Could he say to them—to Vashti—(he named her name in his thoughts, determined not to spare himself). Could he say to Vashti, “I do not believe in your God—nor in the man Christ Jesus, nor in prayer. Yet I stood in the church and asked a blessing. I defiled your fane with unbelieving feet. I do not know why I did it”? It was weak that, certainly! He imagined the scorn in her clear eyes; now eyes in which scorn is so readily imaginable are not the best eyes—but he did not think that. What was he to do? He had been weak. He must now be strong in his weakness.
The church door opened, one and all emerged upon the long verandah-like porch, and gathered round him, shaking hands with him.
“The Spirit indeed filled you this night, Brother,” said white-haired Mr. Didymus.
“Yes—you wrestled powerfully,” said Mr. Lansing.
“It done me good that prayer of your’n,” said Tom Shinar, and the words meant much.
“We have much to thank you for,” said Vashti’s sweet tones, and for the first time he looked up, and when he met her approving eyes, the garments of his shame clung tighter to him.
Mabella gave him her hand a moment and looked at him shyly.
Lanty stood a little aloof. He was a good young chap with honest impulses and a wholesome life, but he never felt quite at ease with parsons. Lanty placed them on too high a pedestal, and after having placed them there found it strained his neck to let his gaze dwell on them. He had a very humble estimate of his own capacity for religion. He was reverent enough, but he had been known to smile at the peculiarities of pious people, and had once or twice been heard making derogatory comparison betwixt precept and practice as illustrated in the lives of certain potable church members.
“Well,” said Temperance energetically to Sue Winder. “Well! I’m sure I never so much as ’spicioned he had the gift of tongues! After them white pants!! He talked real knowin’ about the fields and sich, but to home he don’t seem to know a mangel-wurzel from a beet, nor beets from carrits.”
“There’s no tellin’,” said Sue, who was somewhat of a mystic in her way. “P’raps ’twas The Power give him knowledge and reason.”
“Well—I don’t know,” said Temperance, “but if he stands with that eavetrough a-runnin’ onto him much longer it’ll give him rheumatics.”