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ese monthly meetings over what long and dreary roads, on what dreadfully wet and wintry days, through what mud and water, did these simple and pious creatures, wrapped in great-coats and thick cloaks, and defended with oil-skin hoods, travel all their lives long? Not a soul was more punctual in attendance than Johnny Darbyshire. He was a little man, wearing a Quaker suit of drab, his coat long, his hat not cocked but slouched, and his boots well worn and well greased. Peaceful as he sate in these meetings, yet out of them, as I have remarked, he was a very Tartar, and he often set himself to execute what he deemed justice in a very dogged and original style. We may, as a specimen, take this instance. On his way to his regular meeting he had to pass through a toll-bar; and being on Sundays exempt by law from paying at it, it may be supposed that the bar-keeper did not fling open the gate often with the best grace. One Sunday evening, however, Johnny Darbyshire had, from some cause or other, stayed late with his friends after afternoon meeting. When he passed through the toll-gate he gave his usual nod to the keeper, and was passing on; but the man called out to demand the toll, declaring that it was no longer Sunday night, but Monday morning, being past twelve o'clock. "Nay, friend, thou art wrong," said Johnny, pulling out his watch: "see, it yet wants a quarter." "No, I tell you," replied the keeper, gruffly, "it is past twelve. Look, there is my clock." "Ay, friend, but thy clock, like thyself, doesn't speak the truth. Like its master, it is a little too hasty. I assure thee my watch is right, for I just now compared it by the steeple-house clock in the town." "I tell you," replied the keeper, angrily, "I've nothing to do with your watch; I go by my clock, and there it is." "Well, I think thou art too exact with me, my friend." "Will you pay me or not?" roared the keeper; "you go through often enough in the devil's name without paying." "Gently, gently, my friend," replied Johnny; "there is the money: and it's really after twelve o'clock, thou says?" "To be sure." "Well, very well; then, for the next twenty-four hours I can go through again without paying?" "To be sure; everybody knows that." "Very well, then I now bid thee farewell." And with that, Johnny Darbyshire jogged on. The gatekeeper, chuckling at having at last extorted a double toll from the shrewd Quaker, went to bed, not on that
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