God；''　have　been　exposed　as　manifestations　of　our　own　ignorance
  and　neglect。　Every　child　nowadays　knows　that　he　can
  keep　from　getting　typhoid　fever　by　a　little　care　in　the　choice　of
  his　drinking　water。　But　it　took　years　and　years　of　hard
  work　before　the　doctors　could　convince　the　people　of　this　fact。
  Few　of　us　now　fear　the　dentist　chair。　A　study　of　the　microbes
  that　live　in　our　mouth　has　made　it　possible　to　keep　our
  teeth　from　decay。　Must　perchance　a　tooth　be　pulled；　then　we
  take　a　sniff　of　gas；　and　go　our　way　rejoicing。　When　the　newspapers
  of　the　year　1846　brought　the　story　of　the　‘‘painless
  operation''　which　had　been　performed　in　America　with　the　help
  of　ether；　the　good　people　of　Europe　shook　their　heads。　To
  them　it　seemed　against　the　will　of　God　that　man　should　escape
  the　pain　which　was　the　share　of　all　mortals；　and　it　took　a　long
  time　before　the　practice　of　taking　ether　and　chloroform　for
  operations　became　general。
  But　the　battle　of　progress　had　been　won。　The　breach　in　the
  old　walls　of　prejudice　was　growing　larger　and　larger；　and　as
  time　went　by；　the　ancient　stones　of　ignorance　came　crumbling
  down。　The　eager　crusaders　of　a　new　and　happier　social　order
  rushed　forward。　Suddenly　they　found　themselves　facing　a　new
  obstacle。　Out　of　the　ruins　of　a　long…gone　past；　another　citadel
  of　reaction　had　been　erected；　and　millions　of　men　had　to　give
  their　lives　before　this　last　bulwark　was　destroyed。
  ART
  A　CHAPTER　OF　ART
  WHEN　a　baby　is　perfectly　healthy　and　has　had　enough　to　eat
  and　has　slept　all　it　wants；　then　it　hums　a　little　tune　to　show　how
  happy　it　is。　To　grown…ups　this　humming　means　nothing。　It
  sounds　like　‘‘goo…zum；　goo…zum；　goo…o…o…o…o；''　but　to　the　baby
  it　is　perfect　music。　It　is　his　first　contribution　to　art。
  As　soon　as　he　（or　she）　gets　a　little　older　and　is　able　to　sit
  up；　the　period　of　mud…pie　making　begins。　These　mud…pies　do
  not　interest　the　outside　world。　There　are　too　many　million
  babies；　making　too　many　million　mud…pies　at　the　same　time。
  But　to　the　small　infant　they　represent　another　expedition　into
  the　pleasant　realm　of　art。　The　baby　is　now　a　sculptor。
  At　the　age　of　three　or　four；　when　the　hands　begin　to　obey
  the　brain；　the　child　becomes　a　painter。　His　fond　mother　gives
  him　a　box　of　coloured　chalks　and　every　loose　bit　of　paper　is
  rapidly　covered　with　strange　pothooks　and　scrawls　which　represent
  houses　and　horses　and　terrible　naval　battles。
  Soon　however　this　happiness　of　just　‘‘making　things''
  comes　to　an　end。　School　begins　and　the　greater　part　of　the
  day　is　filled　up　with　work。　The　business　of　living；　or　rather
  the　business　of　‘‘making　a　living；''　becomes　the　most　important
  event　in　the　life　of　every　boy　and　girl。　There　is　little　time　left
  for　‘‘art''　between　learning　the　tables　of　multiplication　and　the
  past　participles　of　the　irregular　French　verbs。　And　unless
  the　desire　for　making　certain　things　for　the　mere　pleasure　of
  creating　them　without　any　hope　of　a　practical　return　be　very
  strong；　the　child　grows　into　manhood　and　forgets　that　the
  first　five　years　of　his　life　were　mainly　devoted　to　art。
  Nations　are　not　different　from　children。　As　soon　as　the
  cave…man　had　escaped　the　threatening　dangers　of　the　long　and
  shivering　ice…period；　and　had　put　his　house　in　order；　he　began
  to　make　certain　things　which　he　thought　beautiful；　although
  they　were　of　no　earthly　use　to　him　in　his　fight　with　the　wild
  animals　of　the　jungle。　He　covered　the　walls　of　his　grotto　with
  pictures　of　the　elephants　and　the　deer　which　he　hunted；　and
  out　of　a　piece　of　stone；　he　hacked　the　rough　figures　of　those
  women　he　thought　most　attractive。
  As　soon　as　the　Egyptians　and　the　Babylonians　and　the
  Persians　and　all　the　other　people　of　the　east　had　founded
  their　little　countries　along　the　Nile　and　the　Euphrates；　they
  began　to　build　magnificent　palaces　for　their　kings；　invented
  bright　pieces　of　jewellery　for　their　women　and　planted　gardens
  which　sang　happy　songs　of　colour　with　their　many　bright　flowers。
  Our　own　ancestors；　the　wandering　nomads　from　the　distant
  Asiatic　prairies；　enjoying　a　free　and　easy　existence　as
  fighters　and　hunters；　composed　songs　which　celebrated　the
  mighty　deeds　of　their　great　leaders　and　invented　a　form　of
  poetry　which　has　survived　until　our　own　day。　A　thousand　years
  later；　when　they　had　established　themselves　on　the　Greek　mainland；
  and　had　built　their　‘‘city…states；''　they　expressed　their
  joy　（and　their　sorrows）　in　magnificent　temples；　in　statues；　in
