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Notwithstanding the heterogeneal character of the ruling spirits of Quodville, peace and quiet had ever reigned within its somewhat illdefined borders, until the beginning of the summer of 1839. Up to this time the people had worshipped with united hearts, in the capacious town-house, fitted up for the purpose with wide benches, generously furnished with high perpendicular backs, and well adapted to prevent that feeling of drowsiness which so often steals over one reclining in an easy position. Here the two religious societies, Baptist and Methodist, the former under the care of parson Rose, and the latter watched over at this time by Mr. Hill, were wont to meet as Sunday came, to listen to the instructions of these two, officiating in turn. Though the last mentioned was no relation of an English divine of the same name, yet by a singular coincidence he possessed no small share of his eccentricity.

Most of the villagers were constant attendants at church; yet some chose rather at their leisure to stroll upon the river's bank, or seek the cool shade of the forest, while on the other hand, pride often prevented even the conscientious Mr. Abel-too holy thus to waste sacred time-from entering this humble place of worship on the Lord's day, though at other times, when the people of Quodville met to transact town affairs, His Honor, as the village gossips contemptuously called him, would ever be seen there with an assumed look of wisdom, peering over the heads of others, bowing courteously to all in his way, and familiarly recognizing many, whom but the week before he

had passed unnoticed in the street, hoping in due time to be remembered at the ballot box for his great condescension.

But a day of evil to the tranquility of Quodville at length came. Early in the summer of '39 His Honor having strolled from home, happened to attend church in a sea-port town, about a score of miles from the sequestered retreat of his native village. The lofty spire and deep toned bell, filled our hero's heart with awe; and the stuffed pews aroused a still stronger feeling of disgust, at the recollection of the old town house, with its hard benches and white-washed walls. So pondering upon the blameless simplicity of his own town, which now began to be mistaken for rustic meanness, he at length resolved to make an effort to increase the good appearances of his beloved village, which indeed, with its old houses and shattered barns, was far from pleasing to the eye of a stranger. Through his influence, an instrument was drawn up, the signers of which pledged themselves to give certain sums to aid in building a more suitable place of religious worship; and since the Baptists were the most influential, the sagacious justice proposed it should be under their control.

His Honor, Mr. Justice Abel, took the responsibility to obtain means by which an enterprise so new to Quodville might be carried on. How his heart warmed in the cause he had espoused, and seeing his zeal, one would think he believed it in no way inferior to the construction of the Thames Tunnel, or the crossing of the Alps by Hannibal. "Come my very good friend," he would say, for he delighted in extempore speeches with rounded periods and illustrations drawn from Roman History, which, however, he had never read, but had contrived to pick up a few facts here and there, of which by some means he always succeeded in making nonsense and himself ridiculous in the display of his lore. "Come, give us a helping hand in this undertaking. The nineteenth century is one of improvement. Wherefore it becomes us, enlightened as we are, to emulate the spirit of Ancient days. The Romans built churches and founded temples. Their City, the home of the Caesars and Ptolemies, contain many stupendous works of art. In that mighty place are the pyramids of Egypt, the Temple of Solomon, St. Paul's Church, and a thousand other wonders. In point of talent I trust we as a people are inferior to none. Let us then have a church which shall correspond to the symmetry of mind in town."

At the conclusion of such a harangue, conscious of his power of oratory, his broad countenance would lighten up with a complacent

smile, at the same time thrusting his paper full in the face of his auditor, confident of another name gained by his eloquence.

But the other society, influenced by some evil spirits, finding they were excluded from a participation in this enterprise, first tried lustily to demolish the plans of Justice Abel and his train; but this proving a futile attempt, they with due formality determined to become rivals and build for themselves a church with a tall steeple-taller and more beautiful than that represented in the plan of the other party. This junto was headed by 'squire Bell whose sound sense proved too much for the everlasting grin and pigmy intellect of His Honor, and in a very short time, to the great consternation of Quodville, a feeling of hatred existed between the rivals, each regarding the other with supreme contempt. But Bill Gunn, of no small influence with a certain class, fired away, sometimes for one side and sometimes for the other, unwilling to displease any, and so seeking to gratify all. With the 'squire's party he was most loud in their praise, and with the other, his noisy declamation won many whom the bland smiles of His Honor could not reach. At the close of day, the smaller fry would collect here and there in groups-some standing and some lolling upon that luxury of a country village, the lazy seat-to discuss the merits of this subject of such general interest; while the simple hearted matrons and speculating damsels, seeing bright prospects of future glory, were not of the number who looked on with indifference; those hoping to astonish the stranger with the magnanimity of Quodville, and these seeking a better opportunity to show off their raven tresses and flounced dresses, to the danger of the unsophisticated hearts of many a rustic who should dare to gaze upon the fair ones in their best attire.

