THE SHEPHERD OF THE DOWNS 115 



church had been growing less and less to them, until 

 they had ceased to attend it, although there was no 

 chapel there and they had joined no other sect. The 

 only reason of this estrangement appeared to be that 

 their pastor was not a spiritual-minded man, and 

 though a good many years vicar in a small parish, 

 he did not even know his own parishioners, and was 

 wholly occupied with his own mundane affairs and 

 amusements. Now it is just as hard, nay impossible, 

 for the ordinary Christian to live his ideal life apart 

 from teachers and fellow-disciples as for a sheep left 

 behind by the flock, and lost or abandoned by the 

 shepherd, to exist by itself on the hills. And these 

 two, feeling the great want in their lives, had allowed 

 their hearts and hopes to go out to the Salvation 

 Army. There would be no coldness nor want of guid- 

 ance and encouragement in that fold ! It was not 

 their wish to put on a distinctive garb, nor in any way 

 to make themselves conspicuous in a place where there 

 was no — what shall I say — barracks, but to continue 

 to live their own lives in the old way in their remote 

 village, only feeling that there was a bond between 

 them and other servants of their Master, that they 

 were not alone. Thus far had they got when they 

 heard that a great meeting of the Army was about to 

 take place at the Crystal Palace — a jubilee or impor- 

 tant celebration of some kind, at which the world- 

 wandering General himself would be present to preside 

 over a gathering of people from all parts of the king- 



