He sat in a deep study. There came like a picture into his mind Jesus of Nazareth's parable of the talents. "Ability to perceive thought! If the world should take that talent and improve it, a different world we should have anon!"
"Let us pray," said the minister. When they had prayed, he said, "Let us sing hymn number—"
They sang:
"Sun of my soul, thou Saviour dear,
It is not night if thou be near—"
"I will read," said the minister, "from the twenty-fifth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew."
Curtin heard read the parable of the talents. He thought: "Intercommunication. It widens and deepens and heightens perpetually. Now it gets to be wireless, independent of gesture or the vocal cords, or the handwriting." There thronged echoes of his experience of the other night. "Intercommunication becomes communion. Communion becomes identity. At last 'we know even as we are known.'"
The reading ended. They sang
"Rock of Ages, cleft for me."
All the congregation sang; men, women, and children's piping voices. They sat down. The minister took his text from the parable he had read.