Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-06-10

| tear himself away rom the SpectaC,e va 9o
much degradation. Then he added with Q
smile of perfect satisfaction detail when
he had forgotten: :
STANDING, too! The Lords prsyer-in
the church-aloud-befor all the people
standing! This is pretty beginning
fugleman, for sixteen years"
If the I.o,d's prayer in itself were some
thing to be ashamed of he could not have
spoken with greater contempt Inc boy,
however, looked straight up into the rooi
of the porch, made no answer nor seemed
to hear.
The speaker held mp both hands, shook
his head, sighed and slowly withdrew INTO
the church. -,
Then there came down the street an old
lady in q white cap, white apron. q
shawl and black mittens; an old lady with
a face lined all over, with kind soft eyes
and white hair, but her face was troubled.
Beside her walked girl Of IL or there
abouts, dressed in white frock and straw
hat trimmed with white ribbon, and white
cotton mittens, and she was crying and
sobbing.
'Thou mayest stand mp in the church, 7"
said the old lady, when he repeats the
Lords Prayer, but not beside him In the
porch" .o,
''But helped him." she cried. "ob,
am as had as hel am worse, because L
laughed at him and encourage him."
'But thou hast not been sentenced,
said the old lady. at is thy punishment,
child-and q heavy one-to feel that
Rslph bears thy shame and his own, too. !"
81 was on one side Of the hedge when
Dame Ridley dropped her basket the
child went on, crying more bitterly. u
was on one side and he on the other. Oh!
OH oh! She said there were two ghosts
was one"
When they reached the porch the girl,
at sight of the boy in the street, ran and
threw her arms about his neck and kissed
him, and cried aloud enough for all within
to hear:
ooh, Ralph, Ralph, it is wicked Of
themp'
These words were heard all over the
church, and Mathew Humble sprang to
his feet, as if demanding that the speaker
should be carried off to instant execution
for contempt of court. All eyes were
turned upon his worship's pew, and
know not what would have happened, be-
cause his periwig was seen to be agitated
and the gold head of his stick appeared
above the pew; bnt luckily just then the
bells clashed all together, frightening the
swallows about the tower so that they
flew straight to the castle and stayed there,
and the vicar came out Of the vestry and
sat down in the reading desk, and, as was
his custom, surveyed his church and con-
gregation for q few minutes before the
service began.
1t is an old church of Norman work in
parts, patched up and rebuilt from time to
time by the Percies, but there are no
monuments of them. The wears eyes
fell upon a plain whitswashed building,
provided with rows of ancient and worm
eaten benches, worn black by many gen
erations of worshippers. The choir and
the music sat in the west end. In front
Of the chancel was square space IN which
was set long stool. While the vicar
waited the fugleman marched up the aisle,
followed by the boy in the sheet, and
both sat on this stool of repentance. Then
the vicar rose-he was a beningnant old
man, with white hair-and began to read
in full and musical voice how sinners
may repent and find forgiveness. But the
people thought he meant his words to ap'
ply this morning especially and only to
the boy in the sheet. This made them
feel surprisingly virtuous and inclined to
sing praises with glad heart. So, too,
with the lessons, one of which dealt with
the fate of wicked king. All the people
looked at the boy in the sheet, and felt
that, under another name, il was his own
story told beforehand propheiically; and
when they stood up to sing in thanks
giving, their gratitude took the form OF
being glad that / ey were not upon the
STOOL When the psalms were read the
people paid unusual attention, letting the
boy have the benefit of all the penitential
utterancee, but taking the joyous verses to
themselves. And the itany they re-
gsrded as composed, as well as read, ex-
clusively for this convicted sinner. Among
the elder ladies there was hope that the
offended ghosts might-some at least--be
present in the church ana see this humilia-
ton, which would not fail to dispose their
ghostliness TO a benevolent attitude, and
even influence the weather.
1t seemed to the boy as if that service
never would end. To the congregation IT
seemed, on account of this unusual cpl
sode, as if there never had been service
so short aud so exciting.
When the commandments had been re-
cited, Ralph almost expected to hear an
additional one, "Thou shalt not pretend
to be a ghost" and to be called on to
pray, all by himself, for an inclination oil
the heart to keep that injunction. But
the vicar threw away the opportunity and
ended as usual with the tenth command
ment.
He gave out the psalm and retired to
put on his black gown. The music-con'
sisting of violin, violincello and a
clarionet-struck up the tune, and the
choir, among whom Ralph ought to have
been, hemmed and cleared their voices
The Northumbrians, as is well known,
have good voices and good ears. The tune
was Warwick" and the psalm was that
which began:
Lord, in the morning Thou shalt hear
My voice ascend to Thee.
The boy trembled because the word:
seemed to refer to the part he was about
TO play. His own voice would, immsdi
ately, be ascending high, but all by itself,
He saw the face of his cousin, Mathew
Humble, fixed upon him with i'll con
eealed and malignant joy. Why die
Mathew hate him with such bitter ha
tired? Also he saw the face of the CIR
who had been his partner; her eyes were
full of tears; and at sight of grief his owl
eyes became humid.
He did not take any part at all in The
hymn.
When il was finished, the vicar stood il
his pulpit waiting; his worship stood up
in his pew, his face turned to the culprit; IL
his hand his great gold headed cane. Al
the people stared at the culprit with curl
Gus eyes, as boys stare at one of Their
companions when he is about to be logged
Just then the girl left her seat and stepped
deliberately up the aisle and stood beside
the boy 10 the sheet. Aud the congrega-
ton murmured wonder.
The fugleman touched the boys shoul
der and brought his pike to 'tention.
s'Say after me-" he said aloud. Their
to the congregation he added: "And al
the people standing"
81 confess my fault, he began.
II confess my fault" repeated boy ano
| o;rl to0ather