"You are right!" said Mollie, sitting suddenly erect, as if some new thought had taken possession of her. "Why! I never thought of it before, but the world—society so-called—is governed by selfishness!"
"I am afraid that is the fact, as a rule," assented the young man.
"How dreadful!" sighed his companion; "what veritable heathen idolaters we are, in spite of our boasted civilization and Christianity; and how little we know the meaning of the 'Golden Rule!'"
"That is true; self is the god of this world," said Clifford; "and when we attempt to analyze humanity we find it in every phase of life. Royalty 'lifts its crested head' and declares, 'I am enthroned; come not near, except on bended knee.' The multimillionaire, with lofty air, says, 'Keep a respectful distance, unless you can match my purse with one as heavy.' The merchant and banker refuse to associate with their butcher and grocer; the employer looks down upon his employee; the mistress upon her maid; and so it goes all along down the line even to newsboys and bootblacks; for——" and here Faxon laughed, "to illustrate, I saw two boys on the street the other day; one had a bundle of papers under his arm; the other was stationed on a corner, with his kit for blacking boots. 'Hello!' called out the newsboy familiarly and with an envious glance at the kit, 'how long yer ben at it?' 'Git out!' cried the youthful proprietor loftily, 'I've gone inter biz for myself, I have; an' we don't take newsboys inter our 'sociation.' So from the crowned heads of royalty down to the bootblack, who lords it over the peddler of papers, because he makes his nickel where the other gets but a penny, we find the serpent self with its spirit of arrogance and malicious sting."
"That is true," said Mollie, with a sigh, "and, worse than all, we find it even in the churches, where the rich and intellectually proud hold aloof from the poor widow and orphan and the beggar at their doors, except, perhaps, to bestow, with lofty patronage a little of their surplus wealth, and hoping thus to cancel their obligations as Christians and believe that they have fulfilled the law of Love. Oh, I am beginning to see how little the meaning of that word is understood."
"And it never will be understood until the world learns how to 'deny self' and become 'poor in spirit,' as taught by the Great Teacher nineteen centuries ago," Clifford supplemented in a reverent tone.
Mollie bent a thoughtful look upon his face. She thought him the grandest character she had ever met. No young man of her acquaintance had ever discussed such subjects in her presence before—they had always been, for the most part, full of small talk, jest and compliment—and she knew that most of her girl friends would have regarded such a conversation as prosy and stupid.
But she liked it—it seemed to meet something that she had long hungered for. Faxon had struck a note in nature that vibrated in keenest sympathy and perfect harmony with his thought, and when they parted that evening both felt as if they must have known each other for years.
After that they saw each other frequently. Mollie had invited him to 'come again,' and feeling that she was perfectly sincere, he had not hesitated to avail himself of the privilege. Each time they met they were drawn nearer each other, for they liked the same books and authors. Faxon was a good reader, Mollie an appreciative listener, while they had many an animated discussion over what they read.
They attended lectures, concerts and occasionally the theater and opera; though Mollie would not go often to the latter place because of the expense, which she doubted that Faxon could afford. But she told herself that she had never enjoyed a winter, even during her palmiest days, as she had enjoyed this one.