and the great object of our Sunday morning existences is to get as far away from him and as near to her as we possibly can, hence various silent and rapid manœuvres behind his back that is as well for us that he does not suspect. To-day I am the hapless left-behind, and take my seat with a wrathful heart and a sickly smile that seeks to convey to my brethren the fact, that I do not mind my situation at all, indeed, rather like it than otherwise; there is, however, a covert grin on the row of triumphant faces to my right, that plainly informs me my little hypocrisies will not go down in that quarter. We all look upon the governor as a kind of bombshell, or volcano, or loaded gun, that may blow up at any moment, and will infallibly destroy whatever is nearest to him; therefore our fears are usually lively when ill-luck plants us very close to him.
As usual we are early, so we sit and watch the old village people come in prayer-book in hand, with the clean handkerchief folded on the top, and a rose or sprig of wallflower laid between, at which they will sniff between whiles, when they are not listening to an exposition of their sins, or looking to see if the quality has any new clothes on. The village hind comes in rosy faced and well greased, he has taken his weekly wash, put on his weekly clean-boiled rag, and with the bit of roast beef and pudding provided for his dinner lurking in his memory and tickling his nostrils, feels not unamiably disposed towards the wife of his bosom, and has no inclination to beat her as is his wont on week-days when he has a little spare time. In the gallery opposite sit the Sunday-school girls and ploughboys, an unruly tribe, impervious to the verbal remonstrances of Prodgers the schoolmaster, of which fact he is well aware, and possesses a more substantial claim to their regard in the shape of a stout cane, with which he discourses sweet music on their rustic backs, coming down with an inspiriting whack! in a pause of the sermon or interval of prayer.
