Duncan Polite, the Watchman of Glenoro — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Duncan Polite, the Watchman of Glenoro
John Stuart Mill · en
The sermon was not shortened because of the minister's apparent
weakness; a Glenoro sermon was never less than an hour in length and
very often reached the two-hour limit. There were two morning sermons,
one in Gaelic immediately following the English service for the benefit
of the Highlanders who flocked down from the Oa, the Highland
settlement north of Glenoro. Many of the Gentiles, who did not know
the chosen language, went home after the first service, and their
places were taken by the new contingent.
Andrew Johnstone always remained for the Gaelic service. He understood
very little of the language, but he felt the presence of the elders was
necessary, and then he could walk home with Duncan and discuss the
sermon, a pleasure for which it was worth waiting.
The breaking up of the Glenoro congregation followed an established
order of procedure and varied not one Sabbath from another. Any
departure from the order of their going would have been considered as
irregular as though the minister were to pronounce the benediction
before the sermon. First, the young men of the back row flung
themselves through the door, noiselessly but hastily, inhaling great
breaths of relief. Next came those who had to get their horses from
the shed, and close upon them the village folk, passing with fine
superiority their rural neighbours. These came out last, to linger and
chat while the big double buggies were whirled into place with a
scraping sound and the families were perched aboard. Duncan and
Andrew, as was their custom, waited for a private word with the
minister. The former watched Donald hand his mother into the smart
single buggy and drive away through the gate. He did not even miss the
glance of Donald's eyes towards John Hamilton's daughters, passing up
the street like a gay posy of flowers. Duncan Polite's heart was ever
young and he smiled sympathetically as he caught the answering glance
from a pair of bright eyes beneath a big white hat.
The minister came slowly down the aisle, shaking hands with all. He
had only time for his midday meal and then he was away again to his
other charge, a church some nine miles distant on one of the township
roads colloquially styled the Tenth. But Mr. Cameron never hurried
away without a word with his two old friends.
"Ye're no lookin' well the day, sir," said Andrew Johnstone anxiously.
"The work's ower hard on ye in the hot weather; ye're needin' a bit
rest."
"Oh, I will be getting a rest, Andrew," he answered, smiling, "a good
long rest, and it will be soon."
Duncan Polite looked up with a sudden flash of apprehension in his
eyes, but his friend returned the glance with a reassuring smile.
"And so Donald is going to college," he said. "Ah, that's fine,
Duncan, that's fine! We'll make a minister of him yet, and a fine one
he'll be, I promise. You'll live to hear him preach here when I'm
gone."
Duncan put up his hand in protest.