Henry Handel Richardson

“ Just as the Elohistic account of creation had been stretched to fit the changed views of geologists, so the greater part of the scriptural narratives stood in need of a wider interpretation. The fable of the Eternal's personal mediation in the affairs of man must be accepted for what it was--a beautiful allegory, the fondly dreamed fulfilment of a world-old desire. And bringing thus a sharpened critical sense to bear on the Scriptures, Mahony embarked on his voyage of discovery. ”

“ God was a God of mercy, not the blind, jealous Jahveh of the Jews, or the inhuman Sabbatarian of a narrow Protestantism. And He might be worshipped anywhere or anyhow: in any temple built to His name--in the wilderness under the open sky--in silent prayer, or according to any creed. ”

“ Had one visited the Garden of Eden during Creation, one would have found that, in the morning, man was not, while in the evening he was!--morning and evening bearing their newly established significance of geological epochs. ”

“ What meaning has the pain I suffer, the evil that men do? Can evil be included in God's scheme?--And it was well, he told himself, as he pressed forward, that the flame in him burnt unwaveringly, which assured him of his kinship with the Eternal, of the kinship of all created things ”

“ Yes, one and all were comfortably established under the new roof--with the exception of poor Palmerston the cat. Palmerston had declined to recognise the change, and with the immoderate homing-instinct of his kind had returned night after night to his old haunts. For some time Mahony's regular evening walk was back to the store--a road he would otherwise not have taken; for it was odious to him to see Polly's neat little appointments going to rack and ruin, under the tenancy of a dirty Irish family. There he would find the animal sitting, in melancholy retrospect. ”

“ Like on de pickshur in Aunt Polly's room. One . . . one's de English, an' one's de emeny."
"It's the Battle of Waterloo," explained Polly. "He stands in front of it every day."
"Yes. An' when I'm a big man, I'm goin' to be a sojer, an' wear a red coat, an' make 'bung'!" and he shot an imaginary gun at his sister, who squealed and ducked her head.
"An ancient wish, my son," said Mahony, when Johnny had been reproved and Trotty comforted. ”