the days of my life

第5部分 (第4/7頁)

　send　it　up　for　my　parent’s　dinner。　So　the　lawsuit　was　dropped。

My　father　was　a　regular　in　attendance　at　church。　We　always　sat　in　the　chancel　on　oak　benches　originally　designed　for　the　choir。　If　he　happened　to　be　in　time　himself　and　other　parishioners；　such　as　the　farmers’　daughters；　happened　to　be　late；　his　habit　was；　when　he　saw　them　enter；　to　step　into　the　middle　of　the　nave；　produce　a　very　large　old　watch　which　I　now　possess　—　for　on　his　death…bed　he　told　Hocking　to　give　it　to　me　—　and　hold　it　aloft　that　the　sinners　as　they　walked　up　the　church　might　bee　aware　of　the　enormity　of　their　offence。

He　always　read　the　Lessons　and　read　them　very　well。　There　were　certain　chapters；　however；　those　which　are　full　of　names　both　in　the　Old　and　New　Testaments；　which　were　apt　to　cause　difficulty。　It　was　not　that　he　was　unable　to　pronounce　these　names；　for　having　been　a　fair　scholar　in　his　youth　he　did　this　better　than　most。　Yet　when　he　had　finished　the　list　it　would　occur　to　him　that　they　might　have　been　rendered　more　satisfactorily。　So　he　would　go　back　to　the　beginning　and　read　them　all　through　again。

At　the　conclusion　of　the　service　no　one　in　the　church　ventured　to　stir　until　he　had　walked　down　it　slowly　and　taken　up　his　position　on　a　certain　spot　in　the　porch。　Here　he　stood　and　watched　the　congregation　emerge；　counting　them　like　sheep。

Notwithstanding　his　hot　temper；　foibles　and　tricks　of　manner；　there　was　something　about　him　that　made　him　extraordinarily　popular；　not　only　as　I　have　said　in　his　household　but　in　the　outside　world。　Thus　I　remember　that　once　the　Liberals　（needless　to　say　he　was　the　strongest　of　Conservatives）　offered　not　to　contest　the　division　if　he　would　consent　to　represent　it。　This；　however；　with　all　the　burden　of　his　large　family　o