Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich

Plutoria Avenue opposite the university, its tall spire pointing to the blue sky. Its rector is fond

ront of him in rows, their bald heads uncovered and their faces stamped with contrition as they thi

gation the grievous burden of the customs duty. There is a pipe organ in the transept that cost ten thousand dollars to install. The debenture-holders, as they join in the morning anthem, love to hear the dulcet notes of the great organ and to reflect that it is as good as new. Just behind the church is St. Asaph's Sunday School, with a ten-thousand dollar mortgage o

holders and the Sunday school teachers and the billiard-markers all lift up their voices together, there is em

ke up the episcopal church-brass tablets let into its walls, blackbirds singing in its elm trees, pa

tower-and a low roof, and its narrow windows are glazed with frosted glass. It has dark spruce trees instead of elms, crows instead of blackbirds, and a gloomy minister with a shovel hat who lectures on philosophy on week-days at

er on, with three other churches, it seceded from the group of seceding congregations. Still later it fell into a difference with the three other churches on the question of eternal punishment, the word "eternal" not appearing to

he elders of St. Osoph, quiet men, but illumined by an inner light, had followed suit and moved their church right against the side of an expanding distillery. Thus both the churches, as decade followed decade, made their way up the slope of the City till St. Asaph's was presently gloriously expropriated by the street railway company, and planted its spire in triumph on Plutoria Avenue itself. But St. Osoph's followed. With each change of site it moved nearer and nearer to St. Asaph's. Its elders were shrewd men. With each move of their church they took careful thought in th

aring in the rising fortunes of the City-moved also, and now for some six or seven years the two churches and

s a failure. Even its own trustees couldn't deny it. At a time when St. Asaph's was not only paying its interest

mply a question of men, and, as everybody said, one had only to compare the

ens, or playing the flute-which he played as only the episcopal clergy can play it-accompanied on the harp by one of the fairest of the ladies of his choir, or whether he was dancing the new episcopal tango with the younger daughters of the elder parishioners, he threw himself into it with all his might. He could drink tea more gracefully and play tennis better than any cler

rest to a sermon on the personal characteristics of Jah. In the same way Mr. Furlong always referred to the devil, not as Satan but as Su or Swa, which took all the sting out of him. Beelzebub he spoke of as Behel-Zawbab, which rendered him perfectly harmless. The Garden of Eden he spoke of as the Paradeisos, which explained it entirely; the flood as the Diluvium, which cleared it up completely; and Jonah he named, after the correct fashion Jon Nah, which put

e could dance the other could not; the one moved about at church picnics and lawn teas among a bevy of disciples in pink and blue sashes; the other moped around under the trees of the university campus with blinking eyes that sa

in. "He don't go forward any," said the business members of the congregation. "That old man believes just exactly the sa

uced his salary by fifty per cent; he never noticed it. They offered him an assistant; but he shook his head, saying that he didn't know where he could find a man to do just the work that

niversity presidents of today, belonged to the presbyterian church; or rather, to state it more correctly, he included presbyterianism within himself. He was of course, a m

s a lecturer he does not meet our views. He appears to find it difficult to keep religion out of his teaching. In fact, his lectures are suffused with a rather dangerous attempt at moral teaching which is apt to contaminate our s

urged that the case might set a dangerous precedent which other professors might follow. While fully admitting that Dr. McTeague's lectures were well worth giving for nothing, they begged him to reconsider his offer. But he refused; and from that day on, in spite of all offers that he should retire on double his salary, that he should visit the Holy Land, or Syria, or Armenia, where the dreadful massacres of Christians w

en face was capable of reflecting-"no, thank you, no more porridge. Prunes? no, no, thank you; I don't think I care for any. And, by the way," he added, "don't bother to keep

e should be the Mausoleum Club and the time ju

or a moment in a short, silent blessing-the one prescribed by the

nly. Philippa had had opinions of her own on bacon and eggs and on lamb chops with watercress as a means of stimulating the soul. But Juliana was different. The rector understood now exactly why it was that his father had exclaimed, on the news of Philippa's engagement, without a second's hesitation, "Then, of

