Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century AllegoryHarris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Religion
Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century Allegory
Harris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Christian fiction
Mr. World and Miss Church-Member, after spending several hours at the
Theatres, moved toward the vast groups of buildings comprising the
third division of the College of Literature. The structures lay in a
semi-circle facing a magnificent court, in the center of which there
was a park of surpassing loveliness. On an immense arch, over the
center of the park, these words were hung in shining letters:
THIRD DIVISION:
TRUE CHRISTIANITY AND LITERATURE.
As Mr. World and his charming companion entered this great central
court, they were quite overcome by the size and beauty of the three
score halls, each one widening as its depth increased. Some towered
one thousand feet in the air while others sent their proud domes, as
it were, into the clouds.
The two companions mingled with the multitudes, engaged in the common
pleasures of this open court, and watched with poetic delight the
sparkling fountains, while sweet strains of music from scattered
orchestras lent their charms to the soul. The shrubbery, flowers and
plants, as well as the works of sculpture and pictorial art, all
appeared as if angel fingers had been employed in their production and
arrangement.
The season here spent by Miss Church-Member was the happiest that she
had yet experienced since she had left the King’s Highway. To think
that she was now living in the threshold of True Christianity, in its
relation to literature, was at once novel and refreshing to her mind,
for she now claimed to be a more faithful Christian than ever before.
During their protracted stay at this division they visited the following
halls, each one devoted to a specific purpose:
Hall No. 3. “The Bible from a Literary Standpoint.”
Hall No. 8. “The Best Literature for a Sunday School Class.”
Hall No. 9. “The Best Literature for Sunday school Libraries.”
Hall No. 13. “The Best Literature for a True Christian to Read.”
Hall No. 16. “Literature for a Christian’s ‘Grip’ when on a Vacation.”
Hall No. 27. “The Sunday Newspaper and Other Publications.”
Hall No. 38. “The Best Way of Conducting a Religious Newspaper.”
Mr. World spent a day with his appreciative friend under the teaching
of Hall No. 3. The professors were exceptionally brilliant, and so won
the confidence of their many hearers that what they said seemed to
have more weight than even the Bible. They tried to demonstrate that
the literary style of the Bible was far below par.
When they entered Hall No. 8 they were surprised to see how large a
number of Sunday school workers and teachers were already there. The
meeting that day was held largely in the form of an open parliament,
and a discussion was in progress concerning the use of the Bible in
the class during the study of the lesson.
“Would it not be preferable,” asked an interested visitor, “to use the
Bible in the class during the study of the lesson, and use the special
helps only for preparation?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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