The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-01


man. That is, he was about thirty. His
coming to the easy-going. slumbrous old
town of marlborough from the bustling,
wide-awake. city of Dorchester. had set all
the old folks who went to the Cask-lane
Chapel by the ears. And just as he was
determined on rousing them up, keeping
abreast Of the times" he called it, the
more fixed were they to resist all fantastic
innovations. THE OVID days hev been good
enough for US these bundled year an more.
an they'll stop good enough for us now
was the way they argued. And when the
pastor saw he had, iguratively. put their
backs up, he rather enjoyed it,
He was the first at that chapel meeting.
save the twist-jointed old chapeI-keeper,
who had lit the gas and carelessly-to no
purpose-run a duster round dozen plain
deal chairs. Joseph Banks, miller, who
lived at the other end of the town, came
in with long red mufler wrapped about
his throat Then entered Silas Lee and
Abel Green.
ITS after o'clock already" said the
pastor, when he had shaken hands with
the newcomers. I'm afraid our meeting
will be small one"
Then Wen be able to do more business
an less talk" volunteered Silas. blowing
into the palms of his hands, for fire had
been lit. Wed better Civ 'em a bit O.
grace, anyways"
Mr.. Wigram leant over the little har-
monium, which was used as an i'm
promptu desk when meetings were held,
and turned over the pages in a minute
book.
Young Dyer, the lawyer, dropped in.
draper to his nelghbor; hes on tn side
o. tn pastor"
"Oh, aye!
But We'll see; well see!'
Very slowly there were new arrivals. No
one spoke; but everybody sat uneasily on
the hard chairs and felt cold. Tredwell,
the chemist in the Market-place, created
little commotion when he came in, COM
planning there was no fire. and Jimmy Grey.
the younger, was the cause of a gurgle
passing round by remarking they would
probably soon be all warm enough
Things are taken very leisurely in Trent
borough, and it was nearly half-past eight
before the pastor made the remark they
had better begin. Nobody manifested any
objection to such a course.
This meeting is called" he said, cat the
fellow-workers to consider and to discuss
and to decide upon the future management
and control of our services. Personally, l
think we could not have a more exalted
motive than to endeavor to raise to beau
tify, and to adorn a service which must
all admit has, in times that are past, shewn
a tendency to degenerate into more hum
drum, prosaic, and, 1 may even say, dead
Ia. .
not know what it is that our esteemed and
worthy brethren desire but
'T'll just tell thee what it isl said Silas
Lee, whose Tuning instantly reached the
boiling point. He could no longer sit quiet
ly while the pastor slowly picked his words.
I'll tell thee what it is, an no humbug.
We've just had abaat enough O. thee, an
that's tn long an short ont, an tn end
on'tr
With that he sat bolt upright. His eyes
rolled and he pulled at his beard as though
he wanted TO get rid of it,
''This precipitancy on the part of a single.
and, believe, an unsupported member of
our
well, you call it precip'y or WHATEVER
you likes, but amt alone. There's Mester
Green ere along o. me, if l may speak for
him"
Perhaps Mr.. Green will be able without
external assistance to state his views for
himself" said the pastor.
Now. Abel Green was orator. His
round face blushed scarlet when he was
thus directly appealed to, and he stam-
mered and pulled his fingers all round the
rim Of his hat feeling where the end was.
I'm course" he said, 81 hes my own opin-
ions. All on us hes; that's nO-nobbut
reight, is it? In course, II don't exactly
say as how agrees with all Mester Wig
ram says like, an does like, but-an maybe
that's my fault an maybe it's his'n. I'm
nobbut a plain-a plain man like tn rest
on yer an'-an 1 likes plain things like,
an ther'fo' 1 mum say that-er-mind L
don't set mysen UP as a 'thOrity like-but
things that Mester Wigram likes amt
amt the same as 1 'ud like mysen, you
see.'
He stopped for moment to take breath.
''Perhaps'-ventured the lawyer, leaning
his arm across the back of the chair in
front of him-'perhaps Mr.. Green will ex-
plain himself
Abel Green was flurried, but Silas Lee
came to his aid
"An' isn't that what he is doin'?" he
asked, with a faint scOwl. Were all ekal
ere lawyers an pastors an millers an tn
rest An 1 doan't think it's becomin' o. a
new member O. tn congregation, who
wasn't born when l wor a Sund'y school
teacher, ter cum ere an"
'I think it BELTS us as religious COM
munity that we conduct our meetings with
a due sense of decorum," interrupted the
pastor, land not permit them to fall into
unseemly gatherings or disorderly spirits"
"Wen, as 1 an Mester Green called this
ere meetn', 1 reckon we ought ter hev
our say an them as likes can talk when
we've DONE" urged Silas Lee, the corners
of his mouth working. Its not them as
contributes only two poun' ten year
and he looked fixedly at the young lawyer
that ought ter hev biggest voice in tn
managin' o. this ere place"
al was not aware" said the lawyer,
somewhat nettled. and nervously stroking
back his moustache, that money had
ANYTHING to do with it,