ght,andnodoubtifyouareofamysticaltendency,consolation,andevenexplanation,showerdownfromtheunbrokensurface.ButaboveCambridge—anyhowabovetheroofofKing'sCollegeChapel—thereisadifference.Outatseaagreatcitywillcastabrightnessintothenight.Isitfancifultosupposethesky,washedintothecrevicesofKing'sCollegeChapel,lighter,thinner,moresparklingthantheskyelsewhere?DoesCambridgeburnnotonlyintothenight,butintotheday?
Look,astheypassintoservice,howairilythegownsblowout,asthoughnothingdenseandcorporealwerewithin.Whatsculpturedfaces,whatcertainty,authoritycontrolledbypiety,althoughgreatbootsmarchunderthegowns.Inwhatorderlyprocessiontheyadvance.Thickwaxcandlesstanduprightyoungmenriseinwhitegownswhilethesubservienteaglebearsupforinspectionthegreatwhitebook.
Aninclinedplaneoflightcomesaccuratelythrougheachwindow,purpleandyelloweveninitsmostdiffuseddust,while,whereitbreaksuponstone,thatstoneissoftlychalkedred,yellow,andpurple.Neithersnownorgreenery,winternorsummer,haspowerovertheoldstainedglass.Asthesidesofalanternprotecttheflamesothatitburnssteadyeveninthewildestnight—burnssteadyandgravelyilluminesthetree-trunks—soinsidetheChapelallwasorderly.Gravelysoundedthevoiceswiselytheorganreplied,asifbuttressinghumanfaithwiththeassentoftheelements.Thewhite-robedfigurescrossedfromsidetosidenowmountedsteps,nowdescended,allveryorderly.
…Ifyoustandalanternunderatreeeveryinsectintheforestcreepsuptoit—acuriousassembly,sincethoughtheyscrambleandswingandknocktheirheadsagainsttheglass,theyseemtohavenopurpose—somethingsenselessinspiresthem.Onegetstiredofwatchingthem,astheyambleroundthelanternandblindlytapasifforadmittance,onelargetoadbeingthemostbesottedofanyandshoulderinghiswaythroughtherest.Ah,butwhat'sthat?Aterrifyingvolleyofpistol-shotsringsout—crackssharplyripplesspread—silencelapssmoothoversound.Atree—atreehasfallen,asortofdeathintheforest.Afterthat,thewindinthetreessoundsmelancholy.
ButthisserviceinKing'sCollegeChapel—whyallowwomentotakepartinit?Surely,ifthemindwanders(andJacoblookedextraordinarilyvacant,hisheadthrownback,hishymn-bookopenatthewrongplace),ifthemindwandersitisbecauseseveralhatshopsandcupboardsuponcupboardsofcoloureddressesaredisplayeduponrush-bottomedchairs.Thoughheadsandbodiesmaybedevoutenough,onehasasenseofindividuals—somelikeblue,othersbrownsomefeathers,otherspansiesandforget-me-nots.Noonewouldthinkofbringingadogintochurch.Forthoughadogisallverywellonagravelpath,andshowsnodisrespecttoflowers,thewayhewandersdownanaisle,looking,liftingapaw,andapproachingapillarwithapurposethatmakesthebloodruncoldwithhorror(shouldyoubeoneofacongregation—alone,shynessisoutofthequestion),adogdestroystheservicecompletely.Sodothesewomen—thoughseparatelydevout,distinguished,andvouchedforbythetheology,mathematics,Latin,andGreekoftheirhusbands.