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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: A Modern Idyll
+
+Author: Frank Harris
+
+Release Date: October 12, 2007 [EBook #23009]
+Last Updated: December 18, 2016
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A MODERN IDYLL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+A MODERN IDYLL
+
+By Frank Harris
+
+
+“I call it real good of you, Mr. Letgood, to come and see me. Won’t you
+be seated?”
+
+“Thank you. It’s very warm to-day; and as I didn’t feel like reading or
+writing, I thought I’d come round.”
+
+“You’re just too kind for anythin’! To come an’ pay me a visit when you
+must be tired out with yesterday’s preachin’. An’ what a sermon you gave
+us in the mornin’--it was too sweet. I had to wink my eyes pretty hard,
+an’ pull the tears down the back way, or I should have cried right
+out--and Mrs. Jones watchin’ me all the time under that dreadful
+bonnet.”
+
+Mrs. Hooper had begun with a shade of nervousness in the hurried words;
+but the emotion disappeared as she took up a comfortable pose in the
+corner of the small sofa.
+
+The Rev. John Letgood, having seated himself in an armchair, looked at
+her intently before replying. She was well worth looking at, this Mrs.
+Hooper, as she leaned back on the cushions in her cool white dress,
+which was so thin and soft and well-fitting that her form could be seen
+through it almost as clearly as through water. She appeared to be about
+eighteen years old, and in reality was not yet twenty. At first sight
+one would have said of her, “a pretty girl;” but an observant eye on
+the second glance would have noticed those contradictions in face and in
+form which bear witness to a certain complexity of nature. Her features
+were small, regular, and firmly cut; the long, brown eyes looked out
+confidently under straight, well-defined brows; but the forehead was
+low, and the sinuous lips a vivid red. So, too, the slender figure and
+narrow hips formed a contrast with the throat, which pouted in soft,
+white fulness.
+
+“I am glad you liked the sermon,” said the minister, breaking the
+silence, “for it is not probable that you will hear many more from me.”
+ There was just a shade of sadness in the lower tone with which he ended
+the phrase. He let the sad note drift in unconsciously--by dint of
+practice he had become an artist in the management of his voice.
+
+“You don’t say!” exclaimed Mrs. Hooper, sitting up straight in her
+excitement “You ain’t goin’ to leave us, I hope?”
+
+“Why do you pretend, Belle, to misunderstand me? You know I said three
+months ago that if you didn’t care for me I should have to leave this
+place. And yesterday I told you that you must make up your mind at once,
+as I was daily expecting a call to Chicago. Now I have come for your
+answer, and you treat me as if I were a stranger, and you knew nothing
+of what I feel for you.”
+
+“Oh!” she sighed, languorously nestling back into the corner. “Is that
+all? I thought for a moment the ‘call’ had come.”
+
+“No, it has not yet; but I am resolved to get an answer from you to-day,
+or I shall go away, call or no call.”
+
+“What would Nettie Williams say if she heard you?” laughed Mrs. Hooper,
+with mischievous delight in her eyes.
+
+“Now, Belle,” he said in tender remonstrance, leaning forward and taking
+the small cool hand in his, “what is my answer to be? Do you love me? Or
+am I to leave Kansas City, and try somewhere else to get again into the
+spirit of my work? God forgive me, but I want you to tell me to stay.
+Will you?”
+
+“Of course I will,” she returned, while slowly withdrawing her hand.
+“There ain’t any one wants you to go, and why should you?”
+
+“Why? Because my passion for you prevents me from doing my work. You
+tease and torture me with doubt, and when I should be thinking of my
+duties I am wondering whether or not you care for me. Do you love me? I
+must have a plain answer.”
+
+“Love you?” she repeated pensively. “I hardly know, but--”
+
+“But what?” he asked impatiently.
+
+“But--I must just see after the pies; this ‘help’ of ours is Irish, an’
+doesn’t know enough to turn them in the oven. And Mr. Hooper don’t like
+burnt pies.”
+
+She spoke with coquettish gravity, and got up to go out of the room. But
+when Mr. Letgood also rose, she stopped and smiled--waiting perhaps for
+him to take his leave. As he did not speak she shook out her frock
+and then pulled down her bodice at the waist and drew herself up, thus
+throwing into relief the willowy outlines of her girlish form. The
+provocative grace, unconscious or intentional, of the attitude was not
+lost on her admirer. For an instant he stood irresolute, but when she
+stepped forward to pass him, he seemed to lose his self-control, and,
+putting his arms round her, tried to kiss her. With serpent speed and
+litheness she bowed her head against his chest, and slipped out of the
+embrace. On reaching the door she paused to say, over her shoulder: “If
+you’ll wait, I’ll be back right soon;” then, as if a new thought had
+occurred to her, she added turning to him: “The Deacon told me he was
+coming home early to-day, and he’d be real sorry to miss you.”
+
+As she disappeared, he took up his hat, and left the house.
+
+It was about four o’clock on a day in mid-June. The sun was pouring down
+rays of liquid flame; the road, covered inches deep in fine white dust,
+and the wooden side-walks glowed with the heat, but up and down the
+steep hills went the minister unconscious of physical discomfort.
+
+“Does she care for me, or not? Why can’t she tell me plainly? The
+teasing creature! Did she give me the hint to go because she was afraid
+her husband would come in? Or did she want to get rid of me in order not
+to answer?... She wasn’t angry with me for putting my arms round her,
+and yet she wouldn’t let me kiss her. Why not? She doesn’t love him.
+She married him because she was poor, and he was rich and a deacon. She
+can’t love him. He must be fifty-five if he’s a day. Perhaps she doesn’t
+love me either--the little flirt! But how seductive she is, and what a
+body, so round and firm and supple--not thin at all. I have the feel of
+it on my hands now--I can’t stand this.”
+
+Shaking himself vigorously, he abandoned his meditation, which, like
+many similar ones provoked by Mrs. Hooper, had begun in vexation and
+ended in passionate desire. Becoming aware of the heat and dust, he
+stood still, took off his hat, and wiped his forehead.
+
+The Rev. John Letgood was an ideal of manhood to many women. He was
+largely built, but not ungainly--the coarseness of the hands being the
+chief indication of his peasant ancestry. His head was rather round, and
+strongly set on broad shoulders; the nose was straight and well formed;
+the dark eyes, however, were somewhat small, and the lower part of the
+face too massive, though both chin and jaw were clearly marked. A long,
+thick, brown moustache partly concealed the mouth; the lower lip could
+just be seen, a little heavy, and sensual; the upper one was certainly
+flexile and suasive. A good-looking man of thirty, who must have been
+handsome when he was twenty, though even then, probably, too much drawn
+by the pleasures of the senses to have had that distinction of person
+which seems to be reserved for those who give themselves to thought
+or high emotions. On entering his comfortable house, he was met by his
+negro “help,” who handed him his “mail”: “I done brot these, Massa;
+they’s all.” “Thanks, Pete,” he replied abstractedly, going into his
+cool study. He flung himself into an armchair before the writing-table,
+and began to read the letters. Two were tossed aside carelessly, but on
+opening the third he sat up with a quick exclamation. Here at last
+was the “call” he had been expecting, a “call” from the deacons of the
+Second Baptist Church in Chicago, asking him to come and minister to
+their spiritual wants, and offering him ten thousand dollars a year for
+his services.
+
+For a moment exultation overcame every other feeling in the man. A light
+flashed in his eyes as he exclaimed aloud: “It was that sermon did it!
+What a good thing it was that I knew their senior deacon was in the
+church on purpose to hear me! How well I brought in the apostrophe on
+the cultivation of character that won me the prize at college! Ah, I
+have never done anything finer than that, never! and perhaps never shall
+now. I had been reading Channing then for months, was steeped in him;
+but Channing has nothing as good as that in all his works. It has more
+weight and dignity--dignity is the word--than anything he wrote. And
+to think of its bringing me this! Ten thousand dollars a year and the
+second church in Chicago, while here they think me well paid with five.
+Chicago! I must accept it at once. Who knows, perhaps I shall get to New
+York yet, and move as many thousands as here I move hundreds. No! not I.
+I do not move them. I am weak and sinful. It is the Holy Spirit, and the
+power of His grace. O Lord, I am thankful to Thee who hast been good to
+me unworthy!” A pang of fear shot through him: “Perhaps He sends this to
+win me away from Belle.” His fancy called her up before him as she had
+lain on the sofa. Again he saw the bright malicious glances and the red
+lips, the full white throat, and the slim roundness of her figure. He
+bowed his head upon his hands and groaned. “O Lord, help me! I know not
+what to do. Help me, O Lord!”
+
+As if prompted by a sudden inspiration, he started to his feet. “Now
+she must answer! Now what will she say? Here _is_ the call. Ten thousand
+dollars a year! What will she say to that?”
+
+He spoke aloud in his excitement, all that was masculine in him glowing
+with the sense of hard-won mastery over the tantalizing evasiveness of
+the woman.
+
+On leaving his house he folded up the letter, thrust it into the
+breast-pocket of his frock-coat, and strode rapidly up the hill towards
+Mrs. Hooper’s. At first he did not even think of her last words, but
+when he had gone up and down the first hill and was beginning to climb
+the second they suddenly came back to him. He did not want to meet her
+husband--least of all now. He paused. What should he do? Should he wait
+till to-morrow? No, that was out of the question; he couldn’t wait. He
+must know what answer to send to the call. If Deacon Hooper happened
+to be at home he would talk to him about the door of the vestry, which
+would not shut properly. If the Deacon was not there, he would see her
+and force a confession from her....
+
+While the shuttle of his thought flew thus to and fro, he did not at all
+realize that he was taking for granted what he had refused to believe
+half an hour before. He felt certain now that Deacon Hooper would not
+be in, and that Mrs. Hooper had got rid of him on purpose to avoid his
+importunate love-making. When he reached the house and rang the bell his
+first question was:
+
+“Is the Deacon at home?”
+
+“No, sah.”
+
+“Is Mrs. Hooper in?”
+
+“Yes, sah.”
+
+“Please tell her I should like to see her for a moment. I will not keep
+her long. Say it’s very important.”
+
+“Yes, Massa, I bring her shuah,” said the negress with a good-natured
+grin, opening the door of the drawing-room.
+
+In a minute or two Mrs. Hooper came into the room looking as cool and
+fresh as if “pies” were baked in ice.
+
+“Good day, _again_ Mr. Letgood. Won’t you take a chair?”
+
+He seemed to feel the implied reproach, for without noticing her
+invitation to sit down he came to the point at once. Plunging his hand
+into his pocket, he handed her the letter from Chicago.
+
+She took it with the quick interest of curiosity, but as she read, the
+colour deepened in her cheeks, and before she had finished it she broke
+out, “Ten thousand dollars a year!”
+
+As she gave the letter back she did not raise her eyes, but said
+musingly: “That is a call indeed...” Staring straight before her she
+added: “How strange it should come to-day! Of course you’ll accept it.”
+
+A moment, and she darted the question at him:
+
+“Does she know? Have you told Miss Williams yet? But there, I suppose
+you have!” After another pause, she went on:
+
+“What a shame to take you away just when we had all got to know and like
+you! I suppose we shall have some old fogey now who will preach against
+dancin’ an’ spellin’-bees an’ surprise-parties. And, of course, he won’t
+like me, or come here an’ call as often as you do--makin’ the other
+girls jealous. I shall hate the change!” And in her innocent excitement
+she slowly lifted her brown eyes to his.
+
+“You know you’re talking nonsense, Belle,” he replied, with grave
+earnestness. “I’ve come for _your_ answer. If you wish me to stay, if
+you really care for me, I shall refuse this offer.”
+
+“You don’t tell!” she exclaimed. “Refuse ten thousand dollars a year
+and a church in Chicago to stay here in Kansas City! I know I shouldn’t!
+Why,” and she fixed her eyes on his as she spoke, “you must be real good
+even to think of such a thing. But then, you won’t refuse,” she added,
+pouting. “No one would,” she concluded, with profound conviction.
+
+“Oh, yes,” answered the minister, moving to her and quietly putting both
+hands on her waist, while his voice seemed to envelope and enfold her
+with melodious tenderness.
+
+“Oh, yes, I shall refuse it, Belle, if _you_ wish me to; refuse it as
+I should ten times as great a prize, as I think I should refuse--God
+forgive me!--heaven itself, if you were not there to make it beautiful.”
+
+While speaking he drew her to him gently; her body yielded to his touch,
+and her gaze, as if fascinated, was drawn into his. But when the flow
+of words ceased, and he bent to kiss her, the spell seemed to lose its
+power over her. In an instant she wound herself out of his arms, and
+with startled eyes aslant whispered:
+
+“Hush! he’s coming! Don’t you hear his step?” As Mr. Letgood went again
+towards her with a tenderly reproachful and incredulous “Now, Belle,”
+ she stamped impatiently on the floor while exclaiming in a low, but
+angry voice, “Do take care! That’s the Deacon’s step.”
+
+At the same moment her companion heard it too. The sounds were distinct
+on the wooden side-walk, and when they ceased at the little gate four or
+five yards from the house he knew that she was right.
+
+He pulled himself together, and with a man’s untimely persistence spoke
+hurriedly:
+
+“I shall wait for your answer till Sunday morning next. Before then you
+must have assured me of your love, or I shall go to Chicago--”
+
+Mrs. Hooper’s only reply was a contemptuous, flashing look that
+succeeded in reducing the importunate clergyman to silence--just in
+time--for as the word “Chicago” passed his lips the handle of the door
+turned, and Deacon Hooper entered the room.
+
+“Why, how do you do, Mr. Letgood?” said the Deacon cordially. “I’m glad
+to see you, sir, as you are too, I’m sartin,” he added, turning to his
+wife and putting his arms round her waist and his lips to her cheek in
+an affectionate caress. “Take a seat, won’t you? It’s too hot to stand.”
+ As Mrs. Hooper sank down beside him on the sofa and their visitor drew
+over a chair, he went on, taking up again the broken thread of his
+thought. “No one thinks more of you than Isabelle. She said only last
+Sunday there warn’t such a preacher as you west of the Mississippi
+River. How’s that for high, eh?”--And then, still seeking back like a
+dog on a lost scent, he added, looking from his wife to the clergyman,
+as if recalled to a sense of the actualities of the situation by a
+certain constraint in their manner, “But what’s that I heard about
+Chicago? There ain’t nothin’ fresh--Is there?”
+
+“Oh,” replied Mrs. Hooper, with a look of remonstrance thrown sideways
+at her admirer, while with a woman’s quick decision she at once cut the
+knot, “I guess there is something fresh. Mr. Letgood, just think of it,
+has had a ‘call’ from the Second Baptist Church in Chicago, and it’s
+ten thousand dollars a year. Now who’s right about his preachin’? And he
+ain’t goin’ to accept it. He’s goin’ to stay right here. At least,” she
+added coyly, “he said he’d refuse it--didn’t you?”
+
+The Deacon stared from one to the other as Mr. Letgood, with a forced
+half-laugh which came from a dry throat, answered: “That would be going
+perhaps a little too far. I said,” he went on, catching a coldness in
+the glance of the brown eyes, “I wished to refuse it. But of course I
+shall have to consider the matter thoroughly--and seek for guidance.”
+
+“Wall,” said the Deacon in amazement, “ef that don’t beat everythin’.
+I guess nobody would refuse an offer like that. _Ten thousand dollars
+a year!_ Ten thousand. Why, that’s twice what you’re get-tin’ here. You
+can’t refuse that. I know you wouldn’t ef you war’ a son of mine--as
+you might be. Ten thousand. No, sir. An’ the Second Baptist Church in
+Chicago is the first; it’s the best, the richest, the largest. There
+ain’t no sort of comparison between it and the First. No, sir! There
+ain’t none. Why, James P. Willis, him as was here and heard you--that’s
+how it came about, that’s how!--he’s the senior Deacon of it, an’ I
+guess he can count dollars with any man this side of New York. Yes, sir,
+with any man west of the Alleghany Mountains.” The breathless excitement
+of the good Deacon changed gradually as he realized that his hearers
+were not in sympathy with him, and his speech became almost solemn in
+its impressiveness as he continued. “See here! This ain’t a thing to
+waste. Ten thousand dollars a year to start with, an’ the best church
+in Chicago, you can’t expect to do better than that. Though you’re young
+still, when the chance comes, it should be gripped.”
+
+“Oh, pshaw!” broke in Mrs. Hooper irritably, twining her fingers and
+tapping the carpet with her foot, “Mr. Letgood doesn’t want to leave
+Kansas City. Don’t you understand? Perhaps he likes the folk here just
+as well as any in Chicago.” No words could describe the glance which
+accompanied this. It was appealing, and coquettish, and triumphant, and
+the whole battery was directed full on Mr. Let-good, who had by this
+time recovered his self-possession.
+
+“Of course,” he said, turning to the Deacon and overlooking Mrs.
+Hooper’s appeal, “I know all that, and I don’t deny that the ‘call’ at
+first seemed to draw me.” Here his voice dropped as if he were speaking
+to himself: “It offers a wider and a higher sphere of work, but there’s
+work, too, to be done here, and I don’t know that the extra salary
+ought to tempt me. _Take neither scrip nor money in your purse_,” and he
+smiled, “you know.”
+
+“Yes,” said the Deacon, his eyes narrowing as if amazement were giving
+place to a new emotion; “yes, but that ain’t meant quite literally, I
+reckon. Still, it’s fer you to judge. But ef you refuse ten thousand
+dollars a year, why, there are mighty few who would, and that’s all I’ve
+got to say--mighty few,” he added emphatically, and stood up as if to
+shake off the burden of a new and, therefore, unwelcome thought.
+
+When the minister also rose, the physical contrast between the two men
+became significant. Mr. Let-good’s heavy frame, due to self-indulgence
+or to laziness, might have been taken as a characteristic product of the
+rich, western prairies, while Deacon Hooper was of the pure Yankee type.
+His figure was so lank and spare that, though not quite so tall as his
+visitor, he appeared to be taller. His face was long and angular; the
+round, clear, blue eyes, the finest feature of it, the narrowness of
+the forehead the worst. The mouth-corners were drawn down, and the lips
+hardened to a line by constant compression. No trace of sensuality. How
+came this man, grey with age, to marry a girl whose appeal to the senses
+was already so obvious? The eyes and prominent temples of the idealist
+supplied the answer. Deacon Hooper was a New Englander, trained in the
+bitterest competition for wealth, and yet the Yankee in him masked a
+fund of simple, kindly optimism, which showed itself chiefly in his
+devoted affection for his wife. He had not thought of his age when he
+married, but of her and her poverty. And possibly he was justified. The
+snow-garment of winter protects the tender spring wheat.
+
+“It’s late,” Mr. Letgood began slowly, “I must be going home now. I
+thought you might like to hear the news, as you are my senior Deacon.
+Your advice seems excellent; I shall weigh the ‘call’ carefully;
+but”--with a glance at Mrs. Hooper--“I am disposed to refuse it.” No
+answering look came to him. He went on firmly and with emphasis, “_I
+wish_ to refuse it.--Good day, Mrs. Hooper, _till next Sunday_. Good
+day, Deacon.”
+
+“Good day, Mr. Letgood,” she spoke with a little air of precise
+courtesy.
+
+“Good day, sir,” replied the Deacon, cordially shaking the proffered
+hand, while he accompanied his pastor to the street door.
+
+The sun was sinking, and some of the glory of the sunset colouring
+seemed to be reflected in Deacon Hooper’s face, as he returned to the
+drawing-room and said with profound conviction:--
+
+“Isabelle, that man’s jest about as good as they make them. He’s what I
+call a real Christian--one that thinks of duty first and himself last.
+Ef that ain’t a Christian, I’d like to know what is.”
+
+“Yes,” she rejoined meditatively, as she busied herself arranging the
+chairs and tidying the sofa into its usual stiff primness; “I guess he’s
+a good man.” And her cheek flushed softly.
+
+“Wall,” he went on warmly, “I reckon we ought to do somethin’ in this.
+There ain’t no question but he fills the church. Ef we raised the
+pew-rents we could offer him an increase of salary to stay--I guess that
+could be done.”
+
+“Oh! don’t do anything,” exclaimed the wife, as if awaking to the
+significance of this proposal, “anyway not until he has decided. It
+would look--mean, don’t you think? to offer him somethin’ more to stay.”
+
+“I don’t know but you’re right, Isabelle; I don’t know but you’re
+right,” repeated her husband thoughtfully. “It’ll look better if he
+decides before hearin’ from us. There ain’t no harm, though, in thinkin’
+the thing over and speakin’ to the other Deacons about it. I’ll kinder
+find out what they feel.”
+
+“Yes,” she replied mechanically, almost as if she had not heard.
+“Yes, that’s all right.” And she slowly straightened the cloth on the
+centre-table, given over again to her reflections.
+
+Mr. Letgood walked home, ate his supper, went to bed and slept that
+night as only a man does whose nervous system has been exhausted by
+various and intense emotions. He even said his prayers by rote. And
+like a child he slept with tightly-clenched fists, for in him, as in the
+child, the body’s claims were predominant.
+
+When he awoke next morning, the sun was shining in at his bedroom
+window, and at once his thoughts went back to the scenes and emotions
+of the day before. An unusual liveliness of memory enabled him to review
+the very words which Mrs. Hooper had used. He found nothing to regret.
+He had certainly gained ground by telling her of the call. The torpor
+which had come upon him the previous evening formed a complete contrast
+to the blithesome vigour he now enjoyed. He seemed to himself to be a
+different man, recreated, as it were, and endowed with fresh springs of
+life. While he lay in the delightful relaxation and warmth of the bed,
+and looked at the stream of sunshine which flowed across the room, he
+became confident that all would go right.
+
+“Yes,” he decided, “she cares for me, or she would never have wished me
+to stay. Even the Deacon helped me--” The irony of the fact shocked him.
+He would not think of it. He might get a letter from her by two o’clock.
+With pleasure thrilling through every nerve, he imagined how she would
+word her confession. For she had yielded to him; he had felt her body
+move towards him and had seen the surrender in her eyes. While musing
+thus, passion began to stir in him, and with passion impatience.
+
+“Only half-past six o’clock,” he said to himself, pushing his watch
+again under the pillow; “eight hours to wait till mail time. Eight
+endless hours. What a plague!”
+
+His own irritation annoyed him, and he willingly took up again the
+thread of his amorous reverie: “What a radiant face she has, what fine
+nervefulness in the slim fingers, what softness in the full throat!”
+ Certain incidents in his youth before he had studied for the ministry
+came back to him, bringing the blood to his cheeks and making his
+temples throb. As the recollections grew vivid they became a torment. To
+regain quiet pulses he forced his mind to dwell upon the details of his
+“conversion”--his sudden resolve to live a new life and to give himself
+up to the service of the divine Master. The yoke was not easy; the
+burden was not light. On the contrary. He remembered innumerable
+contests with his rebellious flesh, contests in which he was never
+completely victorious for more than a few days together, but in which,
+especially during the first heat of the new enthusiasm, he had struggled
+desperately. Had his efforts been fruitless?...
+
+He thought with pride of his student days--mornings given to books and
+to dreams of the future, and evenings marked by passionate emotions, new
+companions reinspiring him continually with fresh ardour. The time spent
+at college was the best of his life. He had really striven, then, as few
+strive, to deserve the prize of his high calling. During those years, it
+seemed to him, he had been all that an earnest Christian should be.
+He recalled, with satisfaction, the honours he had won in Biblical
+knowledge and in history, and the more easily gained rewards for
+rhetoric. It was only natural that he should have been immediately
+successful as a preacher. How often he had moved his flock to tears! No
+wonder he had got on.
+
+Those first successes, and the pleasures which they brought with them of
+gratified vanity, had resulted in turning him from a Christian into an
+orator. He understood this dimly, but he thrust back the unwelcome truth
+with the reflection that his triumphs in the pulpit dated from the time
+when he began consciously to treat preaching as an art. After all, was
+he not there to win souls to Christ, and had not Christ himself praised
+the wisdom of the serpent? Then came the change from obscurity and
+narrow living in the country to Kansas City and luxury. He had been wise
+in avoiding that girl at Pleasant Hill. He smiled complacently as he
+thought of her dress, manners, and speech. Yet she was pretty, very
+pretty, and she had loved him with the exclusiveness of womanhood, but
+still he had done right. He congratulated himself upon his intuitive
+knowledge that there were finer girls in the world to be won. He had not
+fettered himself foolishly through pity or weakness.
+
+During his ten years of life as a student and minister he had been
+chaste. He had not once fallen into flagrant sin. His fervour of
+unquestioning faith had saved him at the outset, and, later, habit and
+prudence. He lingered over his first meeting with Mrs. Hooper. He had
+not thought much of her then, he remembered, although she had appeared
+to him to be pretty and perfectly dressed. She had come before him as an
+embodiment of delicacy and refinement, and her charm had increased, as
+he began, in spite of himself, to notice her peculiar seductiveness.
+Recollecting how insensibly the fascination which she exercised over
+him had grown, and the sudden madness of desire that had forced him to
+declare his passion, he moaned with vexation. If only she had not
+been married. What a fatality! How helpless man was, tossed hither and
+thither by the waves of trivial circumstance!
+
+She had certainly encouraged him; it was her alternate moods of yielding
+and reserve which had awakened his senses. She had been flattered by his
+admiration, and had sought to call it forth. But, in the beginning, at
+least, he had struggled against the temptation. He had prayed for help
+in the sore combat--how often and how earnestly!--but no help had come.
+Heaven had been deaf to his entreaties. And he had soon realized that
+struggling in this instance was of no avail. He loved her; he desired
+her with every nerve of his body.
+
+There was hardly any use in trying to fight against such a craving as
+that, he thought. But yet, in his heart of hearts, he was conscious that
+his religious enthusiasm, the aspiration towards the ideal life and the
+reverence for Christ’s example, would bring about at least one supreme
+conflict in which his passion might possibly be overcome. He dreaded the
+crisis, the outcome of which he foresaw would be decisive for his whole
+life. He wanted to let himself slide quietly down the slope; but all the
+while he felt that something in him would never consent thus to endanger
+his hopes of Heaven.
+
+And Hell! He hated the thought! He strove to put it away from him, but
+it would not be denied. His early habits of self-analysis reasserted
+themselves. What if his impatience of the idea were the result of
+obdurate sinfulness--sinfulness which might never be forgiven? He
+compelled himself, therefore, to think of Hell, tried to picture it to
+himself, and the soft, self-indulgent nature of the man shuddered as he
+realized the meaning of the word. At length the torture grew too acute.
+He would not think any longer; he could not; he would strive to do the
+right. “O Lord!” he exclaimed, as he slipped out of bed on to his knees,
+“O Christ! help Thy servant! Pity me, and aid!” Yet, while the words
+broke from his lips in terrified appeal, he knew that he did not wish to
+be helped. He rose to his feet in sullen dissatisfaction.
+
+The happy alertness which he had enjoyed at his waking had disappeared;
+the self-torment of the last few minutes had tired him; disturbed and
+vexed in mind, he began to dress. While moving about in the sunlight
+his thoughts gradually became more cheerful, and by the time he left his
+room he had regained his good spirits.
+
+After a short stroll he went into his study and read the daily paper.
+He then took up a book till dinner-time. He dined, and afterwards forgot
+himself in a story of African travels. It was only the discomfort of the
+intense heat which at length reminded him that, though it was now past
+two o’clock, he had received no letter from Mrs. Hooper. But he was
+resolved not to think about her, for thoughts of her, he knew, would
+lead to fears concerning the future, which would in turn force him to
+decide upon a course of action. If he determined to commit the sin, his
+guilt would thereby be increased, and he would not pledge himself to
+refrain from it. “She couldn’t write last night with the Deacon at her
+elbow all the time,” he decided, and began to read again. Darkness had
+fallen before he remembered that he owed an immediate answer to the
+letter from Chicago. After a little consideration, he sat down and wrote
+as follows:
+
+     “Dear Brothers in Christ,
+
+     “Your letter has just reached me. Needless to say it has
+     touched me deeply. You call me to a wider ministry and more
+     arduous duties. The very munificence of the remuneration
+     which you offer leads me to doubt my own fitness for so high
+     a post. You must bear with me a little, and grant me a few
+     days for reflection. The ‘call,’ as you know, must be
+     answered from within, from the depths of my soul, before I
+     can be certain that it comes from Above, and this Divine
+     assurance has not yet been vouchsafed to me.
+
+     “I was born and brought up here in Missouri, where I am now
+     labouring, not without--to Jesus be the praise!--some
+     small measure of success. I have many ties here, and many
+     dear friends and fellow-workers in Christ’s vineyard from
+     whom I could not part without great pain. But I will
+     prayerfully consider your request. I shall seek for guidance
+     where alone it is to be found, at the foot of the Great
+     White Throne, and within a week or so at most I hope to be
+     able to answer you with the full and joyous certitude of the
+     Divine blessing.
+
+     “In the meantime, believe that I thank you deeply, dear
+     Brethren, for your goodness to me, and that I shall pray in
+     Jesus’ Name that the blessing of the Holy Ghost may be with
+     you abundantly now and for evermore.
+
+     “Your loving Servant in Christ,
+
+     “John P. Letgood.”
+
+He liked this letter so much that he read it over a great many times.
+It committed him to nothing; it was dignified and yet sufficiently
+grateful, and the large-hearted piety which appeared to inform it
+pleased him even more than the alliteration of the words “born and
+brought up.” He had at first written “born and reared;” but in spite
+of the fear lest “brought up” should strike the simple Deacons of the
+Second Baptist Church in Chicago as unfamiliar and far-fetched, he could
+not resist the assonance. After directing the letter he went upstairs to
+bed, and his prayers that night were more earnest than they had been of
+late--perhaps because he avoided the dangerous topic. The exercise of
+his talent as a letter-writer having put him on good terms with himself,
+he slept soundly.
+
+When he awoke in the morning his mood had changed. The day was cloudy;
+a thunderstorm was brewing, and had somehow affected his temper. As soon
+as he opened his eyes he was aware of the fact that Mrs. Hooper had not
+written to him, even on Tuesday morning, when she must have been
+free, for the Deacon always went early to his dry-goods store. The
+consciousness of this neglect irritated him beyond measure. He tried,
+therefore, to think of Chicago and the persons who frequented the Second
+Baptist Church. Perhaps, he argued, they were as much ahead of the
+people in Kansas City as Mrs. Hooper was superior to any woman he had
+previously known. But on this way of thought he could not go far. The
+houses in Chicago were no doubt much finer, the furniture more elegant;
+the living, too, was perhaps better, though he could not imagine how
+that could be; there might even be cleverer and handsomer women there
+than Mrs. Hooper; but certainly no one lived in Chicago or anywhere else
+in the world who could tempt and bewitch him as she did. She was formed
+to his taste, made to his desire. As he recalled her, now laughing
+at him; now admiring him; to-day teasing him with coldness, to-morrow
+encouraging him, he realized with exasperation that her contradictions
+constituted her charm. He acknowledged reluctantly that her odd turns of
+speech tickled his intellect just as her lithe grace of movement excited
+his senses. But the number and strength of the ties that bound him to
+her made his anger keener. Where could she hope to find such love as
+his? She ought to write to him. Why didn’t she? How could he come to
+a decision before he knew whether she loved him or not? In any case he
+would show her that he was a man. He would not try to see her until she
+had written--not under any circumstances.
+
+After dinner and mail time his thoughts ran in another channel. In
+reality she was not anything so wonderful. Most men, he knew, did
+not think her more than pretty; “pretty Mrs. Hooper” was what she was
+usually called--nothing more. No one ever dreamed of saying she was
+beautiful or fascinating. No; she was pretty, and that was all. He was
+the only person in Kansas City or perhaps in the world to whom she was
+altogether and perfectly desirable. She had no reason to be so conceited
+or to presume on her power over him. If she were the wonder she thought
+herself she would surely have married some one better than old Hooper,
+with his lank figure, grey hairs, and Yankee twang. He took a pleasure
+in thus depreciating the woman he loved--it gave his anger vent, and
+seemed to make her acquisition more probable. When the uselessness of
+the procedure became manifest to him, he found that his doubts of her
+affection had crystallized.
+
+This was the dilemma; she had not written either out of coquetry or
+because she did not really care for him. If the former were the true
+reason, she was cruel; if the latter, she ought to tell him so at once,
+and he would try to master himself. On no hypothesis was she justified
+in leaving him without a word. Tortured alternately by fear, hope, and
+anger, he paced up and down his study all the day long. Now, he said to
+himself, he would go and see her, and forthwith he grew calm--that was
+what his nature desired. But the man in him refused to be so servile.
+He had told her that she must write; to that he would hold, whatever it
+cost him. Again, he broke out in bitter blame of her.
+
+At length he made up his mind to strive to forget her. But what if she
+really cared for him, loved him as he loved her? In that case if he went
+away she would be miserable, as wretched as he would be. How unkind it
+was of her to leave him without a decided answer, when he could not help
+thinking of her happiness! No; she did not love him. He had read enough
+about women and seen enough of them to imagine that they never torture
+the man they really love. He would give her up and throw himself again
+into his work. He could surely do that. Then he remembered that she
+was married, and must, of course, see that she would risk her
+position--everything--by declaring her love. Perhaps prudence kept her
+silent. Once more he was plunged in doubt.
+
+He was glad when supper was ready, for that brought, at least for half
+an hour, freedom from thought. After the meal was finished he realized
+that he was weary of it all--heart-sick of the suspense. The storm
+broke, and the flashing of the lightning and the falling sheets of rain
+brought him relief. The air became lighter and purer. He went to bed and
+slept heavily.
+
+On the Thursday morning he awoke refreshed, and at once determined
+not to think about Mrs. Hooper. It only needed resolution, he said to
+himself, in order to forget her entirely. Her indifference, shown in not
+writing to him, should be answered in that way. He took up his pocket
+Bible, and opened it at the Gospels. The beautiful story soon exercised
+its charm upon his impressionable nature, and after a couple of hours’
+reading he closed the book comforted, and restored to his better self.
+He fell on his knees and thanked God for this crowning mercy. From his
+heart went forth a hymn of praise for the first time in long weeks. The
+words of the Man of Sorrows had lifted him above the slough. The marvel
+of it! How could he ever thank Him enough? His whole life should now be
+devoted to setting forth the wonders of His grace. When he arose he felt
+at peace with himself and full of goodwill to every one. He could even
+think of Mrs. Hooper calmly--with pity and grave kindliness.
+
+After his midday dinner and a brisk walk-->he paid no attention to the
+mail time--he prepared to write the sermon which he intended to preach
+as his farewell to his congregation on the following Sunday. He was
+determined now to leave Kansas City and go to Chicago. But as soon as he
+began to consider what he should say, he became aware of a difficulty.
+He could talk and write of accepting the “call” because it gave him “a
+wider ministry,” and so forth, but the ugly fact would obtrude itself
+that he was relinquishing five thousand dollars a year to accept ten,
+and he was painfully conscious that this knowledge would be uppermost in
+the minds of his hearers. Most men in his position would have easily
+put the objection out of their minds. But he could not put it aside
+carelessly, and it was characteristic of him to exaggerate its
+importance. He dearly loved to play what the French call _le beau
+rôle_, even at the cost of his self-interest. Of a sensitive, artistic
+temperament, he had for years nourished his intellect with good books.
+He had always striven, too, to set before his hearers high ideals of
+life and conduct. His nature was now subdued to the stuff he had worked
+in. As an artist, an orator, it was all but impossible for him to
+justify what must seem like sordid selfishness. He moved about in his
+chair uneasily, and strove to look at the subject from a new point of
+view. In vain; ten thousand dollars a year instead of five--that was to
+be his theme.
+
+The first solution of the problem which suggested itself to him was to
+express his very real disdain of such base material considerations, but
+no sooner did the thought occur to him than he was fain to reject it.
+He knew well that his hearers in Kansas City would refuse to accept that
+explanation even as “high-falutin’ bunkum!” He then tried to select
+a text in order to ease for a time the strain upon his reflective
+faculties. “Feed my sheep” was his first choice--“the largest flock
+possible, of course.” But no, that was merely the old cant in new words.
