ityisonherbrow.Idon'thesitatetosayit,I'mnotashamedofmyopinionIconsiderMissCorellieverybitasgreatasWilliamShakespeare.I'vegoneintothemattercarefully,andifImaysayso,I'mspeakingofwhatIknowsomethingabout.Mydeliberateopinionisthatinwit,andhumour,andlanguage,she'severybithisequal."
"Herlanguageisbeautiful,"saidMrs.Jackson."WhenIreadherIfeeljustasifIwerelisteningtohymns."
"Andwhere,Ishouldliketoknow,"continuedthecurate,raisinghisvoice,"canyoufindinaplayofShakespeare'ssuchagalleryofportraitsasinthe'MasterChristian'?"
"Andthereisonethingyoumustneverforget,"saidtheVicar,gravely,"shehasadeep,religiousfeelingwhichyouwillfindinnoneofShakespeare'splays.Everyoneofherbookshasaloftymoralpurpose.Thatisthejustificationoffiction.Thenovelisthasahighvocation,ifhecouldonlyseeithecaninculcatesubmissiontoauthority,hope,charity,obedience—infact,allthehighervirtueshecanbecomeahandmaidoftheChurch.Andnow,whenirreligion,andimmorality,andscepticismarerampant,wemustnotdespisethehumblestinstruments."
"Howtruethatis!"saidMrs.Jackson.
"IfallnovelistswerelikeMarieCorelli,Ishouldwillinglyholdthemoutmyhand.IthinkeveryChristianoughttoread'Barabbas.'ItgivesanentirelynewviewofChrist.ItputstheincidentsoftheGospelinawaythatonehadneverdreamed.Iwasneversoimpressedinmylife."
"Butallherbooksarethesameinthatway!"criedMary."Theyallmakemefeelsomuchbetterandnobler,andmoretrulyChristian."
"Ithinkshe'svulgarandblasphemous,"murmuredMrs.Clibbornquietly,asthoughsheweremakingthesimplestobservation.
"Mamma!"criedMary,deeplyshockedandamongtheotherstherewasalittlemovementofindignationanddisgust.
Mrs.Clibbornwascontinuallymortifyingherdaughterbythiskindofilliterategaucherie.Butthemostpainfulpartofitwasthatthegoodladyalwaysremainedperfectlyunconsciousofhavingsaidanythingincrediblysilly,andcontinuedwithperfect