But the congregation? Six or seven may be in dark corners, or rather
since some one must play the organ, eight! No! for the celebrant,
after giving out a hymn, strode to a harmonium close to the pulpit,
and thereinafter, upborne by his strong baritone, a long-drawn
sacramental chant wavered in the aisles, and died away in the rafters
of the roof.
What then of the organ? Ned turned, crept up the stair without
waking an old man--the bell-ringer no doubt--who was asleep in his
long-accustomed seat beside the blow-handle, and found himself before
the usual red-curtain screen. Seating himself on the organ stool he
looked out, unseen, on the church below.
It was quaint. There was the Reverend Gawain in the pulpit giving out
his text, "There came a mighty rushing wind," and looking out over his
church as if it had been full instead of empty.
There were some, said the preacher, who expected signs and wonders
direct from the Almighty, but the great rushing mighty wind was the
teaching of the Church which had begun on Whit Sunday and would go on
throughout the year. It was a mighty voice, indeed, sounding in the
ears of all his parishioners, even those who were absent. And it spoke
through him, their priest, responsible to the Church for the soul of
every man, woman, and child, in the parish of Dinas. Seven minutes, by
Ned's watch, of unbounded authority, of absolute priesthood, of the
Middle Ages. Ned, watching the dignity of the Reverend Gawain
Meredith's denial of the passage of Time became admiring. And he was
such a fine figure of a man. The old type, chief, medicine man, Druid,
Archbishop--Archangel if you will--always the same, in all ages.
Ned wandered off into thoughts such as men of his type have had since
the beginning of time, and was roused from them by seeing the priest,
holding a huge sacrificial brass platter, awaiting the sheepish
sidesman at the chancel steps.
By all that was holy!--one penny--only one, the sidesman's own; but
its poverty was covered the next instant by the Rector's sovereign.
Well done to the Rector!
What an imagination, what a magnificent make-believe. Something in
Ned's innermost soul leapt up to meet this escape from deadly reality.
It deserved a recognition. Yes! as the man couldn't play himself out
of church, _he_ would--the organ was there!
In sudden impulse he laid an awakening hand on the drowsy sexton.
"Blow!" he whispered strenuously, "Blow, I tell you, for all you're
worth."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account