The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-02-25


have known the time, in days that are
, now dead--
and buried.' This came from
Billy like fierce rcproach 1t was
evident that groupings into the past had
no more charms for him.
Lingo Dan looked slightly hurt.
'True--most true. How close to Tx
mark you do shoot, Billy. Never a
divergence, never stroll into the at
stract. All, sometimes believe | envy
you, Billy
But Billy only grunted. 1t was the
grunt of a resentment that ever sus-
pected sneer
X :;
In few moments they had reached
the vestrv door. Billy hitched rope
from the bride to the fence. Then he
opened the vestry-door, and the two
of them stepped in. Billy noted with
dull astonishment that his partner had
slipped into the surplce with apparent
knowledge OF his technique Then the
organ began the services of the day.
When the music ceased, tall, pale
figure arose beside the desk that faced
the altar-railings.
''Dearly beloved BRETHREN" said the
strange clergyman, my portion in
these services was to have been merely
the sermon, but sudden indisposton
coming to your good pastor, Mr.. Daw-
son, | am here to make what shift |
can as substitute.''
There was pause. The speakers
Eyes swept about the church. Every
seat was taken. In every face he saw
nothing save kind encouragement
Far in the last row, deep in shadows,
looked the face of him that was called
Billy. All this the clergyman saw in
a flash. Then he began, in the conven-
tional voice of the preacher:
"Dearly beloved brethren, the Scrip
ture moveth us in sundry places
and thereafter the services continued
drowsily and perfunctorily. At times.
however, the congregation caught a
note of fervor, of loving emphasis
placed on some phrase that was more
than usually freighted with the poetry
that informs the Prayer Book; in the
mere elocution of the man they scented
a sermon that would make them forget
even the sitting heat.
From outside came the occasional
whinnying cf a horse, and the paving
of impatient feet. Beyond that, only
the heat. quivering against the fences
in visible form.
When the general Amen. had closed
the rehearsal Of the Greed, the preacher
moved to the pulpit. With bowed
head he stood silent for some seconds.
Then he folded his sermon to his liking
AS he read the text, he flushed for a
space, but his voice never faltered 1t
was from the gospel of st. Matthew,
and it read:
beware of false prophets, which
come to you in sleeps clothing"
1t was pity that the Rev. Dawson
coal not have heard the eloquent de-
livery his sermon was given by his
lJcum tenens. Use blunts the faculties
somewhat, and it is certain thai, had
its actual author preached his discourse,
it had not seemed halt so powerful
As it was, each word. each phrase, had
| behind it the nervous fervor of 4 musi-
cal voice, of q mind at high tension.
As the preacher turned to the final
page of the sermon, an agoniZing sus-
| piciOn crossed his ear and his mind
Was that snore from the back pew?
If even the faintest chance of such a
thing existed, it was necessary to grasp
measures of force. Into the mere read
! ing of another mans words it was pos
sible to infuse but limited amount of
enthusiasm after all. Ostentatiously
he closed the pamphlet from which he
had been delivering his sermon. With
his eyes rowing soulfully about the
faces before his, he brought his voice
to its most musical and, gripping pitch.
And so, my brethren, he eXhortcd,
''sixthly and lastly, We approach the
lesson to be learned What is so RAM
pant in the world to-day as this hypoc-
risy. this wearing Of the mask, the bor-
rowed plumes that Matthew warns us
against in the words of the text? is
the one besetting sin, the cancer that
is eating wholesome candor from the
world. Here, i'll the open air, under
the clear sky, you think the wearing of
the mask can come but rarely. Gou
err; the mask is worn, III city or in
country. Look to your hearts, and
find the answer there. Look his
voice roared up against the ratters so
that there was Il quick shuiiling heard
from the rear bench, and the preachers
straining eyes caught the shine Of Bill
Tvs wake amazement, and to himself
he actually thanked God. ooll-deep
into your hearts,
With something like sob of cN-
haustion in his breath, the preacher
turned his face to the east, and muir
INJURED the doxology. With the sns-
pense over the ring of eIoluence was
no longer necessary. Then he turned
to the table looking apparently heaven