Nineteen hundred? A forecast and a story — John Shaqi
Nineteen hundred? A forecast and a storyFarningham, Marianne
General
Nineteen hundred? A forecast and a story
Farningham, Marianne
Christian life -- Fiction; England -- Social conditions -- Fiction; Reformers -- Fiction
In the evening he did as he had said he would, and attended the service
at one of the Darentdale chapels. There, as at the church, he was
recognised, and cordially welcomed. There was something in the young
man’s appearance that bespoke for him the universal favour of his kind.
His eyes were so frank and clear, the smile upon his lips was so cheery
and real, the tones of his voice were so hearty, that people trusted him
and liked him at once. His presence at the chapel doors excited the
liveliest approbation. Was the young squire a Dissenter? If so, then
good times were coming for the little “cause” at Darentdale.
“Very glad to see you, sir,” was the welcome given to him by one of the
principal men in the place, whose duty it was to conduct strangers to
their seats. He had not very much of this work to do, for few strangers
came to Darentdale, and fewer still to the chapel; and so he was fain to
open the pew doors for the regular attendants, and, with a bow and a
smile, fasten them in their own rented domicile of the Sabbath. But now
there was a chance to distinguish himself, and the air with which John
Dallington was marshalled up the aisle and into the best square pew at
the top was exceedingly impressive.
John looked about him for a moment with a little curiosity. He had never
been into the place before, and he was surprised to see the numbers
crowding the body of the chapel and pressing forward in the gallery. The
fact of their presence was in itself sufficient to cause him to feel
respect for the service, for John Dallington had not yet grown to think
that he was right and everybody else wrong, and he entertained a
profound reverence for anything that could influence numbers of people.
He saw a plain-looking building, with uncomfortable pews, each securely
buttoned, and each filled with persons. He saw a pulpit, rather more
uncomfortable-looking than the pews, which a man with benevolent face
and white hair presently entered, and was also shut in. And he saw,
immediately under the pulpit, a large pool of water. He did not, as
probably many young men would have done, promise himself some fun out of
the entertainment. He had too much veneration in his composition for
that. He had felt no inclination to laugh at the use made of water in
the churches of the Continental cities which he had visited, and it must
be confessed that he had seen nothing to sigh over either. It was
evident that the people were sincere and attached some significance to
the act, and that was enough for him. It was with precisely the same
placid toleration that he looked at the baptistery in Darentdale Chapel.
And, although he wondered how any one could prefer it to that which he
attended in the morning, it was not with a feeling of indifference that
the young man regarded the service. His whole being was susceptible to
all the influences of that day, and he felt some stirring of heart when
the people sang together their hymn of praise. The sermon was not a bad
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