girls belonging to the village
school, dressed in white gowns and straw bonnets, whom two elegant but
simply dressed young women were superintending. Every voice seemed to be
united in singing a certain anthem, which, notwithstanding it was written
neither by Tate nor Brady, contains some of the sublimest words which
were ever put together, not the worst of which are those which burst on
our ears as we entered.

'Every eye shall now behold Him,
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at nought and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.'

Still following Mrs. Petulengro, we proceeded down the chancel and along
the aisle; notwithstanding the singing, I could distinctly hear as we
passed many a voice whispering, 'Here come the gypsies! here come the
gypsies!' I felt rather embarrassed, with a somewhat awkward doubt as to
where we were to sit; none of the occupiers of the pews, who appeared to
consist almost entirely of farmers, with their wives, sons and daughters,
opened a door to admit us. Mrs. Petulengro, however, appeared to feel
not the least embarrassment, but tripped along the aisle with the
greatest nonchalance. We passed under the pulpit, in which stood the
clergyman in his white surplice, and reached the middle of the church,
where we were confronted by the sexton dressed in long blue coat, and
holding in his hand a wand. This functionary motioned towards the lower
end of the church, where were certain benches, partly occupied by poor
people and boys. Mrs. Petulengro, however, with a toss of her head,
directed her course to a magnificent pew, which was unoccupied, which she
opened and entered, followed closely by Tawno Chikno, Mr. Petulengro, and
myself. The sexton did not appear by any means to approve of the
arrangement, and as I stood next the door laid his finger on my arm, as
if to intimate that myself and companions must quit our aristocratical
location. I said nothing, but directed my eyes to the clergyman, who
uttered a short and expressive cough; the sexton looked at him for a
moment, and then, bowing his head, closed the door--in a moment more the
music ceased. I took up a Prayer-book, on which was engraved an earl's
coronet. The clergyman uttered, 'I will arise and go to my father.'
England's sublime liturgy had commenced.

Oh what feelings came over me on finding myself again in an edifice
devoted t