#181: “El Tiro de Gracia” by Colin Cameron

Here's a little something different for you for Friday. This is the tale of a cowboy, riding alone in Mexico, who unexpectedly faces a deadly choice. Should he give "el tiro de gracia" — the mercy shot?

"El Tiro de Gracia"

30:20.

This story is actually dated after 1923. "What's up with that?" you wonder. Well, it's simple. Back in the day, the author or copyright holder had to renew the copyright on a story after a certain period of years in order to keep it. This copyright was not renewed, for whatever reason, and has therefore fallen into the public domain.

I found this story through pulpgen.com, a wonderful resource for sampling public domain "pulp fiction". (As opposed to the fiction found in more expensive magazines that used more expensive paper — the "glossies".) But you can also find it on blackmask.com.

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#180: Ch. 13, The Eye of Osiris by R. Austin Freeman

The mystery continues, as we follow young Dr. Jervis to the Coroner's inquest.

Chapter 13: The Crowner's Quest

 25:24

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#179: Lecture 14B, The Catechetical Lectures by St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The second half of the lecture contains more talk about the Resurrection, including some good stuff about Jonah's foreshadowing of Jesus. We hear something about the Ascension, too.

Lecture 14, Part Two

24:01 

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#178: Lecture 14, The Catechetical Lectures by St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The lectures continue with a Monday talk on the Resurrection, and the Old Testament texts which predicted and foreshadowed it. This is especially impressive for being given at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. However, we again see hints of the growing tension between the Church and the Jews, as their joint paschal season approaches. We accordingly see a lot of tension between apologetics as evangelism and as a defense against the arguments of others.

 Lecture 14: On the Words "And Rose Again from the Dead"

23:03 

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#177: Ch. 52, Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by R.S. Surtees

The story continues as Mr. Sponge rides through the winter night.

Chapter 52: A Moonlight Ride

6:14.

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#176: Ch. 51, Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by R.S. Surtees

Mr. Sponge finds himself alone with the hounds….

Chapter 51: Farmer Peastraw's Dine-Matinee

 33:02

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#175: Ch. 50, Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by R.S. Surtees

Mr. Sponge's saga continues as he goes hunting with Sir Harry Scattercash.

Chapter 50: Sir Harry Scattercash's Hounds

 31:40

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#174: Chapter 49, Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by R.S. Surtees

We meet the local master of the hounds, a man with too much money and little sense.

Chapter 49: Country Quarters

10:55.

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#173: Ch. 48, Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by R.S. Surtees

Mr. Sponge wants to hunt foxes. But Mr. Crowdey wants to hunt sticks….

Chapter 48: Hunting the Hounds

14:14. 

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#172: Ch. 47, Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by R.S. Surtees

Mr. Sponge's saga continues, as he tries to go hunting with his host. You ever have one of those mornings when you just can't get out of the house?

Chapter 47: A Family Breakfast on a Hunting Morning

24:45. 

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#171: “The Golden Ingot” by Fitz-James O’Brien

Clan Honor Monday
continues with this little story from 1858. Fitz presents us with a
young doctor, a mysterious woman who begs him to make a house call, and
a tiny ingot of gold.

“The Golden Ingot”

38:06.

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Blog Announcement

It's possible I've been a little… busy this week. Distracted, even. 

But I didn't realize that I never actually put up the Tuesday Surtees posts. Oops.

Last week's Surtees will be added to this week's. Enjoy. 

 

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#170: Part 2 of Chapter 2, Europe and the Faith by Hilaire Belloc

Belloc continues with a look at what is definitely historically known about the Church’s
doctrines and organization before Constantine. Also, a brief look at testimony from before that time.

The Da Vinci Code is dead wrong about lots of things, and this is one of them.

(Incidentally, I recently learned that we have many more manuscripts
surviving from ancient times of books of the Bible than of the Odyssey,
the Iliad, or other hugely popular works of that day. As in, thousands
of Bible manuscripts, fewer than a thousand of the others — only a
single manuscript of some, in fact. Yet somehow we never hear about
Homer or Virgil being distorted by conspirators or ideologues, although
that would have been a far greater temptation.)

Ch. 2, Part 2

29:30.

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#169: Ch. 2, Part 1, Europe and the Faith by Hilaire Belloc

Hilaire Belloc continues his explanation of the big unsung factor in European history
with a look at the Church’s place in the Roman Empire, before
Constantine. He does this from the point of view of an ordinary big
Roman landowner in Lyons.

Chapter 2, Part 1: What Was the Church in the Roman Empire?

29:47.

Btw, Lyons’ Roman name was Lugdunum, but
this was the Lugdunum in Gaul, not the Lugdunum in Britain.
(Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum,
to be more precise.) Both towns
were named after the Celtic god Lug, whom the Romans generally
identified with Mercury. (Because Lug was good at everything.) Lyons
had some savage Christian persecutions — including the spectacularly
brutal arena death of St. Blandina and her companions, which we know
from a contemporary letter from Lyons explaining events to church folks
in Asia Minor. (Letters — the Roman Internet.)

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#168: “My Double and How He Undid Me” by Edward Everett Hale

Wouldn’t it be great if somebody else took care of all the boring bits of life? Well? Wouldn’t it?

“My Double and How He Undid Me”

48:32.

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