FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>   >|  
Beside him sat his rival in municipal authority, the Methodist preacher. He had a short upper lip and a square lower jaw, and a way of glaring out of his convex glasses that gave a comical imitation of a bullfrog in debate. This was the first occasion in the history of the town when he and Mr. Moseley had met in friendly concord. For the last few days the united war upon a common enemy had knitted their souls in a bond of brotherly affection. When the half-dozen preachers had assembled, Mr. Moseley rose with dignity. "My dear brethren," he began impressively, "the occasion is one which permits of no trifling. The dancing evil is one which has menaced our community for generations--a viper to be seized and throttled with a firm hand. The waltz, the--the Highland fling, the--the--" "German?" suggested some one faintly. "Yes, the german--are all invasions of the Evil One. The crowded rooms, the unholy excitement, are degenerating and debasing. I am glad to report one young soul who has turned from temptation and told me only to-day of his intention of refraining from partaking in the unrighteous amusement of this evening. That, brethren, was the nephew of my pastor." The little Presbyterian preacher, thus thrust into the light cast from the halo of his regenerate nephew, stirred uneasily. He was contemplating the expediency of his youthful kinsman in making the lack of a dress-suit serve as a means of lightening his coming examinations at the academy. Mr. Moseley, now fully launched upon a flood of eloquence, was just concluding a brilliant argument. "Look at the round dance!" he cried. "Who can behold and not shudder?" Mr. Meech, who had not beheld and therefore could not shudder, ventured a timid inquiry: "Mr. Moseley, just what is a round dance?" Mr. Moseley pushed back his chair and wheeled the table nearer the window. "Will you just step forward, Mr. Meech?" With difficulty Mr. Meech extricated himself from the corner to which the pressure of so many guests had relegated him. He slipped apologetically to the front and took his stand beneath the shadow of Mr. Moseley's presence. Prayer-meeting being but a semi-official occasion, he wore his second-best coat, and it had followed the shrinking habit established by its predecessors. "Now," commanded Mr. Moseley, "place your hand upon my shoulder." Mr. Meech did so with self-conscious gravity and serious apprehensions as to the revelations to
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Moseley

 

occasion

 

brethren

 
shudder
 

preacher

 
nephew
 

regenerate

 

behold

 

stirred

 

inquiry


thrust

 

ventured

 

uneasily

 

beheld

 

expediency

 
academy
 

examinations

 

lightening

 
coming
 

launched


brilliant

 

argument

 

youthful

 

concluding

 

eloquence

 

making

 

kinsman

 
contemplating
 

shrinking

 

established


official
 

conscious

 
gravity
 

revelations

 

apprehensions

 

shoulder

 
predecessors
 

commanded

 

meeting

 

Prayer


forward

 

extricated

 

difficulty

 

Presbyterian

 
window
 

wheeled

 

nearer

 
corner
 

beneath

 

shadow