74 NURSING AN OLD GRUDGE. 



if God, that shows His goodness in all things 

 in nature, shouldn't be good and just to all 

 mankind alike. I hope to meet them in 

 heaven, if it's only to see the conceit took 

 out of 'em ; for nothing but death will do it. 

 The rector didn't live in the village, but 

 came always twice a year; but we heard 

 say that he paid a great deal of the tithes 

 to the curate, and well he deserved it. I'll 

 just show the kind of man he was. One 

 night, pretty late, he tapped at my door (for 

 he never opened the poorest man's door with- 

 out a rap), and when he'd sat down, he said, 

 " Gregory, I've been speaking to Whittaker, 

 your brother-gardener at the Grange, about 

 your decorating the church together, with 

 holly, against Christmas-day; but he tells 

 me you're not friends now, and he'd rather 

 do it alone." "Well," said I, "and he may, 

 for I don't care if I never speak to him again 

 as long as I live." " I'm sorry to hear that 

 of two of my parishioners," said he ; " but 

 as I'm late, perhaps you'll be so good as to 

 light me home into the village?" "With 

 all my heart," said I, and got my lantern. 

 As we walked along, he talked to me about 

 loving my neighbour, and as life was uncer- 



