but no, the parish is but the
receptacle for the luckless, roaming deacon, and its poor parishioners
are ever doomed to be as sheep without a shepherd, and to be fleeced
accordingly.

Among these sabbatical circuits of mine, there was one which, though I
shall be, more than usual, guilty of egotism, I do not wish to
forget, it was so in keeping with the nature of the country--primitive
and stern. It was the only time I was sensible of fatigue, though in
the present instance I had not more than two churches to serve, nor
was I under the necessity of walking more than half of the usual
distance; but I was so ill with the influenza that I was doubtful of
succeeding. Attempt it I would, for hitherto, though invariably
hurried, I had never kept a congregation waiting for one moment.
Having got upon my horse, I rode him forty miles across the moors, to
my own church first: so far from fatiguing me, I found that the
freshness of the air had considerably added to my strength: still, the
exertion of reading would have proved too much, had not the singers,
perceiving my weakness, good-naturedly chaunted the prayers which
occur between the lessons, just giving me breathing time, and
sufficient strength to finish the service. The instant this was over,
I walked away for the other church, determined, at all events, to
persevere, for in a whimsical mood I had ever resolved to perform the
Sunday's duty punctually, in spite of time, tide, or anything else. As
I crossed each field, I was obliged to get on the top of every gate in
order to rest myself, notwithstanding the exertion of it. On coming to
the fatal little stream in the valley which divided the parishes, I
became sensible that I had no strength to clear it, and that, should I
attempt it, a total submersion must inevitably be the result. I had no
time to hesitate, so at once walked through the ford, though at the
time I was in a profuse and faint-like perspiration.

On reaching the church, I found myself to be in good time, but had not
proceeded far in the service, when I discovered the clerk to be in
such a state of drunkenness, as would have appeared to the least
fastidious, blasphemous and repulsive. In this dilemma, I knew it
would be useless to tell a noisy boisterous fellow to hold his tongue,
so at once, quietly but quickly, reaching his book, I placed it in my
reading-desk, and the fellow, without a murmur, resigned himself to
his fate and went fast asleep. In spite