BY W. M. L. JAY
Author of "Shiloh," etc.
"Sin will pluck on sin."
King Richard III.
NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY,
713 BROADWAY
1874
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by
E. P. DUTTON & CO.,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
PREFACE.
In sending forth another book belonging to the classknown as religious novels, the author is moved to say aword to the critics who received a former one with sopleasant a mixture of praise and deprecation. As one ofthem frankly explained, "they like a pill none the betterfor being sugar-coated." It is not necessary to remindthem that there may be younger (and possibly older)people who do. It is more to the point to state that personsto whom religion is a pill—a bitter, nauseous compound,to be bolted in sickness, and kept out of sight inhealth—are not the persons for whom the author writes.
There is another class of objectors. They talksolemnly of Art and its canons; they make a religion of it,having little other. One of these remarks, that "a tractin the hands of the Venus di Medici would be animpertinence." I quite agree with him. But why need heignore the fact that the Venus is also the outcome of areligion? To the ancient sculptor, it was a goddess, not awoman, that grew under his hands; it was Devotion, workingtogether with Genius, that produced the two or threestatues which the world agrees to admire. So the fewgreat poems of the world are religious poems. Why, then,should not the great novel of the world be a religiousnovel? Some day, be sure, a genius sweeter thanHawthorne's, more genial than Dickens', and subtler thanThackeray's, will arise to give it to us. Let me humblyhelp to prepare the way for him! Meanwhile, be it alsounderstood that the persons to whom Art is a sufficing end,instead of a noble means, are not the persons for whom Iwrite.
I do write for the "gentle reader" who enjoys religionin novels, as elsewhere. Be thus much said for his liking,even from the art side. There are two classes of novels—thedescriptive and the analytical; one pictures real life,the other passions and motives. Religion has its rightfulplace in both, because it is an important part of real life,and controls both passions and motives. Finally (for thesubject is much too wide for a preface), the modern novelbeing so potent a power,—for evil on the one hand, forsocial and civil reform on the other,—it is fair to supposethat it may do good service for religion.
In conclusion, I have to make two acknowledgments.The first to an unknown coadjutor, a hand that is doubtlessmouldering into dust. Some years ago, a yellow, time-wornmanuscript, purporting to be a veritable family history,fell into my hands. I am indebted to it for the mainoutline of my story. The second is to MISS FREEBORNE,—theonly sculptor of our day, so far as I know, who hasconsecrated her genius to Christian Art. From her studioI have quietly abstracted the sculpture which lends itswhite grace to these pages. I should also have seizedupon the slender figure of her St. Agnes, and the bowedhead of her Martyr, had they been available to mypurpose.
NEW YORK, July, 1874.
CONTENTS.
PART FIRST.
A WAY THAT