The Man from Glengarry: A Tale of the OttawaConnor, Ralph
History
The Man from Glengarry: A Tale of the Ottawa
Connor, Ralph
Canada -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Glengarry (Ont.) -- Fiction
It was no wonder, then, that Yankee's appearance in Bible class
produced a sensation. It was an evening of sensations, for not only were
Macdonald Dubh and Yankee present, but Aleck McRae had driven up a load
of people from below the Sixteenth. Ranald regarded his presence with
considerable contempt.
“It is not much he cares for the Bible class, whatever,” he confided to
Don, who was sitting beside him.
But more remarkable and disturbing to Ranald than the presence of Aleck
McRae, was that of a young man sitting between Hughie and Maimie in the
minister's pew. He was evidently from the city. One could see that from
his fine clothes and his white shirt and collar. Ranald looked at him
with deepening contempt. “Pride” was written all over him. Not only did
he wear fine clothes, and a white shirt and collar, but he wore them
without any sign of awkwardness or apology in his manner, and indeed
as if he enjoyed them. But the crowning proof of his “pride,” Don noted
with unutterable scorn.
“Look at him,” he said, “splits his head in the middle.”
Ranald found himself wondering how the young fop would look sitting in
a pool of muddy water. How insufferable the young fellow's manners were!
He sat quite close to Maimie, now and then whispering to her, evidently
quite ignorant of how to behave in church. And Maimie, who ought to
know better, was acting most disgracefully as well, whispering back and
smiling right into his face. Ranald was thoroughly ashamed of her. He
could not deny that the young fellow was handsome, hatefully so, but he
was evidently stuck full of conceit, and as he let his eyes wander
over the congregation assembled, with a bold and critical stare, making
remarks to Maimie in an undertone which could be heard over the church,
Ranald felt his fingers twitching. The young man was older than Ranald,
but Ranald would have given a good deal for an opportunity to “take him
with one hand.”
At this point Ranald's reflections were interrupted by Mrs. Murray
rising to open the class.
“Will some one suggest a Psalm?” she asked, her cheek, usually pale,
showing a slight color. It was always an ordeal for her to face her
class, ever since the men had been allowed to come, and the first
moments were full of trial to her. Only her conscience and her fine
courage kept her from turning back from this, her path of duty.
At once, from two or three came responses to her invitation, and a Psalm
was chosen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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