12 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



little company are pitched (the Americanism " fixed- 

 up " would be perhaps an appropriate word) in all 

 sorts of odd positions ; some are seated on their 

 low ditty boxes (ten inches long, eight wide, seven 

 deep, their size) placed on the wet deck gratings ; 

 some perch upon the cold, damp iron edge of the 

 long baths ; some stand leaning against the rough 

 iron plates of the walls of the room. The gathered 

 drops on the iron plates overhead and on the plates 

 which form the sides of the room, make the whole 

 place a kind of " nautical dripping well." All the 

 men have Bibles in their hands, and there is a look 

 of eager interestedness upon the faces. The subject 

 of the Bible Reading is " Heart Religion," the place 

 of reading the latter part of Deuteronomy v., and 

 the early part of the next chapter. 



" Listen to these words again, chums," says the 

 old sailmaker as he repeats his reading. ' I have 

 heard the voice of the words of this people, which 

 they have spoken . . . they have well said all that 

 they have spoken. O, that there was such an heart 

 in them, that they would fear ME, and keep MY 

 commandments always." 



" Ah, chums," he goes on, " it makes all the 

 difference whether a man has a head or a heart reli 

 gion. Head religion is like moonlight ; that is pretty 

 and cold, and romantic like, good for courting 

 couples and for pictures, for poets and book-writing 

 fellows when they want to make a pretty scene, 



