Then the sweet angel calmly answered: “Not until the worm ceaseth to crawl, and thistles no more infest the ground. Till then the patience of God endureth and his sunshine falleth on the temples of Virtue and of Vice.”
“And what comes at the end of patience?”
“Then shall the taint of sin be purged from the earth, for every temple and pest-hole of Satan, including this whole Wizard City, will be consumed by an awful fire whose lurid light will glimmer long after the metals and granites of this great Tower shall have been reduced to ashes amidst the general ruin.”
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE FESTIVAL.
1. The whole scheme of merchandising in the church is laid bare as Satan explains the origin of the word “Festival.”
Looking once again through the open door, I saw that Mr. World and Miss Church-Member, after leaving the Wizard City, had gained admission to the auditorium where the Ways and Means Committee was in session.
Miss Church-Member at once retired to the waiting-room in the rear, and sat quietly perusing a book while her companion remained in the large hall and listened to the proceedings.
An agent of Satan occupied the chair. He was dressed in pleasing costume, and controlled the assemblage with parliamentary dignity.
When Mr. World took a seat the large committee was engaged in a warm debate over a certain piece of ground occupying a space midway between the King’s Highway and the Broad Highway. This eligible site had been used for holding church-festivals to raise funds for the maintenance of gospel work. A few wealthy friends of Satan wanted this location to erect on it a club-house wherein they might revel and carouse as they wished.
The question arose among the members of the committee as to which of the two uses would best subserve the purpose of their master who held a claim on the land.