We walked to the church by a path over the hills, and heard the bells of
a number of little churches, summoning the surrounding population to the
House of God. The roads and the paths were crowded with the peasantry
and their children, approaching the church-yard in different directions.
The church and the rectory were contiguous to each other, and situated
in a deep dell.

The former was a long and rather low structure, originally built of
light coloured stone, which had grown grey with time. It had a large
square steeple, with pointed corners, like turrets, each of which was
furnished with a vane, but some of these ornaments were loose and turned
round in a circle, while others stood still and appeared to be examining
with true rustic curiosity, the condition of their neighbours.

The old rectory stood close to the church and was very irregularly
built, one part looking as if it had stepped forward to take a peep at
us, and another as if endeavouring to conceal itself from view, behind
a screen of ivy. The windows which were constructed of diamond-shaped
glass, were almost square, and opened on hinges. Nearly half of the
house was covered by a rose-tree, from which the lattices peered very
inquisitively upon the assembled congregation. Altogether it looked like
the residence of a vigilant man, who could both see and be unseen if he
pleased.

Near the door of the church were groups of men in their clean
smock-frocks and straw hats, and of women in their tidy dark dresses and
white aprons. The children all looked clean, healthy, and cheerful.

The interior of the church was so unlike that of an American one, that
my attention was irresistibly drawn to its peculiarities. It was low,
and divided in the centre by an arch. The floor was of stone, and from
long and constant use, very uneven in places. The pews were much higher
on the sides than ours, and were unpainted and roughly put together;
while the pulpit was a rude square box, and was placed in the corner.
Near the door stood an ancient stone font, of rough workmanship, and
much worn.

The windows were long and narrow, and placed very high in the walls. On
the one over the altar was a very old painting, on stained glass, of the
Virgin, with a hoop and yellow petticoat, crimson vest, a fly cap, and
very thick shoes. The light of this window was still further subdued by
a fine old yew-tree, which stood in the yard close behind it.

There was another window of bea