A SUNDAY IN CHEYNE KOW 265 



his tasks, his obstructions, torpidities, and dispirit- 

 ments nearly crushed him. 



It is probably true that he thought he had some 

 special mission to mankind, something as definite 

 and tangible as Luther had. His stress and heat 

 of conviction were such as only the great world- 

 reformers have been possessed of. He was bur- 

 dened with the sins and follies of mankind, and 

 must mend them. His mission was to mend them, 

 but perhaps in quite other ways than he thought. 

 He sought to restore an age fast passing, — the age 

 of authority, the age of the heroic leader; but 

 toward the restoration of such age he had no effect 

 whatever. The tide of democracy sweeps on. He 

 was like Xerxes whipping the sea. His real mis- 

 sion he was far less conscious of, for it was what 

 his search for the hero implied and brought forward 

 that he finally bequeathed us. If he did not make 

 us long for the strong man to rule over us, he made 

 us love all manly and heroic qualities afresh, and as 

 if by a new revelation of their value. He made all 

 shallownesses and shams wear such a face as they 

 never before wore. He made it easier for all men 

 to be more truthful and earnest. Hence his final 

 effect and value was as a fountain of fresh moral 

 conviction and power. The old stock truths per- 

 petually need restating and reapplying on fresh 

 grounds and in large and unexpected ways. And 

 how he restated them and reinforced them! vera- 

 city, sincerity, courage, justice, manliness, religious- 

 ness, — fairly burning them into the conscience of 



