Part 24 (2/2)
I walked there fro several calls to e to follow by the van In the evening, about eight o'clock, I went down toI found a crowd of people in front of the inn where the van stopped, and heard the driver say, in reply to so”
”Where is he?” said a voice ”I don't know,” one said, ”but I saw a queer little chap go into Mrs M--'s house”
”That's the place,” said the driver; ”that's where I' Come on, and let's see if he'll have it”
I went in and out a questions, and found out that they ”would like to duck the fellow if they could catch hist thereatly excited, and wondered which road he was likely to coo to meet him Some one asked, ”what is he like ?” One answered, ”Oh, he is a ruain anywhere” Hearing this, I held up e as possible, and waited about till they dispersed
Then I joined a youngwith him, ascertained what it was all about I passed the house where I was to lodge, for I saw that the people atching the door I ca to the door, said, ”Is that where he stops?”
”Yes,” one replied, ”he is there The h”
I said, ”Let us go in and see hi, Ito the others to follow me; but they would not do so As soon as the door was opened I went in, and the landlady speedily closed it after et here? I have sent word to the constable to look out for you, and he is still watching somewhere”
”Why,” I asked, ”what is it all about? What is the matter?”
”Why, some of the lads here say, that if they could catch you, they would give you a good ducking in the pond”
”Indeed!” I said ”Then I don't think I will give the down by the fire, I made myself co, while at breakfast, I saw a nu in the open space in front of the house Soa, with their hands in their pockets
”There, that's the way they spend their Sundays in this place,” said the landlady
After watching them from thefor a little time, I put on o hoet ready for church; that would be far better,” I said, ”than playing like this on Sunday It is a disgrace to men like you--h if you were a parcel of boys I am quite ashamed of you!”
They slunk away one by one, and I walked down the street to look about me, and to see the school-room where there was no school; but I intended to have a prayer-, after the service I put up a notice to this effect, and then cas, till it was near church-tiown and bands, for the sacred edifice
On the way there I observed stones flying past me in every direction; but I walked on, till at last I was struck on the cheek with a patch of muddy clay which was thrown at hter when the men and boys saw that I had been hit I put my hand to the place, and found that the pat of clay was sticking to , by the help of my whiskers, that it would re at me, ”That was not a bad shot Now, if you co as I can” So saying, I walked on amidst the jeers of the people
When I arrived at the vestry, the clerk was in great trouble when he knehat had happened He said, ”Do let me wash the mud off, sir”
”Oh, no,” I replied, ”Iservice, at which there were about fifty present, I succeeded in keeping on my mud-patch, and returned to dinner with the same
In the afternoon I said that I would have a service for children, as there was no Sunday school, to which about twenty ca that they were intently looking at the patch on my cheek, I told them how it cah the evening service
This news spread all over the whole place, and the consequence was that such numbers of people came out of curiosity, that the church was filled to over-flowing I preached without any reference to what had taken place, and succeeded in gaining the attention of the people; so that after the service I said I would have a prayer- in the schoolroom We had the place crammed, and not a few found peace I announced that I would preach again the next evening
A revival soon broke out in that place, and the croho careat, that we had as e school-room as there were in
At the end of the six weeks the new vicar returned, and I was able to hand over the parish to hie Sunday-school This I did, thanking God for the iven to my efforts in that populous and wicked place