English
ABOUThalf–pasttenthecrackedbellofthesmallchurchbegantoring,andpresentlythepeoplebegantogatherforthemorningsermon.
TheSunday–schoolchildrendistributedthemselvesaboutthehouseandoccupiedpewswiththeirparents,soastobeundersupervision.
AuntPollycame,andTomandSidandMarysatwithher—Tombeingplacednexttheaisle,inorderthathemightbeasfarawayfromtheopenwindowandtheseductiveoutsidesummerscenesaspossible.
Thecrowdfileduptheaisles:theagedandneedypostmaster,whohadseenbetterdays;themayorandhiswife—fortheyhadamayorthere,amongotherunnecessaries;thejusticeofthepeace;thewidowDouglass,fair,smart,andforty,agenerous,good–heartedsoulandwell–to–do,herhillmansiontheonlypalaceinthetown,andthemosthospitableandmuchthemostlavishinthematteroffestivitiesthatSt.Petersburgcouldboast;thebentandvenerableMajorandMrs.Ward;lawyerRiverson,thenewnotablefromadistance;nextthebelleofthevillage,followedbyatroopoflawn–cladandribbon–deckedyoungheart–breakers;thenalltheyoungclerksintowninabody—fortheyhadstoodinthevestibulesuckingtheircane–heads,acirclingwallofoiledandsimperingadmirers,tillthelastgirlhadruntheirgantlet;andlastofallcametheModelBoy,WillieMufferson,takingasheedfulcareofhismotherasifshewerecutglass.
Healwaysbroughthismothertochurch,andwastheprideofallthematrons.Theboysallhatedhim,hewassogood.
Andbesides,hehadbeen"thrownuptothem"somuch.
Hiswhitehandkerchiefwashangingoutofhispocketbehind,asusualonSundays—accidentally.
Tomhadnohandkerchief,andhelookeduponboyswhohadassnobs.
Thecongregationbeingfullyassembled,now,thebellrangoncemore,towarnlaggardsandstragglers,andthenasolemnhushfelluponthechurchwhichwasonlybrokenbythetitteringandwhisperingofthechoirinthegallery.
Thechoiralwaystitteredandwhisperedallthroughservice.
Therewasonceachurchchoirthatwasnotill–bred,butIhaveforgottenwhereitwas,now.
Itwasagreatmanyyearsago,andIcanscarcelyrememberanythingaboutit,butIthinkitwasinsomeforeigncountry.
Theministergaveoutthehymn,andreaditthroughwitharelish,inapeculiarstylewhichwasmuchadmiredinthatpartofthecountry.
Hisvoicebeganonamediumkeyandclimbedsteadilyuptillitreachedacertainpoint,whereitborewithstrongemphasisuponthetopmostwordandthenplungeddownasiffromaspring–board:
ShallIbecar–ri–edtoetheskies,onflow'ryBEDSofease,
Whilstothersfighttowintheprize,andsailthro'BLOODYseas?
Hewasregardedasawonderfulreader.Atchurch"sociables"hewasalwayscalledupontoreadpoetry;andwhenhewasthrough,theladieswouldliftuptheirhandsandletthemfallhelplesslyintheirlaps,and"wall"theireyes,andshaketheirheads,asmuchastosay,"Wordscannotexpressit;itistoobeautiful,TOObeautifulforthismortalearth."
Afterthehymnhadbeensung,theRev.Mr.Spragueturnedhimselfintoabulletin–board,andreadoff"notices"ofmeetingsandsocietiesandthingstillitseemedthatthelistwouldstretchouttothecrackofdoom—aqueercustomwhichisstillkeptupinAmerica,evenincities,awayhereinthisageofabundantnewspapers.
Often,thelessthereistojustifyatraditionalcustom,theharderitistogetridofit.
Andnowtheministerprayed.Agood,generousprayeritwas,andwentintodetails:itpleadedforthechurch,andthelittlechildrenofthechurch;fortheotherchurchesofthevillage;forthevillageitself;forthecounty;fortheState;fortheStateofficers;fortheUnitedStates;forthechurchesoftheUnitedStates;forCongress;forthePresident;fortheofficersoftheGovernment;forpoorsailors,tossedbystormyseas;fortheoppressedmillionsgroaningundertheheelofEuropeanmonarchiesandOrientaldespotisms;forsuchashavethelightandthegoodtidings,andyethavenoteyestoseenorearstohearwithal;fortheheatheninthefarislandsofthesea;andclosedwithasupplicationthatthewordshewasabouttospeakmightfindgraceandfavor,andbeasseedsowninfertileground,yieldingintimeagratefulharvestofgood.
Amen.
Therewasarustlingofdresses,andthestandingcongregationsatdown.
Theboywhosehistorythisbookrelatesdidnotenjoytheprayer,heonlyenduredit—ifheevendidthatmuch.
Hewasrestiveallthroughit;hekepttallyofthedetailsoftheprayer,unconsciously—forhewasnotlistening,butheknewthegroundofold,andtheclergyman'sregularrouteoverit—andwhenalittletrifleofnewmatterwasinterlarded,hiseardetecteditandhiswholenatureresentedit;heconsideredadditionsunfair,andscoundrelly.
