In short, we
Southerners lack what you possess: an elective affinity with that book.
One may wonder how the morality of those tawny Semites was enabled to
graft itself upon your alien white-skinned race with such tenacity as
to influence your whole national development. Well, I think I have at
last puzzled it out," he added, "to my own satisfaction at least."
The bishop interposed with a laugh:
"I may tell you, Count, that I am not in the Episcopal mood to-day. Not
at all. Never felt less Episcopal in my life. For that matter, it is
our English ecclesiastics who have dealt some of the most serious blows
at Biblical authority of late, with their modern exegesis. Pray go on!"
"I imagine it is nothing but a matter of racial temperament."
"Goth and Latin?"
"One does not always like to employ such terms; they are so apt to
cover deficiency of ideas, or to obscure the issue. But certainly the
sun which colours our complexion and orders our daily habits,
influences at the same time our character and outlook.
Pages:
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594