ntend
against a foe like that. He will, too! For the wrongs inflicted on woman
by this wicked and immoral London God will visit it with his vengeance
yet. I see it coming, it is not far off, and God help those----"

"But surely, my boy, surely it is not necessary to fly away from the
world in order to escape from your dreams? Just when it is going to be
good to you, too. It was kicking and cuffing and laughing at you only
yesterday----"

"And to-morrow it would kick and cuff and laugh at me again. Oh, it is a
cowardly and contemptible world, uncle, and happy is the man who wants
nothing of it! He is its master, its absolute master, and everybody else
is its wretched slave. Think of the people who are scrambling for fame
and titles and decorations and invitations to court! They'll all be in
their six feet by two feet some-day. And then think of the rich men who
hire detectives to watch over their children lest they should be stolen
for sake of a ransom, while they themselves, like human mill-horses, go
tramping round and round the safes which contain their securities! Oh,
miserable delusion, to think that because a nation is rich it is
therefore great! Once I thought the Church was a refuge from this worst
of the spiritual dangers of the age, and so it would have been if it had
been built on the Gospel. But it isn't; it loves the thrones of the world
and bows down to the golden calf. Poverty! Give me poverty and let me
renounce everything. Jesus, our blessed Jesus, he knew well what he was
doing in choosing to be poor, and even as a man he was the greatest being
that ever trod upon the earth."

"But this leper island mission is not poverty merely, my dear John--it is
death, certain death, sooner or later, and God knows what news the next
mail may bring us!"

"As to that I feel I am in God's hands, sir, and he knows best what is
good for us. People talk about dying before their time, but no man ever
did or ever will or ever can do so, and it is blasphemy to think of it.
Then which of us can prolong our lives by one day or hour or minute? But
God can do everything. And what a grand inspiration to trust yourself
absolutely to him, to raise the arms heavenward which the world would
pinion to your side and cry, 'Do with me as thou wilt, I am ready for
anything--anything.'"

A tremor passed over the wrinkles about the old man's eyes, and he
thought: "All this is self-deception. He doesn't believe a word of it.
Poor boy!