Heretofore, parties had been unknown in Quodville, though individuals were not remarkable for strict attention to their own affairs. The matrons gossiped from house to house; the damsels formed into platoons spun their street yarns, gazing here and there in silence; while the men lounged about ready to report every incident, and make known every misdemeanor. Every eye was a police. None ever bowed at another's wife in the street without suspicions of cuckoldom being spread abroad. The mothers with their fore finger upon their lips whispered it. The daughters brooded over it in secret, and perhaps were envious of it. The old men talked it across the street, and sighed over the times. The young gave an approving laugh and called it good; while a blear-eyed little Dutchman, lately a stranger

in this virtuous community, as he caught the tidings, would stop, thrust his hands into his pockets to the elbows, squint his eyes, and end the chorus with his best English; "Tonder and lightnings! dat ish more as worse as pad nor I pleeve." But this spirit of prating hastened on the dissensions which were to take the place of ancient harmony there. The time of these soon came, and like the sevenfooter falling, whose great longitude, indeed, puts off the time of contact with the earth, but which delay, however agreeable it may be for the time being, in no way tends to the comfort of his final reception; so when the long quiet of this village became once disturbed, the novelty of change seemed to give unusual vivacity to the movements of the conflicting parties.

At this interesting stage of affairs, the Rev. Mr. Hill began to act quite a conspicuous part, laboring to advance the interests of his society. Mr. Hill, unfortunately for the wayward, possessed a spirit most troublesome to a guilty conscience, and himself was known the region around as the editor and proprietor of a small, short-lived temperance sheet, with the significant title "Hornet and Reformer."

Mr. Hill's greatest wish was, undoubtedly, to benefit the world, but having too great faith in the efficacy of mawling grace into a stubborn man's heart—to use his own expression-had met with but little success in driving iniquity from the limits of Quodville. And as the Baptists had been most unwilling to submit to the Elder's vigorous discipline, he became completely absorbed in the one idea of a new Methodist meeting-house. Upon this subject he reasoned with men. in the fields and shops, in the street and at the tavern.

One day, passing through the village, as he drew near a small store owned by Mr. Abel, in which were offered for sale various kinds of groceries, together with an abundance of that one article called New England, he spied the unmistakable form of Bill Gunn seated upon a six-legged bench, half seas over, with his head and feet in rather close proximity, his elbows upon his knees, his hands deeply imbedded in the fleshy part of his chaps and leering with a sleepy look at the approaching parson, while ever and anon he discharged a strong extraction of the weed from the elongated opening in his face, which with his vigorous lungs, constituted a noble combination for enunciating the broad Scotch vowels.

"Good morning, friend William," said Mr. Hill, in the most familiar manner.

"Morning Sir," answered Bill with a drawling, sleepy tone, anticipating the object of the call.

"Drunk to-day, eh?" bluntly responded the parson, knowing that soft words would be spoken in vain.

"Ugh! spose I be, what of 't? again grunted out the imperturbable Scotchman.

"Oh! nothing," coolly answered Mr. Hill, "nothing. But now I think of it; I believe you are pledged to us, are you not?"

"Sartin, Elder, sartin," responded Bill, waking up.

"Right friend, and you take a share in our house," said the parson inquiringly.

"No, cant," muttered Bill, relapsing into his former position, "poor-large family-wife sick-times hard--no, cant give a cent." This was the time for Mr. Hill to strike, knowing the Scotchman's annual grog bill to be more than half the cost of a seat. But at this moment, seeing some half dozen young Gunns in the street at play, with patched breeches, uncombed heads, and faces long strangers to soap and water, he half yielded to pity; but upon a second thought, determined to beat a small portion of goodness into the dark corners of Bill's sinful heart. So sitting down by his side he began: "Friend, I pity thy hard lot. 'Tis cruel that thy hard earnings should be wrenched from thee by thy unconquerable appetite for strong drink, keeping thee poor. I know thou dost, like an honest man, try to overcome thy thirst. But try harder-with all thy might, try. Take not thy potations by the glass, from hour to hour, but be more earnest; swill it down as though thy life was at stake; stop not till thy capacious stomach be full. Then thou wilt overcome thy appetite and become a sober man, and be able to do something for the Lord and his people."

Thus speaking, the parson left the toper trying with fuddled understanding, to divine whether this advice had a meaning or not.

Midst various strifes, and by the creation of lasting feuds, the work was accomplished. Late in the season, two ghost-like looking church steeples were seen towering high above the other works of art in Quodville, looking down in seeming contempt upon the more lonely, but more useful and less troublesome edifices placed at their base.

The Methodists indeed had excelled the other society in the height of their steeple; but alas for taste! it seemed more like a bean pole extending from the ridge of a martin house, than a church steeple. But all loved to gaze at it. All seemed to admire it, because forsooth 'twas tall and slim, and not so clumsy shaped as that of its neighbor.

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