+
+He came reluctantly to the conclusion that there was no noble way out of
+the difficulty. He felt this the more painfully because, before sitting
+down to think of his sermon, he had immersed himself, to use his own
+words, in the fountain-head of self-sacrificing enthusiasm. And now he
+could not show his flock that there was any trace of self-denial in his
+conduct. It was apparent that his acceptance of the call made a great
+sermon an utter impossibility. He must say as little about the main
+point as possible, glide quickly, in fact, over the thin ice. But his
+disappointment was none the less keen; there was no splendid peroration
+to write; there would be no eyes gazing up at him through a mist
+of tears. His sensations were those of an actor with an altogether
+uncongenial and stupid part.
+
+After some futile efforts he abandoned the attempt to sketch out a
+sermon. Some words would come to him at the time, and they would have
+to do. In the evening a new idea presented itself to his over-excited
+brain. Might not his dislike of that sermon be a snare set by the Devil
+to induce him to reject the call and stay in Kansas City? No. A fine
+sermon would do good--the Evil One could not desire that--perhaps even
+more good than his sin would do harm? Puzzled and incapable of the
+effort required to solve this fresh problem he went to bed, after
+praying humbly for guidance and enlightenment.
+
+On the Friday morning he rose from his knees with a burden of sorrow.
+No kindly light had illumined the darkness of his doubtings. Yet he
+was conscious of a perfect sincerity in his desires and in his prayers.
+Suddenly he remembered that, when in a pure frame of mind, he had only
+considered the acceptance of the call. But in order to be guided aright,
+he must abandon himself entirely to God’s directing. In all honesty of
+purpose, he began to think of the sermon he could deliver if he resolved
+to reject the call. Ah! that sermon needed but little meditation. With
+such a decision to announce, he felt that he could carry his hearers
+with him to heights of which they knew nothing. Their very vulgarity
+and sordidness of nature would help instead of hindering him. No one in
+Kansas City would doubt for a moment the sincerity of the self-sacrifice
+involved in rejecting ten thousand dollars a year for five. That sermon
+could be preached with effect from any text. “Feed my sheep” even would
+do. He thrilled in anticipation, as a great actor thrills when reading a
+part which will allow him to discover all his powers, and in which he
+is certain to “bring down the house.” Completely carried away by his
+emotions, he began to turn the sermon over in his head. First of all he
+sought for a text; not this one, nor that one, but a few words breathing
+the very spirit of Christ’s self-abnegation. He soon found what he
+wanted: “For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever
+will lose his life for My sake, shall find it.” The unearthly beauty of
+the thought and the divine simplicity of its expression took the orator
+captive. As he imagined that Godlike Figure in Galilee, and seemed to
+hear the words drop like pearls from His lips, so he saw himself in the
+pulpit, and had a foretaste of the effect of his own eloquence. Ravished
+by the vision, he proceeded to write and rewrite the peroration. Every
+other part he could trust to his own powers, and to the inspiration
+of the theme, but the peroration he meant to make finer even than his
+apostrophe on the cultivation of character, which hitherto had been the
+high-water mark of his achievement.
+
+At length he finished his task, but not before sunset, and he felt weary
+and hungry. He ate and rested. In the complete relaxation of mental
+strain, he understood all at once what he had done. He had decided to
+remain in Kansas City. But to remain meant to meet Mrs. Hooper day after
+day, to be thrown together with her even by her foolishly confiding
+husband; it meant perpetual temptation, and at last--a fall! And yet
+God had guided him to choose that sermon rather than the other. He had
+abandoned himself passively to His guidance--could _that_ lead to the
+brink of the pit?... He cried out suddenly like one in bodily anguish.
+He had found the explanation. God cared for no half-victories. Flight to
+Chicago must seem to Him the veriest cowardice. God intended him to stay
+in Kansas City and conquer the awful temptation face to face. When he
+realized this, he fell on his knees and prayed as he had never prayed
+in all his life before. If entreated humbly, God would surely temper the
+wind to the shorn lamb; He knew His servant’s weakness. “_Lead us not
+into temptation_,” he cried again and again, for the first time in his
+life comprehending what now seemed to him the awful significance of the
+words. “_Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil_”--thus he
+begged and wept. But even when, exhausted in body and in mind, he rose
+from his knees, he had found no comfort. Like a child, with streaming
+eyes and quivering features, he stumbled upstairs to bed and fell
+asleep, repeating over and over again mechanically the prayer that the
+cup might pass from him.
+
+On the Saturday morning he awoke as from a hideous nightmare. Before
+there was time for thought he was aware of what oppressed and frightened
+him. The knowledge of his terrible position weighed him down. He was
+worn out and feverishly ill; incapable of reflection or resolution,
+conscious chiefly of pain and weariness, and a deep dumb revolt against
+his impending condemnation. After lying thus for some time, drinking
+the cup of bitterness to the very dregs, he got up, and went downstairs.
+Yielding to habit he opened the Bible. But the Book had no message for
+him. His tired brain refused, for minutes together, to take in the
+sense of the printed words. The servant found him utterly miserable and
+helpless when she went to tell him that “the dinner was a-gittin’ cold.”
+
+The food seemed to restore him, and during the first two hours of
+digestion he was comparatively peaceful in being able to live without
+thinking; but when the body had recovered its vigour, the mind grew
+active, and the self-torture recommenced. For some hours--he never knew
+how many--he suffered in this way; then a strange calm fell upon him.
+Was it the Divine help which had come at last, or despair, or the
+fatigue of an overwrought spirit? He knelt down and prayed once more,
+but this time his prayer consisted simply in placing before his Heavenly
+Father the exact state of the case. He was powerless; God should do
+with him according to His purpose, only he felt unable to resist if
+the temptation came up against him. Jesus, of course, could remove the
+temptation or strengthen him if He so willed. His servant was in His
+hands.
+
+After continuing in this strain for some time he got up slowly, calm but
+hopeless. There was no way of escape for him. He took up the Bible and
+attempted again to read it; but of a sudden he put it down, and throwing
+his outspread arms on the table and bowing his head upon them he cried:
+
+“My God, forgive me! I cannot hear Thy voice, nor feel Thy presence. I
+can only see her face and feel her body.”
+
+And then hardened as by the consciousness of unforgivable blaspheming,
+he rose with set face, lit his candle, and went to bed.
+
+The week had passed much as usual with Mrs. Hooper and her husband. On
+the Tuesday he had seen most of his brother Deacons and found that they
+thought as he did. All were agreed that something should be done to
+testify to their gratitude, if indeed their pastor refused the “call.”
+ In the evening, after supper, Mr. Hooper narrated to his wife all that
+he had done and all that the others had said. When he asked for her
+opinion she approved of his efforts. A little while later she turned
+to him: “I wonder why Mr. Letgood doesn’t marry?” As she spoke she laid
+down her work. With a tender smile the Deacon drew her on to his knees
+in the armchair, and pushing up his spectacles (he had been reading a
+dissertation on the meaning of the Greek verb {--Greek word--}), said with
+infinite, playful tenderness in his voice:
+
+“Tain’t every one can find a wife like you, my dear.” He was rewarded
+for the flattering phrase with a little slap on the cheek. He continued
+thoughtfully: “Taint every one either that wants to take care of a
+wife. Some folks hain’t got much affection in ‘em, I guess; perhaps Mr.
+Letgood hain’t.” To the which Mrs. Hooper answered not in words, but her
+lips curved into what might be called a smile, a contented smile as from
+the heights of superior knowledge.
+
+Mr. Letgood’s state of mind on the Sunday morning was too complex for
+complete analysis: he did not attempt the task. He preferred to believe
+that he had told God the whole truth without any attempt at reservation.
+He had thereby placed himself in His hands, and was no longer chiefly
+responsible. He would not even think of what he was about to do, further
+than that he intended to refuse the call and to preach the sermon the
+peroration of which he had so carefully prepared. After dressing he sat
+down in his study and committed this passage to memory. He pictured
+to himself with pleasure the effect it would surely produce upon his
+hearers. When Pete came to tell him the buggy was ready to take him to
+church, he got up almost cheerfully, and went out.
+
+The weather was delightful, as it is in June in that part of the Western
+States. From midday until about four o’clock the temperature is that of
+midsummer, but the air is exceedingly dry and light, and one breathes it
+in the morning with a sense of exhilaration. While driving to church Mr.
+Letgood’s spirits rose. He chatted with his servant Pete, and even took
+the reins once for a few hundred yards. But when they neared the church
+his gaiety forsook him. He stopped talking, and appeared to be a little
+preoccupied. From time to time he courteously greeted one of his flock
+on the side-walk: but that was all. As he reached the church, the
+Partons drove up, and of course he had to speak to them. After the usual
+conventional remarks and shaking of hands, the minister turned up the
+sidewalk which led to the vestry. He had not taken more than four or
+five steps in this direction before he paused and looked up the street.
+He shrugged his shoulders, however, immediately at his own folly, and
+walked on: “Of course she couldn’t send a messenger with a note. On
+Sundays the Deacon was with her.”
+
+As he opened the vestry door, and stepped into the little room,
+he stopped short. Mrs. Hooper was there, coming towards him with
+outstretched hand and radiant smile:
+
+“Good morning Mr. Letgood, all the Deacons are here to meet you, and
+they let me come; because I was the first you told the news to, and
+because I’m sure you’re not goin’ to leave us. Besides, I wanted to
+come.”
+
+He could not help looking at her for a second as he took her hand and
+bowed:
+
+“Thank you, Mrs. Hooper.” Not trusting himself further, he began to
+shake hands with the assembled elders. In answer to one who expressed
+the hope that they would keep him, he said slowly and gravely:
+
+“I always trust something to the inspiration of the moment, but I
+confess I am greatly moved to refuse this call.”
+
+“That’s what I said,” broke in Mr. Hooper triumphantly, “and I said,
+too, there were mighty few like you, and I meant it. But we don’t want
+you to act against yourself, though we’d be mighty glad to hev you
+stay.”
+
+A chorus of “Yes, sir! Yes, indeed! That’s so” went round the room in
+warm approval, and then, as the minister did not answer save with an
+abstracted, wintry smile, the Deacons began to file into the church.
+Curiously enough Mrs. Hooper having moved away from the door during this
+scene was now, necessarily it seemed, the last to leave the room. While
+she was passing him, Mr. Letgood bent towards her and in an eager tone
+whispered:
+
+“And my answer?”
+
+Mrs. Hooper paused, as if surprised.
+
+“Oh! ain’t you men stupid,” she murmured and with a smile tossed the
+question over her shoulder: “What _did_ I come here for?”
+
+That sermon of Mr. Letgood’s is still remembered in Kansas City. It is
+not too much to say that the majority of his hearers believed him to be
+inspired. And, in truth, as an artistic performance his discourse was
+admirable. After standing for some moments with his hand upon the desk,
+apparently lost in thought, he began in the quietest tone to read the
+letter from the Deacons of the Second Baptist Church in Chicago. He then
+read his reply, begging them to give him time to consider their request
+He had considered it--prayerfully. He would read the passage of Holy
+Scripture which had suggested the answer he was about to send to
+the call. He paused again. The rustling of frocks and the occasional
+coughings ceased--the audience straining to catch the decision--while
+in a higher key he recited the verse, “For whosoever will save his life,
+shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My sake, shall find
+it.”
+
+As the violinist knows when his instrument is perfectly attuned, so Mr.
+Letgood knew when he repeated the text that his hearers had surrendered
+themselves to him to be played upon. It would be useless here to
+reproduce the sermon, which lasted for nearly an hour, and altogether
+impossible to give any account of the preacher’s gestures or dramatic
+pauses, or of the modulations and inflections of his voice, which now
+seemed to be freighted with passionate earnestness, now quivered in
+pathetic appeal, and now grew musical in the dying fall of some poetic
+phrase. The effect was astonishing. While he was speaking simply of the
+text as embodying the very spirit of the Glad Tidings which Christ first
+delivered to the world, not a few women were quietly weeping. It was
+impossible, they felt, to listen unmoved to that voice.
+
+But when he went on to show the necessity of renunciation as the first
+step towards the perfecting of character, even the hard, keen faces of
+the men before him began to relax and change expression. He dwelt, in
+turn, upon the startling novelty of Christ’s teaching and its singular
+success. He spoke of the shortness of human life, the vanity of human
+effort, and the ultimate reward of those who sacrifice themselves for
+others, as Jesus did, and out of the same divine spirit of love. He
+thus came to the peroration. He began it in the manner of serious
+conversation.
+
+All over the United States the besetting sin of the people was the
+desire of wealth. He traced the effects of the ignoble struggle for
+gain in the degradation of character, in the debased tone of public and
+private life. The main current of existence being defiled, his duty
+was clear. Even more than other men he was pledged to resist the evil
+tendency of the time. In some ways, no doubt, he was as frail and faulty
+as the weakest of his hearers, but to fail in this respect would be, he
+thought, to prove himself unworthy of his position. That a servant of
+Christ in the nineteenth century should seek wealth, or allow it in
+any way to influence his conduct, appeared to him to be much the same
+unpardonable sin as cowardice in a soldier or dishonesty in a man of
+business. He could do but little to show what the words of his text
+meant to him, but one thing he could do and would do joyously. He would
+write to the good Deacons in Chicago to tell them that he intended to
+stay in Kansas City, and to labour on among the people whom he knew and
+loved, and some of whom, he believed, knew and loved him. He would
+not be tempted by the greater position offered to him or by the larger
+salary. “_For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever
+will lose his life for My sake, shall find it_.”
+
+As his voice broke over the last words, there was scarcely a dry eye in
+the church. Many of the women were sobbing audibly, and Mrs. Hooper had
+long ago given up the attempt “to pull her tears down the back way.” She
+expressed the general sentiment of her sex when she said afterwards,
+“It was just too lovely for anythin’.” And the men were scarcely less
+affected, though they were better able to control their emotion. The
+joyous renunciation of five thousand dollars a year struck these hard
+men of business as something almost uncanny. They would have considered
+it the acme of folly in an ordinary man, but in a preacher they felt
+vaguely that it was admirable.
+
+When Deacon Hooper met his brother Deacons before the platform where the
+collection-plates were kept, he whispered, “The meetin’ is at my house
+at three o’clock. Be on time.” His tone was decided, as were also the
+nods which accepted the invitation.
+
+After the service Mr. Letgood withdrew quietly without going, as usual,
+amongst his congregation. This pleased even Mrs. Farton, whose husband
+was a judge of the Supreme Court. She said: “It was elegant of him.”
+
+Mr. Hooper received the twelve Deacons in his drawing-room, and when the
+latest comer was seated, began:
+
+“There ain’t no need for me to tell you, brethren, why I asked you all
+to come round here this afternoon. After that sermon this mornin’ I
+guess we’re all sot upon showin’ our minister that we appreciate him.
+There are mighty few men with five thousand dollars a year who’d give
+up ten thousand. It seems to me a pretty good proof that a man’s a
+Christian ef he’ll do that. Tain’t being merely a Christian: it’s
+Christ-like. We must keep Mr. Letgood right here: he’s the sort o’ man
+we want. If they come from Chicago after him now, they’ll be comin’ from
+New York next, an’ he oughtn’t to be exposed to sich great temptation.
+
+“I allow that we’ll be able to raise the pew-rents from the first of
+January next, to bring in another two thousand five hundred dollars a
+year, and I propose that we Deacons should jest put our hands deep down
+in our pockets and give Mr. Let-good that much anyway for this year, and
+promise the same for the future. I’m willin’, as senior Deacon, though
+not the richest, to start the list with three hundred dollars.”
+
+In five minutes the money was subscribed, and it was agreed that each
+man should pay in his contribution to the name of Mr. Hooper at the
+First National Bank next day; Mr. Hooper could then draw his cheque for
+the sum.
+
+“Wall,” said the Deacon, again getting up, “that’s settled, but I’ve
+drawn that cheque already. Mrs. Hooper and me talked the thing over,” he
+added half apologetically, and as if to explain his unbusinesslike
+rashness; “an’ she thinks we oughter go right now to Mr. Letgood as a
+sort of surprise party an’ tell him what we hev decided--that is, ef
+you’re all agreed.”
+
+They were, although one or two objected to a “surprise party” being held
+on Sunday. But Deacon Hooper overruled the objection by saying that
+he could find no better _word_, though of course ‘twas really not a
+“surprise party.” After this explanation, some one proposed that Deacon
+Hooper should make the presentation, and that Mrs. Hooper should be
+asked to accompany them. When Mr. Hooper went into the dining-room to
+find, his wife she was already dressed to go out, and when he expressed
+surprise and delivered himself of his mission, she said simply:
+
+“Why, I only dressed to go and see Mrs. Jones, who’s ill, but I guess
+I’ll go along with you first.”
+
+The same afternoon Mr. Letgood was seated in his study considering a
+sermon for the evening--it would have to be very different from that of
+the morning, he felt, or else it would fall flat.
+
+He still avoided thinking of his position. The die was cast now, and
+having struggled hard against the temptation he tried to believe that he
+was not chiefly responsible. In the back of his mind was the knowledge
+that his responsibility would become clear to him some time or other,
+but he confined it in the furthest chamber of his brain with repentance
+as the guardian.
+
+He had just decided that his evening address must be doctrinal and
+argumentative, when he became aware of steps in the drawing-room.
+Opening the door he found himself face to face with his Deacons. Before
+he could speak, Deacon Hooper began:
+
+“Mr. Letgood! We, the Deacons of your church, hev come to see you. We
+want to tell you how we appreciate your decision this mornin’. It was
+Christlike! And we’re all proud of you, an’ glad you’re goin’ to stay
+with us. But we allow that it ain’t fair or to be expected that you
+should refuse ten thousand dollars a year with only five. So we’ve
+made a purse for this year among ourselves of two thousand five hundred
+dollars extry, which we hope you’ll accept. Next year the pew-rents can
+be raised to bring in the same sum; anyway, it shall be made up.
+
+“There ain’t no use in talkin’; but you, sir, hev jest sot us an example
+of how one who loves the Lord Jesus, and Him only, should act, and we
+ain’t goin’ to remain far behind. No, sir, we ain’t Thar’s the cheque.”
+
+As he finished speaking, tears stood in the kind, honest, blue eyes.
+
+Mr. Letgood took the cheque mechanically, and mechanically accepted at
+
+the same time the Deacon’s outstretched hand; but his eyes sought Mrs.
+Hooper’s, who stood behind the knot of men with her handkerchief to her
+face. In a moment or two, recalled to himself by the fact that one after
+the other all the Deacons wanted to shake his hand, he tried to sustain
+his part in the ceremony. He said:
+
+“My dear brothers, I thank you each and all, and accept your gift in the
+spirit in which you offer it. I need not say that I knew nothing of your
+intention when I preached this morning. It is not the money that I’m
+thinking of now, but your kindness. I thank you again.”
+
+After a few minutes’ casual conversation, consisting chiefly of praise
+of the “wonderful discourse” of the morning, Mr. Letgood proposed
+that they should all have iced coffee with him; there was nothing so
+refreshing; he wanted them to try it; and though he was a bachelor, if
+Mrs. Hooper would kindly give her assistance and help him with his
+cook, he was sure they would enjoy a glass. With a smile she consented.
+Stepping into the passage after her and closing the door, he said
+hurriedly, with anger and suspicion in his voice:
+
+“You didn’t get this up as my answer? You didn’t think I’d take money
+instead, did you?”
+
+Demurely, Mrs. Hooper turned her head round as he spoke, and leaning
+against him while he put his arms round her waist, answered with arch
+reproach:
+
+“You are just too silly for anythin’.”
+
+Then, with something like the movement of a cat loath to lose the
+contact of the caressing hand, she turned completely towards him and
+slowly lifted her eyes. Their lips met.
+
+21 April. 1891.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: A Modern Idyll
+
+Author: Frank Harris
+
+Release Date: October 12, 2007 [EBook #23009]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A MODERN IDYLL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+A MODERN IDYLL
+
+By Frank Harris
+
+
+"I call it real good of you, Mr. Letgood, to come and see me. Won't you
+be seated?"
+
+"Thank you. It's very warm to-day; and as I didn't feel like reading or
+writing, I thought I'd come round."
+
+"You're just too kind for anythin'! To come an' pay me a visit when you
+must be tired out with yesterday's preachin'. An' what a sermon you gave
+us in the mornin'--it was too sweet. I had to wink my eyes pretty hard,
+an' pull the tears down the back way, or I should have cried right
+out--and Mrs. Jones watchin' me all the time under that dreadful
+bonnet."
+
+Mrs. Hooper had begun with a shade of nervousness in the hurried words;
+but the emotion disappeared as she took up a comfortable pose in the
+corner of the small sofa.
+
+The Rev. John Letgood, having seated himself in an armchair, looked at
+her intently before replying. She was well worth looking at, this Mrs.
+Hooper, as she leaned back on the cushions in her cool white dress,
+which was so thin and soft and well-fitting that her form could be seen
+through it almost as clearly as through water. She appeared to be about
+eighteen years old, and in reality was not yet twenty. At first sight
+one would have said of her, "a pretty girl;" but an observant eye on
+the second glance would have noticed those contradictions in face and in
+form which bear witness to a certain complexity of nature. Her features
+were small, regular, and firmly cut; the long, brown eyes looked out
+confidently under straight, well-defined brows; but the forehead was
+low, and the sinuous lips a vivid red. So, too, the slender figure and
+narrow hips formed a contrast with the throat, which pouted in soft,
+white fulness.
+
+"I am glad you liked the sermon," said the minister, breaking the
+silence, "for it is not probable that you will hear many more from me."
+There was just a shade of sadness in the lower tone with which he ended
+the phrase. He let the sad note drift in unconsciously--by dint of
+practice he had become an artist in the management of his voice.
+
+"You don't say!" exclaimed Mrs. Hooper, sitting up straight in her
+excitement "You ain't goin' to leave us, I hope?"
+
+"Why do you pretend, Belle, to misunderstand me? You know I said three
+months ago that if you didn't care for me I should have to leave this
+place. And yesterday I told you that you must make up your mind at once,
+as I was daily expecting a call to Chicago. Now I have come for your
+answer, and you treat me as if I were a stranger, and you knew nothing
+of what I feel for you."
+
+"Oh!" she sighed, languorously nestling back into the corner. "Is that
+all? I thought for a moment the 'call' had come."
+
+"No, it has not yet; but I am resolved to get an answer from you to-day,
+or I shall go away, call or no call."
+
+"What would Nettie Williams say if she heard you?" laughed Mrs. Hooper,
+with mischievous delight in her eyes.
+
+"Now, Belle," he said in tender remonstrance, leaning forward and taking
+the small cool hand in his, "what is my answer to be? Do you love me? Or
+am I to leave Kansas City, and try somewhere else to get again into the
+spirit of my work? God forgive me, but I want you to tell me to stay.
+Will you?"
+
+"Of course I will," she returned, while slowly withdrawing her hand.
+"There ain't any one wants you to go, and why should you?"
+
+"Why? Because my passion for you prevents me from doing my work. You
+tease and torture me with doubt, and when I should be thinking of my
+duties I am wondering whether or not you care for me. Do you love me? I
+must have a plain answer."
+
+"Love you?" she repeated pensively. "I hardly know, but--"
+
+"But what?" he asked impatiently.
+
+"But--I must just see after the pies; this 'help' of ours is Irish, an'
+doesn't know enough to turn them in the oven. And Mr. Hooper don't like
+burnt pies."
+
+She spoke with coquettish gravity, and got up to go out of the room. But
+when Mr. Letgood also rose, she stopped and smiled--waiting perhaps for
+him to take his leave. As he did not speak she shook out her frock
+and then pulled down her bodice at the waist and drew herself up, thus
+throwing into relief the willowy outlines of her girlish form. The
+provocative grace, unconscious or intentional, of the attitude was not
+lost on her admirer. For an instant he stood irresolute, but when she
+stepped forward to pass him, he seemed to lose his self-control, and,
+putting his arms round her, tried to kiss her. With serpent speed and
+litheness she bowed her head against his chest, and slipped out of the
+embrace. On reaching the door she paused to say, over her shoulder: "If
+you'll wait, I'll be back right soon;" then, as if a new thought had
+occurred to her, she added turning to him: "The Deacon told me he was
+coming home early to-day, and he'd be real sorry to miss you."
+
+As she disappeared, he took up his hat, and left the house.
+
+It was about four o'clock on a day in mid-June. The sun was pouring down
+rays of liquid flame; the road, covered inches deep in fine white dust,
+and the wooden side-walks glowed with the heat, but up and down the
+steep hills went the minister unconscious of physical discomfort.
+
+"Does she care for me, or not? Why can't she tell me plainly? The
+teasing creature! Did she give me the hint to go because she was afraid
+her husband would come in? Or did she want to get rid of me in order not
+to answer?... She wasn't angry with me for putting my arms round her,
+and yet she wouldn't let me kiss her. Why not? She doesn't love him.
+She married him because she was poor, and he was rich and a deacon. She
+can't love him. He must be fifty-five if he's a day. Perhaps she doesn't
+love me either--the little flirt! But how seductive she is, and what a
+body, so round and firm and supple--not thin at all. I have the feel of
+it on my hands now--I can't stand this."
+
+Shaking himself vigorously, he abandoned his meditation, which, like
+many similar ones provoked by Mrs. Hooper, had begun in vexation and
+ended in passionate desire. Becoming aware of the heat and dust, he
+stood still, took off his hat, and wiped his forehead.
+
+The Rev. John Letgood was an ideal of manhood to many women. He was
+largely built, but not ungainly--the coarseness of the hands being the
+chief indication of his peasant ancestry. His head was rather round, and
+strongly set on broad shoulders; the nose was straight and well formed;
+the dark eyes, however, were somewhat small, and the lower part of the
+face too massive, though both chin and jaw were clearly marked. A long,
+thick, brown moustache partly concealed the mouth; the lower lip could
+just be seen, a little heavy, and sensual; the upper one was certainly
+flexile and suasive. A good-looking man of thirty, who must have been
+handsome when he was twenty, though even then, probably, too much drawn
+by the pleasures of the senses to have had that distinction of person
+which seems to be reserved for those who give themselves to thought
+or high emotions. On entering his comfortable house, he was met by his
+negro "help," who handed him his "mail": "I done brot these, Massa;
+they's all." "Thanks, Pete," he replied abstractedly, going into his
+cool study. He flung himself into an armchair before the writing-table,
+and began to read the letters. Two were tossed aside carelessly, but on
+opening the third he sat up with a quick exclamation. Here at last
+was the "call" he had been expecting, a "call" from the deacons of the
+Second Baptist Church in Chicago, asking him to come and minister to
+their spiritual wants, and offering him ten thousand dollars a year for
+his services.
+
+For a moment exultation overcame every other feeling in the man. A light
+flashed in his eyes as he exclaimed aloud: "It was that sermon did it!
+What a good thing it was that I knew their senior deacon was in the
+church on purpose to hear me! How well I brought in the apostrophe on
+the cultivation of character that won me the prize at college! Ah, I
+have never done anything finer than that, never! and perhaps never shall
+now. I had been reading Channing then for months, was steeped in him;
+but Channing has nothing as good as that in all his works. It has more
+weight and dignity--dignity is the word--than anything he wrote. And
+to think of its bringing me this! Ten thousand dollars a year and the
+second church in Chicago, while here they think me well paid with five.
+Chicago! I must accept it at once. Who knows, perhaps I shall get to New
+York yet, and move as many thousands as here I move hundreds. No! not I.
+I do not move them. I am weak and sinful. It is the Holy Spirit, and the
+power of His grace. O Lord, I am thankful to Thee who hast been good to
+me unworthy!" A pang of fear shot through him: "Perhaps He sends this to
+win me away from Belle." His fancy called her up before him as she had
+lain on the sofa. Again he saw the bright malicious glances and the red
+lips, the full white throat, and the slim roundness of her figure. He
+bowed his head upon his hands and groaned. "O Lord, help me! I know not
+what to do. Help me, O Lord!"
+
+As if prompted by a sudden inspiration, he started to his feet. "Now
+she must answer! Now what will she say? Here _is_ the call. Ten thousand
+dollars a year! What will she say to that?"
+
+He spoke aloud in his excitement, all that was masculine in him glowing
+with the sense of hard-won mastery over the tantalizing evasiveness of
+the woman.
+
+On leaving his house he folded up the letter, thrust it into the
+breast-pocket of his frock-coat, and strode rapidly up the hill towards
+Mrs. Hooper's. At first he did not even think of her last words, but
+when he had gone up and down the first hill and was beginning to climb
+the second they suddenly came back to him. He did not want to meet her
+husband--least of all now. He paused. What should he do? Should he wait
+till to-morrow? No, that was out of the question; he couldn't wait. He
+must know what answer to send to the call. If Deacon Hooper happened
+to be at home he would talk to him about the door of the vestry, which
+would not shut properly. If the Deacon was not there, he would see her
+and force a confession from her....
+
+While the shuttle of his thought flew thus to and fro, he did not at all
+realize that he was taking for granted what he had refused to believe
+half an hour before. He felt certain now that Deacon Hooper would not
+be in, and that Mrs. Hooper had got rid of him on purpose to avoid his
+importunate love-making. When he reached the house and rang the bell his
+first question was:
+
+"Is the Deacon at home?"
+
+"No, sah."
+
+"Is Mrs. Hooper in?"
+
+"Yes, sah."
+
+"Please tell her I should like to see her for a moment. I will not keep
+her long. Say it's very important."
+
+"Yes, Massa, I bring her shuah," said the negress with a good-natured
+grin, opening the door of the drawing-room.
+
+In a minute or two Mrs. Hooper came into the room looking as cool and
+fresh as if "pies" were baked in ice.
+
+"Good day, _again_ Mr. Letgood. Won't you take a chair?"
+
+He seemed to feel the implied reproach, for without noticing her
+invitation to sit down he came to the point at once. Plunging his hand
+into his pocket, he handed her the letter from Chicago.
+
+She took it with the quick interest of curiosity, but as she read, the
+colour deepened in her cheeks, and before she had finished it she broke
+out, "Ten thousand dollars a year!"
+
+As she gave the letter back she did not raise her eyes, but said
+musingly: "That is a call indeed..." Staring straight before her she
+added: "How strange it should come to-day! Of course you'll accept it."
+
+A moment, and she darted the question at him:
+
+"Does she know? Have you told Miss Williams yet? But there, I suppose
+you have!" After another pause, she went on:
+
+"What a shame to take you away just when we had all got to know and like
+you! I suppose we shall have some old fogey now who will preach against
+dancin' an' spellin'-bees an' surprise-parties. And, of course, he won't
+like me, or come here an' call as often as you do--makin' the other
+girls jealous. I shall hate the change!" And in her innocent excitement
+she slowly lifted her brown eyes to his.
+
+"You know you're talking nonsense, Belle," he replied, with grave
+earnestness. "I've come for _your_ answer. If you wish me to stay, if
+you really care for me, I shall refuse this offer."
+
+"You don't tell!" she exclaimed. "Refuse ten thousand dollars a year
+and a church in Chicago to stay here in Kansas City! I know I shouldn't!
+Why," and she fixed her eyes on his as she spoke, "you must be real good
+even to think of such a thing. But then, you won't refuse," she added,
+pouting. "No one would," she concluded, with profound conviction.
+
+"Oh, yes," answered the minister, moving to her and quietly putting both
+hands on her waist, while his voice seemed to envelope and enfold her
+with melodious tenderness.
+
+"Oh, yes, I shall refuse it, Belle, if _you_ wish me to; refuse it as
+I should ten times as great a prize, as I think I should refuse--God
+forgive me!--heaven itself, if you were not there to make it beautiful."
+
+While speaking he drew her to him gently; her body yielded to his touch,
+and her gaze, as if fascinated, was drawn into his. But when the flow
+of words ceased, and he bent to kiss her, the spell seemed to lose its
+power over her. In an instant she wound herself out of his arms, and
+with startled eyes aslant whispered:
+
+"Hush! he's coming! Don't you hear his step?" As Mr. Letgood went again
+towards her with a tenderly reproachful and incredulous "Now, Belle,"
+she stamped impatiently on the floor while exclaiming in a low, but
+angry voice, "Do take care! That's the Deacon's step."
+
+At the same moment her companion heard it too. The sounds were distinct
+on the wooden side-walk, and when they ceased at the little gate four or
+five yards from the house he knew that she was right.
+
+He pulled himself together, and with a man's untimely persistence spoke
+hurriedly:
+
+"I shall wait for your answer till Sunday morning next. Before then you
+must have assured me of your love, or I shall go to Chicago--"
+
+Mrs. Hooper's only reply was a contemptuous, flashing look that
+succeeded in reducing the importunate clergyman to silence--just in
+time--for as the word "Chicago" passed his lips the handle of the door
+turned, and Deacon Hooper entered the room.
+
+"Why, how do you do, Mr. Letgood?" said the Deacon cordially. "I'm glad
+to see you, sir, as you are too, I'm sartin," he added, turning to his
+wife and putting his arms round her waist and his lips to her cheek in
+an affectionate caress. "Take a seat, won't you? It's too hot to stand."
+As Mrs. Hooper sank down beside him on the sofa and their visitor drew
+over a chair, he went on, taking up again the broken thread of his
+thought. "No one thinks more of you than Isabelle. She said only last
+Sunday there warn't such a preacher as you west of the Mississippi
+River. How's that for high, eh?"--And then, still seeking back like a
+dog on a lost scent, he added, looking from his wife to the clergyman,
+as if recalled to a sense of the actualities of the situation by a
+certain constraint in their manner, "But what's that I heard about
+Chicago? There ain't nothin' fresh--Is there?"
+
+"Oh," replied Mrs. Hooper, with a look of remonstrance thrown sideways
+at her admirer, while with a woman's quick decision she at once cut the
+knot, "I guess there is something fresh. Mr. Letgood, just think of it,
+has had a 'call' from the Second Baptist Church in Chicago, and it's
+ten thousand dollars a year. Now who's right about his preachin'? And he
+ain't goin' to accept it. He's goin' to stay right here. At least," she
+added coyly, "he said he'd refuse it--didn't you?"
+
+The Deacon stared from one to the other as Mr. Letgood, with a forced
+half-laugh which came from a dry throat, answered: "That would be going
+perhaps a little too far. I said," he went on, catching a coldness in
+the glance of the brown eyes, "I wished to refuse it. But of course I
+shall have to consider the matter thoroughly--and seek for guidance."
+
+"Wall," said the Deacon in amazement, "ef that don't beat everythin'.
+I guess nobody would refuse an offer like that. _Ten thousand dollars
+a year!_ Ten thousand. Why, that's twice what you're get-tin' here. You
+can't refuse that. I know you wouldn't ef you war' a son of mine--as
+you might be. Ten thousand. No, sir. An' the Second Baptist Church in
+Chicago is the first; it's the best, the richest, the largest. There
+ain't no sort of comparison between it and the First. No, sir! There
+ain't none. Why, James P. Willis, him as was here and heard you--that's
+how it came about, that's how!--he's the senior Deacon of it, an' I
+guess he can count dollars with any man this side of New York. Yes, sir,
+with any man west of the Alleghany Mountains." The breathless excitement
+of the good Deacon changed gradually as he realized that his hearers
+were not in sympathy with him, and his speech became almost solemn in
+its impressiveness as he continued. "See here! This ain't a thing to
+waste. Ten thousand dollars a year to start with, an' the best church
+in Chicago, you can't expect to do better than that. Though you're young
+still, when the chance comes, it should be gripped."
+
+"Oh, pshaw!" broke in Mrs. Hooper irritably, twining her fingers and
+tapping the carpet with her foot, "Mr. Letgood doesn't want to leave
+Kansas City. Don't you understand? Perhaps he likes the folk here just
+as well as any in Chicago." No words could describe the glance which
+accompanied this. It was appealing, and coquettish, and triumphant, and
+the whole battery was directed full on Mr. Let-good, who had by this
+time recovered his self-possession.
+
+"Of course," he said, turning to the Deacon and overlooking Mrs.
