firm　in　her　condemnation　of　the　methods　of　Mr。　Holland。

〃He　attacks　the　Jews　as　a　race　in　order　to　ridicule　the　statement　in　the　Bible　that　they　were　God's　chosen　people；　and　they　were；　you　know；　papa；〃　she　said。

〃They　took　so　much　for　granted　themselves；　at　any　rate；〃　said　her　father；　with　some　show　of　acquiescence。

〃But　they　were；　and　they　are　to　be　restored　to　their　own　land；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃Are　they；　my　dear？　I　should　like　to　see　the　prospectus　of　that　enterprise。〃

〃You　are　mocking；　papa。　They　are　to　be　restored；　it　says　so　in　the　Bible　quite　clearly。〃

〃I　am　not　mocking；　Phyllis。　If　gold　is　discovered　in　Palestine；　the　Jews　may　go　there　in　some　numbers；　but；　take　my　word　for　it；　they　won't　go　otherwise。　They　couldn't　live　in　their　own　land；　assuming　that　it　is　their　own；　which　is　going　pretty　far。　Palestine　wouldn't　support　all　the　Jews　alive　at　present；　it's　a　wretched　countryI　know　it　well。　Besides；　they　don't　want　to　return　to　it；　and　furthermore；　we　couldn't　spare　them。〃

〃I　believe　in　the　Bible；　and　I　have　faith；〃　said　Phyllis　firmly。

〃That's　right；〃　said　her　father。　〃I　hope　you　may　always　hold　to　both。　I　think　that　those　girls　who　expect　to　be　regarded　as　advanced；　because　they　scoff　at　the　Bible　and　at　faith；　are　quite　horrid。　I　also　hope　that　you　will　not　eventually　marry　an　infidel。〃

〃That　would　be　impossible；〃　said　Phyllis　firmly。

〃Would　it？〃　said　her　father。　〃There　is　a　stronger　influence　at　work　in　most　of　us；　at　times；　than　religion。　I　wonder　if　it　will　make　a　victim　of　you；　my　child；　though　you　did　send　George　Holland　about　his　business。〃

〃I　don't　quite　know　what　you　mean；〃　said　Phyllis；　with　only　the　slightest　possible　flush。

And　she　did　not　know　what　he　meant　until　six　months　had　passed；　but　then　she　knew。

Seeing　that　she　did　not　know　what　he　meant；　her　father　thanked　Heaven　that　Heaven　had　given　him　a　daughter　who　was　unlike　other　daughters。　He　prayed　that　she　might　never　become　like　other　daughters。　He　thought　that　it　would　be　good　for　his　daughter　to　remain　without　experience　of　those　overwhelming　passions　which　make　up　the　life　of　a　woman　and　a　man。



Phyllis　went　out　a　good　deal　during　the　week；　and　everywhere　she　found　herself　looked　at　with　interest；　sometimes　she　found　herself　being　examined　through　a　/pince…nez/　as　if　she　were　a　curious　specimen；　and　a　woman　or　two　smiled　derisively　at　her。　She　did　not　know　what　was　meant　by　their　curiositytheir　derisionuntil　one　day　an　old　lady　named　Mrs。　Haddon　went　up　to　her　and　kissed　her；　saying：

〃I　made　up　my　mind　that　I　would　kiss　you；　my　dear；　the　first　chance　I　had。　God　bless　you；　my　child！　You　have　given　your　testimony　as　a　woman　should；　in　these　days　of　scoffing　at　the　truth。〃

〃Testimony？〃　said　Phyllis；　quite　puzzled。　Had　not　her　father　felt　a　thrill　of　gratitude　on　reflecting　that　she　had　none　of　the　qualities　of　the　prig　about　her？　〃Testimony？〃

〃You　have　testified　to　the　truth；　Miss　Ayrton；　and　you　shall　have　your　reward。　You　have　shown　that　the　truth　is　more　to　you　thanthan　love　the　love　of　manall　that　women　hold　sweet　in　life。　You　are　right　Miss　Ayrton；　and　all　true　women　must　love　and　respect　you。〃

Phyllis　turned　a　very　brilliant　color；　and　kept　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　parquet　pattern　of　the　floor。

The　dear　old　lady　said　a　good　deal　more　to　her；　all　in　praise　of　her　act　of　having　given　Mr。　Holland　his　/conge/　on　account　of　his　having　written　that　shockingly　unorthodox　book。

By　the　end　of　the　week　Phyllis　Ayrton　was　looked　on　as　quite　as　much　a　heroine　for　having　given　Mr。　Holland　his　/conge/；　as　Mr。　Holland　was　a　hero　for　having　braved　the　bishop　in　writing　the　book。　She　wore　her　laurels　meekly；　though　she　had　been　rather　embarrassed　when　a　ray　of　intelligence　appeared　among　the　dark　sayings　of　the　dear　old　lady。　She　could　not　help　wondering　how　all　the　world　had　become　possessed　of　the　knowledge　that　she　had　said　good…by　to　her　lover。　She　considered　if　it　were　possible　that　Mr。　Holland