The jealous God of Moses； one who feels
An image as an insult； and is wroth
With him who made it and his child unborn？
The God who plagued his people for the sin
Of their adulterous king； beloved of him；
The same who offers to a chosen few
The right to praise him in eternal song
While a vast shrieking world of endless woe
Blends its dread chorus with their rapturous hymn？
Is this the God ye mean； or is it he
Who heeds the sparrow's fall； whose loving heart
Is as the pitying father's to his child；
Whose lesson to his children is； 〃Forgive；〃
Whose plea for all； 〃They know not what they do〃
I claim the right of knowing whom I serve；
Else is my service idle； He that asks
My homage asks it from a reasoning soul。
To crawl is not to worship； we have learned
A drill of eyelids； bended neck and knee；
Hanging our prayers on binges； till we ape
The flexures of the many…jointed worm。
Asia has taught her Aliabs and salaams
To the world's children；we have grown to men！
We who have rolled the sphere beneath our feet
To find a virgin forest； as we lay
The beams of our rude temple； first of all
Must frame its doorway high enough for man
To pass unstooping； knowing as we do
That He who shaped us last of living forms
Has long enough been served by creeping things；
Reptiles that left their foot…prints in the sand
Of old sea…margins that have turned to stone；
And men who learned their ritual； we demand
To know him first； then trust him and then love
When we have found him worthy of our love；
Tried by our own poor hearts and not before；
He must be truer than the truest friend；
He must be tenderer than a woman's love；
A father better than the best of sires；
Kinder than she who bore us； though we sin
Oftener than did the brother we are told；
We…poor ill…tempered mortals…must forgive；
Though seven times sinning threescore times and ten。
This is the new world's gospel： Be ye men！
Try well the legends of the children's time；
Ye are the chosen people； God has led
Your steps across the desert of the deep
As now across the desert of the shore；
Mountains are cleft before you as the sea
Before the wandering tribe of Israel's sons；
Still onward rolls the thunderous caravan；
Its coming printed on the western sky；
A cloud by day； by night a pillared flame；
Your prophets are a hundred unto one
Of them of old who cried； 〃Thus saith the Lord〃；
They told of cities that should fall in heaps；
But yours of mightier cities that shall rise
Where yet the lonely fishers spread their nets；
Where hides the fox and hoots the midnight owl；
The tree of knowledge in your garden grows
Not single； but at every humble door；
Its branches lend you their immortal food；
That fills you with the sense of what ye are；
No servants of an altar hewed and carved
》From senseless stone by craft of human hands；
Rabbi； or dervish； Brahmin； bishop； bonze；
But masters of the charm with which they work
To keep your hands from that forbidden tree！
Ye that have tasted that divinest fruit；
Look on this world of yours with opened eyes！
Ye are as gods！ Nay； makers of your gods；
Each day ye break an image in your shrine
And plant a fairer image where it stood
Where is the Moloch of your fathers' creed；
Whose fires of torment burned for span…long babes？
Fit object for a tender mother's love！
Why not ？ It was a bargain duly made
For these same infants through the surety's act
Intrusted with their all for earth and heaven；
By Him who chose their guardian； knowing well
His fitness for the task；this； even this；
Was the true doctrine only yesterday
As thoughts are reckoned；and to…day you hear
In words that sound as if from human tongues
Those monstrous； uncouth horrors of the past
That blot the blue of heaven and shame the earth
As would the saurians of the age of slime；
Awaking from their stony sepulchres
And wallowing hateful in the eye of day！
Four of us listened to these lines as the young man read them；the
Master and myself and our two ladies。 This was the little party we
got up to hear him read。 I do not think much of it was very new to
the Master or myself。 At any rate； he said to me when we were alone；
That is the kind of talk the 〃natural man；〃 as the theologians call
him； is apt to fall into。
I thought it was the Apostle Paul； and not the theologians； that
used the term 〃natural man； I ventured to suggest。
I should like to know where the Apostle Paul learned English？said
the Master； with the look of one who does not mean to be tripped up
if he can help himself。…But at any rate；he continued；the
〃natural man；〃 so called； is worth listening to now and then； for he
