Alter Ego: A Tale

A progressive, broad-minded minister takes charge of a cosmopolitan parish in upland Canada, preaching fearless sermons that provoke both admiration and hostility. He confronts local moral corruption, cultivates ecumenical friendship with a Catholic priest, and presides over community rites while promoting hope and moral uplift. The narrative alternates parish scenes and sermons with reports from abroad, including a startling dispatch from the Far East and an extended episode surrounding the Battle of Mukden, which influences church leadership and leads to the appointment of an associate minister. Throughout, the work explores faith as an active, optimistic force for personal transformation and communal reconciliation, emphasizing tolerance, practical charity, and moral courage.