"
I was tempted to go on.
"But you could have sat down outside--there are some nice gravestones
near--and waited till I came out."
"But what's the church for, sir? The sun's werry hot to-day, sir; and Mr.
Shepherd, he say, sir, that the church is like the shadow of a great rock
in a weary land. So, you see, if I was to sit out in the sun, instead of
comin' in here to the cool o' the shadow, I wouldn't be takin' the church
at her word. It does my heart good to sit in the old church, sir. There's
a something do seem to come out o' the old walls and settle down like the
cool o' the day upon my old heart that's nearly tired o' crying, and would
fain keep its eyes dry for the rest o' the journey. My old man's stockin'
won't hurt the church, sir, and, bein' a good deed as I suppose it is, it's
none the worse for the place. I think, if He was to come by wi' the whip o'
small cords, I wouldn't be afeared of his layin' it upo' my old back. Do
you think he would, sir?"
Thus driven to speak as I thought, I made haste to reply, more delighted
with the result of my experiment than I cared to let her know.
"Indeed I do not. I was only talking.
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