  comedies　and　in　tragedies；　and　in　every　conceivable　form　of
  art。
  The　Romans；　like　their　Carthaginian　rivals；　were　too　busy
  administering　other　people　and　making　money　to　have　much
  love　for　‘‘useless　and　unprofitable''　adventures　of　the　spirit。
  They　conquered　the　world　and　built　roads　and　bridges　but　they
  borrowed　their　art　wholesale　from　the　Greeks。　They　invented
  certain　practical　forms　of　architecture　which　answered　the
  demands　of　their　day　and　age。　But　their　statues　and　their　histories
  and　their　mosaics　and　their　poems　were　mere　Latin　imi…
  tations　of　Greek　originals。　Without　that　vague　and　hard…to…
  define　something　which　the　world　calls　‘‘personality；''　there　can
  be　no　art　and　the　Roman　world　distrusted　that　particular　sort
  of　personality。　The　Empire　needed　efficient　soldiers　and
  tradesmen。　The　business　of　writing　poetry　or　making　pictures
  was　left　to　foreigners。
  Then　came　the　Dark　Ages。　The　barbarian　was　the　proverbial
  bull　in　the　china…shop　of　western　Europe。　He　had　no　use
  for　what　he　did　not　understand。　Speaking　in　terms　of　the　year
  1921；　he　liked　the　magazine　covers　of　pretty　ladies；　but　threw
  the　Rembrandt　etchings　which　he　had　inherited　into　the　ash…
  can。　Soon　he　came　to　learn　better。　Then　he　tried　to　undo　the
  damage　which　he　had　created　a　few　years　before。　But　the　ash…
  cans　were　gone　and　so　were　the　pictures。
  But　by　this　time；　his　own　art；　which　he　had　brought　with
  him　from　the　east；　had　developed　into　something　very　beautiful
  and　he　made　up　for　his　past　neglect　and　indifference　by　the　so…
  called　‘‘art　of　the　Middle　Ages''　which　as　far　as　northern　Europe
  is　concerned　was　a　product　of　the　Germanic　mind　and　had
  borrowed　but　little　from　the　Greeks　and　the　Latins　and　nothing
  at　all　from　the　older　forms　of　art　of　Egypt　and　Assyria；　not
  to　speak　of　India　and　China；　which　simply　did　not　exist；　as　far
  as　the　people　of　that　time　were　concerned。　Indeed；　so　little
  had　the　northern　races　been　influenced　by　their　southern　neighbours
  that　their　own　architectural　products　were　completely
  misunderstood　by　the　people　of　Italy　and　were　treated　by
  them　with　downright　and　unmitigated　contempt。
  You　have　all　heard　the　word　Gothic。　You　probably　associate
  it　with　the　picture　of　a　lovely　old　cathedral；　lifting　its　slender
  spires　towards　high　heaven。　But　what　does　the　word　really
  mean？
  It　means　something　‘‘uncouth''　and　‘‘barbaric''something
  which　one　might　expect　from　an　‘‘uncivilised　Goth；''　a　rough
  backwoods…man　who　had　no　respect　for　the　established　rules　of
  classical　art　and　who　built　his　‘‘modern　horrors''　to　please　his
  own　low　tastes　without　a　decent　regard　for　the　examples　of
  the　Forum　and　the　Acropolis。
  And　yet　for　several　centuries　this　form　of　Gothic　architecture
  was　the　highest　expression　of　the　sincere　feeling　for　art
  which　inspired　the　whole　northern　continent。　From　a　previous
  chapter；　you　will　remember　how　the　people　of　the　late　Middle
  Ages　lived。　Unless　they　were　peasants　and　dwelt　in　villages；
  they　were　citizens　of　a　‘‘city''　or　‘‘civitas；''　the　old　Latin　name
  for　a　tribe。　And　indeed；　behind　their　high　walls　and　their　deep
  moats；　these　good　burghers　were　true　tribesmen　who　shared
  the　common　dangers　and　enjoyed　the　common　safety　and　prosperity
  which　they　derived　from　their　system　of　mutual　protection。
  In　the　old　Greek　and　Roman　cities　the　market…place；　where
  the　temple　stood；　had　been　the　centre　of　civic　life。　During
  the　Middle　Ages；　the　Church；　the　House　of　God；　became　such　a
  centre。　We　modern　Protestant　people；　who　go　to　our　church
  only　once　a　week；　and　then　for　a　few　hours　only；　hardly　know
  what　a　mediaeval　church　meant　to　the　community。　Then；　before
  you　were　a　week　old；　you　were　taken　to　the　Church　to　be
  baptised。　As　a　child；　you　visited　the　Church　to　learn　the　holy
  stories　of　the　Scriptures。　Later　on　you　became　a　member
  of　the　congregation；　and　if　you　were　rich　enough　you　built
  yourself　a　separate　little　chapel　sacred　to　the　memory　of　the
  Patron　Saint　of　your　own　family。　As　for　the　sacred　edifice；
  it　was　open　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　many　of　the　night。　In
  a　certain　sense　it　resembled　a　modern　club；　dedicated　to　all　the
  inhabitants　of　the　town。　In　the　church　you　very　likely　caught
  a　first　glimpse　of　the　girl　who　was　to　become　your　bride　at　a
  great　ceremony　before　the　High　Altar。　And　finally；　when　the
  end　of　the　journey　had　come；　you　were　buried　beneath　the
  stones　of　this　fami