heppertonChurchwasaverydifferent-lookingbuildingfive-and-twentyyearsago.Tobesure,itssubstantialstonetowerlooksatyouthroughitsintelligenteye,theclock,withthefriendlyexpressionofformerdays;butineverythingelsewhatchanges!Nowthereisawidespanofslatedroofflankingtheoldsteeple;thewindowsaretallandsymmetrical;theouterdoorsareresplendentwithoak-graining,theinnerdoorsreverentiallynoiselesswithagarmentofredbaize;andthewalls,youareconvinced,nolichenwilleveragaineffectasettlementon—theyaresmoothandinnutrientasthesummitoftheRev.AmosBarton’shead,aftertenyearsofbaldnessandsupererogatorysoap.Passthroughthebaizedoorsandyouwillseethenavefilledwithwell-shapedbenches,understoodtobefreeseats;whileincertaineligiblecorners,lessdirectlyunderthefireoftheclergyman’seye,therearepewsreservedfortheSheppertongentility.Amplegalleriesaresupportedonironpillars,andinoneofthemstandsthecrowningglory,theveryclasporaigretteofSheppertonchurch-adornment—namely,anorgan,notverymuchoutofrepair,onwhichacollectorofsmallrents,differentiatedbytheforceofcircumstancesintoanorganist,willaccompanythealacrityofyourdepartureaftertheblessing,byasacredminuetoraneasy‘Gloria’.Immenseimprovement!saysthewell-regulatedmind,whichunintermittinglyrejoicesintheNewPolice,theTitheCommutationAct,thepenny-post,andallguaranteesofhumanadvancement,andhasnomomentswhenconservative-reformingintellecttakesanap,whileimaginationdoesalittleToryismbythesly,revellinginregretthatdear,old,brown,crumbling,picturesqueinefficiencyiseverywheregivingplacetospick-and-spannew-painted,new-varnishedefficiency,whichwillyieldendlessdiagrams,plans,elevations,andsections,butalas!nopicture.Mine,Ifear,isnotawell-regulatedmind:ithasanoccasionaltendernessforoldabuses;itlingerswithacertainfondnessoverthedaysofnasalclerksandtop-bootedparsons,andhasasighforthedepartedshadesofvulgarerrors.SoitisnotsurprisingthatIrecallwithafondsadnessSheppertonChurchasitwasintheolddays,withitsoutercoatofroughstucco,itsred-tiledroof,itsheterogeneouswindowspatchedwithdesultorybitsofpaintedglass,anditslittleflightofstepswiththeirwoodenrailrunninguptheouterwall,andleadingtotheschool-children’sgallery.Theninside,whatdearoldquaintnesses!whichIbegantolookatwithdelight,evenwhenIwassocrudeamembersofthecongregation,thatmynursefounditnecessarytoprovideforthereinforcementofmydevotionalpatiencebysmugglingbread-and-butterintothesacrededifice.Therewasthechancel,guardedbytwolittlecherubimslookinguncomfortablysqueezedbetweenarchandwall,andadornedwiththeescutcheonsoftheOldinportfamily,whichshowedmeinexhaustiblepossibilitiesofmeaningintheirblood-redhands,theirdeath’s-headsandcross-bones,theirleopards’paws,andMaltesecrosses.Therewereinscriptionsonthepanelsofthesinging-gallery,tellingofbenefactionstothepoorofShepperton,withaninvolutedeleganceofcapitalsandfinalflourishes,whichmyalphabeticeruditiontracedwithever-newdelight.Nobenchesinthosedays;buthugeroomypews,roundwhichdevoutchurch-goerssatduring‘lessons’,tryingtolookanywhereelsethanintoeachother’seyes.Nolowpartitionsallowingyou,withadrearyabsenceofcontrastandmystery,toseeeverythingatallmoments;buttalldarkpanels,underwhoseshadowIsankwithasenseofretirementthroughtheLitany,onlytofeelwithmoreintensitymyburstintotheconspicuousnessofpubliclifewhenIwasmadetostandupontheseatduringthepsalmsorthesinging.Andthesingingwasnomechanicalaffairofofficialroutine;ithadadrama.Asthemomentofpsalmodyapproached,bysomeprocesstomeasmysteriousanduntraceableastheopeningoftheflowersorthebreaking-outofthestars,aslateappearedinfrontofthegallery,advertisinginboldcharactersthepsalmabouttobesung,lestthesonorousannouncementoftheclerkshouldstillleavethebucolicmindindoubtonthathead.Thenfollowedthemigrationoftheclerktothegallery,where,incompanywithabassoon,twokey-bugles,acarpenterunderstoodtohaveanamazingpowerofsinging‘counter’,andtwolessermusicalstars,heformedthecomplementofachoirregardedinSheppertonasoneofdistinguishedattraction,occasionallyknowntodrawhearersfromthenextparish.Theinnovationofhymn-bookswasasyetundreamedof;eventheNewVersionwasregardedwithasortofmelancholytolerance,aspartofthecommondegeneracyinatimewhenpriceshaddwindled,andacottongownwasnolongerstoutenoughtolastalifetime;forthelyricaltasteofthebestheadsinSheppertonhadbeenformedonSternholdandHopkins.ButthegreatesttriumphsoftheSheppertonchoirwerereservedfortheSundayswhentheslateannouncedanANTHEM,withadignifiedabstinencefromparticularization,bothwordsandmusiclyingfarbeyondthereachofthemostambitiousamateurinthecongregation:anantheminwhichthekey-buglesalwaysranawayatagreatpace,whilethebassooneverynowandthenboomedaflyingshotafterthem.Asfortheclergyman,Mr.Gilfil,anexcellentoldgentleman,whosmokedverylongpipesandpreachedveryshortsermons,Imustnotspeakofhim,orImightbetemptedtotellthestoryofhislife,whichhaditslittleromance,asmostliveshavebetweentheagesofteetotumandtobacco.AndatpresentIamconcernedwithquiteanothersortofclergyman—theRev.AmosBarton,whodidnotcometoSheppertonuntillongafterMr.Gilfilhaddepartedthislife—untilafteranintervalinwhichEvangelicalismandtheCatholicQuestionhadbeguntoagitatetherusticmindwithcontroversialdebates.APopishblacksmithhadproducedastrongProtestantreactionbydeclaringthat,assoonastheEmancipationBillwaspassed,heshoulddoagreatstrokeofbusinessingridirons;andthedisinclinationoftheSheppertonparishionersgenerallytodimtheuniquegloryofStLawrence,renderedtheChurchandConstitutionanaffairoftheirbusinessandbosoms.AzealousEvangelicalpreacherhadmadetheoldsounding-boardvibratewithquiteadifferentsortofelocutionfromMr.Gilfil’s;thehymn-bookhadalmostsupersededtheOldandNewVersions;andthegreatsquarepewswerecrowdedwithnewfacesfromdistantcornersoftheparish—perhapsfromDissentingchapels.Youarenotimagining,Ihope,thatAmosBartonwastheincumbentofShepperton.Hewasnosuchthing.Thoseweredayswhenamancouldholdthreesmalllivings,starveacuratea-pieceontwoofthem,andlivebadlyhimselfonthethird.ItwassowiththeVicarofShepperton;avicargiventobricksandmortar,andtherebyrunningintodebtfarawayinanortherncounty—whoexecutedhisvicarialfunctionstowardsSheppertonbypocketingthesumofthirty-fivepoundstenperannum,thenetsurplusremainingtohimfromtheproceedsofthatliving,afterthedisbursementofeightypoundsastheannualstipendofhiscurate.Andnow,pray,canyousolvemethefollowingproblem?Givenamanwithawifeandsixchildren:lethimbeobligedalwaystoexhibithimselfwhenoutsidehisowndoorinasuitofblackbroadcloth,suchaswillnotunderminethefoundationsoftheEstablishmentbyapaltryplebeianglossinessoranunseemlywhitenessattheedges;inasnowycravat,whichisaseriousinvestmentoflabourinthehemming,starching,andironingdepartments;andinahatwhichshowsnosymptomoftakingtothehideousdoctrineofexpediency,andshapingitselfaccordingtocircumstances;lethimhaveaparishlargeenoughtocreateanexternalnecessityforabundantshoe-leather,andaninternalnecessityforabundantbeefandmutton,aswellaspoorenoughtorequirefrequentpriestlyconsolationintheshapeofshillingsandsixpences;and,lastly,lethimbecompelled,byhisownprideandotherpeople’s,todresshiswifeandchildrenwithgentilityfrombonnet-stringstoshoe-strings.Bywhatprocessofdivisioncanthesumofeightypoundsperannumbemadetoyieldaquotientwhichwillcoverthatman’sweeklyexpenses?ThiswastheproblempresentedbythepositionoftheRev.AmosBarton,ascurateofShepperton,rathermorethantwentyyearsago.Whatwasthoughtofthisproblem,andofthemanwhohadtoworkitout,bysomeofthewell-to-doinhabitantsofShepperton,twoyearsormoreafterMr.Barton’sarrivalamongthem,youshallhear,ifyouwillaccompanymetoCrossFarm,andtothefiresideofMrs.Patten,achildlessoldlady,whohadgotrichchieflybythenegativeprocessofspendingnothing.Mrs.Patten’spassiveaccumulationofwealth,throughallsortsof‘badtimes’,onthefarmofwhichshehadbeensoletenantsinceherhusband’sdeath,herepigrammaticneighbour,Mrs.Hackit,sarcasticallyaccountedforbysupposingthat‘sixpencesgrewonthebentsofCrossFarm;’whileMr.Hackit,expressinghisviewsmoreliterally,remindedhiswifethat‘moneybreedsmoney’.Mr.andMrs.Hackit,fromtheneighbouringfarm,areMrs.Patten’sgueststhisevening;soisMr.Pilgrim,thedoctorfromthenearestmarket-town,who,thoughoccasionallyaffectingaristocraticairs,andgivinglatedinnerswithenigmaticside-dishesandpoisonousport,isneversocomfortableaswhenheisrelaxinghisprofessionallegsinoneofthoseexcellentfarmhouseswherethemicearesleekandthemistresssickly.Andheisatthismomentinclover.
