rner
shape, till they produced effects that proved all but fatal.

The doctrines of these Caterians just suited the intellect and the
strong passions of Brandon. The sect was called Caterians, after the
Reverend Mr Cate, their minister. My foster-father went home, after
the second Sunday, and put his house in order. As far as regarded the
household, the regulations would have pleased Sir Andrew Agnew: the hot
joint was dismissed--the country walk discontinued--at meeting four
times a day. Even Ford did not like it. Brandon was labouring hard for
his call: he strove vehemently for the privilege of sinning with
impunity. He was told by Mr Cate that he was in a desperate way.
Brandon did all he could, but the call would not come for the calling.
Mrs Brandon got it very soon, though she strenuously denied the honour.
My good nurse was in the family-way, and Mr Cate had frightened her
into fits, with a vivid delineation of the agonies of a new-born infant,
under the torture of eternal fire, because it had died unelected.
However, Brandon began a little to weary of waiting and long prayer, and
perhaps of the now too frequent visits of Mr Cate. He commenced to
have his fits of alternate intemperate recklessness, and religious
despondency. One Sunday morning--well do I recollect it--he called me
up early, before seven; and I supposed, as usual, that we were going to
early meeting: we walked towards the large room that was used as a
chapel. We had nearly reached it, when the half-open door of an
adjacent ale-house let out its vile compound of disgusting odours upon
the balmy Sabbath air. My conductor hesitated--he moved towards the
meeting-house, but his head was turned the other way--he stopped.

"Ralph," said he, "did you not see Mr Ford go into the public-house?"

"No, father," said I; "don't think he's up."

"At all bounds, we had better go and see; for I must not allow him to
shame a decent house by tippling, on a Sunday morning, in a dram-shop."

We entered. He found there some of his mates. Pint after pint of purl
was called for; at length, a gallon of strong ale was placed upon the
table, a quart of gin was dashed into it, and the whole warmed with a
red-hot poker. I was instructed to lie. I promised to tell mother that
we had gone into a strange chapel; but I made my conditions, that mother
should not be any more beaten. It was almost church-time when the
landlord put us all out by the back way. The