LITERARY AND CLERICAL HORSEMEN 287 



spontaneously gave his opinion which one would win. 

 Suddenly remembering that it was the Sabbath, he 

 apologised for his worldly-mindedness and would have 

 passed on, but the crowd had become uproarious, 

 and nothing would do but the parson must stay and 

 see the thing out. After some properly expressed 

 repugnance he consented, on the condition that the 

 Sabbath-breakers would accompany him to church 

 and hear his sermon ; this was agreed to without a 

 dissenting voice. The parson fulfilled his contract 

 with commendable zeal, and his constituents acted 

 in like good faith. As a result, to use the language 

 of one of the congregation, " the parson, for their 

 evident wickedness, used a moral currycomb with 

 such coarse teeth that he nearly took all the hair of 

 their self-conceit off their backs." Unfortunately for 

 the lasting effects of the well-timed and excellent 

 discourse, the parson's horse, after the ceremony was 

 over, '' took the bit in his mouth and beat everything 

 on the road," in spite of all the owner's endeavours 

 to restrain him. The more sober and discreet brethren 

 professed to believe it was an untoward accident; 

 but the sinners thought there was design in it, and 

 singularly enough the parson's influence was greatly 

 increased among this branch of his congregation.' 