didn't make his nature； and the Devil did n't make it； and if the
Almighty made it； I never saw or heard of anything he made that
wasn't worth attending to。
The young man begged the Lady to pardon anything that might sound
harshly in these crude thoughts of his。 He had been taught strange
things； he said； from old theologies； when he was a child； and had
thought his way out of many of his early superstitions。 As for the
Young Girl； our Scheherezade； he said to her that she must have got
dreadfully tired （at which she colored up and said it was no such
thing）； and he promised that； to pay for her goodness in listening；
he would give her a lesson in astronomy the next fair evening； if she
would be his scholar； at which she blushed deeper than before； and
said something which certainly was not No。
IX
There was no sooner a vacancy on our side of the table； than the
Master proposed a change of seats which would bring the Young
Astronomer into our immediate neighborhood。 The Scarabee was to move
into the place of our late unlamented associate； the Man of Letters；
so called。 I was to take his place； the Master to take mine； and the
young man that which had been occupied by the Master。 The advantages
of this change were obvious。 The old Master likes an audience；
plainly enough； and with myself on one side of him； and the young
student of science； whose speculative turn is sufficiently shown in
the passages from his poem； on the other side； he may feel quite sure
of being listened to。 There is only one trouble in the arrangement；
and that is that it brings this young man not only close to us； but
also next to our Scheherezade。
I am obliged to confess that he has shown occasional marks of
inattention even while the Master was discoursing in a way that I
found agreeable enough。 I am quite sure it is no intentional
disrespect to the old Master。 It seems to me rather that he has
become interested in the astronomical lessons he has been giving the
Young Girl。 He has studied so much alone； that it is naturally a
pleasure to him to impart some of his knowledge。 As for his young
pupil； she has often thought of being a teacher herself； so that she
is of course very glad to acquire any accomplishment that may be
useful to her in that capacity。 I do not see any reason why some of
the boarders should have made such remarks as they have done。 One
cannot teach astronomy to advantage； without going out of doors；
though I confess that when two young people go out by daylight to
study the stars； as these young folks have done once or twice； I do
not so much wonder at a remark or suggestion from those who have
nothing better to do than study their neighbors。
I ought to have told the reader before this that I found； as I
suspected； that our innocent…looking Scheherezade was at the bottom
of the popgun business。 I watched her very closely； and one day；
when the little monkey made us all laugh by stopping the Member of
the Haouse in the middle of a speech he was repeating to us；it was
his great effort of the season on a bill for the protection of horn…
pout in Little Muddy River；I caught her making the signs that set
him going。 At a slight tap of her knife against her plate； he got
all ready； and presently I saw her cross her knife and fork upon her
plate； and as she did so； pop！ went the small piece of artillery。
The Member of the Haouse was just saying that this bill hit his
constitooents in their most vitalwhen a pellet hit him in the
feature of his countenance most exposed to aggressions and least
tolerant of liberties。 The Member resented this unparliamentary
treatment by jumping up from his chair and giving the small aggressor
a good shaking； at the same time seizing the implement which had
caused his wrath and breaking it into splinters。 The Boy blubbered；
the Young Girl changed color； and looked as if she would cry； and
that was the last of these interruptions。
I must own that I have sometimes wished we had the popgun back； for
it answered all the purpose of 〃the previous question〃 in a
deliberative assembly。 No doubt the Young Girl was capricious in
setting the little engine at work； but she cut short a good many
disquisitions that threatened to be tedious。 I find myself often
wishing for her and her small fellow…conspirator's intervention； in
company where I am supposed to be enjoying myself。 When my friend
the politician gets too far into the personal details of the quorum
pars magna fui； I find myself all at once exclaiming in mental
articulation；