man is a rafting dog--well and
good; your reed-man is a dab at stirring ye--well and good; your drum-man
is a rare bowel-shaker--good again. But I don't care who hears me say
it, nothing will spak to your heart wi' the sweetness o' the man of
strings!"

"Strings for ever!" said little Jimmy.

"Strings alone would have held their ground against all the new comers in
creation." ("True, true!" said Bowman.) "But clarinets was death."
("Death they was!" said Mr. Penny.) "And harmonions," William continued
in a louder voice, and getting excited by these signs of approval,
"harmonions and barrel-organs" ("Ah!" and groans from Spinks) "be
miserable--what shall I call 'em?--miserable--"

"Sinners," suggested Jimmy, who made large strides like the men, and did
not lag behind like the other little boys.

"Miserable dumbledores!"

"Right, William, and so they be--miserable dumbledores!" said the choir
with unanimity.

By this time they were crossing to a gate in the direction of the school,
which, standing on a slight eminence at the junction of three ways, now
rose in unvarying and dark flatness against the sky. The instruments
were retuned, and all the band entered the school enclosure, enjoined by
old William to keep upon the grass.

"Number seventy-eight," he softly gave out as they formed round in a
semicircle, the boys opening the lanterns to get a clearer light, and
directing their rays on the books.

Then passed forth into the quiet night an ancient and time-worn hymn,
embodying a quaint Christianity in words orally transmitted from father
to son through several generations down to the present characters, who
sang them out right earnestly:

"Remember Adam's fall,
O thou Man:
Remember Adam's fall
From Heaven to Hell.
Remember Adam's fall;
How he hath condemn'd all
In Hell perpetual
There for to dwell.

Remember God's goodnesse,
O thou Man:
Remember God's goodnesse,
His promise made.
Remember God's goodnesse;
He sent His Son sinlesse
Our ails for to redress;
Be not afraid!

In Bethlehem He was born,
O thou Man:
In Bethlehem He was born,
For mankind's sake.
In Bethlehem He was born,
Christmas-day i' the morn:
Our Saviour thought no scorn
Our faults to take.

Give thanks to God alway,
O thou Man:
Give thanks to God alway
With heart-most joy.
Give thanks to God alway
O