Part 29 (2/2)

The old people still talked on, recalling the events of other years, the one supplying what the other had forgotten. Rufus interposed a monosyllable now and then, but his thoughts in the main were far away from theirs. Suddenly his interest was aroused by an allusion his grandfather made to some wasteful and abortive lawsuit that followed his father's death.

”The ways of the law may be crooked in this country,” he said, with energy; ”and English lawyers may be blood-suckers in the main, but in America things are fifty times worse.”

”Why do you think that?” he questioned, raising his eyes with interest.

”Why, because I've proved it. Your father's t.i.tle was clear enough, there's no doubt about that. He made his money honestly too. If he'd lived a month or two longer he'd have returned home a rich man.”

”Well?”

”Well, just because some swindler disputed his right, and a blackmailer presented a bogus account, and somebody else claimed on the estate, on the ground of a letter which was clearly a forgery, the lawyers went to work with glee, and the State judge or attorney, or whoever he may be, aided and abetted the plunder. A grosser piece of corruption there never was in this world.”

”And they ate it all up between them?”

”Every dollar. At least, I presume so. It was postponed--I mean the settlement--and postponed month after month, and year after year; and taken to this court and that, the lawyers licking their lips all the time--What cared they for the widow and the fatherless? And when there was nothing left of the estate, why the litigation ceased.”

”That's usually the case, isn't it?”

”But in our English courts there is a chance of an honest man coming by his rights.”

”Not much if he should happen to be a poor man.”

”Then you believe we are as bad as the Americans?”

”Every whit. Lawyers and law courts, all the world over mean the same thing.”

”But isn't one of your best friends a lawyer?”

”You refer to Felix Muller? Well, yes. Muller has been a very good friend to me. But when it comes to business, like the rest of them, he will have his pound of flesh.”

”Ah, well!” the old man answered, with a sigh. ”It's a sad world. Though many may be called, few are chosen, and Satan must work his will till the appointed time.”

”He seems to have had a pretty long innings,” Rufus said, with a laugh.

”And yet, beyond his chain he cannot go,” the old man answered. And then supper was brought on to the table.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE OLD AND THE NEW

Rufus awoke next morning to the sound of Christmas bells ringing wildly down the valley and out across the hills. It was a pleasant sound, and awoke many tender memories in his heart. Instinctively his thoughts turned back to the Gospel story, and to the Christ who had changed the history of the world. Whatever might be said of the doctrines and dogmas that his grandfather had preached for fifty years with so much vehemence and energy, there could be no doubt as to the ethical value of Christ's life and sayings.

He had not looked into the New Testament for a good many years now, but it suddenly occurred to him that it was scarcely fair to hold Christ responsible for all the foolish things done and taught in His name. He recalled without effort whole paragraphs of the Sermon on the Mount, for he had been compelled, as a boy, to get off whole chapters both of the Old and New Testament by heart, and he felt that nothing n.o.bler had been taught in all the history of the world. Besides all that, there was something infinitely beautiful and touching in the tragedy of Christ's life and death. He was a martyr for scorned ideals. He gave up his life rather than compromise with evil, or be a party to the hypocrisies of His time. He was, undoubtedly, the friend of the poor, and outcast, and oppressed, and was the only religious man of His time who had the courage to speak a kind word to publicans and harlots.

Rufus began to have an uncomfortable feeling that he had scarcely treated this sacred figure with ordinary chivalry or fair play. The very ideals he stood for and advocated were among those the Man of Nazareth lived for and died for. From what, then, had he revolted? Against what had he protested?

He closed his eyes while the bells rang on, and tried to think. He could recall no word of Christ to which he could take exception, no single act that was not in itself a message of goodwill to men. Here was a life absolutely unselfish, and sacrificed in the pursuit of the n.o.blest ideal. Here was teaching that struck at the greed and hypocrisy and l.u.s.t of a corrupt age. Here was an influence, if taken by itself, which must always be for the common good.

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