e a church rate. The chief farmer shook
his head, saying, "You cannot carry that;" but I replied, "According to
law, you are bound to keep up the fabric, and it ought to be done. I
will write to the Vicar at once about it." He was a non-resident
pluralist.

The farmer smiled at that, and said, laughing, "I will pledge myself
that we will do as much as he does." It so happened that the Vicar,
equally incredulous about the farmers doing anything, promised that he
would do one half, if they would do the other.

Having ascertained this to my satisfaction, I immediately sent for the
mason of the village, who played the clarionet in the church, also his
son, who was "one of the of the fiddles," and consulted with them as to
how this matter was to be accomplished. They, being in want of work at
the time, readily advised me in favour of restoration. The churchwarden
(the "bass viol") said "that he had no objection to this proceeding, but
that he would not be responsible. In two months," he added, "would be
the annual vestry meeting." "That will do," I said, interrupting him;
and I made up my mind that I would at once restore the church, and let
the parishioners come and see it at that time.

Having made all necessary preparations, we commenced one fine Monday
morning with repairing the roof and walls; and while the men were
employed outside, we took out the windows and opened all the doors, to
let the wind blow through, that the interior of the building might be
thoroughly dried. This done, we next coloured the walls, also the stone
arches and pillars (they were far too much broken to display them); and
having cleaned the seats and front of the gallery, we stained and
varnished them, matted the floor, carpeted the sacrarium, and procured a
new cloth for the Communion Table, and also for the 'pulpit and
reading-desk.

All this being completed, I painted texts with my own hands on the
walls, in old English characters. I had great joy in writing these, for
I felt as if it was to the Lord Himself, and for His name, and finished
with Nehemiah's prayer, "Remember me, O my God, concerning this; and
wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and
for the offices thereof" (Neh. 13:14).

Altogether, it was a pretty church now, and a pretty sum was to be paid
for it. I told the vestry that I alone was responsible, but that the
Vicar had promised to pay one half if the vestry would pay the other. It
seemed to