第28部分(第4/7 頁)

of　mankind。　I　see　it　destroying　all　simplicity　and　gentleness　of　life；　all　the　beauty　of　the　world；　I　see　it　restoring　barbarism　under　a　mask　of　civilization；　I　see　it　darkening　men's　minds　and　hardening　their　hearts；　I　see　it　bringing　a　time　of　vast　conflicts；　which　will　pale　into　insignificance　〃the　thousand　wars　of　old；〃　and；　as　likely　as　not；　will　whelm　all　the　laborious　advances　of　mankind　in　blood…drenched　chaos。

Yet　to　rail　against　it　is　as　idle　as　to　quarrel　with　any　other　force　of　nature。　For　myself；　I　can　hold　apart；　and　see　as　little　as　possible　of　the　thing　I　deem　accursed。　But　I　think　of　some　who　are　dear　to　me；　whose　life　will　be　lived　in　the　hard　and　fierce　new　age。　The　roaring　〃Jubilee〃　of　last　summer　was　for　me　an　occasion　of　sadness；　it　meant　that　so　much　was　over　and　gone……so　much　of　good　and　noble；　the　like　of　which　the　world　will　not　see　again；　and　that　a　new　time　of　which　only　the　perils　are　clearly　visible；　is　rushing　upon　us。　Oh；　the　generous　hopes　and　aspirations　of　forty　years　ago！　Science；　then；　was　seen　as　the　deliverer；　only　a　few　could　prophesy　its　tyranny；　could　foresee　that　it　would　revive　old　evils　and　trample　on　the　promises　of　its　beginning。　This　is　the　course　of　things；　we　must　accept　it。　But　it　is　some　fort　to　me　that　I……　poor　little　mortal……have　had　no　part　in　bringing　the　tyrant　to　his　throne。

XIX

The　Christmas　bells　drew　me　forth　this　morning。　With　but　half…　formed　purpose；　I　walked　through　soft；　hazy　sunshine　towards　the　city；　and　came　into　the　Cathedral　Close；　and；　after　lingering　awhile；　heard　the　first　notes　of　the　organ；　and　so　entered。　I　believe　it　is　more　than　thirty　years　since　I　was　in　an　English　church　on　Christmas　Day。　The　old　time　and　the　old　faces　lived　again　for　me；　I　saw　myself　on　the　far　side　o