446 



ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



understand — it is worse than chucking it into the river." 

 John never uttered a word in reply to this rebuke from 

 his friend. They drove two or three hundred yards 

 further on, when the cabby was pulled up, Connor 

 got out and bought two cigars, and re-entering the cab, 

 John, who has been a strict non-smoker all his life, 

 asked, "How much did you give for the cigars, 

 Connor?" "A shilling," was the reply. "Well, 

 retorted John, " my ' bob ' has done as much good as 

 yours." Connor's opinion is, " If John Osborne does not 

 get to heaven, nobody else will. He's the most even- 

 tempered man I ever knew." 



Here is another tale recited to us by the Rev. Hutton- 

 Hall, the vicar of Coverham. "Some few years ago 

 there were two feet of snow lying one Sunday when I 

 had to preach at Coverham Church. I awoke in the 

 early morning, but on looking out and beholding the 

 great fall of snow I thought it would be of no use me 

 journeying to conduct the service, expecting nobody 

 would be there. However, I plucked up, and with 

 difficulty got to the church. To my great surprise, the 

 only member of the congregation in evidence was John 

 Osborne himself, who had been awaiting my arrival at 

 the church door. I have been vicar at Coverham for 

 seven years, and have never known John Osborne absent 

 from service but once, and that was when he was 

 prevented being present through illness." 