+Hooper's appeal, "I know all that, and I don't deny that the 'call' at
+first seemed to draw me." Here his voice dropped as if he were speaking
+to himself: "It offers a wider and a higher sphere of work, but there's
+work, too, to be done here, and I don't know that the extra salary
+ought to tempt me. _Take neither scrip nor money in your purse_," and he
+smiled, "you know."
+
+"Yes," said the Deacon, his eyes narrowing as if amazement were giving
+place to a new emotion; "yes, but that ain't meant quite literally, I
+reckon. Still, it's fer you to judge. But ef you refuse ten thousand
+dollars a year, why, there are mighty few who would, and that's all I've
+got to say--mighty few," he added emphatically, and stood up as if to
+shake off the burden of a new and, therefore, unwelcome thought.
+
+When the minister also rose, the physical contrast between the two men
+became significant. Mr. Let-good's heavy frame, due to self-indulgence
+or to laziness, might have been taken as a characteristic product of the
+rich, western prairies, while Deacon Hooper was of the pure Yankee type.
+His figure was so lank and spare that, though not quite so tall as his
+visitor, he appeared to be taller. His face was long and angular; the
+round, clear, blue eyes, the finest feature of it, the narrowness of
+the forehead the worst. The mouth-corners were drawn down, and the lips
+hardened to a line by constant compression. No trace of sensuality. How
+came this man, grey with age, to marry a girl whose appeal to the senses
+was already so obvious? The eyes and prominent temples of the idealist
+supplied the answer. Deacon Hooper was a New Englander, trained in the
+bitterest competition for wealth, and yet the Yankee in him masked a
+fund of simple, kindly optimism, which showed itself chiefly in his
+devoted affection for his wife. He had not thought of his age when he
+married, but of her and her poverty. And possibly he was justified. The
+snow-garment of winter protects the tender spring wheat.
+
+"It's late," Mr. Letgood began slowly, "I must be going home now. I
+thought you might like to hear the news, as you are my senior Deacon.
+Your advice seems excellent; I shall weigh the 'call' carefully;
+but"--with a glance at Mrs. Hooper--"I am disposed to refuse it." No
+answering look came to him. He went on firmly and with emphasis, "_I
+wish_ to refuse it.--Good day, Mrs. Hooper, _till next Sunday_. Good
+day, Deacon."
+
+"Good day, Mr. Letgood," she spoke with a little air of precise
+courtesy.
+
+"Good day, sir," replied the Deacon, cordially shaking the proffered
+hand, while he accompanied his pastor to the street door.
+
+The sun was sinking, and some of the glory of the sunset colouring
+seemed to be reflected in Deacon Hooper's face, as he returned to the
+drawing-room and said with profound conviction:--
+
+"Isabelle, that man's jest about as good as they make them. He's what I
+call a real Christian--one that thinks of duty first and himself last.
+Ef that ain't a Christian, I'd like to know what is."
+
+"Yes," she rejoined meditatively, as she busied herself arranging the
+chairs and tidying the sofa into its usual stiff primness; "I guess he's
+a good man." And her cheek flushed softly.
+
+"Wall," he went on warmly, "I reckon we ought to do somethin' in this.
+There ain't no question but he fills the church. Ef we raised the
+pew-rents we could offer him an increase of salary to stay--I guess that
+could be done."
+
+"Oh! don't do anything," exclaimed the wife, as if awaking to the
+significance of this proposal, "anyway not until he has decided. It
+would look--mean, don't you think? to offer him somethin' more to stay."
+
+"I don't know but you're right, Isabelle; I don't know but you're
+right," repeated her husband thoughtfully. "It'll look better if he
+decides before hearin' from us. There ain't no harm, though, in thinkin'
+the thing over and speakin' to the other Deacons about it. I'll kinder
+find out what they feel."
+
+"Yes," she replied mechanically, almost as if she had not heard.
+"Yes, that's all right." And she slowly straightened the cloth on the
+centre-table, given over again to her reflections.
+
+Mr. Letgood walked home, ate his supper, went to bed and slept that
+night as only a man does whose nervous system has been exhausted by
+various and intense emotions. He even said his prayers by rote. And
+like a child he slept with tightly-clenched fists, for in him, as in the
+child, the body's claims were predominant.
+
+When he awoke next morning, the sun was shining in at his bedroom
+window, and at once his thoughts went back to the scenes and emotions
+of the day before. An unusual liveliness of memory enabled him to review
+the very words which Mrs. Hooper had used. He found nothing to regret.
+He had certainly gained ground by telling her of the call. The torpor
+which had come upon him the previous evening formed a complete contrast
+to the blithesome vigour he now enjoyed. He seemed to himself to be a
+different man, recreated, as it were, and endowed with fresh springs of
+life. While he lay in the delightful relaxation and warmth of the bed,
+and looked at the stream of sunshine which flowed across the room, he
+became confident that all would go right.
+
+"Yes," he decided, "she cares for me, or she would never have wished me
+to stay. Even the Deacon helped me--" The irony of the fact shocked him.
+He would not think of it. He might get a letter from her by two o'clock.
+With pleasure thrilling through every nerve, he imagined how she would
+word her confession. For she had yielded to him; he had felt her body
+move towards him and had seen the surrender in her eyes. While musing
+thus, passion began to stir in him, and with passion impatience.
+
+"Only half-past six o'clock," he said to himself, pushing his watch
+again under the pillow; "eight hours to wait till mail time. Eight
+endless hours. What a plague!"
+
+His own irritation annoyed him, and he willingly took up again the
+thread of his amorous reverie: "What a radiant face she has, what fine
+nervefulness in the slim fingers, what softness in the full throat!"
+Certain incidents in his youth before he had studied for the ministry
+came back to him, bringing the blood to his cheeks and making his
+temples throb. As the recollections grew vivid they became a torment. To
+regain quiet pulses he forced his mind to dwell upon the details of his
+"conversion"--his sudden resolve to live a new life and to give himself
+up to the service of the divine Master. The yoke was not easy; the
+burden was not light. On the contrary. He remembered innumerable
+contests with his rebellious flesh, contests in which he was never
+completely victorious for more than a few days together, but in which,
+especially during the first heat of the new enthusiasm, he had struggled
+desperately. Had his efforts been fruitless?...
+
+He thought with pride of his student days--mornings given to books and
+to dreams of the future, and evenings marked by passionate emotions, new
+companions reinspiring him continually with fresh ardour. The time spent
+at college was the best of his life. He had really striven, then, as few
+strive, to deserve the prize of his high calling. During those years, it
+seemed to him, he had been all that an earnest Christian should be.
+He recalled, with satisfaction, the honours he had won in Biblical
+knowledge and in history, and the more easily gained rewards for
+rhetoric. It was only natural that he should have been immediately
+successful as a preacher. How often he had moved his flock to tears! No
+wonder he had got on.
+
+Those first successes, and the pleasures which they brought with them of
+gratified vanity, had resulted in turning him from a Christian into an
+orator. He understood this dimly, but he thrust back the unwelcome truth
+with the reflection that his triumphs in the pulpit dated from the time
+when he began consciously to treat preaching as an art. After all, was
+he not there to win souls to Christ, and had not Christ himself praised
+the wisdom of the serpent? Then came the change from obscurity and
+narrow living in the country to Kansas City and luxury. He had been wise
+in avoiding that girl at Pleasant Hill. He smiled complacently as he
+thought of her dress, manners, and speech. Yet she was pretty, very
+pretty, and she had loved him with the exclusiveness of womanhood, but
+still he had done right. He congratulated himself upon his intuitive
+knowledge that there were finer girls in the world to be won. He had not
+fettered himself foolishly through pity or weakness.
+
+During his ten years of life as a student and minister he had been
+chaste. He had not once fallen into flagrant sin. His fervour of
+unquestioning faith had saved him at the outset, and, later, habit and
+prudence. He lingered over his first meeting with Mrs. Hooper. He had
+not thought much of her then, he remembered, although she had appeared
+to him to be pretty and perfectly dressed. She had come before him as an
+embodiment of delicacy and refinement, and her charm had increased, as
+he began, in spite of himself, to notice her peculiar seductiveness.
+Recollecting how insensibly the fascination which she exercised over
+him had grown, and the sudden madness of desire that had forced him to
+declare his passion, he moaned with vexation. If only she had not
+been married. What a fatality! How helpless man was, tossed hither and
+thither by the waves of trivial circumstance!
+
+She had certainly encouraged him; it was her alternate moods of yielding
+and reserve which had awakened his senses. She had been flattered by his
+admiration, and had sought to call it forth. But, in the beginning, at
+least, he had struggled against the temptation. He had prayed for help
+in the sore combat--how often and how earnestly!--but no help had come.
+Heaven had been deaf to his entreaties. And he had soon realized that
+struggling in this instance was of no avail. He loved her; he desired
+her with every nerve of his body.
+
+There was hardly any use in trying to fight against such a craving as
+that, he thought. But yet, in his heart of hearts, he was conscious that
+his religious enthusiasm, the aspiration towards the ideal life and the
+reverence for Christ's example, would bring about at least one supreme
+conflict in which his passion might possibly be overcome. He dreaded the
+crisis, the outcome of which he foresaw would be decisive for his whole
+life. He wanted to let himself slide quietly down the slope; but all the
+while he felt that something in him would never consent thus to endanger
+his hopes of Heaven.
+
+And Hell! He hated the thought! He strove to put it away from him, but
+it would not be denied. His early habits of self-analysis reasserted
+themselves. What if his impatience of the idea were the result of
+obdurate sinfulness--sinfulness which might never be forgiven? He
+compelled himself, therefore, to think of Hell, tried to picture it to
+himself, and the soft, self-indulgent nature of the man shuddered as he
+realized the meaning of the word. At length the torture grew too acute.
+He would not think any longer; he could not; he would strive to do the
+right. "O Lord!" he exclaimed, as he slipped out of bed on to his knees,
+"O Christ! help Thy servant! Pity me, and aid!" Yet, while the words
+broke from his lips in terrified appeal, he knew that he did not wish to
+be helped. He rose to his feet in sullen dissatisfaction.
+
+The happy alertness which he had enjoyed at his waking had disappeared;
+the self-torment of the last few minutes had tired him; disturbed and
+vexed in mind, he began to dress. While moving about in the sunlight
+his thoughts gradually became more cheerful, and by the time he left his
+room he had regained his good spirits.
+
+After a short stroll he went into his study and read the daily paper.
+He then took up a book till dinner-time. He dined, and afterwards forgot
+himself in a story of African travels. It was only the discomfort of the
+intense heat which at length reminded him that, though it was now past
+two o'clock, he had received no letter from Mrs. Hooper. But he was
+resolved not to think about her, for thoughts of her, he knew, would
+lead to fears concerning the future, which would in turn force him to
+decide upon a course of action. If he determined to commit the sin, his
+guilt would thereby be increased, and he would not pledge himself to
+refrain from it. "She couldn't write last night with the Deacon at her
+elbow all the time," he decided, and began to read again. Darkness had
+fallen before he remembered that he owed an immediate answer to the
+letter from Chicago. After a little consideration, he sat down and wrote
+as follows:
+
+     "Dear Brothers in Christ,
+
+     "Your letter has just reached me. Needless to say it has
+     touched me deeply. You call me to a wider ministry and more
+     arduous duties. The very munificence of the remuneration
+     which you offer leads me to doubt my own fitness for so high
+     a post. You must bear with me a little, and grant me a few
+     days for reflection. The 'call,' as you know, must be
+     answered from within, from the depths of my soul, before I
+     can be certain that it comes from Above, and this Divine
+     assurance has not yet been vouchsafed to me.
+
+     "I was born and brought up here in Missouri, where I am now
+     labouring, not without--to Jesus be the praise!--some
+     small measure of success. I have many ties here, and many
+     dear friends and fellow-workers in Christ's vineyard from
+     whom I could not part without great pain. But I will
+     prayerfully consider your request. I shall seek for guidance
+     where alone it is to be found, at the foot of the Great
+     White Throne, and within a week or so at most I hope to be
+     able to answer you with the full and joyous certitude of the
+     Divine blessing.
+
+     "In the meantime, believe that I thank you deeply, dear
+     Brethren, for your goodness to me, and that I shall pray in
+     Jesus' Name that the blessing of the Holy Ghost may be with
+     you abundantly now and for evermore.
+
+     "Your loving Servant in Christ,
+
+     "John P. Letgood."
+
+He liked this letter so much that he read it over a great many times.
+It committed him to nothing; it was dignified and yet sufficiently
+grateful, and the large-hearted piety which appeared to inform it
+pleased him even more than the alliteration of the words "born and
+brought up." He had at first written "born and reared;" but in spite
+of the fear lest "brought up" should strike the simple Deacons of the
+Second Baptist Church in Chicago as unfamiliar and far-fetched, he could
+not resist the assonance. After directing the letter he went upstairs to
+bed, and his prayers that night were more earnest than they had been of
+late--perhaps because he avoided the dangerous topic. The exercise of
+his talent as a letter-writer having put him on good terms with himself,
+he slept soundly.
+
+When he awoke in the morning his mood had changed. The day was cloudy;
+a thunderstorm was brewing, and had somehow affected his temper. As soon
+as he opened his eyes he was aware of the fact that Mrs. Hooper had not
+written to him, even on Tuesday morning, when she must have been
+free, for the Deacon always went early to his dry-goods store. The
+consciousness of this neglect irritated him beyond measure. He tried,
+therefore, to think of Chicago and the persons who frequented the Second
+Baptist Church. Perhaps, he argued, they were as much ahead of the
+people in Kansas City as Mrs. Hooper was superior to any woman he had
+previously known. But on this way of thought he could not go far. The
+houses in Chicago were no doubt much finer, the furniture more elegant;
+the living, too, was perhaps better, though he could not imagine how
+that could be; there might even be cleverer and handsomer women there
+than Mrs. Hooper; but certainly no one lived in Chicago or anywhere else
+in the world who could tempt and bewitch him as she did. She was formed
+to his taste, made to his desire. As he recalled her, now laughing
+at him; now admiring him; to-day teasing him with coldness, to-morrow
+encouraging him, he realized with exasperation that her contradictions
+constituted her charm. He acknowledged reluctantly that her odd turns of
+speech tickled his intellect just as her lithe grace of movement excited
+his senses. But the number and strength of the ties that bound him to
+her made his anger keener. Where could she hope to find such love as
+his? She ought to write to him. Why didn't she? How could he come to
+a decision before he knew whether she loved him or not? In any case he
+would show her that he was a man. He would not try to see her until she
+had written--not under any circumstances.
+
+After dinner and mail time his thoughts ran in another channel. In
+reality she was not anything so wonderful. Most men, he knew, did
+not think her more than pretty; "pretty Mrs. Hooper" was what she was
+usually called--nothing more. No one ever dreamed of saying she was
+beautiful or fascinating. No; she was pretty, and that was all. He was
+the only person in Kansas City or perhaps in the world to whom she was
+altogether and perfectly desirable. She had no reason to be so conceited
+or to presume on her power over him. If she were the wonder she thought
+herself she would surely have married some one better than old Hooper,
+with his lank figure, grey hairs, and Yankee twang. He took a pleasure
+in thus depreciating the woman he loved--it gave his anger vent, and
+seemed to make her acquisition more probable. When the uselessness of
+the procedure became manifest to him, he found that his doubts of her
+affection had crystallized.
+
+This was the dilemma; she had not written either out of coquetry or
+because she did not really care for him. If the former were the true
+reason, she was cruel; if the latter, she ought to tell him so at once,
+and he would try to master himself. On no hypothesis was she justified
+in leaving him without a word. Tortured alternately by fear, hope, and
+anger, he paced up and down his study all the day long. Now, he said to
+himself, he would go and see her, and forthwith he grew calm--that was
+what his nature desired. But the man in him refused to be so servile.
+He had told her that she must write; to that he would hold, whatever it
+cost him. Again, he broke out in bitter blame of her.
+
+At length he made up his mind to strive to forget her. But what if she
+really cared for him, loved him as he loved her? In that case if he went
+away she would be miserable, as wretched as he would be. How unkind it
+was of her to leave him without a decided answer, when he could not help
+thinking of her happiness! No; she did not love him. He had read enough
+about women and seen enough of them to imagine that they never torture
+the man they really love. He would give her up and throw himself again
+into his work. He could surely do that. Then he remembered that she
+was married, and must, of course, see that she would risk her
+position--everything--by declaring her love. Perhaps prudence kept her
+silent. Once more he was plunged in doubt.
+
+He was glad when supper was ready, for that brought, at least for half
+an hour, freedom from thought. After the meal was finished he realized
+that he was weary of it all--heart-sick of the suspense. The storm
+broke, and the flashing of the lightning and the falling sheets of rain
+brought him relief. The air became lighter and purer. He went to bed and
+slept heavily.
+
+On the Thursday morning he awoke refreshed, and at once determined
+not to think about Mrs. Hooper. It only needed resolution, he said to
+himself, in order to forget her entirely. Her indifference, shown in not
+writing to him, should be answered in that way. He took up his pocket
+Bible, and opened it at the Gospels. The beautiful story soon exercised
+its charm upon his impressionable nature, and after a couple of hours'
+reading he closed the book comforted, and restored to his better self.
+He fell on his knees and thanked God for this crowning mercy. From his
+heart went forth a hymn of praise for the first time in long weeks. The
+words of the Man of Sorrows had lifted him above the slough. The marvel
+of it! How could he ever thank Him enough? His whole life should now be
+devoted to setting forth the wonders of His grace. When he arose he felt
+at peace with himself and full of goodwill to every one. He could even
+think of Mrs. Hooper calmly--with pity and grave kindliness.
+
+After his midday dinner and a brisk walk-->he paid no attention to the
+mail time--he prepared to write the sermon which he intended to preach
+as his farewell to his congregation on the following Sunday. He was
+determined now to leave Kansas City and go to Chicago. But as soon as he
+began to consider what he should say, he became aware of a difficulty.
+He could talk and write of accepting the "call" because it gave him "a
+wider ministry," and so forth, but the ugly fact would obtrude itself
+that he was relinquishing five thousand dollars a year to accept ten,
+and he was painfully conscious that this knowledge would be uppermost in
+the minds of his hearers. Most men in his position would have easily
+put the objection out of their minds. But he could not put it aside
+carelessly, and it was characteristic of him to exaggerate its
+importance. He dearly loved to play what the French call _le beau
+r�le_, even at the cost of his self-interest. Of a sensitive, artistic
+temperament, he had for years nourished his intellect with good books.
+He had always striven, too, to set before his hearers high ideals of
+life and conduct. His nature was now subdued to the stuff he had worked
+in. As an artist, an orator, it was all but impossible for him to
+justify what must seem like sordid selfishness. He moved about in his
+chair uneasily, and strove to look at the subject from a new point of
+view. In vain; ten thousand dollars a year instead of five--that was to
+be his theme.
+
+The first solution of the problem which suggested itself to him was to
+express his very real disdain of such base material considerations, but
+no sooner did the thought occur to him than he was fain to reject it.
+He knew well that his hearers in Kansas City would refuse to accept that
+explanation even as "high-falutin' bunkum!" He then tried to select
+a text in order to ease for a time the strain upon his reflective
+faculties. "Feed my sheep" was his first choice--"the largest flock
+possible, of course." But no, that was merely the old cant in new words.
+
+He came reluctantly to the conclusion that there was no noble way out of
+the difficulty. He felt this the more painfully because, before sitting
+down to think of his sermon, he had immersed himself, to use his own
+words, in the fountain-head of self-sacrificing enthusiasm. And now he
+could not show his flock that there was any trace of self-denial in his
+conduct. It was apparent that his acceptance of the call made a great
+sermon an utter impossibility. He must say as little about the main
+point as possible, glide quickly, in fact, over the thin ice. But his
+disappointment was none the less keen; there was no splendid peroration
+to write; there would be no eyes gazing up at him through a mist
+of tears. His sensations were those of an actor with an altogether
+uncongenial and stupid part.
+
+After some futile efforts he abandoned the attempt to sketch out a
+sermon. Some words would come to him at the time, and they would have
+to do. In the evening a new idea presented itself to his over-excited
+brain. Might not his dislike of that sermon be a snare set by the Devil
+to induce him to reject the call and stay in Kansas City? No. A fine
+sermon would do good--the Evil One could not desire that--perhaps even
+more good than his sin would do harm? Puzzled and incapable of the
+effort required to solve this fresh problem he went to bed, after
+praying humbly for guidance and enlightenment.
+
+On the Friday morning he rose from his knees with a burden of sorrow.
+No kindly light had illumined the darkness of his doubtings. Yet he
+was conscious of a perfect sincerity in his desires and in his prayers.
+Suddenly he remembered that, when in a pure frame of mind, he had only
+considered the acceptance of the call. But in order to be guided aright,
+he must abandon himself entirely to God's directing. In all honesty of
+purpose, he began to think of the sermon he could deliver if he resolved
+to reject the call. Ah! that sermon needed but little meditation. With
+such a decision to announce, he felt that he could carry his hearers
+with him to heights of which they knew nothing. Their very vulgarity
+and sordidness of nature would help instead of hindering him. No one in
+Kansas City would doubt for a moment the sincerity of the self-sacrifice
+involved in rejecting ten thousand dollars a year for five. That sermon
+could be preached with effect from any text. "Feed my sheep" even would
+do. He thrilled in anticipation, as a great actor thrills when reading a
+part which will allow him to discover all his powers, and in which he
+is certain to "bring down the house." Completely carried away by his
+emotions, he began to turn the sermon over in his head. First of all he
+sought for a text; not this one, nor that one, but a few words breathing
+the very spirit of Christ's self-abnegation. He soon found what he
+wanted: "For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever
+will lose his life for My sake, shall find it." The unearthly beauty of
+the thought and the divine simplicity of its expression took the orator
+captive. As he imagined that Godlike Figure in Galilee, and seemed to
+hear the words drop like pearls from His lips, so he saw himself in the
+pulpit, and had a foretaste of the effect of his own eloquence. Ravished
+by the vision, he proceeded to write and rewrite the peroration. Every
+other part he could trust to his own powers, and to the inspiration
+of the theme, but the peroration he meant to make finer even than his
+apostrophe on the cultivation of character, which hitherto had been the
+high-water mark of his achievement.
+
+At length he finished his task, but not before sunset, and he felt weary
+and hungry. He ate and rested. In the complete relaxation of mental
+strain, he understood all at once what he had done. He had decided to
+remain in Kansas City. But to remain meant to meet Mrs. Hooper day after
+day, to be thrown together with her even by her foolishly confiding
+husband; it meant perpetual temptation, and at last--a fall! And yet
+God had guided him to choose that sermon rather than the other. He had
+abandoned himself passively to His guidance--could _that_ lead to the
+brink of the pit?... He cried out suddenly like one in bodily anguish.
+He had found the explanation. God cared for no half-victories. Flight to
+Chicago must seem to Him the veriest cowardice. God intended him to stay
+in Kansas City and conquer the awful temptation face to face. When he
+realized this, he fell on his knees and prayed as he had never prayed
+in all his life before. If entreated humbly, God would surely temper the
+wind to the shorn lamb; He knew His servant's weakness. "_Lead us not
+into temptation_," he cried again and again, for the first time in his
+life comprehending what now seemed to him the awful significance of the
+words. "_Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil_"--thus he
+begged and wept. But even when, exhausted in body and in mind, he rose
+from his knees, he had found no comfort. Like a child, with streaming
+eyes and quivering features, he stumbled upstairs to bed and fell
+asleep, repeating over and over again mechanically the prayer that the
+cup might pass from him.
+
+On the Saturday morning he awoke as from a hideous nightmare. Before
+there was time for thought he was aware of what oppressed and frightened
+him. The knowledge of his terrible position weighed him down. He was
+worn out and feverishly ill; incapable of reflection or resolution,
+conscious chiefly of pain and weariness, and a deep dumb revolt against
+his impending condemnation. After lying thus for some time, drinking
+the cup of bitterness to the very dregs, he got up, and went downstairs.
+Yielding to habit he opened the Bible. But the Book had no message for
+him. His tired brain refused, for minutes together, to take in the
+sense of the printed words. The servant found him utterly miserable and
+helpless when she went to tell him that "the dinner was a-gittin' cold."
+
+The food seemed to restore him, and during the first two hours of
+digestion he was comparatively peaceful in being able to live without
+thinking; but when the body had recovered its vigour, the mind grew
+active, and the self-torture recommenced. For some hours--he never knew
+how many--he suffered in this way; then a strange calm fell upon him.
+Was it the Divine help which had come at last, or despair, or the
+fatigue of an overwrought spirit? He knelt down and prayed once more,
+but this time his prayer consisted simply in placing before his Heavenly
+Father the exact state of the case. He was powerless; God should do
+with him according to His purpose, only he felt unable to resist if
+the temptation came up against him. Jesus, of course, could remove the
+temptation or strengthen him if He so willed. His servant was in His
+hands.
+
+After continuing in this strain for some time he got up slowly, calm but
+hopeless. There was no way of escape for him. He took up the Bible and
+attempted again to read it; but of a sudden he put it down, and throwing
+his outspread arms on the table and bowing his head upon them he cried:
+
+"My God, forgive me! I cannot hear Thy voice, nor feel Thy presence. I
+can only see her face and feel her body."
+
+And then hardened as by the consciousness of unforgivable blaspheming,
+he rose with set face, lit his candle, and went to bed.
+
+The week had passed much as usual with Mrs. Hooper and her husband. On
+the Tuesday he had seen most of his brother Deacons and found that they
+thought as he did. All were agreed that something should be done to
+testify to their gratitude, if indeed their pastor refused the "call."
+In the evening, after supper, Mr. Hooper narrated to his wife all that
+he had done and all that the others had said. When he asked for her
+opinion she approved of his efforts. A little while later she turned
+to him: "I wonder why Mr. Letgood doesn't marry?" As she spoke she laid
+down her work. With a tender smile the Deacon drew her on to his knees
+in the armchair, and pushing up his spectacles (he had been reading a
+dissertation on the meaning of the Greek verb {--Greek word--}), said with
+infinite, playful tenderness in his voice:
+
+"Tain't every one can find a wife like you, my dear." He was rewarded
+for the flattering phrase with a little slap on the cheek. He continued
+thoughtfully: "Taint every one either that wants to take care of a
+wife. Some folks hain't got much affection in 'em, I guess; perhaps Mr.
+Letgood hain't." To the which Mrs. Hooper answered not in words, but her
+lips curved into what might be called a smile, a contented smile as from
+the heights of superior knowledge.
+
+Mr. Letgood's state of mind on the Sunday morning was too complex for
+complete analysis: he did not attempt the task. He preferred to believe
+that he had told God the whole truth without any attempt at reservation.
+He had thereby placed himself in His hands, and was no longer chiefly
+responsible. He would not even think of what he was about to do, further
+than that he intended to refuse the call and to preach the sermon the
+peroration of which he had so carefully prepared. After dressing he sat
+down in his study and committed this passage to memory. He pictured
+to himself with pleasure the effect it would surely produce upon his
+hearers. When Pete came to tell him the buggy was ready to take him to
+church, he got up almost cheerfully, and went out.
+
+The weather was delightful, as it is in June in that part of the Western
+States. From midday until about four o'clock the temperature is that of
+midsummer, but the air is exceedingly dry and light, and one breathes it
+in the morning with a sense of exhilaration. While driving to church Mr.
+Letgood's spirits rose. He chatted with his servant Pete, and even took
+the reins once for a few hundred yards. But when they neared the church
+his gaiety forsook him. He stopped talking, and appeared to be a little
+preoccupied. From time to time he courteously greeted one of his flock
+on the side-walk: but that was all. As he reached the church, the
+Partons drove up, and of course he had to speak to them. After the usual
+conventional remarks and shaking of hands, the minister turned up the
+sidewalk which led to the vestry. He had not taken more than four or
+five steps in this direction before he paused and looked up the street.
+He shrugged his shoulders, however, immediately at his own folly, and
+walked on: "Of course she couldn't send a messenger with a note. On
+Sundays the Deacon was with her."
+
+As he opened the vestry door, and stepped into the little room,
+he stopped short. Mrs. Hooper was there, coming towards him with
+outstretched hand and radiant smile:
+
+"Good morning Mr. Letgood, all the Deacons are here to meet you, and
+they let me come; because I was the first you told the news to, and
+because I'm sure you're not goin' to leave us. Besides, I wanted to
+come."
+
+He could not help looking at her for a second as he took her hand and
+bowed:
+
+"Thank you, Mrs. Hooper." Not trusting himself further, he began to
+shake hands with the assembled elders. In answer to one who expressed
+the hope that they would keep him, he said slowly and gravely:
+
+"I always trust something to the inspiration of the moment, but I
+confess I am greatly moved to refuse this call."
+
+"That's what I said," broke in Mr. Hooper triumphantly, "and I said,
+too, there were mighty few like you, and I meant it. But we don't want
+you to act against yourself, though we'd be mighty glad to hev you
+stay."
+
+A chorus of "Yes, sir! Yes, indeed! That's so" went round the room in
+warm approval, and then, as the minister did not answer save with an
+abstracted, wintry smile, the Deacons began to file into the church.
+Curiously enough Mrs. Hooper having moved away from the door during this
+scene was now, necessarily it seemed, the last to leave the room. While
+she was passing him, Mr. Letgood bent towards her and in an eager tone
+whispered:
+
+"And my answer?"
+
+Mrs. Hooper paused, as if surprised.
+
+"Oh! ain't you men stupid," she murmured and with a smile tossed the
+question over her shoulder: "What _did_ I come here for?"
+
+That sermon of Mr. Letgood's is still remembered in Kansas City. It is
+not too much to say that the majority of his hearers believed him to be
+inspired. And, in truth, as an artistic performance his discourse was
+admirable. After standing for some moments with his hand upon the desk,
+apparently lost in thought, he began in the quietest tone to read the
+letter from the Deacons of the Second Baptist Church in Chicago. He then
+read his reply, begging them to give him time to consider their request
+He had considered it--prayerfully. He would read the passage of Holy
+Scripture which had suggested the answer he was about to send to
+the call. He paused again. The rustling of frocks and the occasional
+coughings ceased--the audience straining to catch the decision--while
+in a higher key he recited the verse, "For whosoever will save his life,
+shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My sake, shall find
+it."
+
+As the violinist knows when his instrument is perfectly attuned, so Mr.
+Letgood knew when he repeated the text that his hearers had surrendered
+themselves to him to be played upon. It would be useless here to
+reproduce the sermon, which lasted for nearly an hour, and altogether
+impossible to give any account of the preacher's gestures or dramatic
+pauses, or of the modulations and inflections of his voice, which now
+seemed to be freighted with passionate earnestness, now quivered in
+pathetic appeal, and now grew musical in the dying fall of some poetic
+phrase. The effect was astonishing. While he was speaking simply of the
+text as embodying the very spirit of the Glad Tidings which Christ first
+delivered to the world, not a few women were quietly weeping. It was
+impossible, they felt, to listen unmoved to that voice.
+
+But when he went on to show the necessity of renunciation as the first
+step towards the perfecting of character, even the hard, keen faces of
+the men before him began to relax and change expression. He dwelt, in
+turn, upon the startling novelty of Christ's teaching and its singular
+success. He spoke of the shortness of human life, the vanity of human
+effort, and the ultimate reward of those who sacrifice themselves for
+others, as Jesus did, and out of the same divine spirit of love. He
+thus came to the peroration. He began it in the manner of serious
+conversation.
+
+All over the United States the besetting sin of the people was the
+desire of wealth. He traced the effects of the ignoble struggle for
+gain in the degradation of character, in the debased tone of public and
+private life. The main current of existence being defiled, his duty
+was clear. Even more than other men he was pledged to resist the evil
+tendency of the time. In some ways, no doubt, he was as frail and faulty
+as the weakest of his hearers, but to fail in this respect would be, he
+thought, to prove himself unworthy of his position. That a servant of
+Christ in the nineteenth century should seek wealth, or allow it in
+any way to influence his conduct, appeared to him to be much the same
+unpardonable sin as cowardice in a soldier or dishonesty in a man of
+business. He could do but little to show what the words of his text
+meant to him, but one thing he could do and would do joyously. He would
+write to the good Deacons in Chicago to tell them that he intended to
+stay in Kansas City, and to labour on among the people whom he knew and
+loved, and some of whom, he believed, knew and loved him. He would
+not be tempted by the greater position offered to him or by the larger
+salary. "_For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever
+will lose his life for My sake, shall find it_."
+
+As his voice broke over the last words, there was scarcely a dry eye in
+the church. Many of the women were sobbing audibly, and Mrs. Hooper had
+long ago given up the attempt "to pull her tears down the back way." She
+expressed the general sentiment of her sex when she said afterwards,
+"It was just too lovely for anythin'." And the men were scarcely less
+affected, though they were better able to control their emotion. The
+joyous renunciation of five thousand dollars a year struck these hard
+men of business as something almost uncanny. They would have considered
+it the acme of folly in an ordinary man, but in a preacher they felt
+vaguely that it was admirable.
+
+When Deacon Hooper met his brother Deacons before the platform where the
+collection-plates were kept, he whispered, "The meetin' is at my house
+at three o'clock. Be on time." His tone was decided, as were also the
+nods which accepted the invitation.
+
+After the service Mr. Letgood withdrew quietly without going, as usual,
+amongst his congregation. This pleased even Mrs. Farton, whose husband
+was a judge of the Supreme Court. She said: "It was elegant of him."
+
+Mr. Hooper received the twelve Deacons in his drawing-room, and when the
+latest comer was seated, began:
+
+"There ain't no need for me to tell you, brethren, why I asked you all
+to come round here this afternoon. After that sermon this mornin' I
+guess we're all sot upon showin' our minister that we appreciate him.
+There are mighty few men with five thousand dollars a year who'd give
+up ten thousand. It seems to me a pretty good proof that a man's a
+Christian ef he'll do that. Tain't being merely a Christian: it's
+Christ-like. We must keep Mr. Letgood right here: he's the sort o' man
+we want. If they come from Chicago after him now, they'll be comin' from
+New York next, an' he oughtn't to be exposed to sich great temptation.
+
+"I allow that we'll be able to raise the pew-rents from the first of
+January next, to bring in another two thousand five hundred dollars a
+year, and I propose that we Deacons should jest put our hands deep down
+in our pockets and give Mr. Let-good that much anyway for this year, and
+promise the same for the future. I'm willin', as senior Deacon, though
+not the richest, to start the list with three hundred dollars."
+
+In five minutes the money was subscribed, and it was agreed that each
+man should pay in his contribution to the name of Mr. Hooper at the
+First National Bank next day; Mr. Hooper could then draw his cheque for
+the sum.
+
+"Wall," said the Deacon, again getting up, "that's settled, but I've
+drawn that cheque already. Mrs. Hooper and me talked the thing over," he
+added half apologetically, and as if to explain his unbusinesslike
+rashness; "an' she thinks we oughter go right now to Mr. Letgood as a
+sort of surprise party an' tell him what we hev decided--that is, ef
+you're all agreed."
+
+They were, although one or two objected to a "surprise party" being held
+on Sunday. But Deacon Hooper overruled the objection by saying that
+he could find no better _word_, though of course 'twas really not a
+"surprise party." After this explanation, some one proposed that Deacon
+Hooper should make the presentation, and that Mrs. Hooper should be
+asked to accompany them. When Mr. Hooper went into the dining-room to
+find, his wife she was already dressed to go out, and when he expressed
+surprise and delivered himself of his mission, she said simply:
+
+"Why, I only dressed to go and see Mrs. Jones, who's ill, but I guess
+I'll go along with you first."
+
+The same afternoon Mr. Letgood was seated in his study considering a
+sermon for the evening--it would have to be very different from that of
+the morning, he felt, or else it would fall flat.
+
+He still avoided thinking of his position. The die was cast now, and
+having struggled hard against the temptation he tried to believe that he
+was not chiefly responsible. In the back of his mind was the knowledge
+that his responsibility would become clear to him some time or other,
+but he confined it in the furthest chamber of his brain with repentance
+as the guardian.
+
+He had just decided that his evening address must be doctrinal and
+argumentative, when he became aware of steps in the drawing-room.
