Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-17

the church wltCh no hau knOWn all Ills life, and wrostlod much with himself, if his face were any index to his soul Good, kindly man, ho was not of tho stuff of which martyrs are made, and to be forced, pushed on and guadcd into becoming a martyr against ones will-woll, the ia thCr's position was hard one, as was that in those days of many n good and learned clergyman bred in ono church and bidden suddenly, on pain of losing his livelihood, If not his life, to migrate to another.
 Tho visitors had been in the houso a month-and in that month m obsorvant eye might havo noted much change, though ull things in seeming wont on as beforc-whCn tho Queen's orders cnjOining all priests to road tho service. or H great part of 1t, in English, camo down. being forwarded by tho sheriff to Father Carey. Tho missive arrived on a Friday and had been indeed long expected.
 What shall you dof" Ferdinand asked Sir Anthony.
 ''As bcforel' tho tall old man replied, gripping his staff moro firmly. It was no new subject bctwcCn them. X hundred times they had discussed 1t already, cvon as they were now discussing it, on the ter race by the fishpoOl, with tho church which adjoins tho house full in view across the garden. II will havo no mushroom faith at Cotton End, tho knight contin- ued warmly. Tt sprang up under King Henry, and how long did it last? A year or two It Came in again under King Ed ward, and how long did it last? A year or two So it will bc again. It will not last, Ferdinand.
 II am of that mind, :" tho younger man answered, nodding his head gravcly.
 "Of course you arc!" Sir Anthony re- joined us he rested ono hand on tho sun dial. For ten generations our furCfathcrs haVo worshipcd in that church after tho old fashion, and shall it be changed in my dayS Heaven forbid! The old fashion did for my fathers. It shall do for mo. Why, I would aS soon expect that tho river yOn- der should flow backward as that tho church which has stood for centuries. and moro years to the back of them than can count, should bo swept away by thuso hot gospclcrsl I will have mono of them! will havo no new fanglcd ways at Cotton End!'
 "Wcl, think you arc rightr tho younger brother said. By what means ho had brought tho knight to this mind with out committing himself moro fully I can not tell. Yet 50 it was. Ferdinand showed himself always tho cautious duubtcr. Fla thor CarCy even must havU donU him that justice. But-and this was strango-tho moro doubtful ho showed himself the moro stubborn grow his brother ThVro urc men so shrcwd Us tn pass off stones for bread, and mon so simple minded aS to take sOInU- thing less than the word for tho decd.
 "Why should it como in our ttmrf'' cried Sir Anthony fractiOusly.
 "Why indcCd?" quuth the subtle one.
 NR-hV I have heard and rcad of the sect called Lol- lards who gave trouble awhile ago. Hut they passed, and tho church stood. Su will these guspclcrs pass, and the church will stand"
 That is our experience certainly, said Ferdinand.
 II hato changr!'' tho old man con tinurd, his eyes on tho old church, tho old timbcrcd huusc-for only the gateway tower at Cotton iS uf stunU-thc old yrw trrCS in the churchyard. II do not believe in it, and, what Is morn, l will not have it. As my fathers have worshipcd sn will l, though il cost mo every rood of land! A fig for the order in Cuuncili'
 "If you r'ally will not change with tho younsrr generations
 "I will nutH' replied tho old knight sharply. "Thrrr k an end of it!'' Today tho rCformvd church in England has strn many an anniversary and grown stronger with each year, and wU can afford to laugh at Sir Anthony $ arguments Wu know better than ho did. for the prunf of the pudding k in the eating. But in him and his fellows, who had only the knuwl- edge of their own day, such arguments wCrC natural enough. All time, all Cx- pCriCnCC, all history and custom and habit as known to them wCrC on their sidc. Only 1t was once again tu hr the hattlu ut David and the giant of Gath, Sir An thuny had said, "ThCro is an end of it. But his companion, aS he presently strnllCd up to the house with a SmilU on his satur | nino face, well knew that this was only tho beginning of it, This vas Friday. On tho sunday, a rumor of tho order having gone abroad, n larger congregation than usual strcamrd across tho chase tc church, prepared to hear some new thing. ! They wcro disappointed. Sir Anthony stalked in, as of old, through tho double ranks of people waiting at tho door to re ceive him, and after him Ferdinand and | his wifO and PctrOnilla and Baldwin and every servant from tho house save n cook ] or two and tho porter. Tho church wa. | full. seldom had such n congregation been seen in it. But all passed as of old | Father Carcy'S hand shook indeed, and hi. l voice quavcrcd. but hc went through tho | ceremony of tho mass and all was dUnt in Latin. A littlo change would have beer I pleasant, somo thought. But no ono il this country place on tho borders of tht l forest held very strong views. No bishoI had come herctic hunting to Cotton End | No abbey existed to excite dislike by 1t. | e1traVaganCC, ar by its license, or hy tht | swarm of ragged idlcrs it supported Fa ther Caroy was tho most harmless an,
 kindcSt of men. Tho villagers tlid not car, l one way or tho other. To them Sir A n
 thony was king, and if any ono felt tempt | cd to interfere the old knights face as h,
 gazod stcldf.IStly at the brass cfliyy of
 Cluddo who had fallen in Spain fightin, l against tho MuOrS, warned the mrddlrr |,
 be silent.
 And SD uH that Sunday all went well I But some one must have told tales, fu
 early in the week there Camo a strong let
 ter of remuustrancU from tho sheriff. win
 was an old friend of Sir Anthony, and Q
 his own free will, l fancy, would hav
 winkcd. But ho was committed tO tn
 Protestants and bound to stand or fal
 with them. The Cholcric knight sent hacl
 an answer by tho samo messenger. Tn
 sheriff replied, tho knight rejoined-hav
 ing his brother always at his elbow. Tn | oPSHO0 OA 1ho SotHesPohuehSo was au ali
 nouncement on the part of tho sheriff tha
 he should send his officers to the next scrv
 ice to see that the queens order wa
 obeyed and reply on the part of Sir An
 thony that he should as certainly put tn
 men in the duck pond. Some inkling c
 this state of things got abroad and sprea I as a September fire flies through n wood
 so that there was like to be such a congrC
 gation as the next service to witness tn
 trial of strength us would throw the las
 Sundays gathering altogether into tn
 shade
 It was clear at last that Sir Anthon
 himself did not think that there was tn
 end of it, for on that Saturday afternoo
 he took a remarkable walk He calle
 Petronilla after dinner and bade her ge
 her hood and come with him, and the girl l Xhn had sean sn litfln of her father in th