letter instead of the spirit of the poetry of religion? Matthew Arnold
was a thousand times right when he inferred that Jesus Christ never spoke
literally and yet he is still being taken literally by most churches, and
all the literal sayings which were put into his mouth are maintained as
Gospel truth! What is the result of proclaiming Christianity in terms of
an ancient science and theology which awaken no quickening response in
the minds and hearts of to-day? That!" The librarian thrust a yellow
hand towards the pile of books. "The new wine has burst the old skin and
is running all over the world. Ah, my friend, if you could only see, as
I do, the yearning for a satisfying religion which exists in this big
city! It is like a vacuum, and those books are rushing to supply it.
I little thought," he added dreamily, "when I renounced the ministry in
so much sorrow that one day I should have a church of my own. This
library is my church, and men and women of all creeds come here by the
thousands. But you must pardon me. I have been carried away--I forgot
myself."

"Mr. Engel," replied the rector, "I want you to regard me as one of your
parishioners."

The librarian looked at him mutely, and the practical, desiccated little
person seemed startlingly transformed into a mediaeval, German mystic.

"You are a great man, Mr. Hodder," he said. "I might have guessed it."

It was one of the moments when protest would have been trite,
superfluous. And Hodder, in truth, felt something great swelling within
him, something that was not himself, and yet strangely was. But just
what--in view of his past strict orthodoxy and limited congregation
--Mr. Engel meant, he could not have said. Had the librarian recognized,