+Opening the door he found himself face to face with his Deacons. Before
+he could speak, Deacon Hooper began:
+
+"Mr. Letgood! We, the Deacons of your church, hev come to see you. We
+want to tell you how we appreciate your decision this mornin'. It was
+Christlike! And we're all proud of you, an' glad you're goin' to stay
+with us. But we allow that it ain't fair or to be expected that you
+should refuse ten thousand dollars a year with only five. So we've
+made a purse for this year among ourselves of two thousand five hundred
+dollars extry, which we hope you'll accept. Next year the pew-rents can
+be raised to bring in the same sum; anyway, it shall be made up.
+
+"There ain't no use in talkin'; but you, sir, hev jest sot us an example
+of how one who loves the Lord Jesus, and Him only, should act, and we
+ain't goin' to remain far behind. No, sir, we ain't Thar's the cheque."
+
+As he finished speaking, tears stood in the kind, honest, blue eyes.
+
+Mr. Letgood took the cheque mechanically, and mechanically accepted at
+the same time the Deacon's outstretched hand; but his eyes sought Mrs.
+Hooper's, who stood behind the knot of men with her handkerchief to her
+face. In a moment or two, recalled to himself by the fact that one after
+the other all the Deacons wanted to shake his hand, he tried to sustain
+his part in the ceremony. He said:
+
+"My dear brothers, I thank you each and all, and accept your gift in the
+spirit in which you offer it. I need not say that I knew nothing of your
+intention when I preached this morning. It is not the money that I'm
+thinking of now, but your kindness. I thank you again."
+
+After a few minutes' casual conversation, consisting chiefly of praise
+of the "wonderful discourse" of the morning, Mr. Letgood proposed
+that they should all have iced coffee with him; there was nothing so
+refreshing; he wanted them to try it; and though he was a bachelor, if
+Mrs. Hooper would kindly give her assistance and help him with his
+cook, he was sure they would enjoy a glass. With a smile she consented.
+Stepping into the passage after her and closing the door, he said
+hurriedly, with anger and suspicion in his voice:
+
+"You didn't get this up as my answer? You didn't think I'd take money
+instead, did you?"
+
+Demurely, Mrs. Hooper turned her head round as he spoke, and leaning
+against him while he put his arms round her waist, answered with arch
+reproach:
+
+"You are just too silly for anythin'."
+
+Then, with something like the movement of a cat loath to lose the
+contact of the caressing hand, she turned completely towards him and
+slowly lifted her eyes. Their lips met.
+
+21 April. 1891.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+
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+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+
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+   PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+   "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" >
+
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" />
+    <title>
+      A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+    </title>
+    <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve">
+
+    body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify}
+    P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; }
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+    hr  { width: 50%; text-align: center;}
+    .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; }
+    blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;}
+    .mynote    {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;}
+    .toc       { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;}
+    .toc2      { margin-left: 20%;}
+    div.fig    { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; }
+    div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; }
+    .figleft   {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;}
+    .figright  {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;}
+    .pagenum   {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal;
+               margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%;
+               text-align: right;}
+    pre        { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;}
+
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+  <body>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: A Modern Idyll
+
+Author: Frank Harris
+
+Release Date: October 12, 2007 [EBook #23009]
+Last Updated: December 18, 2016
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A MODERN IDYLL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+    <div style="height: 8em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h1>
+      A MODERN IDYLL
+    </h1>
+    <h2>
+      By Frank Harris
+    </h2>
+    <p><br /><br /><br />
+      &ldquo;I call it real good of you, Mr. Letgood, to come and see me. Won&rsquo;t you be
+      seated?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank you. It&rsquo;s very warm to-day; and as I didn&rsquo;t feel like reading or
+      writing, I thought I&rsquo;d come round.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re just too kind for anythin&rsquo;! To come an&rsquo; pay me a visit when you
+      must be tired out with yesterday&rsquo;s preachin&rsquo;. An&rsquo; what a sermon you gave
+      us in the mornin&rsquo;&mdash;it was too sweet. I had to wink my eyes pretty
+      hard, an&rsquo; pull the tears down the back way, or I should have cried right
+      out&mdash;and Mrs. Jones watchin&rsquo; me all the time under that dreadful
+      bonnet.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Hooper had begun with a shade of nervousness in the hurried words;
+      but the emotion disappeared as she took up a comfortable pose in the
+      corner of the small sofa.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Rev. John Letgood, having seated himself in an armchair, looked at her
+      intently before replying. She was well worth looking at, this Mrs. Hooper,
+      as she leaned back on the cushions in her cool white dress, which was so
+      thin and soft and well-fitting that her form could be seen through it
+      almost as clearly as through water. She appeared to be about eighteen
+      years old, and in reality was not yet twenty. At first sight one would
+      have said of her, &ldquo;a pretty girl;&rdquo; but an observant eye on the second
+      glance would have noticed those contradictions in face and in form which
+      bear witness to a certain complexity of nature. Her features were small,
+      regular, and firmly cut; the long, brown eyes looked out confidently under
+      straight, well-defined brows; but the forehead was low, and the sinuous
+      lips a vivid red. So, too, the slender figure and narrow hips formed a
+      contrast with the throat, which pouted in soft, white fulness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am glad you liked the sermon,&rdquo; said the minister, breaking the silence,
+      &ldquo;for it is not probable that you will hear many more from me.&rdquo; There was
+      just a shade of sadness in the lower tone with which he ended the phrase.
+      He let the sad note drift in unconsciously&mdash;by dint of practice he
+      had become an artist in the management of his voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t say!&rdquo; exclaimed Mrs. Hooper, sitting up straight in her
+      excitement &ldquo;You ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to leave us, I hope?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why do you pretend, Belle, to misunderstand me? You know I said three
+      months ago that if you didn&rsquo;t care for me I should have to leave this
+      place. And yesterday I told you that you must make up your mind at once,
+      as I was daily expecting a call to Chicago. Now I have come for your
+      answer, and you treat me as if I were a stranger, and you knew nothing of
+      what I feel for you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; she sighed, languorously nestling back into the corner. &ldquo;Is that
+      all? I thought for a moment the &lsquo;call&rsquo; had come.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, it has not yet; but I am resolved to get an answer from you to-day,
+      or I shall go away, call or no call.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What would Nettie Williams say if she heard you?&rdquo; laughed Mrs. Hooper,
+      with mischievous delight in her eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now, Belle,&rdquo; he said in tender remonstrance, leaning forward and taking
+      the small cool hand in his, &ldquo;what is my answer to be? Do you love me? Or
+      am I to leave Kansas City, and try somewhere else to get again into the
+      spirit of my work? God forgive me, but I want you to tell me to stay. Will
+      you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course I will,&rdquo; she returned, while slowly withdrawing her hand.
+      &ldquo;There ain&rsquo;t any one wants you to go, and why should you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why? Because my passion for you prevents me from doing my work. You tease
+      and torture me with doubt, and when I should be thinking of my duties I am
+      wondering whether or not you care for me. Do you love me? I must have a
+      plain answer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Love you?&rdquo; she repeated pensively. &ldquo;I hardly know, but&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But what?&rdquo; he asked impatiently.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But&mdash;I must just see after the pies; this &lsquo;help&rsquo; of ours is Irish,
+      an&rsquo; doesn&rsquo;t know enough to turn them in the oven. And Mr. Hooper don&rsquo;t
+      like burnt pies.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She spoke with coquettish gravity, and got up to go out of the room. But
+      when Mr. Letgood also rose, she stopped and smiled&mdash;waiting perhaps
+      for him to take his leave. As he did not speak she shook out her frock and
+      then pulled down her bodice at the waist and drew herself up, thus
+      throwing into relief the willowy outlines of her girlish form. The
+      provocative grace, unconscious or intentional, of the attitude was not
+      lost on her admirer. For an instant he stood irresolute, but when she
+      stepped forward to pass him, he seemed to lose his self-control, and,
+      putting his arms round her, tried to kiss her. With serpent speed and
+      litheness she bowed her head against his chest, and slipped out of the
+      embrace. On reaching the door she paused to say, over her shoulder: &ldquo;If
+      you&rsquo;ll wait, I&rsquo;ll be back right soon;&rdquo; then, as if a new thought had
+      occurred to her, she added turning to him: &ldquo;The Deacon told me he was
+      coming home early to-day, and he&rsquo;d be real sorry to miss you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As she disappeared, he took up his hat, and left the house.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was about four o&rsquo;clock on a day in mid-June. The sun was pouring down
+      rays of liquid flame; the road, covered inches deep in fine white dust,
+      and the wooden side-walks glowed with the heat, but up and down the steep
+      hills went the minister unconscious of physical discomfort.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Does she care for me, or not? Why can&rsquo;t she tell me plainly? The teasing
+      creature! Did she give me the hint to go because she was afraid her
+      husband would come in? Or did she want to get rid of me in order not to
+      answer?... She wasn&rsquo;t angry with me for putting my arms round her, and yet
+      she wouldn&rsquo;t let me kiss her. Why not? She doesn&rsquo;t love him. She married
+      him because she was poor, and he was rich and a deacon. She can&rsquo;t love
+      him. He must be fifty-five if he&rsquo;s a day. Perhaps she doesn&rsquo;t love me
+      either&mdash;the little flirt! But how seductive she is, and what a body,
+      so round and firm and supple&mdash;not thin at all. I have the feel of it
+      on my hands now&mdash;I can&rsquo;t stand this.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Shaking himself vigorously, he abandoned his meditation, which, like many
+      similar ones provoked by Mrs. Hooper, had begun in vexation and ended in
+      passionate desire. Becoming aware of the heat and dust, he stood still,
+      took off his hat, and wiped his forehead.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Rev. John Letgood was an ideal of manhood to many women. He was
+      largely built, but not ungainly&mdash;the coarseness of the hands being
+      the chief indication of his peasant ancestry. His head was rather round,
+      and strongly set on broad shoulders; the nose was straight and well
+      formed; the dark eyes, however, were somewhat small, and the lower part of
+      the face too massive, though both chin and jaw were clearly marked. A
+      long, thick, brown moustache partly concealed the mouth; the lower lip
+      could just be seen, a little heavy, and sensual; the upper one was
+      certainly flexile and suasive. A good-looking man of thirty, who must have
+      been handsome when he was twenty, though even then, probably, too much
+      drawn by the pleasures of the senses to have had that distinction of
+      person which seems to be reserved for those who give themselves to thought
+      or high emotions. On entering his comfortable house, he was met by his
+      negro &ldquo;help,&rdquo; who handed him his &ldquo;mail&rdquo;: &ldquo;I done brot these, Massa; they&rsquo;s
+      all.&rdquo; &ldquo;Thanks, Pete,&rdquo; he replied abstractedly, going into his cool study.
+      He flung himself into an armchair before the writing-table, and began to
+      read the letters. Two were tossed aside carelessly, but on opening the
+      third he sat up with a quick exclamation. Here at last was the &ldquo;call&rdquo; he
+      had been expecting, a &ldquo;call&rdquo; from the deacons of the Second Baptist Church
+      in Chicago, asking him to come and minister to their spiritual wants, and
+      offering him ten thousand dollars a year for his services.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment exultation overcame every other feeling in the man. A light
+      flashed in his eyes as he exclaimed aloud: &ldquo;It was that sermon did it!
+      What a good thing it was that I knew their senior deacon was in the church
+      on purpose to hear me! How well I brought in the apostrophe on the
+      cultivation of character that won me the prize at college! Ah, I have
+      never done anything finer than that, never! and perhaps never shall now. I
+      had been reading Channing then for months, was steeped in him; but
+      Channing has nothing as good as that in all his works. It has more weight
+      and dignity&mdash;dignity is the word&mdash;than anything he wrote. And to
+      think of its bringing me this! Ten thousand dollars a year and the second
+      church in Chicago, while here they think me well paid with five. Chicago!
+      I must accept it at once. Who knows, perhaps I shall get to New York yet,
+      and move as many thousands as here I move hundreds. No! not I. I do not
+      move them. I am weak and sinful. It is the Holy Spirit, and the power of
+      His grace. O Lord, I am thankful to Thee who hast been good to me
+      unworthy!&rdquo; A pang of fear shot through him: &ldquo;Perhaps He sends this to win
+      me away from Belle.&rdquo; His fancy called her up before him as she had lain on
+      the sofa. Again he saw the bright malicious glances and the red lips, the
+      full white throat, and the slim roundness of her figure. He bowed his head
+      upon his hands and groaned. &ldquo;O Lord, help me! I know not what to do. Help
+      me, O Lord!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As if prompted by a sudden inspiration, he started to his feet. &ldquo;Now she
+      must answer! Now what will she say? Here <i>is</i> the call. Ten thousand
+      dollars a year! What will she say to that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He spoke aloud in his excitement, all that was masculine in him glowing
+      with the sense of hard-won mastery over the tantalizing evasiveness of the
+      woman.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On leaving his house he folded up the letter, thrust it into the
+      breast-pocket of his frock-coat, and strode rapidly up the hill towards
+      Mrs. Hooper&rsquo;s. At first he did not even think of her last words, but when
+      he had gone up and down the first hill and was beginning to climb the
+      second they suddenly came back to him. He did not want to meet her husband&mdash;least
+      of all now. He paused. What should he do? Should he wait till to-morrow?
+      No, that was out of the question; he couldn&rsquo;t wait. He must know what
+      answer to send to the call. If Deacon Hooper happened to be at home he
+      would talk to him about the door of the vestry, which would not shut
+      properly. If the Deacon was not there, he would see her and force a
+      confession from her....
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      While the shuttle of his thought flew thus to and fro, he did not at all
+      realize that he was taking for granted what he had refused to believe half
+      an hour before. He felt certain now that Deacon Hooper would not be in,
+      and that Mrs. Hooper had got rid of him on purpose to avoid his
+      importunate love-making. When he reached the house and rang the bell his
+      first question was:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is the Deacon at home?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, sah.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is Mrs. Hooper in?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, sah.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Please tell her I should like to see her for a moment. I will not keep
+      her long. Say it&rsquo;s very important.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, Massa, I bring her shuah,&rdquo; said the negress with a good-natured
+      grin, opening the door of the drawing-room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In a minute or two Mrs. Hooper came into the room looking as cool and
+      fresh as if &ldquo;pies&rdquo; were baked in ice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good day, <i>again</i> Mr. Letgood. Won&rsquo;t you take a chair?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He seemed to feel the implied reproach, for without noticing her
+      invitation to sit down he came to the point at once. Plunging his hand
+      into his pocket, he handed her the letter from Chicago.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She took it with the quick interest of curiosity, but as she read, the
+      colour deepened in her cheeks, and before she had finished it she broke
+      out, &ldquo;Ten thousand dollars a year!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As she gave the letter back she did not raise her eyes, but said musingly:
+      &ldquo;That is a call indeed...&rdquo; Staring straight before her she added: &ldquo;How
+      strange it should come to-day! Of course you&rsquo;ll accept it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A moment, and she darted the question at him:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Does she know? Have you told Miss Williams yet? But there, I suppose you
+      have!&rdquo; After another pause, she went on:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What a shame to take you away just when we had all got to know and like
+      you! I suppose we shall have some old fogey now who will preach against
+      dancin&rsquo; an&rsquo; spellin&rsquo;-bees an&rsquo; surprise-parties. And, of course, he won&rsquo;t
+      like me, or come here an&rsquo; call as often as you do&mdash;makin&rsquo; the other
+      girls jealous. I shall hate the change!&rdquo; And in her innocent excitement
+      she slowly lifted her brown eyes to his.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know you&rsquo;re talking nonsense, Belle,&rdquo; he replied, with grave
+      earnestness. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve come for <i>your</i> answer. If you wish me to stay, if
+      you really care for me, I shall refuse this offer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t tell!&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;Refuse ten thousand dollars a year and a
+      church in Chicago to stay here in Kansas City! I know I shouldn&rsquo;t! Why,&rdquo;
+       and she fixed her eyes on his as she spoke, &ldquo;you must be real good even to
+      think of such a thing. But then, you won&rsquo;t refuse,&rdquo; she added, pouting.
+      &ldquo;No one would,&rdquo; she concluded, with profound conviction.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; answered the minister, moving to her and quietly putting both
+      hands on her waist, while his voice seemed to envelope and enfold her with
+      melodious tenderness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, yes, I shall refuse it, Belle, if <i>you</i> wish me to; refuse it as
+      I should ten times as great a prize, as I think I should refuse&mdash;God
+      forgive me!&mdash;heaven itself, if you were not there to make it
+      beautiful.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      While speaking he drew her to him gently; her body yielded to his touch,
+      and her gaze, as if fascinated, was drawn into his. But when the flow of
+      words ceased, and he bent to kiss her, the spell seemed to lose its power
+      over her. In an instant she wound herself out of his arms, and with
+      startled eyes aslant whispered:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hush! he&rsquo;s coming! Don&rsquo;t you hear his step?&rdquo; As Mr. Letgood went again
+      towards her with a tenderly reproachful and incredulous &ldquo;Now, Belle,&rdquo; she
+      stamped impatiently on the floor while exclaiming in a low, but angry
+      voice, &ldquo;Do take care! That&rsquo;s the Deacon&rsquo;s step.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      At the same moment her companion heard it too. The sounds were distinct on
+      the wooden side-walk, and when they ceased at the little gate four or five
+      yards from the house he knew that she was right.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He pulled himself together, and with a man&rsquo;s untimely persistence spoke
+      hurriedly:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I shall wait for your answer till Sunday morning next. Before then you
+      must have assured me of your love, or I shall go to Chicago&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Hooper&rsquo;s only reply was a contemptuous, flashing look that succeeded
+      in reducing the importunate clergyman to silence&mdash;just in time&mdash;for
+      as the word &ldquo;Chicago&rdquo; passed his lips the handle of the door turned, and
+      Deacon Hooper entered the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, how do you do, Mr. Letgood?&rdquo; said the Deacon cordially. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to
+      see you, sir, as you are too, I&rsquo;m sartin,&rdquo; he added, turning to his wife
+      and putting his arms round her waist and his lips to her cheek in an
+      affectionate caress. &ldquo;Take a seat, won&rsquo;t you? It&rsquo;s too hot to stand.&rdquo; As
+      Mrs. Hooper sank down beside him on the sofa and their visitor drew over a
+      chair, he went on, taking up again the broken thread of his thought. &ldquo;No
+      one thinks more of you than Isabelle. She said only last Sunday there
+      warn&rsquo;t such a preacher as you west of the Mississippi River. How&rsquo;s that
+      for high, eh?&rdquo;&mdash;And then, still seeking back like a dog on a lost
+      scent, he added, looking from his wife to the clergyman, as if recalled to
+      a sense of the actualities of the situation by a certain constraint in
+      their manner, &ldquo;But what&rsquo;s that I heard about Chicago? There ain&rsquo;t nothin&rsquo; 
+      fresh&mdash;Is there?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; replied Mrs. Hooper, with a look of remonstrance thrown sideways at
+      her admirer, while with a woman&rsquo;s quick decision she at once cut the knot,
+      &ldquo;I guess there is something fresh. Mr. Letgood, just think of it, has had
+      a &lsquo;call&rsquo; from the Second Baptist Church in Chicago, and it&rsquo;s ten thousand
+      dollars a year. Now who&rsquo;s right about his preachin&rsquo;? And he ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to
+      accept it. He&rsquo;s goin&rsquo; to stay right here. At least,&rdquo; she added coyly, &ldquo;he
+      said he&rsquo;d refuse it&mdash;didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Deacon stared from one to the other as Mr. Letgood, with a forced
+      half-laugh which came from a dry throat, answered: &ldquo;That would be going
+      perhaps a little too far. I said,&rdquo; he went on, catching a coldness in the
+      glance of the brown eyes, &ldquo;I wished to refuse it. But of course I shall
+      have to consider the matter thoroughly&mdash;and seek for guidance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wall,&rdquo; said the Deacon in amazement, &ldquo;ef that don&rsquo;t beat everythin&rsquo;. I
+      guess nobody would refuse an offer like that. <i>Ten thousand dollars a
+      year!</i> Ten thousand. Why, that&rsquo;s twice what you&rsquo;re get-tin&rsquo; here. You
+      can&rsquo;t refuse that. I know you wouldn&rsquo;t ef you war&rsquo; a son of mine&mdash;as
+      you might be. Ten thousand. No, sir. An&rsquo; the Second Baptist Church in
+      Chicago is the first; it&rsquo;s the best, the richest, the largest. There ain&rsquo;t
+      no sort of comparison between it and the First. No, sir! There ain&rsquo;t none.
+      Why, James P. Willis, him as was here and heard you&mdash;that&rsquo;s how it
+      came about, that&rsquo;s how!&mdash;he&rsquo;s the senior Deacon of it, an&rsquo; I guess he
+      can count dollars with any man this side of New York. Yes, sir, with any
+      man west of the Alleghany Mountains.&rdquo; The breathless excitement of the
+      good Deacon changed gradually as he realized that his hearers were not in
+      sympathy with him, and his speech became almost solemn in its
+      impressiveness as he continued. &ldquo;See here! This ain&rsquo;t a thing to waste.
+      Ten thousand dollars a year to start with, an&rsquo; the best church in Chicago,
+      you can&rsquo;t expect to do better than that. Though you&rsquo;re young still, when
+      the chance comes, it should be gripped.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, pshaw!&rdquo; broke in Mrs. Hooper irritably, twining her fingers and
+      tapping the carpet with her foot, &ldquo;Mr. Letgood doesn&rsquo;t want to leave
+      Kansas City. Don&rsquo;t you understand? Perhaps he likes the folk here just as
+      well as any in Chicago.&rdquo; No words could describe the glance which
+      accompanied this. It was appealing, and coquettish, and triumphant, and
+      the whole battery was directed full on Mr. Let-good, who had by this time
+      recovered his self-possession.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; he said, turning to the Deacon and overlooking Mrs. Hooper&rsquo;s
+      appeal, &ldquo;I know all that, and I don&rsquo;t deny that the &lsquo;call&rsquo; at first seemed
+      to draw me.&rdquo; Here his voice dropped as if he were speaking to himself: &ldquo;It
+      offers a wider and a higher sphere of work, but there&rsquo;s work, too, to be
+      done here, and I don&rsquo;t know that the extra salary ought to tempt me. <i>Take
+      neither scrip nor money in your purse</i>,&rdquo; and he smiled, &ldquo;you know.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the Deacon, his eyes narrowing as if amazement were giving
+      place to a new emotion; &ldquo;yes, but that ain&rsquo;t meant quite literally, I
+      reckon. Still, it&rsquo;s fer you to judge. But ef you refuse ten thousand
+      dollars a year, why, there are mighty few who would, and that&rsquo;s all I&rsquo;ve
+      got to say&mdash;mighty few,&rdquo; he added emphatically, and stood up as if to
+      shake off the burden of a new and, therefore, unwelcome thought.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When the minister also rose, the physical contrast between the two men
+      became significant. Mr. Let-good&rsquo;s heavy frame, due to self-indulgence or
+      to laziness, might have been taken as a characteristic product of the
+      rich, western prairies, while Deacon Hooper was of the pure Yankee type.
+      His figure was so lank and spare that, though not quite so tall as his
+      visitor, he appeared to be taller. His face was long and angular; the
+      round, clear, blue eyes, the finest feature of it, the narrowness of the
+      forehead the worst. The mouth-corners were drawn down, and the lips
+      hardened to a line by constant compression. No trace of sensuality. How
+      came this man, grey with age, to marry a girl whose appeal to the senses
+      was already so obvious? The eyes and prominent temples of the idealist
+      supplied the answer. Deacon Hooper was a New Englander, trained in the
+      bitterest competition for wealth, and yet the Yankee in him masked a fund
+      of simple, kindly optimism, which showed itself chiefly in his devoted
+      affection for his wife. He had not thought of his age when he married, but
+      of her and her poverty. And possibly he was justified. The snow-garment of
+      winter protects the tender spring wheat.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s late,&rdquo; Mr. Letgood began slowly, &ldquo;I must be going home now. I
+      thought you might like to hear the news, as you are my senior Deacon. Your
+      advice seems excellent; I shall weigh the &lsquo;call&rsquo; carefully; but&rdquo;&mdash;with
+      a glance at Mrs. Hooper&mdash;&ldquo;I am disposed to refuse it.&rdquo; No answering
+      look came to him. He went on firmly and with emphasis, &ldquo;<i>I wish</i> to
+      refuse it.&mdash;Good day, Mrs. Hooper, <i>till next Sunday</i>. Good day,
+      Deacon.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good day, Mr. Letgood,&rdquo; she spoke with a little air of precise courtesy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good day, sir,&rdquo; replied the Deacon, cordially shaking the proffered hand,
+      while he accompanied his pastor to the street door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The sun was sinking, and some of the glory of the sunset colouring seemed
+      to be reflected in Deacon Hooper&rsquo;s face, as he returned to the
+      drawing-room and said with profound conviction:&mdash;
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Isabelle, that man&rsquo;s jest about as good as they make them. He&rsquo;s what I
+      call a real Christian&mdash;one that thinks of duty first and himself
+      last. Ef that ain&rsquo;t a Christian, I&rsquo;d like to know what is.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she rejoined meditatively, as she busied herself arranging the
+      chairs and tidying the sofa into its usual stiff primness; &ldquo;I guess he&rsquo;s a
+      good man.&rdquo; And her cheek flushed softly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wall,&rdquo; he went on warmly, &ldquo;I reckon we ought to do somethin&rsquo; in this.
+      There ain&rsquo;t no question but he fills the church. Ef we raised the
+      pew-rents we could offer him an increase of salary to stay&mdash;I guess
+      that could be done.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh! don&rsquo;t do anything,&rdquo; exclaimed the wife, as if awaking to the
+      significance of this proposal, &ldquo;anyway not until he has decided. It would
+      look&mdash;mean, don&rsquo;t you think? to offer him somethin&rsquo; more to stay.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know but you&rsquo;re right, Isabelle; I don&rsquo;t know but you&rsquo;re right,&rdquo;
+       repeated her husband thoughtfully. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll look better if he decides before
+      hearin&rsquo; from us. There ain&rsquo;t no harm, though, in thinkin&rsquo; the thing over
+      and speakin&rsquo; to the other Deacons about it. I&rsquo;ll kinder find out what they
+      feel.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she replied mechanically, almost as if she had not heard. &ldquo;Yes,
+      that&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo; And she slowly straightened the cloth on the
+      centre-table, given over again to her reflections.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Letgood walked home, ate his supper, went to bed and slept that night
+      as only a man does whose nervous system has been exhausted by various and
+      intense emotions. He even said his prayers by rote. And like a child he
+      slept with tightly-clenched fists, for in him, as in the child, the body&rsquo;s
+      claims were predominant.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When he awoke next morning, the sun was shining in at his bedroom window,
+      and at once his thoughts went back to the scenes and emotions of the day
+      before. An unusual liveliness of memory enabled him to review the very
+      words which Mrs. Hooper had used. He found nothing to regret. He had
+      certainly gained ground by telling her of the call. The torpor which had
+      come upon him the previous evening formed a complete contrast to the
+      blithesome vigour he now enjoyed. He seemed to himself to be a different
+      man, recreated, as it were, and endowed with fresh springs of life. While
+      he lay in the delightful relaxation and warmth of the bed, and looked at
+      the stream of sunshine which flowed across the room, he became confident
+      that all would go right.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he decided, &ldquo;she cares for me, or she would never have wished me to
+      stay. Even the Deacon helped me&mdash;&rdquo; The irony of the fact shocked him.
+      He would not think of it. He might get a letter from her by two o&rsquo;clock.
+      With pleasure thrilling through every nerve, he imagined how she would
+      word her confession. For she had yielded to him; he had felt her body move
+      towards him and had seen the surrender in her eyes. While musing thus,
+      passion began to stir in him, and with passion impatience.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Only half-past six o&rsquo;clock,&rdquo; he said to himself, pushing his watch again
+      under the pillow; &ldquo;eight hours to wait till mail time. Eight endless
+      hours. What a plague!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      His own irritation annoyed him, and he willingly took up again the thread
+      of his amorous reverie: &ldquo;What a radiant face she has, what fine
+      nervefulness in the slim fingers, what softness in the full throat!&rdquo;
+       Certain incidents in his youth before he had studied for the ministry came
+      back to him, bringing the blood to his cheeks and making his temples
+      throb. As the recollections grew vivid they became a torment. To regain
+      quiet pulses he forced his mind to dwell upon the details of his
+      &ldquo;conversion&rdquo;&mdash;his sudden resolve to live a new life and to give
+      himself up to the service of the divine Master. The yoke was not easy; the
+      burden was not light. On the contrary. He remembered innumerable contests
+      with his rebellious flesh, contests in which he was never completely
+      victorious for more than a few days together, but in which, especially
+      during the first heat of the new enthusiasm, he had struggled desperately.
+      Had his efforts been fruitless?...
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He thought with pride of his student days&mdash;mornings given to books
+      and to dreams of the future, and evenings marked by passionate emotions,
+      new companions reinspiring him continually with fresh ardour. The time
+      spent at college was the best of his life. He had really striven, then, as
+      few strive, to deserve the prize of his high calling. During those years,
+      it seemed to him, he had been all that an earnest Christian should be. He
+      recalled, with satisfaction, the honours he had won in Biblical knowledge
+      and in history, and the more easily gained rewards for rhetoric. It was
+      only natural that he should have been immediately successful as a
+      preacher. How often he had moved his flock to tears! No wonder he had got
+      on.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Those first successes, and the pleasures which they brought with them of
+      gratified vanity, had resulted in turning him from a Christian into an
+      orator. He understood this dimly, but he thrust back the unwelcome truth
+      with the reflection that his triumphs in the pulpit dated from the time
+      when he began consciously to treat preaching as an art. After all, was he
+      not there to win souls to Christ, and had not Christ himself praised the
+      wisdom of the serpent? Then came the change from obscurity and narrow
+      living in the country to Kansas City and luxury. He had been wise in
+      avoiding that girl at Pleasant Hill. He smiled complacently as he thought
+      of her dress, manners, and speech. Yet she was pretty, very pretty, and
+      she had loved him with the exclusiveness of womanhood, but still he had
+      done right. He congratulated himself upon his intuitive knowledge that
+      there were finer girls in the world to be won. He had not fettered himself
+      foolishly through pity or weakness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      During his ten years of life as a student and minister he had been chaste.
+      He had not once fallen into flagrant sin. His fervour of unquestioning
+      faith had saved him at the outset, and, later, habit and prudence. He
+      lingered over his first meeting with Mrs. Hooper. He had not thought much
+      of her then, he remembered, although she had appeared to him to be pretty
+      and perfectly dressed. She had come before him as an embodiment of
+      delicacy and refinement, and her charm had increased, as he began, in
+      spite of himself, to notice her peculiar seductiveness. Recollecting how
+      insensibly the fascination which she exercised over him had grown, and the
+      sudden madness of desire that had forced him to declare his passion, he
+      moaned with vexation. If only she had not been married. What a fatality!
+      How helpless man was, tossed hither and thither by the waves of trivial
+      circumstance!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She had certainly encouraged him; it was her alternate moods of yielding
+      and reserve which had awakened his senses. She had been flattered by his
+      admiration, and had sought to call it forth. But, in the beginning, at
+      least, he had struggled against the temptation. He had prayed for help in
+      the sore combat&mdash;how often and how earnestly!&mdash;but no help had
+      come. Heaven had been deaf to his entreaties. And he had soon realized
+      that struggling in this instance was of no avail. He loved her; he desired
+      her with every nerve of his body.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      There was hardly any use in trying to fight against such a craving as
+      that, he thought. But yet, in his heart of hearts, he was conscious that
+      his religious enthusiasm, the aspiration towards the ideal life and the
+      reverence for Christ&rsquo;s example, would bring about at least one supreme
+      conflict in which his passion might possibly be overcome. He dreaded the
+      crisis, the outcome of which he foresaw would be decisive for his whole
+      life. He wanted to let himself slide quietly down the slope; but all the
+      while he felt that something in him would never consent thus to endanger
+      his hopes of Heaven.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And Hell! He hated the thought! He strove to put it away from him, but it
+      would not be denied. His early habits of self-analysis reasserted
+      themselves. What if his impatience of the idea were the result of obdurate
+      sinfulness&mdash;sinfulness which might never be forgiven? He compelled
+      himself, therefore, to think of Hell, tried to picture it to himself, and
+      the soft, self-indulgent nature of the man shuddered as he realized the
+      meaning of the word. At length the torture grew too acute. He would not
+      think any longer; he could not; he would strive to do the right. &ldquo;O Lord!&rdquo;
+       he exclaimed, as he slipped out of bed on to his knees, &ldquo;O Christ! help
+      Thy servant! Pity me, and aid!&rdquo; Yet, while the words broke from his lips
+      in terrified appeal, he knew that he did not wish to be helped. He rose to
+      his feet in sullen dissatisfaction.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The happy alertness which he had enjoyed at his waking had disappeared;
+      the self-torment of the last few minutes had tired him; disturbed and
+      vexed in mind, he began to dress. While moving about in the sunlight his
+      thoughts gradually became more cheerful, and by the time he left his room
+      he had regained his good spirits.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After a short stroll he went into his study and read the daily paper. He
+      then took up a book till dinner-time. He dined, and afterwards forgot
+      himself in a story of African travels. It was only the discomfort of the
+      intense heat which at length reminded him that, though it was now past two
+      o&rsquo;clock, he had received no letter from Mrs. Hooper. But he was resolved
+      not to think about her, for thoughts of her, he knew, would lead to fears
+      concerning the future, which would in turn force him to decide upon a
+      course of action. If he determined to commit the sin, his guilt would
+      thereby be increased, and he would not pledge himself to refrain from it.
+      &ldquo;She couldn&rsquo;t write last night with the Deacon at her elbow all the time,&rdquo;
+       he decided, and began to read again. Darkness had fallen before he
+      remembered that he owed an immediate answer to the letter from Chicago.
+      After a little consideration, he sat down and wrote as follows:
+    </p>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+     &ldquo;Dear Brothers in Christ,
+
+     &ldquo;Your letter has just reached me. Needless to say it has
+     touched me deeply. You call me to a wider ministry and more
+     arduous duties. The very munificence of the remuneration
+     which you offer leads me to doubt my own fitness for so high
+     a post. You must bear with me a little, and grant me a few
+     days for reflection. The &lsquo;call,&rsquo; as you know, must be
+     answered from within, from the depths of my soul, before I
+     can be certain that it comes from Above, and this Divine
+     assurance has not yet been vouchsafed to me.
+
+     &ldquo;I was born and brought up here in Missouri, where I am now
+     labouring, not without&mdash;to Jesus be the praise!&mdash;some
+     small measure of success. I have many ties here, and many
+     dear friends and fellow-workers in Christ&rsquo;s vineyard from
+     whom I could not part without great pain. But I will
+     prayerfully consider your request. I shall seek for guidance
+     where alone it is to be found, at the foot of the Great
+     White Throne, and within a week or so at most I hope to be
+     able to answer you with the full and joyous certitude of the
+     Divine blessing.
+
+     &ldquo;In the meantime, believe that I thank you deeply, dear
+     Brethren, for your goodness to me, and that I shall pray in
+     Jesus&rsquo; Name that the blessing of the Holy Ghost may be with
+     you abundantly now and for evermore.
+
+     &ldquo;Your loving Servant in Christ,
+
+     &ldquo;John P. Letgood.&rdquo;
+ </pre>
+    <p>
+      He liked this letter so much that he read it over a great many times. It
+      committed him to nothing; it was dignified and yet sufficiently grateful,
+      and the large-hearted piety which appeared to inform it pleased him even
+      more than the alliteration of the words &ldquo;born and brought up.&rdquo; He had at
+      first written &ldquo;born and reared;&rdquo; but in spite of the fear lest &ldquo;brought
+      up&rdquo; should strike the simple Deacons of the Second Baptist Church in
+      Chicago as unfamiliar and far-fetched, he could not resist the assonance.
