Village Heathen 191 



seen his grey eyes shine with the most obviously 

 keen curiosity and bewilderment, as if it were some- 

 thing he could not comprehend 



On Sundays the average heathen goes neither to- 

 church nor meeting-house firstly, because he has no 

 clothes fit to be seen in ; and, secondly, because he 

 has no inclination. Thirdly, as he most likely was 

 very drunk on Saturday night, and not improbably is 

 suffering from the effects of a fight, he is glad to take 

 a longer sleep than usual. Then his horse's ' graith,' 

 as he calls the harness, not improbably wants mend- 

 ing or seeing to, and the rest of the time flies all too 

 swiftly. If it is a fine sunny day he can sit for hours 

 on a grey stone, doing and saying nothing, his 

 battered eld hat tipped slightly over his eyes, the clay 

 pipe never, except it needs refilling, taken from his 

 mouth. Very likely the noise of the organ in church 

 or the rise and fall of Presbyterians singing psalms is 

 quite audible, but he does not listen, and I doubt if 

 the golden hours that ceaselessly trip past bring to 

 his vacant mind a thought or idea. Should it be wet 

 the heathen gather together in the house, and if after- 

 wards somebody's poultry gets stolen or the stable of an 

 enemy is set on fire, village gossip is not slow to trace 

 the plot to that meeting. For if there are thieves or 

 incendiaries in the village, it is in that class they are 

 to be found. 



Many extraordinary stories are told of their death- 

 beds, but they are not very trustworthy. The majority 



