and fought
there. It then passed into the Higher House of Representatives, and
was fought there. The strife was long and intensely bitter, the
greater part of the population of Denmark becoming partisans for or
partisans against the clerical party. After the fight in the Higher
House, it was again referred to the Lower, and refought there, and so
again to the Higher House, with two interludes of appeals to the
country. The clerical party described the position of the clergy in a
florid style. They declaimed that poets and painters had represented
the life of a Danish priest as a beautiful idyl, each scene in
relative harmony with surrounding nature, whose heart is not touched
as wandering in the path-fields he hears the bells of the country
church ringing in the morning of the sabbath. How lovely is the little
white church, with its red roof and quaint gables, amidst its woods
and meadows! The little parsonage standing in its own garden, with a
little belt of trees close to the church, while around it flock the
little country houses, as a hen gathers her chickens. Nothing is more
exquisite than the perfect affection and peace that exists between the
country clergyman and his congregation. He is the teacher of the
young, the comforter of the old, in each house a welcome guest, and
the estimation in which his holy calling is held invests him with
respect. In spiritual need or worldly care every one of his
congregation hasten to their minister. He is the curer of souls,
adviser, father, friend. The homes of his flock are his own, and it is
his pride to confer happiness and promote contentment."

"That is a bright picture," said Hardy.

"Yes," said Pastor Lindal; "but the opposite party drew another, which
attracted many partisans. They said his reverence has a good time of
it. He has a house which is better than a Danish farmer's, and a farm
which is just as good. He has horses, cows, pigs, sheep, and poultry.
He has, moreover, tithes and dues of many kinds; and besides these, it
is necessary to stick a dollar in his fist whenever one must make use
of him. Whilst the Danish farmer has to sweat behind his plough, the
clergyman sits at his ease smoking his pipe in his study, and has
nothing more to do than to preach on a Sunday, and to hear the
children read once a week. Everything that is congenial to the taste
of the Danish farmer, the clergyman turns up his nose at. He abuses
the leaders of the people, and only reads c