ress that contrasted sadly with the charming clerical costumes of white and pink and the broad

ou and Philippa used to have it at half-past seven,

home any earlier from the kind of the dansant that everybody was giving just now. "But don't trouble about dinner

else a really first-class dinner at the Mausoleum Club, or at

said Juliana, "may I hav

knew perfectly well what Juliana wanted the key f

ening up the church and using it to pray in, the thing was going a little too far. What was more, he had an idea from the look on Juliana's face that she meant to pray for him. This, for a clergy man, was hard to bear. Philippa, like the good gi

unseemly argument. "It is h

the simple silk hat, the stick and gloves of the working clergyman a

very heart of it the Mausoleum Club, with its smooth white stone and its Grecian architecture, carried one back to the ancient world and made one think of Athens and of Paul preaching on Mars Hill. It was, all considered, a splendid thing to fight sin in such a parish and to keep it out of it. For kept out it was. One might look the length and breadth of the broad avenue and see no sign of sin all along it. There was certainly none in the smooth faces of the chauffeurs trundl

een any quantity of sin. The rector of St. Asaph's was certain of it. Many of the richer of his parishioners had been down in parties late at night to look at it, and the ladies of hi

veral ladies went down and sang hymns for him in his mission-house. But his work was really very easy. A funeral, for example, at the mission, was a simple affair, meaning nothing more than the preparation of a plain coffin and a glassless hearse and the distribution of a few artificial everlasting flowers to women crying in their aprons; a thing easily done: whereas in St. Asaph's parish, where all the really impo

ut he did not hear it. The minister's head was bent low, his eyes gazed into vacancy, and from the movements of his lips and from the fact that he carried a leather case of notes, he was plainly on his way to his philosophical lecture. But the rector had no time to muse upon the abstr

consult you. Should the girls-for the lawn tea for the Guild on Friday, you know-wear white dresses with light blue s

Reverend Fareforth half an hour to attend to standing the while in earnest colloquy with the tw

he Browning Club this morning? Oh, so sorry! but we sha

t so," said

ks," said the ladies to one

him with a rattle while he inquired its age of an episcopal nurse, gay with flowing ribbons. He lifted his hat to the bright parasols of his parishioners passing in

mises as seen from the outside combined the idea of an office with an ecclesiastical appearance. The door was as that of a chancel or vestry; there was a large plate-glass window filled with Bibles and Testaments, all spread open and showing every variety of language in their pages.

thing higher than ordinary business. His different official positions naturally overlapped and brought him into contact with himself from a variety of angles. Thus he sold himself hymn books at a price per thousand, made as a business favour to himself, negotiated with himself the purchase of the ten-thousand-dollar organ (making a price on it to himself that he begged himself to regard as confidential), a

St. Asaph's bring the quarterly accounts and st

as golden as the daffodils of Sheba, copying confidential letters on absolutely noiseless typewriters. They were making offers of Bibles in half-car-load lots at two and a half per cent reduction, offering to reduce St. Ma

ir work lent them a preoccu

erk, venerable as the Song of Solomon, and by him Mr. Fare

rom Philippa. She and Tom will be home in two or three weeks. She writes from Egypt. She wishes me to tell you, as no doubt you have already

. "Surely in matters of belief

to-" Mr. Furlong jerked his head backwards and pointed with his thumb over hi

o repeat in defiance of the catechism of the Anglican Church. They never wearied of explaining how Mr. Dick, the senior brother, had worked overtime by day to send Mr. George, the junior brother, to school by night, and how Mr. George had then worked overtime by night to send Mr. Dick to school by day. Thus they had come up the business ladder

second or rival University Settlement, and of anything or everything that showed a likelihood of making trouble. On this principle they were warm supporters and friends of the Rev. Dr. McTeague. The minister had even gone so far as to present to the brothers a copy of his philosophical work "McTeague's Expos

