xchanged
notes about the doings of the week, and even passed a few slips of
paper to the young ladies from the seminary, who sat in front of
them. The paper contained nothing more formidable than a few
refreshments in the shape of caramels with which to beguile the
tedious-ness of the hour. There was a less cultured party of young
men and women who unceremoniously whispered at intervals through the
entire service, and some of the whispers were so funny that
occasionally a head went down and the seat shook, as the amused party
endeavoured, or _professed_ to endeavour, to subdue untimely
laughter. I presume we have all seen those persons who deem it a mark
of vivacity, or special brilliancy, to be unable to control their
risibles in certain places. It is curious how often the seeming
attempt is, in a glaring way, nothing but _seeming_. These parties
perhaps did not break the Sabbath any more directly than the
note-writers behind them, but they certainly did it more noisily and
with more marked evidence of lack of ordinary culture. The leader of
the choir found an absorbing volume in a book of anthems that had
been recently introduced. He turned the leaves without regard to
their rustle, and surveyed piece after piece with a critical eye,
while the occasionally peculiar pucker of his lips showed that he was
trying special ones, and that just enough sense of decorum remained
with him to prevent the whistle from being audible. Then there were,
dotted all over the great church, heads that nodded assent to the
minister at regular intervals; but the owners of the heads had closed
eyes and open mouths, and the occasional breathing that suggested a
coming snore was marked enough to cause nervous nudges from
convenient elbows, and make small boys who were looking on chuckle
with delight.

And thus, surrounded by all these different specimens of humanity,
the pastor strove to declare the whole counsel of God, mindful of the
rest of the charge, "whether men will hear or whether they will
forbear." He could not help a half-drawn breath of thanksgiving that
_that_ part was not for him to manage. If he had had their duty as
well as his own to answer for what _would_ have become of him!

Despite the looking at watches, the cases of which would make an
explosive noise, and the audible yawning that occasionally sounded
near him, the minister was enabled to carry his sermon through to the
close, helped immeasurably by those aforesaid ea