Part 10 (1/2)
”Have they exhausted you already?” Marion asked. ”Let me see, this is the morning of the second day, is it not?”
”Oh, as to myself, I was exhausted before I commenced it. I am only speaking a word for the lunatics who think they enjoy it. I am one of the victims to our cousin's whim. He expects to get me converted here, I think, or something of that sort.”
”I wouldn't be afraid of it,” Marion said, in disgust. ”I don't believe there is the least danger.”
Mr. Charlie chose to consider this as a compliment, and bowed and smiled, and said:
”Thanks. Now tell me why, please.”
”You don't look like that cla.s.s of people who are affected in that way.”
He was wonderfully interested, and begged at once to know why. Marion had it in her heart to say, ”Because they all look as though they had some degree of brain as well as body,” but even she had a little regard left for feelings; so she contented herself with saying, savagely:
”Oh, they, as a rule, are the sort of people who think there is something in life worth doing and planning for, and you look as though that would be too much trouble.”
Now, Mr. Charlie by no means liked to be considered devoid of energy, so he said:
”Oh, you mistake. I think there are several things worth doing. But this eternal going to meeting, and whining over one's soul, is not to my taste.”
”You think that it is more worth your while to take ladies out to ride and walk, and carry their parasols and m.u.f.fs for them, and things of that sort. Since we are made for the purpose of staying here and showing our fine clothes for all eternity, of course it is foolish to have anything to do with one's soul, that can only last for a few years or so!”
She hardly realized herself the intense scorn there was in her voice, and as for Charlie Flint he muttered to himself:
”Upon my word, she is one of them; of the bitterest sort, too! What in creation is she doing here? Why didn't she stay there and preach?”
CHAPTER X.
HOW THE ”FLITTING” ENDED.
As for Ruth Erskine, if she had been asked whether she was enjoying the day, she would hardly have known what answer to make; she could not even tell why the excursion was not in every respect all that it had promised in the morning. She had no realization of how much the atmosphere of the day before lingered around her, and made her notice the contrast between the people of yesterday and the people of to-day. Mrs. Smithe, if she were a Christian, as her nephew insisted, was one of the most unfortunate specimens of that cla.s.s for Ruth Erskine to meet; because she was a woman who entered into pleasure and fas.h.i.+on, and entertainments of all sorts, with zest and energy and only in matters of religious interest seemed to lose all life and zeal.
Now Ruth Erskine, calm as a summer morning herself over all matters pertaining to the souls of people in general, and her own in particular, was yet exceedingly fond of seeing other people act in a manner that she chose to consider consistent with their belief; therefore she despised Mrs. Smithe for what she was pleased to term her ”hypocrisy.” At the same time, while at Saratoga, she had quite enjoyed her society. They rode together on fine mornings, sipped their ”Congress” together before lunch, and attended hops together in the evenings. Now the reason why Mrs. Smithe's society had so suddenly palled upon her, and the words that she was pleased to call ”conversation” become such vapid things, Ruth did not know, and did not for one instant attribute to Chautauqua; and yet that meeting had already stamped its impression upon her. From serene, indifferent heights she liked to look down upon and admire earnestness; therefore Chautauqua, despite all her disgust over the common surroundings and awkward accommodations, had pleased her fancy and arrested her attention more than she herself realized. It was her fate to be thrown almost constantly with Mrs. Smithe during the day, and before the afternoon closed she was surfeited. She heartily wished herself back to the grounds, and found herself wondering what they were singing, and whether the service of song was really very interesting.
One episode in her day had interested her, and she could not tell whether it had most amused or annoyed her. One of their party was conversing with a gentleman as she came up. She had just time to observe that he was young and fine-looking, when the two turned to her, and she was introduced to the stranger.
”You are from Chautauqua?” he said, speaking rapidly and earnestly.
”Grand meeting, isn't it? Going to be better than last year, I think.
Were you there? No? Then you don't know what a treat you are to have.
I'm very sorry to lose to-day. It has been a good day, I know. The programme was rich; but a matter of business made it necessary to be away. It is unfortunate for me that I am so near home. If I were two or three hundred miles away where the business couldn't reach me, I should get more benefit. Miss Erskine, what is your opinion of the direct spiritual results of this gathering? I do not mean upon Christians. No one, of course, can doubt its happy influence upon our hearts and lives.
But I mean, are you hopeful as to the reaching of many of the unconverted, or do you consider its work chiefly among us?”
Such a volley of words? They fairly poured forth! And the speaker was so intensely in earnest, and so a.s.sured in his use of that word ”we,” as if it were a matter that was entirely beyond question that she was one of the magic ”we.” She did not know how to set out to work to enlighten him. In fact, she gave little thought to that part of the matter, but, instead, fell to wondering what _was_ her idea--whether she did expect to see results of any sort from the great gathering, and that being the case, what she expected? ”Spiritual results,” she said to herself, and a smile hovered over her face--what _were_ ”spiritual results?” She knew nothing about them. _Were_ there any such things? Eurie Mitch.e.l.l, had such a question occurred to her, would have asked it aloud at once and enjoyed the sense of shocking her auditor. But Ruth did not like to shock people; she was too much of a lady for that.
”What proportion of that cla.s.s of people are here, do you think?” she said, at last. ”Are not the most of them professing Christians?”
”Precisely the question that interests me. I should really like to know.
I wonder if there is no way of coming at it? We might call for a rising vote of all who loved the Lord; could we not? Wouldn't it be a beautiful sight?--a great army standing up for him! I incline to your opinion that the most of them are Christians, or at least a large proportion. But I should very much like to know just how far this idea had touched the popular heart, so as to call out those who are not on the Lord's side.”
”They would simply have come for the fun of the thing, or the novelty of it,” she said, feeling amused again that almost of necessity she was speaking of herself and using the p.r.o.noun ”they.” What would this gentleman think if he should bring about that vote of which he spoke and happen to see her among the seated ones?