+      After directing the letter he went upstairs to bed, and his prayers that
+      night were more earnest than they had been of late&mdash;perhaps because
+      he avoided the dangerous topic. The exercise of his talent as a
+      letter-writer having put him on good terms with himself, he slept soundly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When he awoke in the morning his mood had changed. The day was cloudy; a
+      thunderstorm was brewing, and had somehow affected his temper. As soon as
+      he opened his eyes he was aware of the fact that Mrs. Hooper had not
+      written to him, even on Tuesday morning, when she must have been free, for
+      the Deacon always went early to his dry-goods store. The consciousness of
+      this neglect irritated him beyond measure. He tried, therefore, to think
+      of Chicago and the persons who frequented the Second Baptist Church.
+      Perhaps, he argued, they were as much ahead of the people in Kansas City
+      as Mrs. Hooper was superior to any woman he had previously known. But on
+      this way of thought he could not go far. The houses in Chicago were no
+      doubt much finer, the furniture more elegant; the living, too, was perhaps
+      better, though he could not imagine how that could be; there might even be
+      cleverer and handsomer women there than Mrs. Hooper; but certainly no one
+      lived in Chicago or anywhere else in the world who could tempt and bewitch
+      him as she did. She was formed to his taste, made to his desire. As he
+      recalled her, now laughing at him; now admiring him; to-day teasing him
+      with coldness, to-morrow encouraging him, he realized with exasperation
+      that her contradictions constituted her charm. He acknowledged reluctantly
+      that her odd turns of speech tickled his intellect just as her lithe grace
+      of movement excited his senses. But the number and strength of the ties
+      that bound him to her made his anger keener. Where could she hope to find
+      such love as his? She ought to write to him. Why didn&rsquo;t she? How could he
+      come to a decision before he knew whether she loved him or not? In any
+      case he would show her that he was a man. He would not try to see her
+      until she had written&mdash;not under any circumstances.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After dinner and mail time his thoughts ran in another channel. In reality
+      she was not anything so wonderful. Most men, he knew, did not think her
+      more than pretty; &ldquo;pretty Mrs. Hooper&rdquo; was what she was usually called&mdash;nothing
+      more. No one ever dreamed of saying she was beautiful or fascinating. No;
+      she was pretty, and that was all. He was the only person in Kansas City or
+      perhaps in the world to whom she was altogether and perfectly desirable.
+      She had no reason to be so conceited or to presume on her power over him.
+      If she were the wonder she thought herself she would surely have married
+      some one better than old Hooper, with his lank figure, grey hairs, and
+      Yankee twang. He took a pleasure in thus depreciating the woman he loved&mdash;it
+      gave his anger vent, and seemed to make her acquisition more probable.
+      When the uselessness of the procedure became manifest to him, he found
+      that his doubts of her affection had crystallized.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      This was the dilemma; she had not written either out of coquetry or
+      because she did not really care for him. If the former were the true
+      reason, she was cruel; if the latter, she ought to tell him so at once,
+      and he would try to master himself. On no hypothesis was she justified in
+      leaving him without a word. Tortured alternately by fear, hope, and anger,
+      he paced up and down his study all the day long. Now, he said to himself,
+      he would go and see her, and forthwith he grew calm&mdash;that was what
+      his nature desired. But the man in him refused to be so servile. He had
+      told her that she must write; to that he would hold, whatever it cost him.
+      Again, he broke out in bitter blame of her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      At length he made up his mind to strive to forget her. But what if she
+      really cared for him, loved him as he loved her? In that case if he went
+      away she would be miserable, as wretched as he would be. How unkind it was
+      of her to leave him without a decided answer, when he could not help
+      thinking of her happiness! No; she did not love him. He had read enough
+      about women and seen enough of them to imagine that they never torture the
+      man they really love. He would give her up and throw himself again into
+      his work. He could surely do that. Then he remembered that she was
+      married, and must, of course, see that she would risk her position&mdash;everything&mdash;by
+      declaring her love. Perhaps prudence kept her silent. Once more he was
+      plunged in doubt.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He was glad when supper was ready, for that brought, at least for half an
+      hour, freedom from thought. After the meal was finished he realized that
+      he was weary of it all&mdash;heart-sick of the suspense. The storm broke,
+      and the flashing of the lightning and the falling sheets of rain brought
+      him relief. The air became lighter and purer. He went to bed and slept
+      heavily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On the Thursday morning he awoke refreshed, and at once determined not to
+      think about Mrs. Hooper. It only needed resolution, he said to himself, in
+      order to forget her entirely. Her indifference, shown in not writing to
+      him, should be answered in that way. He took up his pocket Bible, and
+      opened it at the Gospels. The beautiful story soon exercised its charm
+      upon his impressionable nature, and after a couple of hours&rsquo; reading he
+      closed the book comforted, and restored to his better self. He fell on his
+      knees and thanked God for this crowning mercy. From his heart went forth a
+      hymn of praise for the first time in long weeks. The words of the Man of
+      Sorrows had lifted him above the slough. The marvel of it! How could he
+      ever thank Him enough? His whole life should now be devoted to setting
+      forth the wonders of His grace. When he arose he felt at peace with
+      himself and full of goodwill to every one. He could even think of Mrs.
+      Hooper calmly&mdash;with pity and grave kindliness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After his midday dinner and a brisk walk&mdash;>he paid no attention to
+      the mail time&mdash;he prepared to write the sermon which he intended to
+      preach as his farewell to his congregation on the following Sunday. He was
+      determined now to leave Kansas City and go to Chicago. But as soon as he
+      began to consider what he should say, he became aware of a difficulty. He
+      could talk and write of accepting the &ldquo;call&rdquo; because it gave him &ldquo;a wider
+      ministry,&rdquo; and so forth, but the ugly fact would obtrude itself that he
+      was relinquishing five thousand dollars a year to accept ten, and he was
+      painfully conscious that this knowledge would be uppermost in the minds of
+      his hearers. Most men in his position would have easily put the objection
+      out of their minds. But he could not put it aside carelessly, and it was
+      characteristic of him to exaggerate its importance. He dearly loved to
+      play what the French call <i>le beau rôle</i>, even at the cost of his
+      self-interest. Of a sensitive, artistic temperament, he had for years
+      nourished his intellect with good books. He had always striven, too, to
+      set before his hearers high ideals of life and conduct. His nature was now
+      subdued to the stuff he had worked in. As an artist, an orator, it was all
+      but impossible for him to justify what must seem like sordid selfishness.
+      He moved about in his chair uneasily, and strove to look at the subject
+      from a new point of view. In vain; ten thousand dollars a year instead of
+      five&mdash;that was to be his theme.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The first solution of the problem which suggested itself to him was to
+      express his very real disdain of such base material considerations, but no
+      sooner did the thought occur to him than he was fain to reject it. He knew
+      well that his hearers in Kansas City would refuse to accept that
+      explanation even as &ldquo;high-falutin&rsquo; bunkum!&rdquo; He then tried to select a text
+      in order to ease for a time the strain upon his reflective faculties.
+      &ldquo;Feed my sheep&rdquo; was his first choice&mdash;&ldquo;the largest flock possible, of
+      course.&rdquo; But no, that was merely the old cant in new words.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He came reluctantly to the conclusion that there was no noble way out of
+      the difficulty. He felt this the more painfully because, before sitting
+      down to think of his sermon, he had immersed himself, to use his own
+      words, in the fountain-head of self-sacrificing enthusiasm. And now he
+      could not show his flock that there was any trace of self-denial in his
+      conduct. It was apparent that his acceptance of the call made a great
+      sermon an utter impossibility. He must say as little about the main point
+      as possible, glide quickly, in fact, over the thin ice. But his
+      disappointment was none the less keen; there was no splendid peroration to
+      write; there would be no eyes gazing up at him through a mist of tears.
+      His sensations were those of an actor with an altogether uncongenial and
+      stupid part.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After some futile efforts he abandoned the attempt to sketch out a sermon.
+      Some words would come to him at the time, and they would have to do. In
+      the evening a new idea presented itself to his over-excited brain. Might
+      not his dislike of that sermon be a snare set by the Devil to induce him
+      to reject the call and stay in Kansas City? No. A fine sermon would do
+      good&mdash;the Evil One could not desire that&mdash;perhaps even more good
+      than his sin would do harm? Puzzled and incapable of the effort required
+      to solve this fresh problem he went to bed, after praying humbly for
+      guidance and enlightenment.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On the Friday morning he rose from his knees with a burden of sorrow. No
+      kindly light had illumined the darkness of his doubtings. Yet he was
+      conscious of a perfect sincerity in his desires and in his prayers.
+      Suddenly he remembered that, when in a pure frame of mind, he had only
+      considered the acceptance of the call. But in order to be guided aright,
+      he must abandon himself entirely to God&rsquo;s directing. In all honesty of
+      purpose, he began to think of the sermon he could deliver if he resolved
+      to reject the call. Ah! that sermon needed but little meditation. With
+      such a decision to announce, he felt that he could carry his hearers with
+      him to heights of which they knew nothing. Their very vulgarity and
+      sordidness of nature would help instead of hindering him. No one in Kansas
+      City would doubt for a moment the sincerity of the self-sacrifice involved
+      in rejecting ten thousand dollars a year for five. That sermon could be
+      preached with effect from any text. &ldquo;Feed my sheep&rdquo; even would do. He
+      thrilled in anticipation, as a great actor thrills when reading a part
+      which will allow him to discover all his powers, and in which he is
+      certain to &ldquo;bring down the house.&rdquo; Completely carried away by his
+      emotions, he began to turn the sermon over in his head. First of all he
+      sought for a text; not this one, nor that one, but a few words breathing
+      the very spirit of Christ&rsquo;s self-abnegation. He soon found what he wanted:
+      &ldquo;For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever will lose
+      his life for My sake, shall find it.&rdquo; The unearthly beauty of the thought
+      and the divine simplicity of its expression took the orator captive. As he
+      imagined that Godlike Figure in Galilee, and seemed to hear the words drop
+      like pearls from His lips, so he saw himself in the pulpit, and had a
+      foretaste of the effect of his own eloquence. Ravished by the vision, he
+      proceeded to write and rewrite the peroration. Every other part he could
+      trust to his own powers, and to the inspiration of the theme, but the
+      peroration he meant to make finer even than his apostrophe on the
+      cultivation of character, which hitherto had been the high-water mark of
+      his achievement.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      At length he finished his task, but not before sunset, and he felt weary
+      and hungry. He ate and rested. In the complete relaxation of mental
+      strain, he understood all at once what he had done. He had decided to
+      remain in Kansas City. But to remain meant to meet Mrs. Hooper day after
+      day, to be thrown together with her even by her foolishly confiding
+      husband; it meant perpetual temptation, and at last&mdash;a fall! And yet
+      God had guided him to choose that sermon rather than the other. He had
+      abandoned himself passively to His guidance&mdash;could <i>that</i> lead
+      to the brink of the pit?... He cried out suddenly like one in bodily
+      anguish. He had found the explanation. God cared for no half-victories.
+      Flight to Chicago must seem to Him the veriest cowardice. God intended him
+      to stay in Kansas City and conquer the awful temptation face to face. When
+      he realized this, he fell on his knees and prayed as he had never prayed
+      in all his life before. If entreated humbly, God would surely temper the
+      wind to the shorn lamb; He knew His servant&rsquo;s weakness. &ldquo;<i>Lead us not
+      into temptation</i>,&rdquo; he cried again and again, for the first time in his
+      life comprehending what now seemed to him the awful significance of the
+      words. &ldquo;<i>Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil</i>&rdquo;&mdash;thus
+      he begged and wept. But even when, exhausted in body and in mind, he rose
+      from his knees, he had found no comfort. Like a child, with streaming eyes
+      and quivering features, he stumbled upstairs to bed and fell asleep,
+      repeating over and over again mechanically the prayer that the cup might
+      pass from him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On the Saturday morning he awoke as from a hideous nightmare. Before there
+      was time for thought he was aware of what oppressed and frightened him.
+      The knowledge of his terrible position weighed him down. He was worn out
+      and feverishly ill; incapable of reflection or resolution, conscious
+      chiefly of pain and weariness, and a deep dumb revolt against his
+      impending condemnation. After lying thus for some time, drinking the cup
+      of bitterness to the very dregs, he got up, and went downstairs. Yielding
+      to habit he opened the Bible. But the Book had no message for him. His
+      tired brain refused, for minutes together, to take in the sense of the
+      printed words. The servant found him utterly miserable and helpless when
+      she went to tell him that &ldquo;the dinner was a-gittin&rsquo; cold.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The food seemed to restore him, and during the first two hours of
+      digestion he was comparatively peaceful in being able to live without
+      thinking; but when the body had recovered its vigour, the mind grew
+      active, and the self-torture recommenced. For some hours&mdash;he never
+      knew how many&mdash;he suffered in this way; then a strange calm fell upon
+      him. Was it the Divine help which had come at last, or despair, or the
+      fatigue of an overwrought spirit? He knelt down and prayed once more, but
+      this time his prayer consisted simply in placing before his Heavenly
+      Father the exact state of the case. He was powerless; God should do with
+      him according to His purpose, only he felt unable to resist if the
+      temptation came up against him. Jesus, of course, could remove the
+      temptation or strengthen him if He so willed. His servant was in His
+      hands.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After continuing in this strain for some time he got up slowly, calm but
+      hopeless. There was no way of escape for him. He took up the Bible and
+      attempted again to read it; but of a sudden he put it down, and throwing
+      his outspread arms on the table and bowing his head upon them he cried:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My God, forgive me! I cannot hear Thy voice, nor feel Thy presence. I can
+      only see her face and feel her body.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      And then hardened as by the consciousness of unforgivable blaspheming, he
+      rose with set face, lit his candle, and went to bed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The week had passed much as usual with Mrs. Hooper and her husband. On the
+      Tuesday he had seen most of his brother Deacons and found that they
+      thought as he did. All were agreed that something should be done to
+      testify to their gratitude, if indeed their pastor refused the &ldquo;call.&rdquo; In
+      the evening, after supper, Mr. Hooper narrated to his wife all that he had
+      done and all that the others had said. When he asked for her opinion she
+      approved of his efforts. A little while later she turned to him: &ldquo;I wonder
+      why Mr. Letgood doesn&rsquo;t marry?&rdquo; As she spoke she laid down her work. With
+      a tender smile the Deacon drew her on to his knees in the armchair, and
+      pushing up his spectacles (he had been reading a dissertation on the
+      meaning of the Greek verb&nbsp; said with infinite,
+      playful tenderness in his voice:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tain&rsquo;t every one can find a wife like you, my dear.&rdquo; He was rewarded for
+      the flattering phrase with a little slap on the cheek. He continued
+      thoughtfully: &ldquo;Taint every one either that wants to take care of a wife.
+      Some folks hain&rsquo;t got much affection in &lsquo;em, I guess; perhaps Mr. Letgood
+      hain&rsquo;t.&rdquo; To the which Mrs. Hooper answered not in words, but her lips
+      curved into what might be called a smile, a contented smile as from the
+      heights of superior knowledge.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Letgood&rsquo;s state of mind on the Sunday morning was too complex for
+      complete analysis: he did not attempt the task. He preferred to believe
+      that he had told God the whole truth without any attempt at reservation.
+      He had thereby placed himself in His hands, and was no longer chiefly
+      responsible. He would not even think of what he was about to do, further
+      than that he intended to refuse the call and to preach the sermon the
+      peroration of which he had so carefully prepared. After dressing he sat
+      down in his study and committed this passage to memory. He pictured to
+      himself with pleasure the effect it would surely produce upon his hearers.
+      When Pete came to tell him the buggy was ready to take him to church, he
+      got up almost cheerfully, and went out.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The weather was delightful, as it is in June in that part of the Western
+      States. From midday until about four o&rsquo;clock the temperature is that of
+      midsummer, but the air is exceedingly dry and light, and one breathes it
+      in the morning with a sense of exhilaration. While driving to church Mr.
+      Letgood&rsquo;s spirits rose. He chatted with his servant Pete, and even took
+      the reins once for a few hundred yards. But when they neared the church
+      his gaiety forsook him. He stopped talking, and appeared to be a little
+      preoccupied. From time to time he courteously greeted one of his flock on
+      the side-walk: but that was all. As he reached the church, the Partons
+      drove up, and of course he had to speak to them. After the usual
+      conventional remarks and shaking of hands, the minister turned up the
+      sidewalk which led to the vestry. He had not taken more than four or five
+      steps in this direction before he paused and looked up the street. He
+      shrugged his shoulders, however, immediately at his own folly, and walked
+      on: &ldquo;Of course she couldn&rsquo;t send a messenger with a note. On Sundays the
+      Deacon was with her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As he opened the vestry door, and stepped into the little room, he stopped
+      short. Mrs. Hooper was there, coming towards him with outstretched hand
+      and radiant smile:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good morning Mr. Letgood, all the Deacons are here to meet you, and they
+      let me come; because I was the first you told the news to, and because I&rsquo;m
+      sure you&rsquo;re not goin&rsquo; to leave us. Besides, I wanted to come.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He could not help looking at her for a second as he took her hand and
+      bowed:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank you, Mrs. Hooper.&rdquo; Not trusting himself further, he began to shake
+      hands with the assembled elders. In answer to one who expressed the hope
+      that they would keep him, he said slowly and gravely:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I always trust something to the inspiration of the moment, but I confess
+      I am greatly moved to refuse this call.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I said,&rdquo; broke in Mr. Hooper triumphantly, &ldquo;and I said, too,
+      there were mighty few like you, and I meant it. But we don&rsquo;t want you to
+      act against yourself, though we&rsquo;d be mighty glad to hev you stay.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A chorus of &ldquo;Yes, sir! Yes, indeed! That&rsquo;s so&rdquo; went round the room in warm
+      approval, and then, as the minister did not answer save with an
+      abstracted, wintry smile, the Deacons began to file into the church.
+      Curiously enough Mrs. Hooper having moved away from the door during this
+      scene was now, necessarily it seemed, the last to leave the room. While
+      she was passing him, Mr. Letgood bent towards her and in an eager tone
+      whispered:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And my answer?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Hooper paused, as if surprised.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh! ain&rsquo;t you men stupid,&rdquo; she murmured and with a smile tossed the
+      question over her shoulder: &ldquo;What <i>did</i> I come here for?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      That sermon of Mr. Letgood&rsquo;s is still remembered in Kansas City. It is not
+      too much to say that the majority of his hearers believed him to be
+      inspired. And, in truth, as an artistic performance his discourse was
+      admirable. After standing for some moments with his hand upon the desk,
+      apparently lost in thought, he began in the quietest tone to read the
+      letter from the Deacons of the Second Baptist Church in Chicago. He then
+      read his reply, begging them to give him time to consider their request He
+      had considered it&mdash;prayerfully. He would read the passage of Holy
+      Scripture which had suggested the answer he was about to send to the call.
+      He paused again. The rustling of frocks and the occasional coughings
+      ceased&mdash;the audience straining to catch the decision&mdash;while in a
+      higher key he recited the verse, &ldquo;For whosoever will save his life, shall
+      lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My sake, shall find it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As the violinist knows when his instrument is perfectly attuned, so Mr.
+      Letgood knew when he repeated the text that his hearers had surrendered
+      themselves to him to be played upon. It would be useless here to reproduce
+      the sermon, which lasted for nearly an hour, and altogether impossible to
+      give any account of the preacher&rsquo;s gestures or dramatic pauses, or of the
+      modulations and inflections of his voice, which now seemed to be freighted
+      with passionate earnestness, now quivered in pathetic appeal, and now grew
+      musical in the dying fall of some poetic phrase. The effect was
+      astonishing. While he was speaking simply of the text as embodying the
+      very spirit of the Glad Tidings which Christ first delivered to the world,
+      not a few women were quietly weeping. It was impossible, they felt, to
+      listen unmoved to that voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But when he went on to show the necessity of renunciation as the first
+      step towards the perfecting of character, even the hard, keen faces of the
+      men before him began to relax and change expression. He dwelt, in turn,
+      upon the startling novelty of Christ&rsquo;s teaching and its singular success.
+      He spoke of the shortness of human life, the vanity of human effort, and
+      the ultimate reward of those who sacrifice themselves for others, as Jesus
+      did, and out of the same divine spirit of love. He thus came to the
+      peroration. He began it in the manner of serious conversation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      All over the United States the besetting sin of the people was the desire
+      of wealth. He traced the effects of the ignoble struggle for gain in the
+      degradation of character, in the debased tone of public and private life.
+      The main current of existence being defiled, his duty was clear. Even more
+      than other men he was pledged to resist the evil tendency of the time. In
+      some ways, no doubt, he was as frail and faulty as the weakest of his
+      hearers, but to fail in this respect would be, he thought, to prove
+      himself unworthy of his position. That a servant of Christ in the
+      nineteenth century should seek wealth, or allow it in any way to influence
+      his conduct, appeared to him to be much the same unpardonable sin as
+      cowardice in a soldier or dishonesty in a man of business. He could do but
+      little to show what the words of his text meant to him, but one thing he
+      could do and would do joyously. He would write to the good Deacons in
+      Chicago to tell them that he intended to stay in Kansas City, and to
+      labour on among the people whom he knew and loved, and some of whom, he
+      believed, knew and loved him. He would not be tempted by the greater
+      position offered to him or by the larger salary. &ldquo;<i>For whosoever will
+      save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My sake,
+      shall find it</i>.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As his voice broke over the last words, there was scarcely a dry eye in
+      the church. Many of the women were sobbing audibly, and Mrs. Hooper had
+      long ago given up the attempt &ldquo;to pull her tears down the back way.&rdquo; She
+      expressed the general sentiment of her sex when she said afterwards, &ldquo;It
+      was just too lovely for anythin&rsquo;.&rdquo; And the men were scarcely less
+      affected, though they were better able to control their emotion. The
+      joyous renunciation of five thousand dollars a year struck these hard men
+      of business as something almost uncanny. They would have considered it the
+      acme of folly in an ordinary man, but in a preacher they felt vaguely that
+      it was admirable.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When Deacon Hooper met his brother Deacons before the platform where the
+      collection-plates were kept, he whispered, &ldquo;The meetin&rsquo; is at my house at
+      three o&rsquo;clock. Be on time.&rdquo; His tone was decided, as were also the nods
+      which accepted the invitation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After the service Mr. Letgood withdrew quietly without going, as usual,
+      amongst his congregation. This pleased even Mrs. Farton, whose husband was
+      a judge of the Supreme Court. She said: &ldquo;It was elegant of him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hooper received the twelve Deacons in his drawing-room, and when the
+      latest comer was seated, began:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There ain&rsquo;t no need for me to tell you, brethren, why I asked you all to
+      come round here this afternoon. After that sermon this mornin&rsquo; I guess
+      we&rsquo;re all sot upon showin&rsquo; our minister that we appreciate him. There are
+      mighty few men with five thousand dollars a year who&rsquo;d give up ten
+      thousand. It seems to me a pretty good proof that a man&rsquo;s a Christian ef
+      he&rsquo;ll do that. Tain&rsquo;t being merely a Christian: it&rsquo;s Christ-like. We must
+      keep Mr. Letgood right here: he&rsquo;s the sort o&rsquo; man we want. If they come
+      from Chicago after him now, they&rsquo;ll be comin&rsquo; from New York next, an&rsquo; he
+      oughtn&rsquo;t to be exposed to sich great temptation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I allow that we&rsquo;ll be able to raise the pew-rents from the first of
+      January next, to bring in another two thousand five hundred dollars a
+      year, and I propose that we Deacons should jest put our hands deep down in
+      our pockets and give Mr. Let-good that much anyway for this year, and
+      promise the same for the future. I&rsquo;m willin&rsquo;, as senior Deacon, though not
+      the richest, to start the list with three hundred dollars.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In five minutes the money was subscribed, and it was agreed that each man
+      should pay in his contribution to the name of Mr. Hooper at the First
+      National Bank next day; Mr. Hooper could then draw his cheque for the sum.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wall,&rdquo; said the Deacon, again getting up, &ldquo;that&rsquo;s settled, but I&rsquo;ve drawn
+      that cheque already. Mrs. Hooper and me talked the thing over,&rdquo; he added
+      half apologetically, and as if to explain his unbusinesslike rashness;
+      &ldquo;an&rsquo; she thinks we oughter go right now to Mr. Letgood as a sort of
+      surprise party an&rsquo; tell him what we hev decided&mdash;that is, ef you&rsquo;re
+      all agreed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      They were, although one or two objected to a &ldquo;surprise party&rdquo; being held
+      on Sunday. But Deacon Hooper overruled the objection by saying that he
+      could find no better <i>word</i>, though of course &lsquo;twas really not a
+      &ldquo;surprise party.&rdquo; After this explanation, some one proposed that Deacon
+      Hooper should make the presentation, and that Mrs. Hooper should be asked
+      to accompany them. When Mr. Hooper went into the dining-room to find, his
+      wife she was already dressed to go out, and when he expressed surprise and
+      delivered himself of his mission, she said simply:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, I only dressed to go and see Mrs. Jones, who&rsquo;s ill, but I guess I&rsquo;ll
+      go along with you first.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The same afternoon Mr. Letgood was seated in his study considering a
+      sermon for the evening&mdash;it would have to be very different from that
+      of the morning, he felt, or else it would fall flat.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He still avoided thinking of his position. The die was cast now, and
+      having struggled hard against the temptation he tried to believe that he
+      was not chiefly responsible. In the back of his mind was the knowledge
+      that his responsibility would become clear to him some time or other, but
+      he confined it in the furthest chamber of his brain with repentance as the
+      guardian.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He had just decided that his evening address must be doctrinal and
+      argumentative, when he became aware of steps in the drawing-room. Opening
+      the door he found himself face to face with his Deacons. Before he could
+      speak, Deacon Hooper began:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mr. Letgood! We, the Deacons of your church, hev come to see you. We want
+      to tell you how we appreciate your decision this mornin&rsquo;. It was
+      Christlike! And we&rsquo;re all proud of you, an&rsquo; glad you&rsquo;re goin&rsquo; to stay with
+      us. But we allow that it ain&rsquo;t fair or to be expected that you should
+      refuse ten thousand dollars a year with only five. So we&rsquo;ve made a purse
+      for this year among ourselves of two thousand five hundred dollars extry,
+      which we hope you&rsquo;ll accept. Next year the pew-rents can be raised to
+      bring in the same sum; anyway, it shall be made up.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There ain&rsquo;t no use in talkin&rsquo;; but you, sir, hev jest sot us an example
+      of how one who loves the Lord Jesus, and Him only, should act, and we
+      ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to remain far behind. No, sir, we ain&rsquo;t Thar&rsquo;s the cheque.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As he finished speaking, tears stood in the kind, honest, blue eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Letgood took the cheque mechanically, and mechanically accepted at the
+      same time the Deacon&rsquo;s outstretched hand; but his eyes sought Mrs.
+      Hooper&rsquo;s, who stood behind the knot of men with her handkerchief to her
+      face. In a moment or two, recalled to himself by the fact that one after
+      the other all the Deacons wanted to shake his hand, he tried to sustain
+      his part in the ceremony. He said:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My dear brothers, I thank you each and all, and accept your gift in the
+      spirit in which you offer it. I need not say that I knew nothing of your
+      intention when I preached this morning. It is not the money that I&rsquo;m
+      thinking of now, but your kindness. I thank you again.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      After a few minutes&rsquo; casual conversation, consisting chiefly of praise of
+      the &ldquo;wonderful discourse&rdquo; of the morning, Mr. Letgood proposed that they
+      should all have iced coffee with him; there was nothing so refreshing; he
+      wanted them to try it; and though he was a bachelor, if Mrs. Hooper would
+      kindly give her assistance and help him with his cook, he was sure they
+      would enjoy a glass. With a smile she consented. Stepping into the passage
+      after her and closing the door, he said hurriedly, with anger and
+      suspicion in his voice:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t get this up as my answer? You didn&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d take money
+      instead, did you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Demurely, Mrs. Hooper turned her head round as he spoke, and leaning
+      against him while he put his arms round her waist, answered with arch
+      reproach:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You are just too silly for anythin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Then, with something like the movement of a cat loath to lose the contact
+      of the caressing hand, she turned completely towards him and slowly lifted
+      her eyes. Their lips met.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      21 April. 1891.
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 6em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
+
+
+
+
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+</pre>
+  </body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: A Modern Idyll
+
+Author: Frank Harris
+
+Release Date: October 12, 2007 [EBook #23009]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A MODERN IDYLL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+A MODERN IDYLL
+
+By Frank Harris
+
+
+"I call it real good of you, Mr. Letgood, to come and see me. Won't you
+be seated?"
+
+"Thank you. It's very warm to-day; and as I didn't feel like reading or
+writing, I thought I'd come round."
+
+"You're just too kind for anythin'! To come an' pay me a visit when you
+must be tired out with yesterday's preachin'. An' what a sermon you gave
+us in the mornin'--it was too sweet. I had to wink my eyes pretty hard,
+an' pull the tears down the back way, or I should have cried right
+out--and Mrs. Jones watchin' me all the time under that dreadful
+bonnet."
+
+Mrs. Hooper had begun with a shade of nervousness in the hurried words;
+but the emotion disappeared as she took up a comfortable pose in the
+corner of the small sofa.
+
+The Rev. John Letgood, having seated himself in an armchair, looked at
+her intently before replying. She was well worth looking at, this Mrs.
+Hooper, as she leaned back on the cushions in her cool white dress,
+which was so thin and soft and well-fitting that her form could be seen
+through it almost as clearly as through water. She appeared to be about
+eighteen years old, and in reality was not yet twenty. At first sight
+one would have said of her, "a pretty girl;" but an observant eye on
+the second glance would have noticed those contradictions in face and in
+form which bear witness to a certain complexity of nature. Her features
+were small, regular, and firmly cut; the long, brown eyes looked out
+confidently under straight, well-defined brows; but the forehead was
+low, and the sinuous lips a vivid red. So, too, the slender figure and
+narrow hips formed a contrast with the throat, which pouted in soft,
+white fulness.
+
+"I am glad you liked the sermon," said the minister, breaking the
+silence, "for it is not probable that you will hear many more from me."
+There was just a shade of sadness in the lower tone with which he ended
+the phrase. He let the sad note drift in unconsciously--by dint of
+practice he had become an artist in the management of his voice.
+
+"You don't say!" exclaimed Mrs. Hooper, sitting up straight in her
+excitement "You ain't goin' to leave us, I hope?"
+
+"Why do you pretend, Belle, to misunderstand me? You know I said three
+months ago that if you didn't care for me I should have to leave this
+place. And yesterday I told you that you must make up your mind at once,
+as I was daily expecting a call to Chicago. Now I have come for your
+answer, and you treat me as if I were a stranger, and you knew nothing
+of what I feel for you."
+
+"Oh!" she sighed, languorously nestling back into the corner. "Is that
+all? I thought for a moment the 'call' had come."
+
+"No, it has not yet; but I am resolved to get an answer from you to-day,
+or I shall go away, call or no call."
+
+"What would Nettie Williams say if she heard you?" laughed Mrs. Hooper,
+with mischievous delight in her eyes.
+
+"Now, Belle," he said in tender remonstrance, leaning forward and taking
+the small cool hand in his, "what is my answer to be? Do you love me? Or
+am I to leave Kansas City, and try somewhere else to get again into the
+spirit of my work? God forgive me, but I want you to tell me to stay.
+Will you?"
+
+"Of course I will," she returned, while slowly withdrawing her hand.
+"There ain't any one wants you to go, and why should you?"
+
+"Why? Because my passion for you prevents me from doing my work. You
+tease and torture me with doubt, and when I should be thinking of my
+duties I am wondering whether or not you care for me. Do you love me? I
+must have a plain answer."
+
+"Love you?" she repeated pensively. "I hardly know, but--"
+
+"But what?" he asked impatiently.
+
+"But--I must just see after the pies; this 'help' of ours is Irish, an'
+doesn't know enough to turn them in the oven. And Mr. Hooper don't like
+burnt pies."
+
+She spoke with coquettish gravity, and got up to go out of the room. But
+when Mr. Letgood also rose, she stopped and smiled--waiting perhaps for
+him to take his leave. As he did not speak she shook out her frock
+and then pulled down her bodice at the waist and drew herself up, thus
+throwing into relief the willowy outlines of her girlish form. The
+provocative grace, unconscious or intentional, of the attitude was not
+lost on her admirer. For an instant he stood irresolute, but when she
+stepped forward to pass him, he seemed to lose his self-control, and,
+putting his arms round her, tried to kiss her. With serpent speed and
+litheness she bowed her head against his chest, and slipped out of the
+embrace. On reaching the door she paused to say, over her shoulder: "If
+you'll wait, I'll be back right soon;" then, as if a new thought had
+occurred to her, she added turning to him: "The Deacon told me he was
+coming home early to-day, and he'd be real sorry to miss you."
+
+As she disappeared, he took up his hat, and left the house.
+
+It was about four o'clock on a day in mid-June. The sun was pouring down
+rays of liquid flame; the road, covered inches deep in fine white dust,
+and the wooden side-walks glowed with the heat, but up and down the
+steep hills went the minister unconscious of physical discomfort.
+
+"Does she care for me, or not? Why can't she tell me plainly? The
+teasing creature! Did she give me the hint to go because she was afraid
+her husband would come in? Or did she want to get rid of me in order not
+to answer?... She wasn't angry with me for putting my arms round her,
+and yet she wouldn't let me kiss her. Why not? She doesn't love him.
+She married him because she was poor, and he was rich and a deacon. She
+can't love him. He must be fifty-five if he's a day. Perhaps she doesn't
+love me either--the little flirt! But how seductive she is, and what a
+body, so round and firm and supple--not thin at all. I have the feel of
+it on my hands now--I can't stand this."
+
+Shaking himself vigorously, he abandoned his meditation, which, like
+many similar ones provoked by Mrs. Hooper, had begun in vexation and
+ended in passionate desire. Becoming aware of the heat and dust, he
+stood still, took off his hat, and wiped his forehead.
+
+The Rev. John Letgood was an ideal of manhood to many women. He was
+largely built, but not ungainly--the coarseness of the hands being the
+chief indication of his peasant ancestry. His head was rather round, and
+strongly set on broad shoulders; the nose was straight and well formed;
+the dark eyes, however, were somewhat small, and the lower part of the
+face too massive, though both chin and jaw were clearly marked. A long,
+thick, brown moustache partly concealed the mouth; the lower lip could
+just be seen, a little heavy, and sensual; the upper one was certainly
+flexile and suasive. A good-looking man of thirty, who must have been
+handsome when he was twenty, though even then, probably, too much drawn
+by the pleasures of the senses to have had that distinction of person
+which seems to be reserved for those who give themselves to thought
+or high emotions. On entering his comfortable house, he was met by his
+negro "help," who handed him his "mail": "I done brot these, Massa;
+they's all." "Thanks, Pete," he replied abstractedly, going into his
+cool study. He flung himself into an armchair before the writing-table,
+and began to read the letters. Two were tossed aside carelessly, but on
+opening the third he sat up with a quick exclamation. Here at last
+was the "call" he had been expecting, a "call" from the deacons of the
+Second Baptist Church in Chicago, asking him to come and minister to
+their spiritual wants, and offering him ten thousand dollars a year for
+his services.
+
+For a moment exultation overcame every other feeling in the man. A light
+flashed in his eyes as he exclaimed aloud: "It was that sermon did it!
+What a good thing it was that I knew their senior deacon was in the
+church on purpose to hear me! How well I brought in the apostrophe on
+the cultivation of character that won me the prize at college! Ah, I
+have never done anything finer than that, never! and perhaps never shall
+now. I had been reading Channing then for months, was steeped in him;
+but Channing has nothing as good as that in all his works. It has more
+weight and dignity--dignity is the word--than anything he wrote. And
+to think of its bringing me this! Ten thousand dollars a year and the
+second church in Chicago, while here they think me well paid with five.
+Chicago! I must accept it at once. Who knows, perhaps I shall get to New
+York yet, and move as many thousands as here I move hundreds. No! not I.
