Therefore, I would talk to them about--but I will treat my reader
now as if he were not my reader, but one of my congregation on that bright
Sunday, my first in the Seaboard Parish, with the sea outside the church,
flashing in the sunlight.
While I stood at the lectern, which was in front of the altar-screen, I
could see little of my congregation, partly from my being on a level with
them, partly from the necessity for keeping my eyes and thoughts upon that
which I read. When, however, I rose from prayer in the pulpit; then I felt,
as usual with me, that I was personally present for personal influence with
my people, and then I saw, to my great pleasure, that one long bench nearly
in the middle of the church was full of such sunburnt men as could not be
mistaken for any but mariners, even if their torn and worn garments had
not revealed that they must be the very men about whom we had been so much
interested. Not only were they behaving with perfect decorum, but their
rough faces wore an aspect of solemnity which I do not suppose was by any
means their usual aspect.
I gave them no text. I had one myself, which was the necessary thing.
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