he presbyterian religion were too intimate to allow Mrs. Tom Overend, formerly

uld like-yes, I have the letter here-to give you, as a surprise, of course, either a new font or a carved pulpit; or perhaps a cheque

the rector; "one can do so m

re of many things that can be done with a che

me to run my eye over your quarterly statements, do you not, before we

is pocket. "I have everything with me. Our showing is, I believe, excell

and adjusted his spectacles to a more convenient angle. He

never make an account

t," said t

and Prizes to the Sunday School you again mark to your credit. Why? Don't you see, my boy, that these things are debits? When you give out Bibles or distribute fuel to the poor you gi

better now," sai

thing in return. Widows' Mite, Fines inflicted in Sunday School, etc., these are profit; write them down as such. By this method, you see, in ordinary business we can tell exactl

d the rector. "I b

r enterprises are making a handsome return. I notice, for example, that the Girls' Friendly Society of the church not only pays for itself, but that you are able to take something out of its funds and transfer it to the Men's Book Clu

an annual surplus, I see, of several thousands. But stop a bit," he continued, checking himself;

as much,"

books to converts so much, voluntary and other offerings of converts so much why, you're losing

son, "that in view of the c

of that. I am only asking you, is it worth it? Mind you, I am not

iew of the fact of our large

nce-in fact, I think in any case-of it continuing for years to come. If I may speak very frankly I should say that as long as our reverend friend, Dr. McTeague, continues in his charge of St. Osoph's-and I

the rector

force or control your judgment. I merely wish to show you certain-shall I say certain opportunities that present themselves for the disposal of our funds? The matter can be taken up later, formally, by yourself

ose, and opening the

the ancient clerk, "ki

given

with the Bible p

al Supply Corporation, have an idea fo

eared on the saintly

ible!" h

Bible! This one-and we find it ever

the rector with

magine for a moment that I mean wrong in a religious sense. Such a thought could n

epeated his son, a

For the market of today this Bible"-and he poised it again on his hand, as if to test its weight,

as about to say was lo

copy of the noonday paper. And the boy had no sooner looked at its headlines than he said, "How dreadful!" Being sanctified, he had no stronger form of speech than that. But he handed the paper forthwith to one of the stenographers with hair like the daffodils of Sheba, and when she looke

r and put down the paper, laying his finger

ce. "Dear me!" he said as his eyes caug

t?" said t

his father. "He has been

ctor, aghast. "But when? I

ewspaper as he spoke, "this morning, at the university, in his classroom, a

is hat and stick when at that moment

ed in a tone of solemnit

, shook hands in s

said. He used the word "our" as between the u

appen?" asked

actice," continued Dr. Boomer, "which, I need hardly say, we do not encourage; the young man, I believe, was a newcomer in the philosophy class. At any rate, he asked Dr. McTeague, quite suddenly it appears; how he could reconcile his theory of

?" gasped M

s death at any moment. Dr. Slyder, I may sa

dly recover enough to continue his co

r. Dr. Thrum, our professor of the theory of music, is, as you know, paralysed in his ears, and Mr. Slant, our professor of optic

ng senior, "we shall have to thin

isements announcing the chair as vacant. But it will be difficult to replace McTeague. He was a man," added Dr. Boomer, rehearsing in advance, unconsciously, no doubt, his forthcoming oration over Dr. McTeague's death, "of a singular grasp, a breadth of c

pau

id Mr. Furlong, "there i

he pulpit of St. Osoph's. Which reminds me," he added more briskly, "I must ask the newspaper people to let it be known that there will be service as u

the City were busy getting their obituary

ost openly advocated the minister's dismissal for five years back, "comes upon us as an irreparable loss. His

point of view of men and things, "that the loss of Dr. McTeague will be just as much felt in Europe as in America. To Germany the news that the hand t

he reflected that there would be time enough before actually going to press to consider fr

ng, during two or three days,

n the three days during which he was taken for dead,

se of the third day, Dr. McT

he world had already pass