Mr. Smith’s Chatter 
wisdom and an Old English faith. Certainly 
it is not to be supposed that John Smith had ever 
even glanced at any doétrines other than those of 
the Church of England; but apart from this I 
think he always felt, though he never spoke of, 
a certain dignity in the colleétive life of the 
English. ‘Their doings, especially in country 
places, fascinated him more than he knew. He 
had been in touch with so much that was going on ; 
and it had been going on so long, and so valiantly, 
and on the whole with so much efficiency, that he 
was always optimistic, full of reverence, full of 
kindly laughter. His talk gave that impression 
—I wish I could give a sample of it. Anecdotes 
bubbled out of him oftener than he knew; but 
always, at back of them, could be felt the serene 
English poise of a wise outlook. 
One sample of the talk—not in itself a very 
good one—alone remains, the sentences scribbled 
down while they were still hot in my memory. 
And it is but the words that are left: the tone of 
them, the geniality, cannot be recovered. Even 
the scene is hard to restore. It was in the cow- 
Stalls one winter evening. By lantern light Mr. 
Smith was milking, with one of his sons near by. 
Outside one may imagine the vast winter night. 
Within the cow-stall I stood, enjoying the little 
core of light and the warmth of the animals, 
hearing their quiet breathing and chewing, the 
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