Part 16 (2/2)
Smallwood, was one of those wondrously cautious men who can only see an inch before their nose, and who wish to make that much progress by degrees.
”We must be very careful,” said he, ”it is as much as ever we can do now to pay our way, and this very quarter there is a deficiency of more than ten pounds. Then there's Bexton Chapel; they are trying to reduce the debt on it by a hundred pounds, and if we begin another scheme at the same time, we shall find ourselves in difficulties.”
”I confess, Mr. Chairman,” said Nathan Blyth, ”that our good friend, Adam Olliver, has more faith than I have. It's true, the young squire has cast in his lot with us, but that very thing has made his father more bitter against us. He has even threatened to give Mr. Houston notice to quit, if he does not close his kitchen against the Methodist preachers.”
”Never mind about that,” said Farmer Houston, ”threatened folks live long, and threatened tenants may have long leases. I opened my doors to the Methodist preachers, and G.o.d opened my heart to receive the truth, and as long as I live, G.o.d helping me, those doors shall never be closed again to those who brought me the news of a Saviour's love.
My temporal affairs are in the hands of a kind Providence; and as a token of grat.i.tude for personal and family mercies, I gladly promise for me and mine a hundred pounds towards Nestleton Chapel, to be paid as soon as the Lord opens the way to build it.”
”Halleluia,” said the old hedger, ”when G.o.d works whea can 'inder.
Ivverybody knoas 'at ah can't deea mitch, eeaven if ah sell me slas.h.i.+n'-knife an' donkey, bud ah've seeaved a trifle oot o' me wayges, an' be t' tahme t' chapel's begun, ah sall hev five pund riddy, seea you may put it doon.”
The old hedger's grand self-sacrifice was greeted with a round of hearty cheers.
”Brother Houston stopped me in what I was going to say,” said Nathan Blyth, ”but I'm not sorry, because of the capital finish he made. I just wish to say that I'm half ashamed of my want of faith, and that I'll give fifty pounds when the day comes that we can make any use of it.”
”Ha'k ye there, noo! O ye ov lahtle fayth! Maister Smallwood, you'll gan wi' t' tide, weean't yo'? Bless the Lord! We'll put Bexton te rights, an' build this chapil, an' gi'e yo' ten pund te sattle up wi', an' then be riddy for summat else. Ah can hear t' rappin' o' t'
'ammers, an' t' rasp o' t' saw, an' t' clink o' t' troowel alriddy.
Seea you can gan on an' 'get inte yo'r chariot an' ride as fast as yo'
can, for there's t' sign ov abundance o' rain?' There's t' soond of a gannin', an' t' wind's bloaing ower'd t' tops o' t' mulberry trees, an' Nestleton's gannin' te hev a chapil as seeaf as taxes an'
quarter-day.”
Inoculated with the old patriarch's faith and energy, the meeting took up the matter with warmth, and before they separated, more than three hundred pounds were promised to the new undertaking.
”Halleluia!” said Old Adam, when the result was announced, ”whea is sae greeat a G.o.d as oor's? Mister Chairman! the Lord says, 'Oppen yo'r mooth wide, an' ah'll fill it!' an' mahne's sae full, 'at ah's nearly chooaked wi' luv an' gratt.i.tude te G.o.d!”
”Mr. Chairman,” said Mr. Mitch.e.l.l, just before the meeting broke up, ”I've been thinking that, as the matter has taken such a practical turn, and as Mr. Houston's kitchen won't hold the people who come, it will be well for us to try to get another place in which to hold a second service, somewhere in or near Nestleton, so as to be ready not only with the money, but the members necessary to keep the new chapel going. I should like to get a foothold in Midden Harbour, and if you, sir, and this meeting are agreeable, I'll try what can be done.”
Here several members of the meeting shook their heads, and expressed a doubt as to the possibility of getting the ploughshare into such a very hard and flinty soil.
”There you are ageean,” said Adam Olliver, ”dootin' an' fearin', yo'
will hev it that the Lord is'nt a match for the devil. Let's hod up t'
'ands of oor yung minister, G.o.d bless 'im. If t' walls o' Jericho fell doon afoore t' soond o' t' ram's 'orns, it's queer if Midden Harbour can keep oot the hosts o' G.o.d's elect. If naebody else will, ah'll propooase it mysen; 'at a meetin' be hodden i' Midden Harbour, as seean as we can finnd a spot te hod it in. My opinion is 'at it's just t' right thing te deea. John Wesley said 'at we wer' nut only te gan te them 'at needed uz, but te gan te them 'at needs uz meeast. There isn't a wa.r.s.e spot i' all t' c.u.n.try side then Midden Harbour, bud if wa' can n.o.bbut get t' Gospil fairly in amang 'em, we sall tonn the devil clean oot ov his den, an' mak' t' ugly spot as breet as a patch o' Paradise.”
The proposition of Father Olliver was seconded and carried, and the meeting dispersed, strong in the determination to ”go forward in the name of the Lord.”
CHAPTER XXII.
LUCY BLYTH MAKES A CONQUEST.
”What is tact? 'tis worth revealing-- Tis delicacy's finest feeling; It is to scan another's breast, To know the thought ere half expressed; If word or tone should waken pain, To drop the subject or the strain; To twine around, with winning art, And gently steal away the heart.”
_Anon._
<script>