+I do not move them. I am weak and sinful. It is the Holy Spirit, and the
+power of His grace. O Lord, I am thankful to Thee who hast been good to
+me unworthy!" A pang of fear shot through him: "Perhaps He sends this to
+win me away from Belle." His fancy called her up before him as she had
+lain on the sofa. Again he saw the bright malicious glances and the red
+lips, the full white throat, and the slim roundness of her figure. He
+bowed his head upon his hands and groaned. "O Lord, help me! I know not
+what to do. Help me, O Lord!"
+
+As if prompted by a sudden inspiration, he started to his feet. "Now
+she must answer! Now what will she say? Here _is_ the call. Ten thousand
+dollars a year! What will she say to that?"
+
+He spoke aloud in his excitement, all that was masculine in him glowing
+with the sense of hard-won mastery over the tantalizing evasiveness of
+the woman.
+
+On leaving his house he folded up the letter, thrust it into the
+breast-pocket of his frock-coat, and strode rapidly up the hill towards
+Mrs. Hooper's. At first he did not even think of her last words, but
+when he had gone up and down the first hill and was beginning to climb
+the second they suddenly came back to him. He did not want to meet her
+husband--least of all now. He paused. What should he do? Should he wait
+till to-morrow? No, that was out of the question; he couldn't wait. He
+must know what answer to send to the call. If Deacon Hooper happened
+to be at home he would talk to him about the door of the vestry, which
+would not shut properly. If the Deacon was not there, he would see her
+and force a confession from her....
+
+While the shuttle of his thought flew thus to and fro, he did not at all
+realize that he was taking for granted what he had refused to believe
+half an hour before. He felt certain now that Deacon Hooper would not
+be in, and that Mrs. Hooper had got rid of him on purpose to avoid his
+importunate love-making. When he reached the house and rang the bell his
+first question was:
+
+"Is the Deacon at home?"
+
+"No, sah."
+
+"Is Mrs. Hooper in?"
+
+"Yes, sah."
+
+"Please tell her I should like to see her for a moment. I will not keep
+her long. Say it's very important."
+
+"Yes, Massa, I bring her shuah," said the negress with a good-natured
+grin, opening the door of the drawing-room.
+
+In a minute or two Mrs. Hooper came into the room looking as cool and
+fresh as if "pies" were baked in ice.
+
+"Good day, _again_ Mr. Letgood. Won't you take a chair?"
+
+He seemed to feel the implied reproach, for without noticing her
+invitation to sit down he came to the point at once. Plunging his hand
+into his pocket, he handed her the letter from Chicago.
+
+She took it with the quick interest of curiosity, but as she read, the
+colour deepened in her cheeks, and before she had finished it she broke
+out, "Ten thousand dollars a year!"
+
+As she gave the letter back she did not raise her eyes, but said
+musingly: "That is a call indeed..." Staring straight before her she
+added: "How strange it should come to-day! Of course you'll accept it."
+
+A moment, and she darted the question at him:
+
+"Does she know? Have you told Miss Williams yet? But there, I suppose
+you have!" After another pause, she went on:
+
+"What a shame to take you away just when we had all got to know and like
+you! I suppose we shall have some old fogey now who will preach against
+dancin' an' spellin'-bees an' surprise-parties. And, of course, he won't
+like me, or come here an' call as often as you do--makin' the other
+girls jealous. I shall hate the change!" And in her innocent excitement
+she slowly lifted her brown eyes to his.
+
+"You know you're talking nonsense, Belle," he replied, with grave
+earnestness. "I've come for _your_ answer. If you wish me to stay, if
+you really care for me, I shall refuse this offer."
+
+"You don't tell!" she exclaimed. "Refuse ten thousand dollars a year
+and a church in Chicago to stay here in Kansas City! I know I shouldn't!
+Why," and she fixed her eyes on his as she spoke, "you must be real good
+even to think of such a thing. But then, you won't refuse," she added,
+pouting. "No one would," she concluded, with profound conviction.
+
+"Oh, yes," answered the minister, moving to her and quietly putting both
+hands on her waist, while his voice seemed to envelope and enfold her
+with melodious tenderness.
+
+"Oh, yes, I shall refuse it, Belle, if _you_ wish me to; refuse it as
+I should ten times as great a prize, as I think I should refuse--God
+forgive me!--heaven itself, if you were not there to make it beautiful."
+
+While speaking he drew her to him gently; her body yielded to his touch,
+and her gaze, as if fascinated, was drawn into his. But when the flow
+of words ceased, and he bent to kiss her, the spell seemed to lose its
+power over her. In an instant she wound herself out of his arms, and
+with startled eyes aslant whispered:
+
+"Hush! he's coming! Don't you hear his step?" As Mr. Letgood went again
+towards her with a tenderly reproachful and incredulous "Now, Belle,"
+she stamped impatiently on the floor while exclaiming in a low, but
+angry voice, "Do take care! That's the Deacon's step."
+
+At the same moment her companion heard it too. The sounds were distinct
+on the wooden side-walk, and when they ceased at the little gate four or
+five yards from the house he knew that she was right.
+
+He pulled himself together, and with a man's untimely persistence spoke
+hurriedly:
+
+"I shall wait for your answer till Sunday morning next. Before then you
+must have assured me of your love, or I shall go to Chicago--"
+
+Mrs. Hooper's only reply was a contemptuous, flashing look that
+succeeded in reducing the importunate clergyman to silence--just in
+time--for as the word "Chicago" passed his lips the handle of the door
+turned, and Deacon Hooper entered the room.
+
+"Why, how do you do, Mr. Letgood?" said the Deacon cordially. "I'm glad
+to see you, sir, as you are too, I'm sartin," he added, turning to his
+wife and putting his arms round her waist and his lips to her cheek in
+an affectionate caress. "Take a seat, won't you? It's too hot to stand."
+As Mrs. Hooper sank down beside him on the sofa and their visitor drew
+over a chair, he went on, taking up again the broken thread of his
+thought. "No one thinks more of you than Isabelle. She said only last
+Sunday there warn't such a preacher as you west of the Mississippi
+River. How's that for high, eh?"--And then, still seeking back like a
+dog on a lost scent, he added, looking from his wife to the clergyman,
+as if recalled to a sense of the actualities of the situation by a
+certain constraint in their manner, "But what's that I heard about
+Chicago? There ain't nothin' fresh--Is there?"
+
+"Oh," replied Mrs. Hooper, with a look of remonstrance thrown sideways
+at her admirer, while with a woman's quick decision she at once cut the
+knot, "I guess there is something fresh. Mr. Letgood, just think of it,
+has had a 'call' from the Second Baptist Church in Chicago, and it's
+ten thousand dollars a year. Now who's right about his preachin'? And he
+ain't goin' to accept it. He's goin' to stay right here. At least," she
+added coyly, "he said he'd refuse it--didn't you?"
+
+The Deacon stared from one to the other as Mr. Letgood, with a forced
+half-laugh which came from a dry throat, answered: "That would be going
+perhaps a little too far. I said," he went on, catching a coldness in
+the glance of the brown eyes, "I wished to refuse it. But of course I
+shall have to consider the matter thoroughly--and seek for guidance."
+
+"Wall," said the Deacon in amazement, "ef that don't beat everythin'.
+I guess nobody would refuse an offer like that. _Ten thousand dollars
+a year!_ Ten thousand. Why, that's twice what you're get-tin' here. You
+can't refuse that. I know you wouldn't ef you war' a son of mine--as
+you might be. Ten thousand. No, sir. An' the Second Baptist Church in
+Chicago is the first; it's the best, the richest, the largest. There
+ain't no sort of comparison between it and the First. No, sir! There
+ain't none. Why, James P. Willis, him as was here and heard you--that's
+how it came about, that's how!--he's the senior Deacon of it, an' I
+guess he can count dollars with any man this side of New York. Yes, sir,
+with any man west of the Alleghany Mountains." The breathless excitement
+of the good Deacon changed gradually as he realized that his hearers
+were not in sympathy with him, and his speech became almost solemn in
+its impressiveness as he continued. "See here! This ain't a thing to
+waste. Ten thousand dollars a year to start with, an' the best church
+in Chicago, you can't expect to do better than that. Though you're young
+still, when the chance comes, it should be gripped."
+
+"Oh, pshaw!" broke in Mrs. Hooper irritably, twining her fingers and
+tapping the carpet with her foot, "Mr. Letgood doesn't want to leave
+Kansas City. Don't you understand? Perhaps he likes the folk here just
+as well as any in Chicago." No words could describe the glance which
+accompanied this. It was appealing, and coquettish, and triumphant, and
+the whole battery was directed full on Mr. Let-good, who had by this
+time recovered his self-possession.
+
+"Of course," he said, turning to the Deacon and overlooking Mrs.
+Hooper's appeal, "I know all that, and I don't deny that the 'call' at
+first seemed to draw me." Here his voice dropped as if he were speaking
+to himself: "It offers a wider and a higher sphere of work, but there's
+work, too, to be done here, and I don't know that the extra salary
+ought to tempt me. _Take neither scrip nor money in your purse_," and he
+smiled, "you know."
+
+"Yes," said the Deacon, his eyes narrowing as if amazement were giving
+place to a new emotion; "yes, but that ain't meant quite literally, I
+reckon. Still, it's fer you to judge. But ef you refuse ten thousand
+dollars a year, why, there are mighty few who would, and that's all I've
+got to say--mighty few," he added emphatically, and stood up as if to
+shake off the burden of a new and, therefore, unwelcome thought.
+
+When the minister also rose, the physical contrast between the two men
+became significant. Mr. Let-good's heavy frame, due to self-indulgence
+or to laziness, might have been taken as a characteristic product of the
+rich, western prairies, while Deacon Hooper was of the pure Yankee type.
+His figure was so lank and spare that, though not quite so tall as his
+visitor, he appeared to be taller. His face was long and angular; the
+round, clear, blue eyes, the finest feature of it, the narrowness of
+the forehead the worst. The mouth-corners were drawn down, and the lips
+hardened to a line by constant compression. No trace of sensuality. How
+came this man, grey with age, to marry a girl whose appeal to the senses
+was already so obvious? The eyes and prominent temples of the idealist
+supplied the answer. Deacon Hooper was a New Englander, trained in the
+bitterest competition for wealth, and yet the Yankee in him masked a
+fund of simple, kindly optimism, which showed itself chiefly in his
+devoted affection for his wife. He had not thought of his age when he
+married, but of her and her poverty. And possibly he was justified. The
+snow-garment of winter protects the tender spring wheat.
+
+"It's late," Mr. Letgood began slowly, "I must be going home now. I
+thought you might like to hear the news, as you are my senior Deacon.
+Your advice seems excellent; I shall weigh the 'call' carefully;
+but"--with a glance at Mrs. Hooper--"I am disposed to refuse it." No
+answering look came to him. He went on firmly and with emphasis, "_I
+wish_ to refuse it.--Good day, Mrs. Hooper, _till next Sunday_. Good
+day, Deacon."
+
+"Good day, Mr. Letgood," she spoke with a little air of precise
+courtesy.
+
+"Good day, sir," replied the Deacon, cordially shaking the proffered
+hand, while he accompanied his pastor to the street door.
+
+The sun was sinking, and some of the glory of the sunset colouring
+seemed to be reflected in Deacon Hooper's face, as he returned to the
+drawing-room and said with profound conviction:--
+
+"Isabelle, that man's jest about as good as they make them. He's what I
+call a real Christian--one that thinks of duty first and himself last.
+Ef that ain't a Christian, I'd like to know what is."
+
+"Yes," she rejoined meditatively, as she busied herself arranging the
+chairs and tidying the sofa into its usual stiff primness; "I guess he's
+a good man." And her cheek flushed softly.
+
+"Wall," he went on warmly, "I reckon we ought to do somethin' in this.
+There ain't no question but he fills the church. Ef we raised the
+pew-rents we could offer him an increase of salary to stay--I guess that
+could be done."
+
+"Oh! don't do anything," exclaimed the wife, as if awaking to the
+significance of this proposal, "anyway not until he has decided. It
+would look--mean, don't you think? to offer him somethin' more to stay."
+
+"I don't know but you're right, Isabelle; I don't know but you're
+right," repeated her husband thoughtfully. "It'll look better if he
+decides before hearin' from us. There ain't no harm, though, in thinkin'
+the thing over and speakin' to the other Deacons about it. I'll kinder
+find out what they feel."
+
+"Yes," she replied mechanically, almost as if she had not heard.
+"Yes, that's all right." And she slowly straightened the cloth on the
+centre-table, given over again to her reflections.
+
+Mr. Letgood walked home, ate his supper, went to bed and slept that
+night as only a man does whose nervous system has been exhausted by
+various and intense emotions. He even said his prayers by rote. And
+like a child he slept with tightly-clenched fists, for in him, as in the
+child, the body's claims were predominant.
+
+When he awoke next morning, the sun was shining in at his bedroom
+window, and at once his thoughts went back to the scenes and emotions
+of the day before. An unusual liveliness of memory enabled him to review
+the very words which Mrs. Hooper had used. He found nothing to regret.
+He had certainly gained ground by telling her of the call. The torpor
+which had come upon him the previous evening formed a complete contrast
+to the blithesome vigour he now enjoyed. He seemed to himself to be a
+different man, recreated, as it were, and endowed with fresh springs of
+life. While he lay in the delightful relaxation and warmth of the bed,
+and looked at the stream of sunshine which flowed across the room, he
+became confident that all would go right.
+
+"Yes," he decided, "she cares for me, or she would never have wished me
+to stay. Even the Deacon helped me--" The irony of the fact shocked him.
+He would not think of it. He might get a letter from her by two o'clock.
+With pleasure thrilling through every nerve, he imagined how she would
+word her confession. For she had yielded to him; he had felt her body
+move towards him and had seen the surrender in her eyes. While musing
+thus, passion began to stir in him, and with passion impatience.
+
+"Only half-past six o'clock," he said to himself, pushing his watch
+again under the pillow; "eight hours to wait till mail time. Eight
+endless hours. What a plague!"
+
+His own irritation annoyed him, and he willingly took up again the
+thread of his amorous reverie: "What a radiant face she has, what fine
+nervefulness in the slim fingers, what softness in the full throat!"
+Certain incidents in his youth before he had studied for the ministry
+came back to him, bringing the blood to his cheeks and making his
+temples throb. As the recollections grew vivid they became a torment. To
+regain quiet pulses he forced his mind to dwell upon the details of his
+"conversion"--his sudden resolve to live a new life and to give himself
+up to the service of the divine Master. The yoke was not easy; the
+burden was not light. On the contrary. He remembered innumerable
+contests with his rebellious flesh, contests in which he was never
+completely victorious for more than a few days together, but in which,
+especially during the first heat of the new enthusiasm, he had struggled
+desperately. Had his efforts been fruitless?...
+
+He thought with pride of his student days--mornings given to books and
+to dreams of the future, and evenings marked by passionate emotions, new
+companions reinspiring him continually with fresh ardour. The time spent
+at college was the best of his life. He had really striven, then, as few
+strive, to deserve the prize of his high calling. During those years, it
+seemed to him, he had been all that an earnest Christian should be.
+He recalled, with satisfaction, the honours he had won in Biblical
+knowledge and in history, and the more easily gained rewards for
+rhetoric. It was only natural that he should have been immediately
+successful as a preacher. How often he had moved his flock to tears! No
+wonder he had got on.
+
+Those first successes, and the pleasures which they brought with them of
+gratified vanity, had resulted in turning him from a Christian into an
+orator. He understood this dimly, but he thrust back the unwelcome truth
+with the reflection that his triumphs in the pulpit dated from the time
+when he began consciously to treat preaching as an art. After all, was
+he not there to win souls to Christ, and had not Christ himself praised
+the wisdom of the serpent? Then came the change from obscurity and
+narrow living in the country to Kansas City and luxury. He had been wise
+in avoiding that girl at Pleasant Hill. He smiled complacently as he
+thought of her dress, manners, and speech. Yet she was pretty, very
+pretty, and she had loved him with the exclusiveness of womanhood, but
+still he had done right. He congratulated himself upon his intuitive
+knowledge that there were finer girls in the world to be won. He had not
+fettered himself foolishly through pity or weakness.
+
+During his ten years of life as a student and minister he had been
+chaste. He had not once fallen into flagrant sin. His fervour of
+unquestioning faith had saved him at the outset, and, later, habit and
+prudence. He lingered over his first meeting with Mrs. Hooper. He had
+not thought much of her then, he remembered, although she had appeared
+to him to be pretty and perfectly dressed. She had come before him as an
+embodiment of delicacy and refinement, and her charm had increased, as
+he began, in spite of himself, to notice her peculiar seductiveness.
+Recollecting how insensibly the fascination which she exercised over
+him had grown, and the sudden madness of desire that had forced him to
+declare his passion, he moaned with vexation. If only she had not
+been married. What a fatality! How helpless man was, tossed hither and
+thither by the waves of trivial circumstance!
+
+She had certainly encouraged him; it was her alternate moods of yielding
+and reserve which had awakened his senses. She had been flattered by his
+admiration, and had sought to call it forth. But, in the beginning, at
+least, he had struggled against the temptation. He had prayed for help
+in the sore combat--how often and how earnestly!--but no help had come.
+Heaven had been deaf to his entreaties. And he had soon realized that
+struggling in this instance was of no avail. He loved her; he desired
+her with every nerve of his body.
+
+There was hardly any use in trying to fight against such a craving as
+that, he thought. But yet, in his heart of hearts, he was conscious that
+his religious enthusiasm, the aspiration towards the ideal life and the
+reverence for Christ's example, would bring about at least one supreme
+conflict in which his passion might possibly be overcome. He dreaded the
+crisis, the outcome of which he foresaw would be decisive for his whole
+life. He wanted to let himself slide quietly down the slope; but all the
+while he felt that something in him would never consent thus to endanger
+his hopes of Heaven.
+
+And Hell! He hated the thought! He strove to put it away from him, but
+it would not be denied. His early habits of self-analysis reasserted
+themselves. What if his impatience of the idea were the result of
+obdurate sinfulness--sinfulness which might never be forgiven? He
+compelled himself, therefore, to think of Hell, tried to picture it to
+himself, and the soft, self-indulgent nature of the man shuddered as he
+realized the meaning of the word. At length the torture grew too acute.
+He would not think any longer; he could not; he would strive to do the
+right. "O Lord!" he exclaimed, as he slipped out of bed on to his knees,
+"O Christ! help Thy servant! Pity me, and aid!" Yet, while the words
+broke from his lips in terrified appeal, he knew that he did not wish to
+be helped. He rose to his feet in sullen dissatisfaction.
+
+The happy alertness which he had enjoyed at his waking had disappeared;
+the self-torment of the last few minutes had tired him; disturbed and
+vexed in mind, he began to dress. While moving about in the sunlight
+his thoughts gradually became more cheerful, and by the time he left his
+room he had regained his good spirits.
+
+After a short stroll he went into his study and read the daily paper.
+He then took up a book till dinner-time. He dined, and afterwards forgot
+himself in a story of African travels. It was only the discomfort of the
+intense heat which at length reminded him that, though it was now past
+two o'clock, he had received no letter from Mrs. Hooper. But he was
+resolved not to think about her, for thoughts of her, he knew, would
+lead to fears concerning the future, which would in turn force him to
+decide upon a course of action. If he determined to commit the sin, his
+guilt would thereby be increased, and he would not pledge himself to
+refrain from it. "She couldn't write last night with the Deacon at her
+elbow all the time," he decided, and began to read again. Darkness had
+fallen before he remembered that he owed an immediate answer to the
+letter from Chicago. After a little consideration, he sat down and wrote
+as follows:
+
+     "Dear Brothers in Christ,
+
+     "Your letter has just reached me. Needless to say it has
+     touched me deeply. You call me to a wider ministry and more
+     arduous duties. The very munificence of the remuneration
+     which you offer leads me to doubt my own fitness for so high
+     a post. You must bear with me a little, and grant me a few
+     days for reflection. The 'call,' as you know, must be
+     answered from within, from the depths of my soul, before I
+     can be certain that it comes from Above, and this Divine
+     assurance has not yet been vouchsafed to me.
+
+     "I was born and brought up here in Missouri, where I am now
+     labouring, not without--to Jesus be the praise!--some
+     small measure of success. I have many ties here, and many
+     dear friends and fellow-workers in Christ's vineyard from
+     whom I could not part without great pain. But I will
+     prayerfully consider your request. I shall seek for guidance
+     where alone it is to be found, at the foot of the Great
+     White Throne, and within a week or so at most I hope to be
+     able to answer you with the full and joyous certitude of the
+     Divine blessing.
+
+     "In the meantime, believe that I thank you deeply, dear
+     Brethren, for your goodness to me, and that I shall pray in
+     Jesus' Name that the blessing of the Holy Ghost may be with
+     you abundantly now and for evermore.
+
+     "Your loving Servant in Christ,
+
+     "John P. Letgood."
+
+He liked this letter so much that he read it over a great many times.
+It committed him to nothing; it was dignified and yet sufficiently
+grateful, and the large-hearted piety which appeared to inform it
+pleased him even more than the alliteration of the words "born and
+brought up." He had at first written "born and reared;" but in spite
+of the fear lest "brought up" should strike the simple Deacons of the
+Second Baptist Church in Chicago as unfamiliar and far-fetched, he could
+not resist the assonance. After directing the letter he went upstairs to
+bed, and his prayers that night were more earnest than they had been of
+late--perhaps because he avoided the dangerous topic. The exercise of
+his talent as a letter-writer having put him on good terms with himself,
+he slept soundly.
+
+When he awoke in the morning his mood had changed. The day was cloudy;
+a thunderstorm was brewing, and had somehow affected his temper. As soon
+as he opened his eyes he was aware of the fact that Mrs. Hooper had not
+written to him, even on Tuesday morning, when she must have been
+free, for the Deacon always went early to his dry-goods store. The
+consciousness of this neglect irritated him beyond measure. He tried,
+therefore, to think of Chicago and the persons who frequented the Second
+Baptist Church. Perhaps, he argued, they were as much ahead of the
+people in Kansas City as Mrs. Hooper was superior to any woman he had
+previously known. But on this way of thought he could not go far. The
+houses in Chicago were no doubt much finer, the furniture more elegant;
+the living, too, was perhaps better, though he could not imagine how
+that could be; there might even be cleverer and handsomer women there
+than Mrs. Hooper; but certainly no one lived in Chicago or anywhere else
+in the world who could tempt and bewitch him as she did. She was formed
+to his taste, made to his desire. As he recalled her, now laughing
+at him; now admiring him; to-day teasing him with coldness, to-morrow
+encouraging him, he realized with exasperation that her contradictions
+constituted her charm. He acknowledged reluctantly that her odd turns of
+speech tickled his intellect just as her lithe grace of movement excited
+his senses. But the number and strength of the ties that bound him to
+her made his anger keener. Where could she hope to find such love as
+his? She ought to write to him. Why didn't she? How could he come to
+a decision before he knew whether she loved him or not? In any case he
+would show her that he was a man. He would not try to see her until she
+had written--not under any circumstances.
+
+After dinner and mail time his thoughts ran in another channel. In
+reality she was not anything so wonderful. Most men, he knew, did
+not think her more than pretty; "pretty Mrs. Hooper" was what she was
+usually called--nothing more. No one ever dreamed of saying she was
+beautiful or fascinating. No; she was pretty, and that was all. He was
+the only person in Kansas City or perhaps in the world to whom she was
+altogether and perfectly desirable. She had no reason to be so conceited
+or to presume on her power over him. If she were the wonder she thought
+herself she would surely have married some one better than old Hooper,
+with his lank figure, grey hairs, and Yankee twang. He took a pleasure
+in thus depreciating the woman he loved--it gave his anger vent, and
+seemed to make her acquisition more probable. When the uselessness of
+the procedure became manifest to him, he found that his doubts of her
+affection had crystallized.
+
+This was the dilemma; she had not written either out of coquetry or
+because she did not really care for him. If the former were the true
+reason, she was cruel; if the latter, she ought to tell him so at once,
+and he would try to master himself. On no hypothesis was she justified
+in leaving him without a word. Tortured alternately by fear, hope, and
+anger, he paced up and down his study all the day long. Now, he said to
+himself, he would go and see her, and forthwith he grew calm--that was
+what his nature desired. But the man in him refused to be so servile.
+He had told her that she must write; to that he would hold, whatever it
+cost him. Again, he broke out in bitter blame of her.
+
+At length he made up his mind to strive to forget her. But what if she
+really cared for him, loved him as he loved her? In that case if he went
+away she would be miserable, as wretched as he would be. How unkind it
+was of her to leave him without a decided answer, when he could not help
+thinking of her happiness! No; she did not love him. He had read enough
+about women and seen enough of them to imagine that they never torture
+the man they really love. He would give her up and throw himself again
+into his work. He could surely do that. Then he remembered that she
+was married, and must, of course, see that she would risk her
+position--everything--by declaring her love. Perhaps prudence kept her
+silent. Once more he was plunged in doubt.
+
+He was glad when supper was ready, for that brought, at least for half
+an hour, freedom from thought. After the meal was finished he realized
+that he was weary of it all--heart-sick of the suspense. The storm
+broke, and the flashing of the lightning and the falling sheets of rain
+brought him relief. The air became lighter and purer. He went to bed and
+slept heavily.
+
+On the Thursday morning he awoke refreshed, and at once determined
+not to think about Mrs. Hooper. It only needed resolution, he said to
+himself, in order to forget her entirely. Her indifference, shown in not
+writing to him, should be answered in that way. He took up his pocket
+Bible, and opened it at the Gospels. The beautiful story soon exercised
+its charm upon his impressionable nature, and after a couple of hours'
+reading he closed the book comforted, and restored to his better self.
+He fell on his knees and thanked God for this crowning mercy. From his
+heart went forth a hymn of praise for the first time in long weeks. The
+words of the Man of Sorrows had lifted him above the slough. The marvel
+of it! How could he ever thank Him enough? His whole life should now be
+devoted to setting forth the wonders of His grace. When he arose he felt
+at peace with himself and full of goodwill to every one. He could even
+think of Mrs. Hooper calmly--with pity and grave kindliness.
+
+After his midday dinner and a brisk walk-->he paid no attention to the
+mail time--he prepared to write the sermon which he intended to preach
+as his farewell to his congregation on the following Sunday. He was
+determined now to leave Kansas City and go to Chicago. But as soon as he
+began to consider what he should say, he became aware of a difficulty.
+He could talk and write of accepting the "call" because it gave him "a
+wider ministry," and so forth, but the ugly fact would obtrude itself
+that he was relinquishing five thousand dollars a year to accept ten,
+and he was painfully conscious that this knowledge would be uppermost in
+the minds of his hearers. Most men in his position would have easily
+put the objection out of their minds. But he could not put it aside
+carelessly, and it was characteristic of him to exaggerate its
+importance. He dearly loved to play what the French call _le beau
+role_, even at the cost of his self-interest. Of a sensitive, artistic
+temperament, he had for years nourished his intellect with good books.
+He had always striven, too, to set before his hearers high ideals of
+life and conduct. His nature was now subdued to the stuff he had worked
+in. As an artist, an orator, it was all but impossible for him to
+justify what must seem like sordid selfishness. He moved about in his
+chair uneasily, and strove to look at the subject from a new point of
+view. In vain; ten thousand dollars a year instead of five--that was to
+be his theme.
+
+The first solution of the problem which suggested itself to him was to
+express his very real disdain of such base material considerations, but
+no sooner did the thought occur to him than he was fain to reject it.
+He knew well that his hearers in Kansas City would refuse to accept that
+explanation even as "high-falutin' bunkum!" He then tried to select
+a text in order to ease for a time the strain upon his reflective
+faculties. "Feed my sheep" was his first choice--"the largest flock
+possible, of course." But no, that was merely the old cant in new words.
+
+He came reluctantly to the conclusion that there was no noble way out of
+the difficulty. He felt this the more painfully because, before sitting
+down to think of his sermon, he had immersed himself, to use his own
+words, in the fountain-head of self-sacrificing enthusiasm. And now he
+could not show his flock that there was any trace of self-denial in his
+conduct. It was apparent that his acceptance of the call made a great
+sermon an utter impossibility. He must say as little about the main
+point as possible, glide quickly, in fact, over the thin ice. But his
+disappointment was none the less keen; there was no splendid peroration
+to write; there would be no eyes gazing up at him through a mist
+of tears. His sensations were those of an actor with an altogether
+uncongenial and stupid part.
+
+After some futile efforts he abandoned the attempt to sketch out a
+sermon. Some words would come to him at the time, and they would have
+to do. In the evening a new idea presented itself to his over-excited
+brain. Might not his dislike of that sermon be a snare set by the Devil
+to induce him to reject the call and stay in Kansas City? No. A fine
+sermon would do good--the Evil One could not desire that--perhaps even
+more good than his sin would do harm? Puzzled and incapable of the
+effort required to solve this fresh problem he went to bed, after
+praying humbly for guidance and enlightenment.
+
+On the Friday morning he rose from his knees with a burden of sorrow.
+No kindly light had illumined the darkness of his doubtings. Yet he
+was conscious of a perfect sincerity in his desires and in his prayers.
+Suddenly he remembered that, when in a pure frame of mind, he had only
+considered the acceptance of the call. But in order to be guided aright,
+he must abandon himself entirely to God's directing. In all honesty of
+purpose, he began to think of the sermon he could deliver if he resolved
+to reject the call. Ah! that sermon needed but little meditation. With
+such a decision to announce, he felt that he could carry his hearers
+with him to heights of which they knew nothing. Their very vulgarity
+and sordidness of nature would help instead of hindering him. No one in
+Kansas City would doubt for a moment the sincerity of the self-sacrifice
+involved in rejecting ten thousand dollars a year for five. That sermon
+could be preached with effect from any text. "Feed my sheep" even would
+do. He thrilled in anticipation, as a great actor thrills when reading a
+part which will allow him to discover all his powers, and in which he
+is certain to "bring down the house." Completely carried away by his
+emotions, he began to turn the sermon over in his head. First of all he
+sought for a text; not this one, nor that one, but a few words breathing
+the very spirit of Christ's self-abnegation. He soon found what he
+wanted: "For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever
+will lose his life for My sake, shall find it." The unearthly beauty of
+the thought and the divine simplicity of its expression took the orator
+captive. As he imagined that Godlike Figure in Galilee, and seemed to
+hear the words drop like pearls from His lips, so he saw himself in the
+pulpit, and had a foretaste of the effect of his own eloquence. Ravished
+by the vision, he proceeded to write and rewrite the peroration. Every
+other part he could trust to his own powers, and to the inspiration
+of the theme, but the peroration he meant to make finer even than his
+apostrophe on the cultivation of character, which hitherto had been the
+high-water mark of his achievement.
+
+At length he finished his task, but not before sunset, and he felt weary
+and hungry. He ate and rested. In the complete relaxation of mental
+strain, he understood all at once what he had done. He had decided to
+remain in Kansas City. But to remain meant to meet Mrs. Hooper day after
+day, to be thrown together with her even by her foolishly confiding
+husband; it meant perpetual temptation, and at last--a fall! And yet
+God had guided him to choose that sermon rather than the other. He had
+abandoned himself passively to His guidance--could _that_ lead to the
+brink of the pit?... He cried out suddenly like one in bodily anguish.
+He had found the explanation. God cared for no half-victories. Flight to
+Chicago must seem to Him the veriest cowardice. God intended him to stay
+in Kansas City and conquer the awful temptation face to face. When he
+realized this, he fell on his knees and prayed as he had never prayed
+in all his life before. If entreated humbly, God would surely temper the
+wind to the shorn lamb; He knew His servant's weakness. "_Lead us not
+into temptation_," he cried again and again, for the first time in his
+life comprehending what now seemed to him the awful significance of the
+words. "_Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil_"--thus he
+begged and wept. But even when, exhausted in body and in mind, he rose
+from his knees, he had found no comfort. Like a child, with streaming
+eyes and quivering features, he stumbled upstairs to bed and fell
+asleep, repeating over and over again mechanically the prayer that the
+cup might pass from him.
+
+On the Saturday morning he awoke as from a hideous nightmare. Before
+there was time for thought he was aware of what oppressed and frightened
+him. The knowledge of his terrible position weighed him down. He was
+worn out and feverishly ill; incapable of reflection or resolution,
+conscious chiefly of pain and weariness, and a deep dumb revolt against
+his impending condemnation. After lying thus for some time, drinking
+the cup of bitterness to the very dregs, he got up, and went downstairs.
+Yielding to habit he opened the Bible. But the Book had no message for
+him. His tired brain refused, for minutes together, to take in the
+sense of the printed words. The servant found him utterly miserable and
+helpless when she went to tell him that "the dinner was a-gittin' cold."
+
+The food seemed to restore him, and during the first two hours of
+digestion he was comparatively peaceful in being able to live without
+thinking; but when the body had recovered its vigour, the mind grew
+active, and the self-torture recommenced. For some hours--he never knew
+how many--he suffered in this way; then a strange calm fell upon him.
+Was it the Divine help which had come at last, or despair, or the
+fatigue of an overwrought spirit? He knelt down and prayed once more,
+but this time his prayer consisted simply in placing before his Heavenly
+Father the exact state of the case. He was powerless; God should do
+with him according to His purpose, only he felt unable to resist if
+the temptation came up against him. Jesus, of course, could remove the
+temptation or strengthen him if He so willed. His servant was in His
+hands.
+
+After continuing in this strain for some time he got up slowly, calm but
+hopeless. There was no way of escape for him. He took up the Bible and
+attempted again to read it; but of a sudden he put it down, and throwing
+his outspread arms on the table and bowing his head upon them he cried:
+
+"My God, forgive me! I cannot hear Thy voice, nor feel Thy presence. I
+can only see her face and feel her body."
+
+And then hardened as by the consciousness of unforgivable blaspheming,
+he rose with set face, lit his candle, and went to bed.
+
+The week had passed much as usual with Mrs. Hooper and her husband. On
+the Tuesday he had seen most of his brother Deacons and found that they
+thought as he did. All were agreed that something should be done to
+testify to their gratitude, if indeed their pastor refused the "call."
+In the evening, after supper, Mr. Hooper narrated to his wife all that
+he had done and all that the others had said. When he asked for her
+opinion she approved of his efforts. A little while later she turned
+to him: "I wonder why Mr. Letgood doesn't marry?" As she spoke she laid
+down her work. With a tender smile the Deacon drew her on to his knees
+in the armchair, and pushing up his spectacles (he had been reading a
+dissertation on the meaning of the Greek verb {--Greek word--}), said with
+infinite, playful tenderness in his voice:
+
+"Tain't every one can find a wife like you, my dear." He was rewarded
+for the flattering phrase with a little slap on the cheek. He continued
+thoughtfully: "Taint every one either that wants to take care of a
+wife. Some folks hain't got much affection in 'em, I guess; perhaps Mr.
+Letgood hain't." To the which Mrs. Hooper answered not in words, but her
+lips curved into what might be called a smile, a contented smile as from
+the heights of superior knowledge.
+
+Mr. Letgood's state of mind on the Sunday morning was too complex for
+complete analysis: he did not attempt the task. He preferred to believe
+that he had told God the whole truth without any attempt at reservation.
+He had thereby placed himself in His hands, and was no longer chiefly
+responsible. He would not even think of what he was about to do, further
+than that he intended to refuse the call and to preach the sermon the
+peroration of which he had so carefully prepared. After dressing he sat
+down in his study and committed this passage to memory. He pictured
+to himself with pleasure the effect it would surely produce upon his
+hearers. When Pete came to tell him the buggy was ready to take him to
+church, he got up almost cheerfully, and went out.
+
+The weather was delightful, as it is in June in that part of the Western
+States. From midday until about four o'clock the temperature is that of
+midsummer, but the air is exceedingly dry and light, and one breathes it
+in the morning with a sense of exhilaration. While driving to church Mr.
+Letgood's spirits rose. He chatted with his servant Pete, and even took
+the reins once for a few hundred yards. But when they neared the church
+his gaiety forsook him. He stopped talking, and appeared to be a little
+preoccupied. From time to time he courteously greeted one of his flock
+on the side-walk: but that was all. As he reached the church, the
+Partons drove up, and of course he had to speak to them. After the usual
+conventional remarks and shaking of hands, the minister turned up the
+sidewalk which led to the vestry. He had not taken more than four or
+five steps in this direction before he paused and looked up the street.
