CHAPTER

    I. How the Christmas Saint was Proved

   II.  An Old Man Faces Two Ways

  III.  The Cult of the Candy Cane

   IV.  The Big House of Portents

    V. The Life of Crime Is Appraised and Chosen

   VI.  The Garden of Truth and the Perfect Father

  VII.  The Superlative Cousin Bill J.

 VIII.  Searching the Scriptures

   IX.  On Surviving the Idols We Build

    X. The Passing of the Gratcher; and Another

   XI.  The Strong Person’s Narrative

  XII.  A New Theory of a Certain Wicked Man

BOOK TWO—­The Age of Reason

CHAPTER

    I. The Regrettable Dementia of a Convalescent

   II.  Further Distressing Fantasies of a Clouded Mind

  III.  Reason Is Again Enthroned

   IV.  A Few Letters

    V.  “Is the Hand of the Lord Waxed Short?”

   VI.  In the Folly of His Youth

BOOK THREE—­The Age of Faith

CHAPTER

    I. The Perverse Behaviour of an Old Man and a Young Man

   II.  How a Brother Was Different

  III.  How Edom Was Favoured of God and Mammon

   IV.  The Winning of Browett

    V. A Belated Martyrdom

   VI.  The Walls of St. Antipas Fall at the Third Blast

  VII.  There Entereth the Serpent of Inappreciation

 VIII.  The Apple of Doubt is Nibbled

   IX.  Sinful Perverseness of the Natural Woman

    X. The Reason of a Woman Who Had No Reason

   XI.  The Remorse of Wondering Nancy

  XII.  The Flexible Mind of a Pleased Husband

 XIII.  The Wheels within Wheels of the Great Machine

  XIV.  The Ineffective Message

   XV.  The Woman at the End of the Path

  XVI.  In Which the Mirror Is Held Up to Human Nature

 XVII.  For the Sake of Nancy

XVIII.  The Fell Finger of Calumny Seems to be Agreeably Diverted

  XIX.  A Mere Bit of Gossip

SCENES

BOOK ONE—­The Village of Edom

Book two—­The Same

Book three—­New York

CHARACTERS

Allan Delcher, a retired Presbyterian clergyman.

Bernal Linford }
Allan Linford } his grandsons.

Clayton Linford, Their father, of the artistic temperament, and versatile.

Clytemnestra, Housekeeper for Delcher.

Cousin bill J., a man with a splendid past.

Nancy Crealock, A wondering child and woman.