Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-12-19
T'HE ENGLISH PARSON.
BY $. A. Crockett,


where he had stopped the game, Ma,
| dinna baud wi the Papishes-nor
yet wi the Englishers. And wadna
advise ony one o ye to say that l
do. But that's nae reason for you to
disturb the lads bit serbice wi your
swcerin' an the jingling o your
auoits!"
The miner folk of Iochfinny were
not specially inclined to religion at
any time. AS Muckle Rob would have
said. no 1hen in Scotland had clearer
sense of what was the right and CHI
Various thing to do.
But the new English priest" with
his daily services and early commun-
ion, his incense pot and acolyte, his
Friday for confession and his out
spoLcn contempt for their own quiet.
steAdy-going Presbyterian ministers,
was certainly more than little hard
to bear. There had indeed been for
a long time "Catholic Chapel" cow
ering back among outhouses in quiet
corner of the villege. But as AIuckle
Rob said, "Frae oot-an'oot Papishes,
We kenned what to eXpec'. So he
looked for nae better!'
1t was, therefore considered as, at
the worst, sort of half-deserved jest
that the Lockfnny Quoting club
should have started four of it's young
est and noisiest Kinks on vacant
piece of ground just outside the new
Enclosure Of the Englishers. Eustacc
Challoner. vriest of the mission
Church Of st. Ethelreda the Less,
celebrated evensong at the hour when
the game was apt to be briSkest.
And the gravity of the choir boys and
even the acolyte (who for many rea-
sons had bad time of it outside,
til the parson made him his gar
dener and bell-ringer), was liable to
he upset by the jests of Wull Sproat,
the champion of the village. While
the solenlnity of the observances was
not improved by the Language" Of
the s'shankers" who We're sinking the
shaft of new pit. The settled min
-ers looked down little upon these
shankers as wild asses, who are here
to-day and away to another job to-
morrow. But they make ''big money
and expected the license of cavalry
Colonel as to language.
The Rev. Eustace had indeed pro-
tested, first mildly and then veh-
mentiy, over the wire fence. But
Tam Galletly and Pate Miller. young
and ill-set looms both Of them. had
stood at the ringend, and, as the vii
lage. put 1t, 'had set up a. manner o.
lip an back-talk to the man in the
white sark." The village did not in
deed entirely approve. 1t considered
that ''tllere was nae need for the like
O that" But no active measures Of
prevention were taken, till Muckle
Rob came home. It was currently re-
ported that Rob could lick any two
men in the village with one hand tied
behind his back. 1t is not clear that
this particular wager of battle was
ever brought to an issue; but the fact
that with his two hands normally
free. Rob could handle large pro-
portion of the male population of the
village to their damage. was sufficient
to give the weight of full bench of
judges to his slightest utterances.
Muckle Rob had been away on
visit to a place Gin the Lowdons"
where there was n good job. and had
just returned at the end of his con-
tract with full pockets and an air of
prosperity which in any ether person
would have been considered exceed
fngly offensive.
When any of the inhabitants went
upon iaunt. it always took a day
to accustom them to Lochfinny upon
their return, SO Rob took the time out
i'll a tour of inspection. He heard
that Andrew Grieve was living up
again. and sending out his wife to
do washing. So he called on Andrew
and sWore by the powers above and
below. that he would break every
bone in his body if he was not found
working on the face by the first
shift tomorrow. Andrew complained
of pain in the sma of his back.
"T'he pain will be in the braid o.
your back, gin We are no forrit WI
your tools as soon as the lave o. us
the morn!" said Rob, as he slouched
out with elbows very wide of his
sides, in the position in which he held
them when he was mailing ready for
fight.
Toward shutdown Rob, in his COM
prehensive survey of Lochfinny, ar
rived at the rev quoting green. He
leaned his arms ON dyke and at
tended to the points of the game with
the air of a past master. Tam Cal
lefty, was ringing in the clanking
disks. each fair on the pin. Then
Pate Miller with his next quot would
''raise him DOT O that" 1t was a
fine level game, point about. and even
between times. At least twenty min
ers, mostly shankers. were cheering
on their favorites, and the noise was
like Il menasclie at the time Of feed
ing.
But through the uprcar there stole
to the ears Of Aluckle Fob an unwont-
ed sound. II was music and there
was something solemn about it-as
Rob thought, like the First Psalm on
Communion Sabbath. He heard it
only family In ugh the quieter blinks
of the roaring nUoters. The high
clear voicen Of boys stcadied and
weighed by one deep bass. The sound
came through the windows of the
"Eng'isly chayrcl'' beside the Kinks.
WHATS tiat?" queried Muckle Rob,
s:'tdri,ly. like a dog as it pricks it's
"'ts, and Gilbert Gray, commonly
ta.ied Pnwhead Gibby. explains the
'n;t.er to him. with many chuckles
;'r'l bursts Of open laughter. But.
cl'riously enough. Muckle Rob did not
laugh at lll He was in1aoJ unovo