+He shrugged his shoulders, however, immediately at his own folly, and
+walked on: "Of course she couldn't send a messenger with a note. On
+Sundays the Deacon was with her."
+
+As he opened the vestry door, and stepped into the little room,
+he stopped short. Mrs. Hooper was there, coming towards him with
+outstretched hand and radiant smile:
+
+"Good morning Mr. Letgood, all the Deacons are here to meet you, and
+they let me come; because I was the first you told the news to, and
+because I'm sure you're not goin' to leave us. Besides, I wanted to
+come."
+
+He could not help looking at her for a second as he took her hand and
+bowed:
+
+"Thank you, Mrs. Hooper." Not trusting himself further, he began to
+shake hands with the assembled elders. In answer to one who expressed
+the hope that they would keep him, he said slowly and gravely:
+
+"I always trust something to the inspiration of the moment, but I
+confess I am greatly moved to refuse this call."
+
+"That's what I said," broke in Mr. Hooper triumphantly, "and I said,
+too, there were mighty few like you, and I meant it. But we don't want
+you to act against yourself, though we'd be mighty glad to hev you
+stay."
+
+A chorus of "Yes, sir! Yes, indeed! That's so" went round the room in
+warm approval, and then, as the minister did not answer save with an
+abstracted, wintry smile, the Deacons began to file into the church.
+Curiously enough Mrs. Hooper having moved away from the door during this
+scene was now, necessarily it seemed, the last to leave the room. While
+she was passing him, Mr. Letgood bent towards her and in an eager tone
+whispered:
+
+"And my answer?"
+
+Mrs. Hooper paused, as if surprised.
+
+"Oh! ain't you men stupid," she murmured and with a smile tossed the
+question over her shoulder: "What _did_ I come here for?"
+
+That sermon of Mr. Letgood's is still remembered in Kansas City. It is
+not too much to say that the majority of his hearers believed him to be
+inspired. And, in truth, as an artistic performance his discourse was
+admirable. After standing for some moments with his hand upon the desk,
+apparently lost in thought, he began in the quietest tone to read the
+letter from the Deacons of the Second Baptist Church in Chicago. He then
+read his reply, begging them to give him time to consider their request
+He had considered it--prayerfully. He would read the passage of Holy
+Scripture which had suggested the answer he was about to send to
+the call. He paused again. The rustling of frocks and the occasional
+coughings ceased--the audience straining to catch the decision--while
+in a higher key he recited the verse, "For whosoever will save his life,
+shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My sake, shall find
+it."
+
+As the violinist knows when his instrument is perfectly attuned, so Mr.
+Letgood knew when he repeated the text that his hearers had surrendered
+themselves to him to be played upon. It would be useless here to
+reproduce the sermon, which lasted for nearly an hour, and altogether
+impossible to give any account of the preacher's gestures or dramatic
+pauses, or of the modulations and inflections of his voice, which now
+seemed to be freighted with passionate earnestness, now quivered in
+pathetic appeal, and now grew musical in the dying fall of some poetic
+phrase. The effect was astonishing. While he was speaking simply of the
+text as embodying the very spirit of the Glad Tidings which Christ first
+delivered to the world, not a few women were quietly weeping. It was
+impossible, they felt, to listen unmoved to that voice.
+
+But when he went on to show the necessity of renunciation as the first
+step towards the perfecting of character, even the hard, keen faces of
+the men before him began to relax and change expression. He dwelt, in
+turn, upon the startling novelty of Christ's teaching and its singular
+success. He spoke of the shortness of human life, the vanity of human
+effort, and the ultimate reward of those who sacrifice themselves for
+others, as Jesus did, and out of the same divine spirit of love. He
+thus came to the peroration. He began it in the manner of serious
+conversation.
+
+All over the United States the besetting sin of the people was the
+desire of wealth. He traced the effects of the ignoble struggle for
+gain in the degradation of character, in the debased tone of public and
+private life. The main current of existence being defiled, his duty
+was clear. Even more than other men he was pledged to resist the evil
+tendency of the time. In some ways, no doubt, he was as frail and faulty
+as the weakest of his hearers, but to fail in this respect would be, he
+thought, to prove himself unworthy of his position. That a servant of
+Christ in the nineteenth century should seek wealth, or allow it in
+any way to influence his conduct, appeared to him to be much the same
+unpardonable sin as cowardice in a soldier or dishonesty in a man of
+business. He could do but little to show what the words of his text
+meant to him, but one thing he could do and would do joyously. He would
+write to the good Deacons in Chicago to tell them that he intended to
+stay in Kansas City, and to labour on among the people whom he knew and
+loved, and some of whom, he believed, knew and loved him. He would
+not be tempted by the greater position offered to him or by the larger
+salary. "_For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever
+will lose his life for My sake, shall find it_."
+
+As his voice broke over the last words, there was scarcely a dry eye in
+the church. Many of the women were sobbing audibly, and Mrs. Hooper had
+long ago given up the attempt "to pull her tears down the back way." She
+expressed the general sentiment of her sex when she said afterwards,
+"It was just too lovely for anythin'." And the men were scarcely less
+affected, though they were better able to control their emotion. The
+joyous renunciation of five thousand dollars a year struck these hard
+men of business as something almost uncanny. They would have considered
+it the acme of folly in an ordinary man, but in a preacher they felt
+vaguely that it was admirable.
+
+When Deacon Hooper met his brother Deacons before the platform where the
+collection-plates were kept, he whispered, "The meetin' is at my house
+at three o'clock. Be on time." His tone was decided, as were also the
+nods which accepted the invitation.
+
+After the service Mr. Letgood withdrew quietly without going, as usual,
+amongst his congregation. This pleased even Mrs. Farton, whose husband
+was a judge of the Supreme Court. She said: "It was elegant of him."
+
+Mr. Hooper received the twelve Deacons in his drawing-room, and when the
+latest comer was seated, began:
+
+"There ain't no need for me to tell you, brethren, why I asked you all
+to come round here this afternoon. After that sermon this mornin' I
+guess we're all sot upon showin' our minister that we appreciate him.
+There are mighty few men with five thousand dollars a year who'd give
+up ten thousand. It seems to me a pretty good proof that a man's a
+Christian ef he'll do that. Tain't being merely a Christian: it's
+Christ-like. We must keep Mr. Letgood right here: he's the sort o' man
+we want. If they come from Chicago after him now, they'll be comin' from
+New York next, an' he oughtn't to be exposed to sich great temptation.
+
+"I allow that we'll be able to raise the pew-rents from the first of
+January next, to bring in another two thousand five hundred dollars a
+year, and I propose that we Deacons should jest put our hands deep down
+in our pockets and give Mr. Let-good that much anyway for this year, and
+promise the same for the future. I'm willin', as senior Deacon, though
+not the richest, to start the list with three hundred dollars."
+
+In five minutes the money was subscribed, and it was agreed that each
+man should pay in his contribution to the name of Mr. Hooper at the
+First National Bank next day; Mr. Hooper could then draw his cheque for
+the sum.
+
+"Wall," said the Deacon, again getting up, "that's settled, but I've
+drawn that cheque already. Mrs. Hooper and me talked the thing over," he
+added half apologetically, and as if to explain his unbusinesslike
+rashness; "an' she thinks we oughter go right now to Mr. Letgood as a
+sort of surprise party an' tell him what we hev decided--that is, ef
+you're all agreed."
+
+They were, although one or two objected to a "surprise party" being held
+on Sunday. But Deacon Hooper overruled the objection by saying that
+he could find no better _word_, though of course 'twas really not a
+"surprise party." After this explanation, some one proposed that Deacon
+Hooper should make the presentation, and that Mrs. Hooper should be
+asked to accompany them. When Mr. Hooper went into the dining-room to
+find, his wife she was already dressed to go out, and when he expressed
+surprise and delivered himself of his mission, she said simply:
+
+"Why, I only dressed to go and see Mrs. Jones, who's ill, but I guess
+I'll go along with you first."
+
+The same afternoon Mr. Letgood was seated in his study considering a
+sermon for the evening--it would have to be very different from that of
+the morning, he felt, or else it would fall flat.
+
+He still avoided thinking of his position. The die was cast now, and
+having struggled hard against the temptation he tried to believe that he
+was not chiefly responsible. In the back of his mind was the knowledge
+that his responsibility would become clear to him some time or other,
+but he confined it in the furthest chamber of his brain with repentance
+as the guardian.
+
+He had just decided that his evening address must be doctrinal and
+argumentative, when he became aware of steps in the drawing-room.
+Opening the door he found himself face to face with his Deacons. Before
+he could speak, Deacon Hooper began:
+
+"Mr. Letgood! We, the Deacons of your church, hev come to see you. We
+want to tell you how we appreciate your decision this mornin'. It was
+Christlike! And we're all proud of you, an' glad you're goin' to stay
+with us. But we allow that it ain't fair or to be expected that you
+should refuse ten thousand dollars a year with only five. So we've
+made a purse for this year among ourselves of two thousand five hundred
+dollars extry, which we hope you'll accept. Next year the pew-rents can
+be raised to bring in the same sum; anyway, it shall be made up.
+
+"There ain't no use in talkin'; but you, sir, hev jest sot us an example
+of how one who loves the Lord Jesus, and Him only, should act, and we
+ain't goin' to remain far behind. No, sir, we ain't Thar's the cheque."
+
+As he finished speaking, tears stood in the kind, honest, blue eyes.
+
+Mr. Letgood took the cheque mechanically, and mechanically accepted at
+the same time the Deacon's outstretched hand; but his eyes sought Mrs.
+Hooper's, who stood behind the knot of men with her handkerchief to her
+face. In a moment or two, recalled to himself by the fact that one after
+the other all the Deacons wanted to shake his hand, he tried to sustain
+his part in the ceremony. He said:
+
+"My dear brothers, I thank you each and all, and accept your gift in the
+spirit in which you offer it. I need not say that I knew nothing of your
+intention when I preached this morning. It is not the money that I'm
+thinking of now, but your kindness. I thank you again."
+
+After a few minutes' casual conversation, consisting chiefly of praise
+of the "wonderful discourse" of the morning, Mr. Letgood proposed
+that they should all have iced coffee with him; there was nothing so
+refreshing; he wanted them to try it; and though he was a bachelor, if
+Mrs. Hooper would kindly give her assistance and help him with his
+cook, he was sure they would enjoy a glass. With a smile she consented.
+Stepping into the passage after her and closing the door, he said
+hurriedly, with anger and suspicion in his voice:
+
+"You didn't get this up as my answer? You didn't think I'd take money
+instead, did you?"
+
+Demurely, Mrs. Hooper turned her head round as he spoke, and leaning
+against him while he put his arms round her waist, answered with arch
+reproach:
+
+"You are just too silly for anythin'."
+
+Then, with something like the movement of a cat loath to lose the
+contact of the caressing hand, she turned completely towards him and
+slowly lifted her eyes. Their lips met.
+
+21 April. 1891.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
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+    <title>
+      A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+    </title>
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+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Modern Idyll, by Frank Harris
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: A Modern Idyll
+
+Author: Frank Harris
+
+Release Date: October 12, 2007 [EBook #23009]
+Last Updated: December 18, 2016
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A MODERN IDYLL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+    <div style="height: 8em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h1>
+      A MODERN IDYLL
+    </h1>
+    <h2>
+      By Frank Harris
+    </h2>
+    <p><br /><br /><br />
+      &ldquo;I call it real good of you, Mr. Letgood, to come and see me. Won&rsquo;t you be
+      seated?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank you. It&rsquo;s very warm to-day; and as I didn&rsquo;t feel like reading or
+      writing, I thought I&rsquo;d come round.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re just too kind for anythin&rsquo;! To come an&rsquo; pay me a visit when you
+      must be tired out with yesterday&rsquo;s preachin&rsquo;. An&rsquo; what a sermon you gave
+      us in the mornin&rsquo;&mdash;it was too sweet. I had to wink my eyes pretty
+      hard, an&rsquo; pull the tears down the back way, or I should have cried right
+      out&mdash;and Mrs. Jones watchin&rsquo; me all the time under that dreadful
+      bonnet.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Hooper had begun with a shade of nervousness in the hurried words;
+      but the emotion disappeared as she took up a comfortable pose in the
+      corner of the small sofa.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Rev. John Letgood, having seated himself in an armchair, looked at her
+      intently before replying. She was well worth looking at, this Mrs. Hooper,
+      as she leaned back on the cushions in her cool white dress, which was so
+      thin and soft and well-fitting that her form could be seen through it
+      almost as clearly as through water. She appeared to be about eighteen
+      years old, and in reality was not yet twenty. At first sight one would
+      have said of her, &ldquo;a pretty girl;&rdquo; but an observant eye on the second
+      glance would have noticed those contradictions in face and in form which
+      bear witness to a certain complexity of nature. Her features were small,
+      regular, and firmly cut; the long, brown eyes looked out confidently under
+      straight, well-defined brows; but the forehead was low, and the sinuous
+      lips a vivid red. So, too, the slender figure and narrow hips formed a
+      contrast with the throat, which pouted in soft, white fulness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am glad you liked the sermon,&rdquo; said the minister, breaking the silence,
+      &ldquo;for it is not probable that you will hear many more from me.&rdquo; There was
+      just a shade of sadness in the lower tone with which he ended the phrase.
+      He let the sad note drift in unconsciously&mdash;by dint of practice he
+      had become an artist in the management of his voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t say!&rdquo; exclaimed Mrs. Hooper, sitting up straight in her
+      excitement &ldquo;You ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to leave us, I hope?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why do you pretend, Belle, to misunderstand me? You know I said three
+      months ago that if you didn&rsquo;t care for me I should have to leave this
+      place. And yesterday I told you that you must make up your mind at once,
+      as I was daily expecting a call to Chicago. Now I have come for your
+      answer, and you treat me as if I were a stranger, and you knew nothing of
+      what I feel for you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; she sighed, languorously nestling back into the corner. &ldquo;Is that
+      all? I thought for a moment the &lsquo;call&rsquo; had come.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, it has not yet; but I am resolved to get an answer from you to-day,
+      or I shall go away, call or no call.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What would Nettie Williams say if she heard you?&rdquo; laughed Mrs. Hooper,
+      with mischievous delight in her eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now, Belle,&rdquo; he said in tender remonstrance, leaning forward and taking
+      the small cool hand in his, &ldquo;what is my answer to be? Do you love me? Or
+      am I to leave Kansas City, and try somewhere else to get again into the
+      spirit of my work? God forgive me, but I want you to tell me to stay. Will
+      you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course I will,&rdquo; she returned, while slowly withdrawing her hand.
+      &ldquo;There ain&rsquo;t any one wants you to go, and why should you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why? Because my passion for you prevents me from doing my work. You tease
+      and torture me with doubt, and when I should be thinking of my duties I am
+      wondering whether or not you care for me. Do you love me? I must have a
+      plain answer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Love you?&rdquo; she repeated pensively. &ldquo;I hardly know, but&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But what?&rdquo; he asked impatiently.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But&mdash;I must just see after the pies; this &lsquo;help&rsquo; of ours is Irish,
+      an&rsquo; doesn&rsquo;t know enough to turn them in the oven. And Mr. Hooper don&rsquo;t
+      like burnt pies.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She spoke with coquettish gravity, and got up to go out of the room. But
+      when Mr. Letgood also rose, she stopped and smiled&mdash;waiting perhaps
+      for him to take his leave. As he did not speak she shook out her frock and
+      then pulled down her bodice at the waist and drew herself up, thus
+      throwing into relief the willowy outlines of her girlish form. The
+      provocative grace, unconscious or intentional, of the attitude was not
+      lost on her admirer. For an instant he stood irresolute, but when she
+      stepped forward to pass him, he seemed to lose his self-control, and,
+      putting his arms round her, tried to kiss her. With serpent speed and
+      litheness she bowed her head against his chest, and slipped out of the
+      embrace. On reaching the door she paused to say, over her shoulder: &ldquo;If
+      you&rsquo;ll wait, I&rsquo;ll be back right soon;&rdquo; then, as if a new thought had
+      occurred to her, she added turning to him: &ldquo;The Deacon told me he was
+      coming home early to-day, and he&rsquo;d be real sorry to miss you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As she disappeared, he took up his hat, and left the house.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was about four o&rsquo;clock on a day in mid-June. The sun was pouring down
+      rays of liquid flame; the road, covered inches deep in fine white dust,
+      and the wooden side-walks glowed with the heat, but up and down the steep
+      hills went the minister unconscious of physical discomfort.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Does she care for me, or not? Why can&rsquo;t she tell me plainly? The teasing
+      creature! Did she give me the hint to go because she was afraid her
+      husband would come in? Or did she want to get rid of me in order not to
+      answer?... She wasn&rsquo;t angry with me for putting my arms round her, and yet
+      she wouldn&rsquo;t let me kiss her. Why not? She doesn&rsquo;t love him. She married
+      him because she was poor, and he was rich and a deacon. She can&rsquo;t love
+      him. He must be fifty-five if he&rsquo;s a day. Perhaps she doesn&rsquo;t love me
+      either&mdash;the little flirt! But how seductive she is, and what a body,
+      so round and firm and supple&mdash;not thin at all. I have the feel of it
+      on my hands now&mdash;I can&rsquo;t stand this.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Shaking himself vigorously, he abandoned his meditation, which, like many
+      similar ones provoked by Mrs. Hooper, had begun in vexation and ended in
+      passionate desire. Becoming aware of the heat and dust, he stood still,
+      took off his hat, and wiped his forehead.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Rev. John Letgood was an ideal of manhood to many women. He was
+      largely built, but not ungainly&mdash;the coarseness of the hands being
+      the chief indication of his peasant ancestry. His head was rather round,
+      and strongly set on broad shoulders; the nose was straight and well
+      formed; the dark eyes, however, were somewhat small, and the lower part of
+      the face too massive, though both chin and jaw were clearly marked. A
+      long, thick, brown moustache partly concealed the mouth; the lower lip
+      could just be seen, a little heavy, and sensual; the upper one was
+      certainly flexile and suasive. A good-looking man of thirty, who must have
+      been handsome when he was twenty, though even then, probably, too much
+      drawn by the pleasures of the senses to have had that distinction of
+      person which seems to be reserved for those who give themselves to thought
+      or high emotions. On entering his comfortable house, he was met by his
+      negro &ldquo;help,&rdquo; who handed him his &ldquo;mail&rdquo;: &ldquo;I done brot these, Massa; they&rsquo;s
+      all.&rdquo; &ldquo;Thanks, Pete,&rdquo; he replied abstractedly, going into his cool study.
+      He flung himself into an armchair before the writing-table, and began to
+      read the letters. Two were tossed aside carelessly, but on opening the
+      third he sat up with a quick exclamation. Here at last was the &ldquo;call&rdquo; he
+      had been expecting, a &ldquo;call&rdquo; from the deacons of the Second Baptist Church
+      in Chicago, asking him to come and minister to their spiritual wants, and
+      offering him ten thousand dollars a year for his services.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment exultation overcame every other feeling in the man. A light
+      flashed in his eyes as he exclaimed aloud: &ldquo;It was that sermon did it!
+      What a good thing it was that I knew their senior deacon was in the church
+      on purpose to hear me! How well I brought in the apostrophe on the
+      cultivation of character that won me the prize at college! Ah, I have
+      never done anything finer than that, never! and perhaps never shall now. I
+      had been reading Channing then for months, was steeped in him; but
+      Channing has nothing as good as that in all his works. It has more weight
+      and dignity&mdash;dignity is the word&mdash;than anything he wrote. And to
+      think of its bringing me this! Ten thousand dollars a year and the second
+      church in Chicago, while here they think me well paid with five. Chicago!
+      I must accept it at once. Who knows, perhaps I shall get to New York yet,
+      and move as many thousands as here I move hundreds. No! not I. I do not
+      move them. I am weak and sinful. It is the Holy Spirit, and the power of
+      His grace. O Lord, I am thankful to Thee who hast been good to me
+      unworthy!&rdquo; A pang of fear shot through him: &ldquo;Perhaps He sends this to win
+      me away from Belle.&rdquo; His fancy called her up before him as she had lain on
+      the sofa. Again he saw the bright malicious glances and the red lips, the
+      full white throat, and the slim roundness of her figure. He bowed his head
+      upon his hands and groaned. &ldquo;O Lord, help me! I know not what to do. Help
+      me, O Lord!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As if prompted by a sudden inspiration, he started to his feet. &ldquo;Now she
+      must answer! Now what will she say? Here <i>is</i> the call. Ten thousand
+      dollars a year! What will she say to that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He spoke aloud in his excitement, all that was masculine in him glowing
+      with the sense of hard-won mastery over the tantalizing evasiveness of the
+      woman.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On leaving his house he folded up the letter, thrust it into the
+      breast-pocket of his frock-coat, and strode rapidly up the hill towards
+      Mrs. Hooper&rsquo;s. At first he did not even think of her last words, but when
+      he had gone up and down the first hill and was beginning to climb the
+      second they suddenly came back to him. He did not want to meet her husband&mdash;least
+      of all now. He paused. What should he do? Should he wait till to-morrow?
+      No, that was out of the question; he couldn&rsquo;t wait. He must know what
+      answer to send to the call. If Deacon Hooper happened to be at home he
+      would talk to him about the door of the vestry, which would not shut
+      properly. If the Deacon was not there, he would see her and force a
+      confession from her....
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      While the shuttle of his thought flew thus to and fro, he did not at all
+      realize that he was taking for granted what he had refused to believe half
+      an hour before. He felt certain now that Deacon Hooper would not be in,
+      and that Mrs. Hooper had got rid of him on purpose to avoid his
+      importunate love-making. When he reached the house and rang the bell his
+      first question was:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is the Deacon at home?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, sah.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is Mrs. Hooper in?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, sah.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Please tell her I should like to see her for a moment. I will not keep
+      her long. Say it&rsquo;s very important.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, Massa, I bring her shuah,&rdquo; said the negress with a good-natured
+      grin, opening the door of the drawing-room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In a minute or two Mrs. Hooper came into the room looking as cool and
+      fresh as if &ldquo;pies&rdquo; were baked in ice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good day, <i>again</i> Mr. Letgood. Won&rsquo;t you take a chair?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He seemed to feel the implied reproach, for without noticing her
+      invitation to sit down he came to the point at once. Plunging his hand
+      into his pocket, he handed her the letter from Chicago.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She took it with the quick interest of curiosity, but as she read, the
+      colour deepened in her cheeks, and before she had finished it she broke
+      out, &ldquo;Ten thousand dollars a year!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As she gave the letter back she did not raise her eyes, but said musingly:
+      &ldquo;That is a call indeed...&rdquo; Staring straight before her she added: &ldquo;How
+      strange it should come to-day! Of course you&rsquo;ll accept it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A moment, and she darted the question at him:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Does she know? Have you told Miss Williams yet? But there, I suppose you
+      have!&rdquo; After another pause, she went on:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What a shame to take you away just when we had all got to know and like
+      you! I suppose we shall have some old fogey now who will preach against
+      dancin&rsquo; an&rsquo; spellin&rsquo;-bees an&rsquo; surprise-parties. And, of course, he won&rsquo;t
+      like me, or come here an&rsquo; call as often as you do&mdash;makin&rsquo; the other
+      girls jealous. I shall hate the change!&rdquo; And in her innocent excitement
+      she slowly lifted her brown eyes to his.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know you&rsquo;re talking nonsense, Belle,&rdquo; he replied, with grave
+      earnestness. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve come for <i>your</i> answer. If you wish me to stay, if
+      you really care for me, I shall refuse this offer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t tell!&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;Refuse ten thousand dollars a year and a
+      church in Chicago to stay here in Kansas City! I know I shouldn&rsquo;t! Why,&rdquo;
+       and she fixed her eyes on his as she spoke, &ldquo;you must be real good even to
+      think of such a thing. But then, you won&rsquo;t refuse,&rdquo; she added, pouting.
+      &ldquo;No one would,&rdquo; she concluded, with profound conviction.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; answered the minister, moving to her and quietly putting both
+      hands on her waist, while his voice seemed to envelope and enfold her with
+      melodious tenderness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, yes, I shall refuse it, Belle, if <i>you</i> wish me to; refuse it as
+      I should ten times as great a prize, as I think I should refuse&mdash;God
+      forgive me!&mdash;heaven itself, if you were not there to make it
+      beautiful.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      While speaking he drew her to him gently; her body yielded to his touch,
+      and her gaze, as if fascinated, was drawn into his. But when the flow of
+      words ceased, and he bent to kiss her, the spell seemed to lose its power
+      over her. In an instant she wound herself out of his arms, and with
+      startled eyes aslant whispered:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hush! he&rsquo;s coming! Don&rsquo;t you hear his step?&rdquo; As Mr. Letgood went again
+      towards her with a tenderly reproachful and incredulous &ldquo;Now, Belle,&rdquo; she
+      stamped impatiently on the floor while exclaiming in a low, but angry
+      voice, &ldquo;Do take care! That&rsquo;s the Deacon&rsquo;s step.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      At the same moment her companion heard it too. The sounds were distinct on
+      the wooden side-walk, and when they ceased at the little gate four or five
+      yards from the house he knew that she was right.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He pulled himself together, and with a man&rsquo;s untimely persistence spoke
+      hurriedly:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I shall wait for your answer till Sunday morning next. Before then you
+      must have assured me of your love, or I shall go to Chicago&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Hooper&rsquo;s only reply was a contemptuous, flashing look that succeeded
+      in reducing the importunate clergyman to silence&mdash;just in time&mdash;for
+      as the word &ldquo;Chicago&rdquo; passed his lips the handle of the door turned, and
+      Deacon Hooper entered the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, how do you do, Mr. Letgood?&rdquo; said the Deacon cordially. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to
+      see you, sir, as you are too, I&rsquo;m sartin,&rdquo; he added, turning to his wife
+      and putting his arms round her waist and his lips to her cheek in an
+      affectionate caress. &ldquo;Take a seat, won&rsquo;t you? It&rsquo;s too hot to stand.&rdquo; As
+      Mrs. Hooper sank down beside him on the sofa and their visitor drew over a
+      chair, he went on, taking up again the broken thread of his thought. &ldquo;No
+      one thinks more of you than Isabelle. She said only last Sunday there
+      warn&rsquo;t such a preacher as you west of the Mississippi River. How&rsquo;s that
+      for high, eh?&rdquo;&mdash;And then, still seeking back like a dog on a lost
+      scent, he added, looking from his wife to the clergyman, as if recalled to
+      a sense of the actualities of the situation by a certain constraint in
+      their manner, &ldquo;But what&rsquo;s that I heard about Chicago? There ain&rsquo;t nothin&rsquo; 
+      fresh&mdash;Is there?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; replied Mrs. Hooper, with a look of remonstrance thrown sideways at
+      her admirer, while with a woman&rsquo;s quick decision she at once cut the knot,
+      &ldquo;I guess there is something fresh. Mr. Letgood, just think of it, has had
+      a &lsquo;call&rsquo; from the Second Baptist Church in Chicago, and it&rsquo;s ten thousand
+      dollars a year. Now who&rsquo;s right about his preachin&rsquo;? And he ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to
+      accept it. He&rsquo;s goin&rsquo; to stay right here. At least,&rdquo; she added coyly, &ldquo;he
+      said he&rsquo;d refuse it&mdash;didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Deacon stared from one to the other as Mr. Letgood, with a forced
+      half-laugh which came from a dry throat, answered: &ldquo;That would be going
+      perhaps a little too far. I said,&rdquo; he went on, catching a coldness in the
+      glance of the brown eyes, &ldquo;I wished to refuse it. But of course I shall
+      have to consider the matter thoroughly&mdash;and seek for guidance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wall,&rdquo; said the Deacon in amazement, &ldquo;ef that don&rsquo;t beat everythin&rsquo;. I
+      guess nobody would refuse an offer like that. <i>Ten thousand dollars a
+      year!</i> Ten thousand. Why, that&rsquo;s twice what you&rsquo;re get-tin&rsquo; here. You
+      can&rsquo;t refuse that. I know you wouldn&rsquo;t ef you war&rsquo; a son of mine&mdash;as
+      you might be. Ten thousand. No, sir. An&rsquo; the Second Baptist Church in
+      Chicago is the first; it&rsquo;s the best, the richest, the largest. There ain&rsquo;t
+      no sort of comparison between it and the First. No, sir! There ain&rsquo;t none.
+      Why, James P. Willis, him as was here and heard you&mdash;that&rsquo;s how it
+      came about, that&rsquo;s how!&mdash;he&rsquo;s the senior Deacon of it, an&rsquo; I guess he
+      can count dollars with any man this side of New York. Yes, sir, with any
+      man west of the Alleghany Mountains.&rdquo; The breathless excitement of the
+      good Deacon changed gradually as he realized that his hearers were not in
+      sympathy with him, and his speech became almost solemn in its
+      impressiveness as he continued. &ldquo;See here! This ain&rsquo;t a thing to waste.
+      Ten thousand dollars a year to start with, an&rsquo; the best church in Chicago,
+      you can&rsquo;t expect to do better than that. Though you&rsquo;re young still, when
+      the chance comes, it should be gripped.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, pshaw!&rdquo; broke in Mrs. Hooper irritably, twining her fingers and
+      tapping the carpet with her foot, &ldquo;Mr. Letgood doesn&rsquo;t want to leave
+      Kansas City. Don&rsquo;t you understand? Perhaps he likes the folk here just as
+      well as any in Chicago.&rdquo; No words could describe the glance which
+      accompanied this. It was appealing, and coquettish, and triumphant, and
+      the whole battery was directed full on Mr. Let-good, who had by this time
+      recovered his self-possession.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; he said, turning to the Deacon and overlooking Mrs. Hooper&rsquo;s
+      appeal, &ldquo;I know all that, and I don&rsquo;t deny that the &lsquo;call&rsquo; at first seemed
+      to draw me.&rdquo; Here his voice dropped as if he were speaking to himself: &ldquo;It
+      offers a wider and a higher sphere of work, but there&rsquo;s work, too, to be
+      done here, and I don&rsquo;t know that the extra salary ought to tempt me. <i>Take
+      neither scrip nor money in your purse</i>,&rdquo; and he smiled, &ldquo;you know.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the Deacon, his eyes narrowing as if amazement were giving
+      place to a new emotion; &ldquo;yes, but that ain&rsquo;t meant quite literally, I
+      reckon. Still, it&rsquo;s fer you to judge. But ef you refuse ten thousand
+      dollars a year, why, there are mighty few who would, and that&rsquo;s all I&rsquo;ve
+      got to say&mdash;mighty few,&rdquo; he added emphatically, and stood up as if to
+      shake off the burden of a new and, therefore, unwelcome thought.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When the minister also rose, the physical contrast between the two men
+      became significant. Mr. Let-good&rsquo;s heavy frame, due to self-indulgence or
+      to laziness, might have been taken as a characteristic product of the
+      rich, western prairies, while Deacon Hooper was of the pure Yankee type.
+      His figure was so lank and spare that, though not quite so tall as his
+      visitor, he appeared to be taller. His face was long and angular; the
+      round, clear, blue eyes, the finest feature of it, the narrowness of the
+      forehead the worst. The mouth-corners were drawn down, and the lips
+      hardened to a line by constant compression. No trace of sensuality. How
+      came this man, grey with age, to marry a girl whose appeal to the senses
+      was already so obvious? The eyes and prominent temples of the idealist
+      supplied the answer. Deacon Hooper was a New Englander, trained in the
+      bitterest competition for wealth, and yet the Yankee in him masked a fund
+      of simple, kindly optimism, which showed itself chiefly in his devoted
+      affection for his wife. He had not thought of his age when he married, but
+      of her and her poverty. And possibly he was justified. The snow-garment of
+      winter protects the tender spring wheat.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s late,&rdquo; Mr. Letgood began slowly, &ldquo;I must be going home now. I
+      thought you might like to hear the news, as you are my senior Deacon. Your
+      advice seems excellent; I shall weigh the &lsquo;call&rsquo; carefully; but&rdquo;&mdash;with
+      a glance at Mrs. Hooper&mdash;&ldquo;I am disposed to refuse it.&rdquo; No answering
+      look came to him. He went on firmly and with emphasis, &ldquo;<i>I wish</i> to
+      refuse it.&mdash;Good day, Mrs. Hooper, <i>till next Sunday</i>. Good day,
+      Deacon.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good day, Mr. Letgood,&rdquo; she spoke with a little air of precise courtesy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good day, sir,&rdquo; replied the Deacon, cordially shaking the proffered hand,
+      while he accompanied his pastor to the street door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The sun was sinking, and some of the glory of the sunset colouring seemed
+      to be reflected in Deacon Hooper&rsquo;s face, as he returned to the
+      drawing-room and said with profound conviction:&mdash;
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Isabelle, that man&rsquo;s jest about as good as they make them. He&rsquo;s what I
+      call a real Christian&mdash;one that thinks of duty first and himself
+      last. Ef that ain&rsquo;t a Christian, I&rsquo;d like to know what is.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she rejoined meditatively, as she busied herself arranging the
+      chairs and tidying the sofa into its usual stiff primness; &ldquo;I guess he&rsquo;s a
+      good man.&rdquo; And her cheek flushed softly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wall,&rdquo; he went on warmly, &ldquo;I reckon we ought to do somethin&rsquo; in this.
+      There ain&rsquo;t no question but he fills the church. Ef we raised the
+      pew-rents we could offer him an increase of salary to stay&mdash;I guess
+      that could be done.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh! don&rsquo;t do anything,&rdquo; exclaimed the wife, as if awaking to the
+      significance of this proposal, &ldquo;anyway not until he has decided. It would
+      look&mdash;mean, don&rsquo;t you think? to offer him somethin&rsquo; more to stay.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know but you&rsquo;re right, Isabelle; I don&rsquo;t know but you&rsquo;re right,&rdquo;
+       repeated her husband thoughtfully. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll look better if he decides before
+      hearin&rsquo; from us. There ain&rsquo;t no harm, though, in thinkin&rsquo; the thing over
+      and speakin&rsquo; to the other Deacons about it. I&rsquo;ll kinder find out what they
+      feel.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she replied mechanically, almost as if she had not heard. &ldquo;Yes,
+      that&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo; And she slowly straightened the cloth on the
+      centre-table, given over again to her reflections.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Letgood walked home, ate his supper, went to bed and slept that night
+      as only a man does whose nervous system has been exhausted by various and
+      intense emotions. He even said his prayers by rote. And like a child he
+      slept with tightly-clenched fists, for in him, as in the child, the body&rsquo;s
+      claims were predominant.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When he awoke next morning, the sun was shining in at his bedroom window,
+      and at once his thoughts went back to the scenes and emotions of the day
+      before. An unusual liveliness of memory enabled him to review the very
+      words which Mrs. Hooper had used. He found nothing to regret. He had
+      certainly gained ground by telling her of the call. The torpor which had
+      come upon him the previous evening formed a complete contrast to the
+      blithesome vigour he now enjoyed. He seemed to himself to be a different
+      man, recreated, as it were, and endowed with fresh springs of life. While
+      he lay in the delightful relaxation and warmth of the bed, and looked at
+      the stream of sunshine which flowed across the room, he became confident
+      that all would go right.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he decided, &ldquo;she cares for me, or she would never have wished me to
+      stay. Even the Deacon helped me&mdash;&rdquo; The irony of the fact shocked him.
+      He would not think of it. He might get a letter from her by two o&rsquo;clock.
