{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/4545",
    "note": "Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright in each message remains with the person who wrote it.  Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact.",
    "addresses": "obscured as 'user at host'"
  },
  "archive": "urth",
  "thread": {
    "id": 4545,
    "subject": "Possible Source for the \"White Fountain\"",
    "messages": 2,
    "voices": 2,
    "first": "2006-03-12T03:36:09+00:00",
    "last": "2006-03-12T09:03:00+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<Pine.LNX.4.61.0603112109530.10209@noether.math.grinnell.edu>",
      "from": {
        "name": "David F. Driscoll",
        "address": "driscoll at grinnell.edu"
      },
      "date": "2006-03-12T03:36:09+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Possible Source for the \"White Fountain\"",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Hi! This is my first post to the list, but I've read a lot of the \narchives in the past. I did a search and didn't find anything about this, \nso hopefully I'm not going old ground here.\n\nIn one of Chesterton's Father Brown stories, the action revolves around a \ntall, handsome sun-god worshipper (the priest Kalon) who sets up shop in \nan American-style office building in London. He's presented very \nnegatively and often contrasted with the short, round-faced Christian \npriest Father Brown. At one point, he stands on a balcony and prays:\n\n\"O sun,\" cried the prophet, \"O star that art too great to be allowed among \nthe stars! O fountain that flowest quietly in that secret space that is \ncalled space. White Father of all white unwearied things, white flames and \nwhite flowers and white peaks. Father, who art more innocent than all thy \nmost innocent and quiet children; primal purity, into the peace of \nwhich--\" (G.K. Chesteron, \"The Eye of Apollo,\" in _The Father Brown \nOmnibus_ p. 181).\n\nWolfe has surely read this passage - his fondness for Chesteron is well \nknown, and the Father Brown stories are some of Chesteron's most famous \nworks. Of course, the phrase \"White Fountain\" is never explicitly said \nhere, but we get a \"White Father\" with a comparison to a fountain in the \nprevious sentence. It's at least a possibility - I'm not entirely sure \nit's correct.\n\nDavid Driscoll"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "message_id": "<E1FIMTc-0003E7-HN@oceanus.uk.clara.net>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Andy Robertson",
        "address": "andywrobertson at clara.co.uk"
      },
      "date": "2006-03-12T09:03:00+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth)Possible Source for the \"White Fountain\"",
      "in_reply_to": "<Pine.LNX.4.61.0603112109530.10209@noether.math.grinnell.edu>",
      "reply_link": "header",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "David F. Driscoll writes: "
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "\"O sun,\" cried the prophet, \"O star that art too great to be allowed among \nthe stars! O fountain that flowest quietly in that secret space that is \ncalled space. White Father of all white unwearied things, white flames and \nwhite flowers and white peaks. Father, who art more innocent than all thy \nmost innocent and quiet children; primal purity, into the peace of \nwhich--\" (G.K. Chesteron, \"The Eye of Apollo,\" in _The Father Brown \nOmnibus_ p. 181)."
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": " \n\nInteresting catch.   I do wonder if Wolfe would not have flagged such a \nreferent a bit more explicitly - but it might be the case."
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}