This gentleman was a man of weight in the
neighbourhood, having considerable private means, but without
preferment. In the summer he would often help his brother clergymen,
and it was through his being willing to take the duty at Battersby for
a few Sundays that Theobald had been able to get away for so long.
On his return, however, he found that the whole psalms were being
chanted as well as the Glorias. The influential clergyman,
Christina, and Charlotte took the bull by the horns as soon as
Theobald returned, and laughed it all off; and the clergyman laughed
and bounced, and Christina laughed and coaxed, and Charlotte uttered
unexceptionable sentiments, and the thing was done now, and could
not be undone, and it was no use grieving over spilt milk; so
henceforth the psalms were to be chanted, but Theobald grisled over it
in his heart, and he did not like it.
During this same absence what had Mrs. Goodhew and old Miss Wright
taken to doing but turning towards the east while repeating the
Belief? Theobald disliked this even worse than chanting. When he
said something about it in a timid way at dinner after service,
Charlotte said, "Really, papa dear, you must take to caring it the
'Creed' and not the 'Belief'"; and Theobald winced impatiently and
snorted meek defiance, but the spirit of her aunts Jane and Eliza
was strong in Charlotte, and the thing was too small to fight about,
and he turned it off with a laugh.
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