The brother clerks : $b a tale of New-Orleans — John Shaqi
The brother clerks : $b a tale of New-OrleansTownsend, Mary Ashley
General
The brother clerks : $b a tale of New-Orleans
Townsend, Mary Ashley
New Orleans (La.) -- Fiction
"No! no! you don't!" cried the other, eagerly; and suddenly drawing the
bright head down upon his bosom, he added, in a voice of deep emotion,
"Oh, that I had you always thus to lie upon my heart, and keep the evil
out!"
The church bell at this moment began to ring, and, having ascertained
where the Episcopal Church was, the brothers started forth, and,
arm-in-arm, walked briskly forward. Whenever Guly looked back at the
tall store, towering up above its brick-and-mortar neighbors so proudly,
he thought of Wilkins sitting in there in the gloom, all alone, and
wishing for some one to lay upon his heart, and keep the evil out.
When they reached the church, Arthur asked the sexton if Mr. Delancey's
pew was full, and, on being informed there was no one in it but himself
and wife, he desired to be shown to it. It was situated quite at the
head of the aisle, near the pulpit; and the sexton's hand was on the
door, before the merchant, who was sitting in his usual position, bolt
upright, in the pew, noticed their approach.
When his eyes fell upon his two new clerks, the frown between his eyes
deepened very visibly, while his whole face wore a look of angry
astonishment. Holding the door shut, as the sexton, with his best bow,
attempted to open it, Mr. Delancey leaned out, and, in a harsh whisper
to Arthur, which was loud enough to reach Guly's ear, exclaimed:
"What the devil do you want? I hope you don't expect to sit with me? Up
gallery with you! There's seats enough for your class there."
So saying, the merchant jerked himself back, and, resuming his stiff
position in the pew, looked straight ahead with his stony eyes, as if
utterly unconscious of any one else.
With burning cheeks the brothers took their way down the carpeted aisle,
and reached the pillared porch.
"I'm not going up there to sit," said the elder brother, proudly; "if
there is no place for me below, there is no place for me in the
gallery;" and flinging off the gentle hand that would have detained
him, he sprang down the granite steps, and started at a rapid pace down
the street.
Guly stood for a moment, gazing anxiously after him, half-tempted to
follow, but seeing his brother took the direction towards the store, he
decided to remain, and mounting the winding stairs, found himself in the
spacious but scantily peopled gallery.
Guly's was a pure mind, unaccustomed to drawing sarcastic comparisons,
or indulging in bitter fancies; but, as he looked down into the body of
the church, he could not help wondering to himself which were the most
acceptable in God's sight: the mass of life, bowing and swaying in their
costly array of silks and laces, and fine cloth, kneeling on their
velvet cushions, and bending their brows upon their jeweled hands, or
the few earnest and devout, seated in the unornamented gallery, kneeling
upon bare floors, seated on uncushioned benches, bending their hearts in
simple worship to Him whose Word they came to hear.
CHAPTER V.
_The Broken Sabbath._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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