All hearts
are open to Thee. If there be any here who have deceived Thine elect by
covetousness, or adultery, or _murder_, Lord, make bare Thine arm!"
The rest of the sentence was lost in the terrific series of sneezes from
Duff Salter, who had taken too big a pinch of snuff and forgot himself,
so as to nearly lift the roof off the little old brick church with his
deeply accentuated,
"Jer-i-cho-whoe!"
Even old Silas Van de Lear looked over the top of the pulpit and smiled,
but, luckily, Duff Salter could hardly hear his own sneezes.
As they left the church Agnes put down her veil, and trembled under the
stare of a hundred investigating critics.
When they were in the street, Podge Byerly remarked:
"Oh! that we had a man to resent such meanness as that. I think that
those who address God with slant arrows to wound others, as is often
done at prayer-meeting, will stand in perdition beside the writers of
anonymous letters."
"They are driving me to the last point," said Agnes. "I can go to church
no more. When will they get between me and heaven? Yet the Lord's will
be done."
CHAPTER V.
THE GHOST.
Spring broke on the snug little suburb, and buds and birds fulfilled
their appointments on the boughs of willows, ailanthuses, lindens, and
maples.
Pages:
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193