much for their sublimity and peculiarity. But who pretends to live as
this old and partially obsolete book teaches? Take my father, for
instance. All the gentlemen in the church that I know of can do, and
are accustomed to do, just what he does, and some I think do much
worse; and yet he is an infidel, as you would term him. And as to the
ladies, not the Bible, but fashion rules them with a rod of iron. I
have cut free from it all, and art shall be my religion and the
inspiration of my life."

As Christine talked on, the twilight deepened, and Dennis worked with
increasing eagerness.

"After all," she continued, "it is only history repeating itself. The
educated mind to-day stands in the same attitude toward Christianity
as that of the cultured mind of Greece and Rome toward the older
mythology in the second century. Then as now the form of religion was
kept up, but belief in its truth was fast dying out. The cities abounded
in gorgeous temples, and were thronged with worshippers, but they
sacrificed at the dictates of fashion, custom, and law, not of faith.
So our cities are adorned with splendid churches, and fashion and the
tastes of the congregation decide as to the form of service. The sects
differ widely with each other, and all differ with the Bible. The
ancients gave no more respect to what was regarded as the will of their
imaginary deities than do modern Christians to the precepts of the
Bible. People went to the ceremonies, got through with them, and then
did what they pleased; and so they do now.

"Take for instance one of your commonest doctrines, that of prayer;
the majority have no practical belief in it. My father has taken me,
and out of curiosity I have attended several prayer meetings. The