drunken fellows sneaked
home--whilst Brandon, taking me by the hand, made violent, and nearly
successful, efforts to appear sober.

After a hasty breakfast, we went to meeting. My foster-father looked
excessively wild. Mr Cate was raving in the midst of an extempore
prayer, when a heavy fall was heard in the chapel. The minister
descended from his desk, and came and prayed over the prostrate victim
of intoxication, and, perhaps, of epilepsy, and he pronounced that
brother Brandon had got his call, and was now indisputably one of the
elect. He did not revive so soon as was expected--his groans were
looked upon as indications of the workings of the Spirit; and when, at
length, he was so far recovered as to be led home by two of the
congregation, the conversion of the sawyer was dwelt upon by the
preacher, from a text preached upon the chapter that relates to the
conversion of Saul, and the cases were cited as parallel. Let the
opponents of the Established Church rail at it as they will, scenes of
such wickedness and impiety could never have happened within its
time-honoured walls.

When we returned to dinner, we found that Brandon had so far recovered
as to become very hungry, very proud, and very pharisaically pious. Mr
Cate dined with us. He was full of holy congratulations on the
miraculous event. The sawyer received all this with a humble
self-consequence, as the infallible dicta of truth, and, apparently,
with the utter oblivion of any such things existing as purl and red-hot
pokers. Was he a deep hypocrite, or only a self-deceiver? Who can know
the heart of man? However, "this call" had the effect of making the
"called one" a finished sinner, and of filling up the measure of
wretchedness to his wife.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

I TOO HAVE MY CALL--TO DEATH'S DOOR--A GREAT RISE IN LIFE--BRANDON
ALLOWS NEITHER SLUGS NOR SLUGGARDS IN HIS SAWPIT--IS RUINED, AND BEATS
THE REVEREND MR. CATE.

All this was preparatory to an event, to me of the utmost importance,
which is, perhaps, at this very moment, influencing imperceptibly my
mind, and directing my character. Brandon's call, in our humble circle,
made a great deal of noise. He had taken care that I should know what
drunkenness meant. I thought he ought to have been drunk on the
afternoon of his election, yet he so well disguised his intoxication
that he appeared not to be so. I listened attentively to the sermon of
the preacher that followed. I no longe