t-broken; the pinched, hard faces
of the older people telling their bitter trials in bereavement,
misappreciation, and poverty. But bursting through all, that
unconquerable enthusiasm which lends to the face more than the glow of
intelligence, and to the heart more than the recompense of riches; the
timid utterance of the younger converts, outlining the rebellious
instincts of their tempted bodies, and their need of more faith,
grace, and help divine. While these speak in order, the bald-headed
chorister interpolates appropriate snatches of psalms, and the
preacher cries, "Patience, my brother! All will be well! Hope on, hope
ever!"

At last the impatient negroes in the gallery have their opportunity,
and roll down thunders of exuberant piety, which, by their natural,
almost inspired eloquence, pathos, and vehemence, stir even their
masters to ejaculations of praise.

How must such spiritually social reunions cheer the long, hard lives
of these poor, remote believers! He was a profound statesman who,
projecting a gospel for the lowly, devised the class-meeting as an
outlet for their suppressed emotions, sympathies, and sorrows.

However, it is all over, and there is quite a dispute after the
"class" as to who shall have the pastor's company to dinner. It is a
piece of fine diplomacy to determine this. Policy dictates the most
influential; feeling, the most reverend and poor. But the interest of
the church is paramount; a compliment or a promise appeases the vanity
of the humbler, and we follow the double team of the great landholder,
Tibbet, and are soon sitting before his roaring fire.

Itinerants are notoriously big eaters. Our father keeps a weather eye
on the provender as it is brought in smoking, and it being soon
apparent that the dinner is to be orthodox, if not apostolic, his
social attributes improve wonderfully. He breaks out in little spurts
of anecdote, not entirely secular, nor yet too didactic to be jovial.
They run upon young Brother Bolt, who once, after an unusual happy
"revival" night, to show his great faith, tried to leap over a creek
and doused himself to the ears; upon the great controversialist,
Whanger, who, being invited to preach in a "High Church" pulpit,
improved the occasion to trace apostolic succession as far back as
Pope Joan; upon the first intelligent contraband of his kind, whose
mistress affirmed that if one's ill deeds were numerically greater
than his good ones he would be--jam