CHAPTER XVir. 



"SERMOXS in" — ANTS. 



On Sunday morninu- we worshiped in the " Blue 

 Churcli." Doctor Goodman ]>reached to a little com- 

 pany of the count ry-folk a sermon whose character was 

 well described by a plain old Scotchman whom I over- 

 heard as the congregation was retiring : '" Ah. tliat was 

 one o' the comfortiu' an' helpfu' sort !" 



I had observed, during one of my summers at Marple, 

 that the Doctor delivered his sermons, which he read 

 quite closely but with remarkable earnestness and force, 

 from manuscripts of a uniform number of pages, bound 

 up like a school copy-book. 



"Why do I do this ?'■ he said, laughingly, in answer 

 to my question. "Well, the truth is, I find myself 

 compelled to put a bridle upon my lips. As I grew 

 older, I noticed that I was inclined to prolong my ser- 

 mons to a wearisome length. I therefore took to read- 

 ing ; and in order to keep within duo bounds I made 

 trial of the exact number of pages required to occupy 

 the half hour. I tlien had a lot of these " copy-books " 

 made, each containing that trial numljer of pages. 

 Now when I havi' IiIUmI my l>ook I stop work, and go 

 into my pulpit quite assunil that I will not trespass 

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