The Apocalypse

News that the Christian Science Monitor is killing off its print edition put me in mind of a story my late father used to tell. It was just after World War II, and freshly demobilized from the Army he was traveling around war-torn (as they said) Europe stringing for the Monitor. He had a purple streak in him in those days, and so began one of his stories, "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse--Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death--are stalking Europe." Although the paper has never worn its religion on its sleeve, there have always been certain Christian Science no-nos, one of which was an absolute prohibition on the word "death." ("Passed on," I believe, was the locution of choice.) So Dad's lede would not do. Edited, the story began: "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse--three of which are Pestilence, War, and Famine--are stalking Europe." CSM print edition, RIP.