“Fools who came to scoff remained to pray.”
“This is affectation in the extreme,” whispered Mr. World scornfully.
“Quite enough of it, indeed,” she returned.
The whole affair seemed to her so unreal that her mind could scarcely believe that she was ever connected seriously with such a method of worship.
Still worse than all, through her warped vision and the aid of her eye-glasses well adjusted, she was led to discern a wicked motive in the mind of the minister. His utterances also appeared miserably narrow.
At the request of Miss Church-Member they left the room, congratulating themselves that they were not compelled to remain longer.
“All this reminds me of how simple and foolish I once was,” she said plaintively as they descended the front steps. “Is it possible that I was ever seriously connected with such a kind of worship? Yet ignorance is the mother of endless follies. Can we find no better place of worship than this?”
“Better by far! I can easily lead you to a church where great varieties of truthful and yet comfortable doctrines are preached, pleasing to the ear, and fascinating to the senses. No blunt fellow stands in its pulpit, but rather a cultured and highly refined gentleman of modern type who delights to keep apace with the customs of the age. If you desire, I will gladly accompany you thither. It would be sad indeed were you to be turned away from religion altogether just because your own church is so unsuited to your advanced ideas.”
The face of Miss Church-Member brightened, and she quickly expressed her desire to accompany him to such a church. Therefore Mr. World improved the first opportunity and conducted her to a large and beautiful edifice.
“Here,” he said, “is the kind of church to which I am inclined. I give very liberally to the support of the Gospel as here preached. I like the broad-mindedness and liberal spirit which is manifested within the domain of this denomination.”