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Bates, Arlo, 1850-1918

"The Puritans"

Strathmore. He is so completely in sympathy with the
broadening tendencies of the time."
"But that means ultimately the destruction of creeds," Maurice
objected, answering rather the implication than her words.
"I think that perhaps the highest courage men are called upon to show,"
she answered, "is that of giving up a theory which has served its use.
The race forces us to do it sooner or later, but the men who are
really great are those who are able to say frankly that their creeds
have done their work, and that the new day must have new ones. You
might almost say that the extent to which a man prefers truth to
himself is to be judged by his willingness to give up a dogma that is
outworn."
"But you leave no stability to truth."
"The truth is stable without effort or will of mine," she returned,
smiling; "but surely you would have human appreciation of it advance."
He felt that there must be an answer to this, but he was not able to
see just what it was, and he shifted the question.
"But Mr. Strathmore," he said hesitatingly, "is married."
"Yes," she assented. "'The husband of one wife.


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