A Cathedral Singer
A Cathedral Singer, written by James Lane Allen in the early 20th century, follows the story of Ashby Truesdale, a young boy with a remarkable singing talent, and his mother, Rachel, who struggles against poverty in New York City. The narrative explores their lives as they navigate tragedy and aspiration, particularly after Ashby is injured in an accident. Set against the backdrop of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the novel highlights themes of motherhood, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams amidst urban challenges.
Editions
X-Ray
“Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning is the wisdom of the unwise, and ferocity the courage of the coward.””
— James Lane Allen
“You scoundrel, you have wronged me," hissed the philosopher, "May you live forever!””
— James Lane Allen
“Most persons go to sleep rather gladly, yet sleep is virtual annihilation while it lasts; and if it should last forever the sleeper would be no worse off after a million years of it than after an hour of it.””
— James Lane Allen
“If the body politic is constitutionally diseased, as I verily believe; if the disorder inheres in the system; there is no remedy. The fever must burn itself out, and then Nature will do the rest. One does not prescribe what time alone can administer. We have put our criminals and dunces into power; do we suppose they will efface themselves? Will they restore to us the power of governing them? They must have their way and go their length. The natural and immemorial sequence is: tyranny, insurrection, combat. In combat everything that wears a sword has a chance”
— James Lane Allen
“Heaven is a prophecy uttered by the lips of despair, but Hell is an inference from analogy.””
— James Lane Allen
“History does not forbid us to hope. But it forbids us to rely upon numbers; they will be against us. If history teaches anything worth learning it teaches that the majority of mankind is neither good nor wise. When government is founded upon the public conscience and the public intelligence the stability of states is a dream.””
— James Lane Allen
“Patriotism deliberately and with folly aforethought subordinates the interests of a whole to the interests of a part.””
— James Lane Allen
“Nothing is settled; no truth finds general acceptance. What we do one year we undo the next, and do over again the year following. Our energy is wasted in, and our prosperity suffers from, experiments endlessly repeated.””
— James Lane Allen
“If you want to read a perfect book there is only one way: write it.””
— James Lane Allen