+      With pleasure thrilling through every nerve, he imagined how she would
+      word her confession. For she had yielded to him; he had felt her body move
+      towards him and had seen the surrender in her eyes. While musing thus,
+      passion began to stir in him, and with passion impatience.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Only half-past six o&rsquo;clock,&rdquo; he said to himself, pushing his watch again
+      under the pillow; &ldquo;eight hours to wait till mail time. Eight endless
+      hours. What a plague!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      His own irritation annoyed him, and he willingly took up again the thread
+      of his amorous reverie: &ldquo;What a radiant face she has, what fine
+      nervefulness in the slim fingers, what softness in the full throat!&rdquo;
+       Certain incidents in his youth before he had studied for the ministry came
+      back to him, bringing the blood to his cheeks and making his temples
+      throb. As the recollections grew vivid they became a torment. To regain
+      quiet pulses he forced his mind to dwell upon the details of his
+      &ldquo;conversion&rdquo;&mdash;his sudden resolve to live a new life and to give
+      himself up to the service of the divine Master. The yoke was not easy; the
+      burden was not light. On the contrary. He remembered innumerable contests
+      with his rebellious flesh, contests in which he was never completely
+      victorious for more than a few days together, but in which, especially
+      during the first heat of the new enthusiasm, he had struggled desperately.
+      Had his efforts been fruitless?...
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He thought with pride of his student days&mdash;mornings given to books
+      and to dreams of the future, and evenings marked by passionate emotions,
+      new companions reinspiring him continually with fresh ardour. The time
+      spent at college was the best of his life. He had really striven, then, as
+      few strive, to deserve the prize of his high calling. During those years,
+      it seemed to him, he had been all that an earnest Christian should be. He
+      recalled, with satisfaction, the honours he had won in Biblical knowledge
+      and in history, and the more easily gained rewards for rhetoric. It was
+      only natural that he should have been immediately successful as a
+      preacher. How often he had moved his flock to tears! No wonder he had got
+      on.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Those first successes, and the pleasures which they brought with them of
+      gratified vanity, had resulted in turning him from a Christian into an
+      orator. He understood this dimly, but he thrust back the unwelcome truth
+      with the reflection that his triumphs in the pulpit dated from the time
+      when he began consciously to treat preaching as an art. After all, was he
+      not there to win souls to Christ, and had not Christ himself praised the
+      wisdom of the serpent? Then came the change from obscurity and narrow
+      living in the country to Kansas City and luxury. He had been wise in
+      avoiding that girl at Pleasant Hill. He smiled complacently as he thought
+      of her dress, manners, and speech. Yet she was pretty, very pretty, and
+      she had loved him with the exclusiveness of womanhood, but still he had
+      done right. He congratulated himself upon his intuitive knowledge that
+      there were finer girls in the world to be won. He had not fettered himself
+      foolishly through pity or weakness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      During his ten years of life as a student and minister he had been chaste.
+      He had not once fallen into flagrant sin. His fervour of unquestioning
+      faith had saved him at the outset, and, later, habit and prudence. He
+      lingered over his first meeting with Mrs. Hooper. He had not thought much
+      of her then, he remembered, although she had appeared to him to be pretty
+      and perfectly dressed. She had come before him as an embodiment of
+      delicacy and refinement, and her charm had increased, as he began, in
+      spite of himself, to notice her peculiar seductiveness. Recollecting how
+      insensibly the fascination which she exercised over him had grown, and the
+      sudden madness of desire that had forced him to declare his passion, he
+      moaned with vexation. If only she had not been married. What a fatality!
+      How helpless man was, tossed hither and thither by the waves of trivial
+      circumstance!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She had certainly encouraged him; it was her alternate moods of yielding
+      and reserve which had awakened his senses. She had been flattered by his
+      admiration, and had sought to call it forth. But, in the beginning, at
+      least, he had struggled against the temptation. He had prayed for help in
+      the sore combat&mdash;how often and how earnestly!&mdash;but no help had
+      come. Heaven had been deaf to his entreaties. And he had soon realized
+      that struggling in this instance was of no avail. He loved her; he desired
+      her with every nerve of his body.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      There was hardly any use in trying to fight against such a craving as
+      that, he thought. But yet, in his heart of hearts, he was conscious that
+      his religious enthusiasm, the aspiration towards the ideal life and the
+      reverence for Christ&rsquo;s example, would bring about at least one supreme
+      conflict in which his passion might possibly be overcome. He dreaded the
+      crisis, the outcome of which he foresaw would be decisive for his whole
+      life. He wanted to let himself slide quietly down the slope; but all the
+      while he felt that something in him would never consent thus to endanger
+      his hopes of Heaven.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And Hell! He hated the thought! He strove to put it away from him, but it
+      would not be denied. His early habits of self-analysis reasserted
+      themselves. What if his impatience of the idea were the result of obdurate
+      sinfulness&mdash;sinfulness which might never be forgiven? He compelled
+      himself, therefore, to think of Hell, tried to picture it to himself, and
+      the soft, self-indulgent nature of the man shuddered as he realized the
+      meaning of the word. At length the torture grew too acute. He would not
+      think any longer; he could not; he would strive to do the right. &ldquo;O Lord!&rdquo;
+       he exclaimed, as he slipped out of bed on to his knees, &ldquo;O Christ! help
+      Thy servant! Pity me, and aid!&rdquo; Yet, while the words broke from his lips
+      in terrified appeal, he knew that he did not wish to be helped. He rose to
+      his feet in sullen dissatisfaction.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The happy alertness which he had enjoyed at his waking had disappeared;
+      the self-torment of the last few minutes had tired him; disturbed and
+      vexed in mind, he began to dress. While moving about in the sunlight his
+      thoughts gradually became more cheerful, and by the time he left his room
+      he had regained his good spirits.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After a short stroll he went into his study and read the daily paper. He
+      then took up a book till dinner-time. He dined, and afterwards forgot
+      himself in a story of African travels. It was only the discomfort of the
+      intense heat which at length reminded him that, though it was now past two
+      o&rsquo;clock, he had received no letter from Mrs. Hooper. But he was resolved
+      not to think about her, for thoughts of her, he knew, would lead to fears
+      concerning the future, which would in turn force him to decide upon a
+      course of action. If he determined to commit the sin, his guilt would
+      thereby be increased, and he would not pledge himself to refrain from it.
+      &ldquo;She couldn&rsquo;t write last night with the Deacon at her elbow all the time,&rdquo;
+       he decided, and began to read again. Darkness had fallen before he
+      remembered that he owed an immediate answer to the letter from Chicago.
+      After a little consideration, he sat down and wrote as follows:
+    </p>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+     &ldquo;Dear Brothers in Christ,
+
+     &ldquo;Your letter has just reached me. Needless to say it has
+     touched me deeply. You call me to a wider ministry and more
+     arduous duties. The very munificence of the remuneration
+     which you offer leads me to doubt my own fitness for so high
+     a post. You must bear with me a little, and grant me a few
+     days for reflection. The &lsquo;call,&rsquo; as you know, must be
+     answered from within, from the depths of my soul, before I
+     can be certain that it comes from Above, and this Divine
+     assurance has not yet been vouchsafed to me.
+
+     &ldquo;I was born and brought up here in Missouri, where I am now
+     labouring, not without&mdash;to Jesus be the praise!&mdash;some
+     small measure of success. I have many ties here, and many
+     dear friends and fellow-workers in Christ&rsquo;s vineyard from
+     whom I could not part without great pain. But I will
+     prayerfully consider your request. I shall seek for guidance
+     where alone it is to be found, at the foot of the Great
+     White Throne, and within a week or so at most I hope to be
+     able to answer you with the full and joyous certitude of the
+     Divine blessing.
+
+     &ldquo;In the meantime, believe that I thank you deeply, dear
+     Brethren, for your goodness to me, and that I shall pray in
+     Jesus&rsquo; Name that the blessing of the Holy Ghost may be with
+     you abundantly now and for evermore.
+
+     &ldquo;Your loving Servant in Christ,
+
+     &ldquo;John P. Letgood.&rdquo;
+ </pre>
+    <p>
+      He liked this letter so much that he read it over a great many times. It
+      committed him to nothing; it was dignified and yet sufficiently grateful,
+      and the large-hearted piety which appeared to inform it pleased him even
+      more than the alliteration of the words &ldquo;born and brought up.&rdquo; He had at
+      first written &ldquo;born and reared;&rdquo; but in spite of the fear lest &ldquo;brought
+      up&rdquo; should strike the simple Deacons of the Second Baptist Church in
+      Chicago as unfamiliar and far-fetched, he could not resist the assonance.
+      After directing the letter he went upstairs to bed, and his prayers that
+      night were more earnest than they had been of late&mdash;perhaps because
+      he avoided the dangerous topic. The exercise of his talent as a
+      letter-writer having put him on good terms with himself, he slept soundly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When he awoke in the morning his mood had changed. The day was cloudy; a
+      thunderstorm was brewing, and had somehow affected his temper. As soon as
+      he opened his eyes he was aware of the fact that Mrs. Hooper had not
+      written to him, even on Tuesday morning, when she must have been free, for
+      the Deacon always went early to his dry-goods store. The consciousness of
+      this neglect irritated him beyond measure. He tried, therefore, to think
+      of Chicago and the persons who frequented the Second Baptist Church.
+      Perhaps, he argued, they were as much ahead of the people in Kansas City
+      as Mrs. Hooper was superior to any woman he had previously known. But on
+      this way of thought he could not go far. The houses in Chicago were no
+      doubt much finer, the furniture more elegant; the living, too, was perhaps
+      better, though he could not imagine how that could be; there might even be
+      cleverer and handsomer women there than Mrs. Hooper; but certainly no one
+      lived in Chicago or anywhere else in the world who could tempt and bewitch
+      him as she did. She was formed to his taste, made to his desire. As he
+      recalled her, now laughing at him; now admiring him; to-day teasing him
+      with coldness, to-morrow encouraging him, he realized with exasperation
+      that her contradictions constituted her charm. He acknowledged reluctantly
+      that her odd turns of speech tickled his intellect just as her lithe grace
+      of movement excited his senses. But the number and strength of the ties
+      that bound him to her made his anger keener. Where could she hope to find
+      such love as his? She ought to write to him. Why didn&rsquo;t she? How could he
+      come to a decision before he knew whether she loved him or not? In any
+      case he would show her that he was a man. He would not try to see her
+      until she had written&mdash;not under any circumstances.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After dinner and mail time his thoughts ran in another channel. In reality
+      she was not anything so wonderful. Most men, he knew, did not think her
+      more than pretty; &ldquo;pretty Mrs. Hooper&rdquo; was what she was usually called&mdash;nothing
+      more. No one ever dreamed of saying she was beautiful or fascinating. No;
+      she was pretty, and that was all. He was the only person in Kansas City or
+      perhaps in the world to whom she was altogether and perfectly desirable.
+      She had no reason to be so conceited or to presume on her power over him.
+      If she were the wonder she thought herself she would surely have married
+      some one better than old Hooper, with his lank figure, grey hairs, and
+      Yankee twang. He took a pleasure in thus depreciating the woman he loved&mdash;it
+      gave his anger vent, and seemed to make her acquisition more probable.
+      When the uselessness of the procedure became manifest to him, he found
+      that his doubts of her affection had crystallized.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      This was the dilemma; she had not written either out of coquetry or
+      because she did not really care for him. If the former were the true
+      reason, she was cruel; if the latter, she ought to tell him so at once,
+      and he would try to master himself. On no hypothesis was she justified in
+      leaving him without a word. Tortured alternately by fear, hope, and anger,
+      he paced up and down his study all the day long. Now, he said to himself,
+      he would go and see her, and forthwith he grew calm&mdash;that was what
+      his nature desired. But the man in him refused to be so servile. He had
+      told her that she must write; to that he would hold, whatever it cost him.
+      Again, he broke out in bitter blame of her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      At length he made up his mind to strive to forget her. But what if she
+      really cared for him, loved him as he loved her? In that case if he went
+      away she would be miserable, as wretched as he would be. How unkind it was
+      of her to leave him without a decided answer, when he could not help
+      thinking of her happiness! No; she did not love him. He had read enough
+      about women and seen enough of them to imagine that they never torture the
+      man they really love. He would give her up and throw himself again into
+      his work. He could surely do that. Then he remembered that she was
+      married, and must, of course, see that she would risk her position&mdash;everything&mdash;by
+      declaring her love. Perhaps prudence kept her silent. Once more he was
+      plunged in doubt.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He was glad when supper was ready, for that brought, at least for half an
+      hour, freedom from thought. After the meal was finished he realized that
+      he was weary of it all&mdash;heart-sick of the suspense. The storm broke,
+      and the flashing of the lightning and the falling sheets of rain brought
+      him relief. The air became lighter and purer. He went to bed and slept
+      heavily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On the Thursday morning he awoke refreshed, and at once determined not to
+      think about Mrs. Hooper. It only needed resolution, he said to himself, in
+      order to forget her entirely. Her indifference, shown in not writing to
+      him, should be answered in that way. He took up his pocket Bible, and
+      opened it at the Gospels. The beautiful story soon exercised its charm
+      upon his impressionable nature, and after a couple of hours&rsquo; reading he
+      closed the book comforted, and restored to his better self. He fell on his
+      knees and thanked God for this crowning mercy. From his heart went forth a
+      hymn of praise for the first time in long weeks. The words of the Man of
+      Sorrows had lifted him above the slough. The marvel of it! How could he
+      ever thank Him enough? His whole life should now be devoted to setting
+      forth the wonders of His grace. When he arose he felt at peace with
+      himself and full of goodwill to every one. He could even think of Mrs.
+      Hooper calmly&mdash;with pity and grave kindliness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After his midday dinner and a brisk walk&mdash;>he paid no attention to
+      the mail time&mdash;he prepared to write the sermon which he intended to
+      preach as his farewell to his congregation on the following Sunday. He was
+      determined now to leave Kansas City and go to Chicago. But as soon as he
+      began to consider what he should say, he became aware of a difficulty. He
+      could talk and write of accepting the &ldquo;call&rdquo; because it gave him &ldquo;a wider
+      ministry,&rdquo; and so forth, but the ugly fact would obtrude itself that he
+      was relinquishing five thousand dollars a year to accept ten, and he was
+      painfully conscious that this knowledge would be uppermost in the minds of
+      his hearers. Most men in his position would have easily put the objection
+      out of their minds. But he could not put it aside carelessly, and it was
+      characteristic of him to exaggerate its importance. He dearly loved to
+      play what the French call <i>le beau rôle</i>, even at the cost of his
+      self-interest. Of a sensitive, artistic temperament, he had for years
+      nourished his intellect with good books. He had always striven, too, to
+      set before his hearers high ideals of life and conduct. His nature was now
+      subdued to the stuff he had worked in. As an artist, an orator, it was all
+      but impossible for him to justify what must seem like sordid selfishness.
+      He moved about in his chair uneasily, and strove to look at the subject
+      from a new point of view. In vain; ten thousand dollars a year instead of
+      five&mdash;that was to be his theme.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The first solution of the problem which suggested itself to him was to
+      express his very real disdain of such base material considerations, but no
+      sooner did the thought occur to him than he was fain to reject it. He knew
+      well that his hearers in Kansas City would refuse to accept that
+      explanation even as &ldquo;high-falutin&rsquo; bunkum!&rdquo; He then tried to select a text
+      in order to ease for a time the strain upon his reflective faculties.
+      &ldquo;Feed my sheep&rdquo; was his first choice&mdash;&ldquo;the largest flock possible, of
+      course.&rdquo; But no, that was merely the old cant in new words.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He came reluctantly to the conclusion that there was no noble way out of
+      the difficulty. He felt this the more painfully because, before sitting
+      down to think of his sermon, he had immersed himself, to use his own
+      words, in the fountain-head of self-sacrificing enthusiasm. And now he
+      could not show his flock that there was any trace of self-denial in his
+      conduct. It was apparent that his acceptance of the call made a great
+      sermon an utter impossibility. He must say as little about the main point
+      as possible, glide quickly, in fact, over the thin ice. But his
+      disappointment was none the less keen; there was no splendid peroration to
+      write; there would be no eyes gazing up at him through a mist of tears.
+      His sensations were those of an actor with an altogether uncongenial and
+      stupid part.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After some futile efforts he abandoned the attempt to sketch out a sermon.
+      Some words would come to him at the time, and they would have to do. In
+      the evening a new idea presented itself to his over-excited brain. Might
+      not his dislike of that sermon be a snare set by the Devil to induce him
+      to reject the call and stay in Kansas City? No. A fine sermon would do
+      good&mdash;the Evil One could not desire that&mdash;perhaps even more good
+      than his sin would do harm? Puzzled and incapable of the effort required
+      to solve this fresh problem he went to bed, after praying humbly for
+      guidance and enlightenment.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On the Friday morning he rose from his knees with a burden of sorrow. No
+      kindly light had illumined the darkness of his doubtings. Yet he was
+      conscious of a perfect sincerity in his desires and in his prayers.
+      Suddenly he remembered that, when in a pure frame of mind, he had only
+      considered the acceptance of the call. But in order to be guided aright,
+      he must abandon himself entirely to God&rsquo;s directing. In all honesty of
+      purpose, he began to think of the sermon he could deliver if he resolved
+      to reject the call. Ah! that sermon needed but little meditation. With
+      such a decision to announce, he felt that he could carry his hearers with
+      him to heights of which they knew nothing. Their very vulgarity and
+      sordidness of nature would help instead of hindering him. No one in Kansas
+      City would doubt for a moment the sincerity of the self-sacrifice involved
+      in rejecting ten thousand dollars a year for five. That sermon could be
+      preached with effect from any text. &ldquo;Feed my sheep&rdquo; even would do. He
+      thrilled in anticipation, as a great actor thrills when reading a part
+      which will allow him to discover all his powers, and in which he is
+      certain to &ldquo;bring down the house.&rdquo; Completely carried away by his
+      emotions, he began to turn the sermon over in his head. First of all he
+      sought for a text; not this one, nor that one, but a few words breathing
+      the very spirit of Christ&rsquo;s self-abnegation. He soon found what he wanted:
+      &ldquo;For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever will lose
+      his life for My sake, shall find it.&rdquo; The unearthly beauty of the thought
+      and the divine simplicity of its expression took the orator captive. As he
+      imagined that Godlike Figure in Galilee, and seemed to hear the words drop
+      like pearls from His lips, so he saw himself in the pulpit, and had a
+      foretaste of the effect of his own eloquence. Ravished by the vision, he
+      proceeded to write and rewrite the peroration. Every other part he could
+      trust to his own powers, and to the inspiration of the theme, but the
+      peroration he meant to make finer even than his apostrophe on the
+      cultivation of character, which hitherto had been the high-water mark of
+      his achievement.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      At length he finished his task, but not before sunset, and he felt weary
+      and hungry. He ate and rested. In the complete relaxation of mental
+      strain, he understood all at once what he had done. He had decided to
+      remain in Kansas City. But to remain meant to meet Mrs. Hooper day after
+      day, to be thrown together with her even by her foolishly confiding
+      husband; it meant perpetual temptation, and at last&mdash;a fall! And yet
+      God had guided him to choose that sermon rather than the other. He had
+      abandoned himself passively to His guidance&mdash;could <i>that</i> lead
+      to the brink of the pit?... He cried out suddenly like one in bodily
+      anguish. He had found the explanation. God cared for no half-victories.
+      Flight to Chicago must seem to Him the veriest cowardice. God intended him
+      to stay in Kansas City and conquer the awful temptation face to face. When
+      he realized this, he fell on his knees and prayed as he had never prayed
+      in all his life before. If entreated humbly, God would surely temper the
+      wind to the shorn lamb; He knew His servant&rsquo;s weakness. &ldquo;<i>Lead us not
+      into temptation</i>,&rdquo; he cried again and again, for the first time in his
+      life comprehending what now seemed to him the awful significance of the
+      words. &ldquo;<i>Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil</i>&rdquo;&mdash;thus
+      he begged and wept. But even when, exhausted in body and in mind, he rose
+      from his knees, he had found no comfort. Like a child, with streaming eyes
+      and quivering features, he stumbled upstairs to bed and fell asleep,
+      repeating over and over again mechanically the prayer that the cup might
+      pass from him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On the Saturday morning he awoke as from a hideous nightmare. Before there
+      was time for thought he was aware of what oppressed and frightened him.
+      The knowledge of his terrible position weighed him down. He was worn out
+      and feverishly ill; incapable of reflection or resolution, conscious
+      chiefly of pain and weariness, and a deep dumb revolt against his
+      impending condemnation. After lying thus for some time, drinking the cup
+      of bitterness to the very dregs, he got up, and went downstairs. Yielding
+      to habit he opened the Bible. But the Book had no message for him. His
+      tired brain refused, for minutes together, to take in the sense of the
+      printed words. The servant found him utterly miserable and helpless when
+      she went to tell him that &ldquo;the dinner was a-gittin&rsquo; cold.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The food seemed to restore him, and during the first two hours of
+      digestion he was comparatively peaceful in being able to live without
+      thinking; but when the body had recovered its vigour, the mind grew
+      active, and the self-torture recommenced. For some hours&mdash;he never
+      knew how many&mdash;he suffered in this way; then a strange calm fell upon
+      him. Was it the Divine help which had come at last, or despair, or the
+      fatigue of an overwrought spirit? He knelt down and prayed once more, but
+      this time his prayer consisted simply in placing before his Heavenly
+      Father the exact state of the case. He was powerless; God should do with
+      him according to His purpose, only he felt unable to resist if the
+      temptation came up against him. Jesus, of course, could remove the
+      temptation or strengthen him if He so willed. His servant was in His
+      hands.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After continuing in this strain for some time he got up slowly, calm but
+      hopeless. There was no way of escape for him. He took up the Bible and
+      attempted again to read it; but of a sudden he put it down, and throwing
+      his outspread arms on the table and bowing his head upon them he cried:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My God, forgive me! I cannot hear Thy voice, nor feel Thy presence. I can
+      only see her face and feel her body.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      And then hardened as by the consciousness of unforgivable blaspheming, he
+      rose with set face, lit his candle, and went to bed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The week had passed much as usual with Mrs. Hooper and her husband. On the
+      Tuesday he had seen most of his brother Deacons and found that they
+      thought as he did. All were agreed that something should be done to
+      testify to their gratitude, if indeed their pastor refused the &ldquo;call.&rdquo; In
+      the evening, after supper, Mr. Hooper narrated to his wife all that he had
+      done and all that the others had said. When he asked for her opinion she
+      approved of his efforts. A little while later she turned to him: &ldquo;I wonder
+      why Mr. Letgood doesn&rsquo;t marry?&rdquo; As she spoke she laid down her work. With
+      a tender smile the Deacon drew her on to his knees in the armchair, and
+      pushing up his spectacles (he had been reading a dissertation on the
+      meaning of the Greek verb&nbsp; said with infinite,
+      playful tenderness in his voice:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tain&rsquo;t every one can find a wife like you, my dear.&rdquo; He was rewarded for
+      the flattering phrase with a little slap on the cheek. He continued
+      thoughtfully: &ldquo;Taint every one either that wants to take care of a wife.
+      Some folks hain&rsquo;t got much affection in &lsquo;em, I guess; perhaps Mr. Letgood
+      hain&rsquo;t.&rdquo; To the which Mrs. Hooper answered not in words, but her lips
+      curved into what might be called a smile, a contented smile as from the
+      heights of superior knowledge.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Letgood&rsquo;s state of mind on the Sunday morning was too complex for
+      complete analysis: he did not attempt the task. He preferred to believe
+      that he had told God the whole truth without any attempt at reservation.
+      He had thereby placed himself in His hands, and was no longer chiefly
+      responsible. He would not even think of what he was about to do, further
+      than that he intended to refuse the call and to preach the sermon the
+      peroration of which he had so carefully prepared. After dressing he sat
+      down in his study and committed this passage to memory. He pictured to
+      himself with pleasure the effect it would surely produce upon his hearers.
+      When Pete came to tell him the buggy was ready to take him to church, he
+      got up almost cheerfully, and went out.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The weather was delightful, as it is in June in that part of the Western
+      States. From midday until about four o&rsquo;clock the temperature is that of
+      midsummer, but the air is exceedingly dry and light, and one breathes it
+      in the morning with a sense of exhilaration. While driving to church Mr.
+      Letgood&rsquo;s spirits rose. He chatted with his servant Pete, and even took
+      the reins once for a few hundred yards. But when they neared the church
+      his gaiety forsook him. He stopped talking, and appeared to be a little
+      preoccupied. From time to time he courteously greeted one of his flock on
+      the side-walk: but that was all. As he reached the church, the Partons
+      drove up, and of course he had to speak to them. After the usual
+      conventional remarks and shaking of hands, the minister turned up the
+      sidewalk which led to the vestry. He had not taken more than four or five
+      steps in this direction before he paused and looked up the street. He
+      shrugged his shoulders, however, immediately at his own folly, and walked
+      on: &ldquo;Of course she couldn&rsquo;t send a messenger with a note. On Sundays the
+      Deacon was with her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As he opened the vestry door, and stepped into the little room, he stopped
+      short. Mrs. Hooper was there, coming towards him with outstretched hand
+      and radiant smile:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good morning Mr. Letgood, all the Deacons are here to meet you, and they
+      let me come; because I was the first you told the news to, and because I&rsquo;m
+      sure you&rsquo;re not goin&rsquo; to leave us. Besides, I wanted to come.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He could not help looking at her for a second as he took her hand and
+      bowed:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank you, Mrs. Hooper.&rdquo; Not trusting himself further, he began to shake
+      hands with the assembled elders. In answer to one who expressed the hope
+      that they would keep him, he said slowly and gravely:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I always trust something to the inspiration of the moment, but I confess
+      I am greatly moved to refuse this call.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I said,&rdquo; broke in Mr. Hooper triumphantly, &ldquo;and I said, too,
+      there were mighty few like you, and I meant it. But we don&rsquo;t want you to
+      act against yourself, though we&rsquo;d be mighty glad to hev you stay.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A chorus of &ldquo;Yes, sir! Yes, indeed! That&rsquo;s so&rdquo; went round the room in warm
+      approval, and then, as the minister did not answer save with an
+      abstracted, wintry smile, the Deacons began to file into the church.
+      Curiously enough Mrs. Hooper having moved away from the door during this
+      scene was now, necessarily it seemed, the last to leave the room. While
+      she was passing him, Mr. Letgood bent towards her and in an eager tone
+      whispered:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And my answer?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Hooper paused, as if surprised.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh! ain&rsquo;t you men stupid,&rdquo; she murmured and with a smile tossed the
+      question over her shoulder: &ldquo;What <i>did</i> I come here for?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      That sermon of Mr. Letgood&rsquo;s is still remembered in Kansas City. It is not
+      too much to say that the majority of his hearers believed him to be
+      inspired. And, in truth, as an artistic performance his discourse was
+      admirable. After standing for some moments with his hand upon the desk,
+      apparently lost in thought, he began in the quietest tone to read the
+      letter from the Deacons of the Second Baptist Church in Chicago. He then
+      read his reply, begging them to give him time to consider their request He
+      had considered it&mdash;prayerfully. He would read the passage of Holy
+      Scripture which had suggested the answer he was about to send to the call.
+      He paused again. The rustling of frocks and the occasional coughings
+      ceased&mdash;the audience straining to catch the decision&mdash;while in a
+      higher key he recited the verse, &ldquo;For whosoever will save his life, shall
+      lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My sake, shall find it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As the violinist knows when his instrument is perfectly attuned, so Mr.
+      Letgood knew when he repeated the text that his hearers had surrendered
+      themselves to him to be played upon. It would be useless here to reproduce
+      the sermon, which lasted for nearly an hour, and altogether impossible to
+      give any account of the preacher&rsquo;s gestures or dramatic pauses, or of the
+      modulations and inflections of his voice, which now seemed to be freighted
+      with passionate earnestness, now quivered in pathetic appeal, and now grew
+      musical in the dying fall of some poetic phrase. The effect was
+      astonishing. While he was speaking simply of the text as embodying the
+      very spirit of the Glad Tidings which Christ first delivered to the world,
+      not a few women were quietly weeping. It was impossible, they felt, to
+      listen unmoved to that voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But when he went on to show the necessity of renunciation as the first
+      step towards the perfecting of character, even the hard, keen faces of the
+      men before him began to relax and change expression. He dwelt, in turn,
+      upon the startling novelty of Christ&rsquo;s teaching and its singular success.
+      He spoke of the shortness of human life, the vanity of human effort, and
+      the ultimate reward of those who sacrifice themselves for others, as Jesus
+      did, and out of the same divine spirit of love. He thus came to the
+      peroration. He began it in the manner of serious conversation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      All over the United States the besetting sin of the people was the desire
+      of wealth. He traced the effects of the ignoble struggle for gain in the
+      degradation of character, in the debased tone of public and private life.
+      The main current of existence being defiled, his duty was clear. Even more
+      than other men he was pledged to resist the evil tendency of the time. In
+      some ways, no doubt, he was as frail and faulty as the weakest of his
+      hearers, but to fail in this respect would be, he thought, to prove
+      himself unworthy of his position. That a servant of Christ in the
+      nineteenth century should seek wealth, or allow it in any way to influence
+      his conduct, appeared to him to be much the same unpardonable sin as
+      cowardice in a soldier or dishonesty in a man of business. He could do but
+      little to show what the words of his text meant to him, but one thing he
+      could do and would do joyously. He would write to the good Deacons in
+      Chicago to tell them that he intended to stay in Kansas City, and to
+      labour on among the people whom he knew and loved, and some of whom, he
+      believed, knew and loved him. He would not be tempted by the greater
+      position offered to him or by the larger salary. &ldquo;<i>For whosoever will
+      save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My sake,
+      shall find it</i>.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As his voice broke over the last words, there was scarcely a dry eye in
+      the church. Many of the women were sobbing audibly, and Mrs. Hooper had
+      long ago given up the attempt &ldquo;to pull her tears down the back way.&rdquo; She
+      expressed the general sentiment of her sex when she said afterwards, &ldquo;It
+      was just too lovely for anythin&rsquo;.&rdquo; And the men were scarcely less
+      affected, though they were better able to control their emotion. The
+      joyous renunciation of five thousand dollars a year struck these hard men
+      of business as something almost uncanny. They would have considered it the
+      acme of folly in an ordinary man, but in a preacher they felt vaguely that
+      it was admirable.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When Deacon Hooper met his brother Deacons before the platform where the
+      collection-plates were kept, he whispered, &ldquo;The meetin&rsquo; is at my house at
+      three o&rsquo;clock. Be on time.&rdquo; His tone was decided, as were also the nods
+      which accepted the invitation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After the service Mr. Letgood withdrew quietly without going, as usual,
+      amongst his congregation. This pleased even Mrs. Farton, whose husband was
+      a judge of the Supreme Court. She said: &ldquo;It was elegant of him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hooper received the twelve Deacons in his drawing-room, and when the
+      latest comer was seated, began:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There ain&rsquo;t no need for me to tell you, brethren, why I asked you all to
+      come round here this afternoon. After that sermon this mornin&rsquo; I guess
+      we&rsquo;re all sot upon showin&rsquo; our minister that we appreciate him. There are
+      mighty few men with five thousand dollars a year who&rsquo;d give up ten
+      thousand. It seems to me a pretty good proof that a man&rsquo;s a Christian ef
+      he&rsquo;ll do that. Tain&rsquo;t being merely a Christian: it&rsquo;s Christ-like. We must
+      keep Mr. Letgood right here: he&rsquo;s the sort o&rsquo; man we want. If they come
+      from Chicago after him now, they&rsquo;ll be comin&rsquo; from New York next, an&rsquo; he
+      oughtn&rsquo;t to be exposed to sich great temptation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I allow that we&rsquo;ll be able to raise the pew-rents from the first of
+      January next, to bring in another two thousand five hundred dollars a
+      year, and I propose that we Deacons should jest put our hands deep down in
+      our pockets and give Mr. Let-good that much anyway for this year, and
+      promise the same for the future. I&rsquo;m willin&rsquo;, as senior Deacon, though not
+      the richest, to start the list with three hundred dollars.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In five minutes the money was subscribed, and it was agreed that each man
+      should pay in his contribution to the name of Mr. Hooper at the First
+      National Bank next day; Mr. Hooper could then draw his cheque for the sum.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wall,&rdquo; said the Deacon, again getting up, &ldquo;that&rsquo;s settled, but I&rsquo;ve drawn
+      that cheque already. Mrs. Hooper and me talked the thing over,&rdquo; he added
+      half apologetically, and as if to explain his unbusinesslike rashness;
+      &ldquo;an&rsquo; she thinks we oughter go right now to Mr. Letgood as a sort of
+      surprise party an&rsquo; tell him what we hev decided&mdash;that is, ef you&rsquo;re
+      all agreed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      They were, although one or two objected to a &ldquo;surprise party&rdquo; being held
+      on Sunday. But Deacon Hooper overruled the objection by saying that he
+      could find no better <i>word</i>, though of course &lsquo;twas really not a
+      &ldquo;surprise party.&rdquo; After this explanation, some one proposed that Deacon
+      Hooper should make the presentation, and that Mrs. Hooper should be asked
+      to accompany them. When Mr. Hooper went into the dining-room to find, his
+      wife she was already dressed to go out, and when he expressed surprise and
+      delivered himself of his mission, she said simply:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, I only dressed to go and see Mrs. Jones, who&rsquo;s ill, but I guess I&rsquo;ll
+      go along with you first.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The same afternoon Mr. Letgood was seated in his study considering a
+      sermon for the evening&mdash;it would have to be very different from that
+      of the morning, he felt, or else it would fall flat.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He still avoided thinking of his position. The die was cast now, and
+      having struggled hard against the temptation he tried to believe that he
+      was not chiefly responsible. In the back of his mind was the knowledge
+      that his responsibility would become clear to him some time or other, but
+      he confined it in the furthest chamber of his brain with repentance as the
+      guardian.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He had just decided that his evening address must be doctrinal and
+      argumentative, when he became aware of steps in the drawing-room. Opening
+      the door he found himself face to face with his Deacons. Before he could
+      speak, Deacon Hooper began:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mr. Letgood! We, the Deacons of your church, hev come to see you. We want
+      to tell you how we appreciate your decision this mornin&rsquo;. It was
+      Christlike! And we&rsquo;re all proud of you, an&rsquo; glad you&rsquo;re goin&rsquo; to stay with
+      us. But we allow that it ain&rsquo;t fair or to be expected that you should
+      refuse ten thousand dollars a year with only five. So we&rsquo;ve made a purse
+      for this year among ourselves of two thousand five hundred dollars extry,
+      which we hope you&rsquo;ll accept. Next year the pew-rents can be raised to
+      bring in the same sum; anyway, it shall be made up.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There ain&rsquo;t no use in talkin&rsquo;; but you, sir, hev jest sot us an example
+      of how one who loves the Lord Jesus, and Him only, should act, and we
+      ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to remain far behind. No, sir, we ain&rsquo;t Thar&rsquo;s the cheque.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As he finished speaking, tears stood in the kind, honest, blue eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Letgood took the cheque mechanically, and mechanically accepted at the
+      same time the Deacon&rsquo;s outstretched hand; but his eyes sought Mrs.
+      Hooper&rsquo;s, who stood behind the knot of men with her handkerchief to her
+      face. In a moment or two, recalled to himself by the fact that one after
+      the other all the Deacons wanted to shake his hand, he tried to sustain
+      his part in the ceremony. He said:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My dear brothers, I thank you each and all, and accept your gift in the
+      spirit in which you offer it. I need not say that I knew nothing of your
+      intention when I preached this morning. It is not the money that I&rsquo;m
+      thinking of now, but your kindness. I thank you again.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      After a few minutes&rsquo; casual conversation, consisting chiefly of praise of
+      the &ldquo;wonderful discourse&rdquo; of the morning, Mr. Letgood proposed that they
+      should all have iced coffee with him; there was nothing so refreshing; he
+      wanted them to try it; and though he was a bachelor, if Mrs. Hooper would
+      kindly give her assistance and help him with his cook, he was sure they
+      would enjoy a glass. With a smile she consented. Stepping into the passage
+      after her and closing the door, he said hurriedly, with anger and
+      suspicion in his voice:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t get this up as my answer? You didn&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d take money
+      instead, did you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Demurely, Mrs. Hooper turned her head round as he spoke, and leaning
+      against him while he put his arms round her waist, answered with arch
+      reproach:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You are just too silly for anythin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Then, with something like the movement of a cat loath to lose the contact
+      of the caressing hand, she turned completely towards him and slowly lifted
+      her eyes. Their lips met.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      21 April. 1891.
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 6em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
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