PART I. CHAPTER I. THE FIRST SERMON. "WELL! well!" exclaimed Mr. Asbury, after a preliminary "Hem!" "I know what you would say, pa," interrupted Mrs. Asbury, in a deprecating tone. "But it isn't fair to judge so soon. It's a trying situation for a young clergyman. If it was our Gardner, now, we should want people to remember that it isn't easy to stand up before strangers and preach one's first sermon." "I shan't be a minister, ma; I've made up my mind on that." Joe looked at his sister, who generally was not backward in expressing an opinion. Now she only said, as though speaking to herself, "I wonder what Marion would say." The family had just returned from morning service, where the new pastor for the first time had met the people. Aunt Thankful, as she was called, had taken off her bonnet and shawl, folding the latter carefully in the creases; now, with a peremptory wave of her hand to enjoin silence, she said,— "There's either sorrer or there's sin behind him. I'm inclined to think it's sorrer. It's Scripter, you know, to let charity have its perfect work." The door-bell at this moment ringing, Aunt Thankful, who was passing Sunday with her friends, seized her bonnet and shawl and left the room. Annie started for the door, to answer the summons, while Joe opened his library book and began to read. The sound of a manly but nervous step in the chamber above called forth a sigh from Mr. Asbury, followed by the words,— "I'm dreadfully afraid, wife, we've made a mistake." "Don't look so melancholy, pa," urged Annie, returning, "or Mr. Angus will think we are talking of him. He asked what time we dined, and said he would like to go to his chamber for a few minutes." While he paces back and forth in the apartment assigned him, I will explain that the parish to which Mr. Asbury belonged had lost their pastor by death six months before the opening of our story; that a succession of candidates had been heard, discussed, and dismissed; that the people, wearied out by their own criticisms, were beginning to scatter; that at length they conceived the idea of sending a Committee on an exploring tour, which Committee, going to hear a city preacher, heard in his place a young man lately graduated from the divinity school; that they were so impressed with his heartiness in his work they requested an introduction and invited him to add one more to the number of competing candidates; that he politely but firmly declined, not believing, this the proper method of obtaining a clergyman that, after making inquiries of his Professors and others, and receiving instructions to go forward from the church at home, the Committee did proceed to call the Rev. Mr. Angus to be their pastor; that, after several weeks of earnest prayer for guidance, he did accept their call, the public services of his ordination to take place the week following his first sermon.