rdinate. The burden of the daily provision, which still
falls so heavily on the vast majority of women, was here rendered
extremely light, for all helped each and each helped all. Equal
fellowship also in the great spiritual possession caused all the marks
of woman's inferiority to vanish, and the sexes freely mingled in a pure
and noble companionship.

But this perfect type of society was not destined long to endure. It
appeared only for a brief season, barely sufficient to intimate what
human life might be, if governed by the Spirit of Jesus; and then a
woman was accessory to a deed which showed that the ideal was as yet far
too high for a practical and prudent world. Sapphira and Ananias had
sold their possession and had laid a part of the price at the Apostles'
feet, under the pretence that they were devoting their all. "Tell me,"
said Saint Peter, "did ye sell the land for so much?" "Yes," answered
Sapphira, faithful to the conspiracy she had entered into with her
husband, "that was the amount." "Ye have agreed together to lie unto
God," said the Apostle. "The feet of them who have buried thy husband
are at the door; they shall carry thee out also." And she immediately
"gave up the ghost." And the young men carried her out and buried her by
her husband. The description of the burying seems to indicate that it
was done as quietly as possible, probably so as not to attract the
attention of the people. But great fear of the power of the Apostles
seized those who heard the rumor of these happenings. It is not a
pleasant story, and it jars on a conscience in which the memory of the
Gospel teaching is fresh and vivid. Yet the Church was not so strong in
itself but that it needed to resort to drastic measures in order to
protect itself from covetous hypocrisy within, more to be feared than
violent persecution from without. As to the pathological cause of the
death of Sapphira and her husband, no explanation is given. In the
market place of a town in Wiltshire, England, there is a remarkable
stone monument, which was erected by the corporation to commemorate a
"judgment" which took place on the spot many years ago. According to the
lengthy inscription engraved upon the column, three women had agreed to
purchase a certain quantity of flour, each contributing her share of the
price. A dispute arose, owing to one having declared that she had paid
her part, though the amount could not be accounted for. Being accused of
trying