such armor fell into the snare."

While they were thus talking, the children who had stood very
quietly behind, and had not stirred a foot, now began to scamper
about all at once, and in a moment ran to the window-seat to pick up
their little old hats. Mr. Johnson looked surprised at this
disturbance; the shepherd asked his pardon, telling him it was the
sound of the church-bell which had been the cause of their rudeness;
for their mother had brought them up with such a fear of being too
late for church, that it was but who could catch the first stroke of
the bell, and be first ready. He had always taught them to think
that nothing was more indecent than to get into church after it was
begun; for as the service opened with an exhortation to repentance,
and a confession of sin, it looked very presumptuous not to feel
ready to join it; it looked as if people did not feel themselves to
be sinners. And though such as lived at a great distance might plead
difference of clocks as an excuse, yet those who lived within the
sound of the bell, could pretend neither ignorance nor mistake.

Mary and her children set forward. Mr. Johnson and the shepherd
followed, taking care to talk the whole way on such subjects as
might fit them for the solemn duties of the place to which they were
going. "I have often been sorry to observe," said Mr. Johnson, "that
many who are reckoned decent, good kind of people, and who would on
no account neglect going to church, yet seem to care but little in
what frame or temper of mind they go thither. They will talk of
their worldly concerns till they get within the door, and then take
them up again the very minute the sermon is over, which makes me
ready to fear they lay too much stress on the mere form of going to
a place of worship. Now, for my part, I always find that it requires
a little time to bring my mind into a state fit to do any _common_
business well, much more this great and most necessary business of
all." "Yes, sir," replied the shepherd; "and then I think too how
busy I should be in preparing my mind, if I were going into the
presence of a great gentleman, or a lord, or the king; and shall the
King of kings be treated with less respect? Besides, one likes to
see people feel as if going to church was a thing of choice and
pleasure, as well as a duty, and that they were as desirous not to
be the last there, as they would be if they were going to a feast or
a fair."

After service, Mr.