'" said Aubrey, "The Mother of Christ is to
me a symbol of womanhood for all time!" Gherardi smiled.
"Good! Then in spite of your denunciations you come very near to our
faith'"
"I never denied the beauty, romance, or mysticism of the Roman
Catholic Faith," said Aubrey, "If it were purified from the
accumulated superstition of ages, and freed from intolerance and
bigotry, it would perhaps be the grandest form of Christianity in
the world. But the rats are in the house, and the rooms want
cleaning!"
"In every house there are those rats--in every room there is dirt!"
said Gherardi, "Presuming that you speak in a moral sense. What of
your Houses of Parliament? What of the French Senate? What of the
Reichstag? What of the Russian Autocracy?--the American Republic? In
every quarter the rats squeal, and the dirt gathers! The Church of
Rome is purity itself compared to your temporal governments! My dear
sir," and approaching, he laid a kindly hand on Aubrey's arm, "I
would not be harsh with you for the world! I understand your nature
perfectly. It is full of enthusiasm and zeal for righteousness,--
your heart warms to the sorrows of the human race,--you would lift
up the whole world to God's footstool; you would console--you would
be a benefactor--you would elevate, purify, rejuvenate, inspire!
Yes! This is a grand mood--one which has fired many a would-be
reformer before you,--but you forget! It is not the Church against
which you should arm yourself--it is the human race! It is not one
or many religious systems with which you should set yourself to
contend--it is the blind brutishness of humanity!" As he spoke, his
tall form appeared to tower to an even greater height,--his eyes
flashed, and the intellectual pride and force of his character
became apparent in every feature of his face.
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