Brother Copas | Page 2

poor, and yet thankful for small mercies," commented the
Master with gentle sarcasm. He had learnt in his long life to economise
anger. But he frowned as he dipped a pen in the ink-pot and made the
correction; for he was dainty about his manuscripts as about all the
furniture of life, and a blot or an erasure annoyed him. "Brother
Copas," he murmured, "never misplaces an accent."
Mr. Simeon heard, and started. It was incredible that the Master, who
five-and-twenty years ago had rescued Mr. Simeon from a school for
poor choristers and had him specially educated for the sake of his
exquisite handwriting, could be threatening dismissal over a circumflex.
Oh, there was no danger! If long and (until the other day) faithful
service were not sufficient, at least there was guarantee in the good
patron's sense of benefits conferred. Moreover, Brother Copas was not
desirable as an amanuensis. . . . None the less, poor men with long
families will start at the shadow of a fear; and Mr. Simeon started.
"Master," he said humbly, choosing the title by which his patron liked
to be addressed, "I think Greek accents must come by gift of the Lord."

"Indeed?"
The Master glanced up.
"I mean, sir"--Mr. Simeon extended a trembling hand and rested his
fingers on the edge of the writing-table for support--"that one man is
born with a feeling for them, so to speak; while another, though you
may teach and teach him--"
"In other words," said the Master, "they come by breeding. It is very
likely."
He resumed his reading:
'--and yet possessing all things. We may fancy St. Paul's actual words
present in the mind of our Second Founder, the Cardinal Beauchamp,
as their spirit assuredly moved him, when he named our beloved house
the College of Noble Poverty. His predecessor, Alberic de
Blanchminster, had called it after Christ's Poor; and the one title, to be
sure, rests implicit in the other; for the condescension wherewith Christ
made choice of His associates on earth has for ever dignified Poverty in
the eyes of His true followers.'
"And you have spelt 'his' with a capital 'H'--when you know my dislike
of that practice!"
Poor Mr. Simeon was certainly not in luck to-day. The truth is that,
frightened by the prospect of yet another addition to his family (this
would be his seventh child), he had hired out his needy pen to one of
the Canons Residentiary of Merchester, who insisted on using capitals
upon all parts of speech referring, however remotely, to either of the
Divine Persons. The Master, who despised Canon Tarbolt for a vulgar
pulpiteer, and barely nodded to him in the street, was not likely to get
wind of this mercenage; but if ever he did, there would be trouble. As it
was, the serving of two masters afflicted Mr. Simeon's conscience
while it distracted his pen.
"I will make another fair copy," he suggested.

"I fear you must. Would you mind drawing back that curtain? My eyes
are troublesome this afternoon. Thank you."--
'Nevertheless it was well done of the great churchman to declare his
belief that the poor, as poor, are not only blessed--as Our Lord
expressly says--but noble, as Our Lord implicitly taught. Nay, the
suggestion is not perhaps far-fetched that, as Cardinal Beauchamp had
great possessions, he took this occasion to testify how in his heart he
slighted them. Or again--for history seems to prove that he was not an
entirely scrupulous man, nor entirely untainted by self-seeking--that his
tribute to Noble Poverty may have been the assertion, by a spirit netted
among the briars of this world's policy, that at least it saw and suspired
after the way to Heaven. Video meliora, proboque--
"O limed soul, that struggling to be free Art more engaged!"
'But he is with God: and while we conjecture, God knows.
'Lest, however, you should doubt that the finer spirits of this world
have found Poverty not merely endurable but essentially noble, let me
recall to you an anecdote of Saint Francis of Assisi. It is related that,
travelling towards France with a companion, Brother Masseo, he one
day entered a town wherethrough they both begged their way, as their
custom was, taking separate streets. Meeting again on the other side of
the town, they spread out their alms on a broad stone by the wayside,
whereby a fair fountain ran; and Francis rejoiced that Brother Masseo's
orts and scraps of bread were larger than his own, saying, "Brother
Masseo, we are not worthy of such treasure." "But how," asked Brother
Masseo, "can one speak of treasure when there is such lack of all things
needful? Here have we neither cloth, nor knife, nor plate, nor porringer,
nor house, nor table, nor manservant, nor maidservant." Answered