Inthemidstoftheprayeraflyhadlitonthebackofthepewinfrontofhimandtorturedhisspiritbycalmlyrubbingitshandstogether,embracingitsheadwithitsarms,andpolishingitsovigorouslythatitseemedtoalmostpartcompanywiththebody,andtheslenderthreadofaneckwasexposedtoview;scrapingitswingswithitshindlegsandsmoothingthemtoitsbodyasiftheyhadbeencoat–tails;goingthroughitswholetoiletastranquillyasifitknewitwasperfectlysafe.
Asindeeditwas;forassorelyasTom'shandsitchedtograbforittheydidnotdare—hebelievedhissoulwouldbeinstantlydestroyedifhedidsuchathingwhiletheprayerwasgoingon.
Butwiththeclosingsentencehishandbegantocurveandstealforward;andtheinstantthe"Amen"wasouttheflywasaprisonerofwar.
Hisauntdetectedtheactandmadehimletitgo.
Theministergaveouthistextanddronedalongmonotonouslythroughanargumentthatwassoprosythatmanyaheadbyandbybegantonod—andyetitwasanargumentthatdealtinlimitlessfireandbrimstoneandthinnedthepredestinedelectdowntoacompanysosmallastobehardlyworththesaving.
Tomcountedthepagesofthesermon;afterchurchhealwaysknewhowmanypagestherehadbeen,butheseldomknewanythingelseaboutthediscourse.
However,thistimehewasreallyinterestedforalittlewhile.
Theministermadeagrandandmovingpictureoftheassemblingtogetheroftheworld'shostsatthemillenniumwhenthelionandthelambshouldliedowntogetherandalittlechildshouldleadthem.
Butthepathos,thelesson,themoralofthegreatspectaclewerelostupontheboy;heonlythoughtoftheconspicuousnessoftheprincipalcharacterbeforetheon–lookingnations;hisfacelitwiththethought,andhesaidtohimselfthathewishedhecouldbethatchild,ifitwasatamelion.
Nowhelapsedintosufferingagain,asthedryargumentwasresumed.
Presentlyhebethoughthimofatreasurehehadandgotitout.
Itwasalargeblackbeetlewithformidablejaws—a"pinchbug,"hecalledit.Itwasinapercussion–capbox.
Thefirstthingthebeetledidwastotakehimbythefinger.
Anaturalfillipfollowed,thebeetlewentflounderingintotheaisleandlitonitsback,andthehurtfingerwentintotheboy'smouth.
Thebeetlelaythereworkingitshelplesslegs,unabletoturnover.
Tomeyedit,andlongedforit;butitwassafeoutofhisreach.
Otherpeopleuninterestedinthesermonfoundreliefinthebeetle,andtheyeyedittoo.
Presentlyavagrantpoodledogcameidlingalong,sadatheart,lazywiththesummersoftnessandthequiet,wearyofcaptivity,sighingforchange.
Hespiedthebeetle;thedroopingtailliftedandwagged.
Hesurveyedtheprize;walkedaroundit;smeltatitfromasafedistance;walkedarounditagain;grewbolder,andtookaclosersmell;thenliftedhislipandmadeagingerlysnatchatit,justmissingit;madeanother,andanother;begantoenjoythediversion;subsidedtohisstomachwiththebeetlebetweenhispaws,andcontinuedhisexperiments;grewwearyatlast,andthenindifferentandabsent–minded.
Hisheadnodded,andlittlebylittlehischindescendedandtouchedtheenemy,whoseizedit.
Therewasasharpyelp,aflirtofthepoodle'shead,andthebeetlefellacoupleofyardsaway,andlitonitsbackoncemore.
Theneighboringspectatorsshookwithagentleinwardjoy,severalfaceswentbehindfansandhandkerchiefs,andTomwasentirelyhappy.
Thedoglookedfoolish,andprobablyfeltso;buttherewasresentmentinhisheart,too,andacravingforrevenge.
Sohewenttothebeetleandbeganawaryattackonitagain;jumpingatitfromeverypointofacircle,lightingwithhisfore–pawswithinaninchofthecreature,makingevenclosersnatchesatitwithhisteeth,andjerkinghisheadtillhisearsflappedagain.
Buthegrewtiredoncemore,afterawhile;triedtoamusehimselfwithaflybutfoundnorelief;followedanantaround,withhisnoseclosetothefloor,andquicklyweariedofthat;yawned,sighed,forgotthebeetleentirely,andsatdownonit.
Thentherewasawildyelpofagonyandthepoodlewentsailinguptheaisle;theyelpscontinued,andsodidthedog;hecrossedthehouseinfrontofthealtar;heflewdowntheotheraisle;hecrossedbeforethedoors;heclamoredupthehome–stretch;hisanguishgrewwithhisprogress,tillpresentlyhewasbutawoollycometmovinginitsorbitwiththegleamandthespeedoflight.
Atlastthefranticsufferersheeredfromitscourse,andsprangintoitsmaster'slap;heflungitoutofthewindow,andthevoiceofdistressquicklythinnedawayanddiedinthedistance.
Bythistimethewholechurchwasred–facedandsuffocatingwithsuppressedlaughter,andthesermonhadcometoadeadstandstill.
Thediscoursewasresumedpresently,butitwentlameandhalting,allpossibilityofimpressivenessbeingatanend;foreventhegravestsentimentswereconstantlybeingreceivedwithasmotheredburstofunholymirth,undercoverofsomeremotepew–back,asifthepoorparsonhadsaidararelyfacetiousthing.
Itwasagenuinerelieftothewholecongregationwhentheordealwasoverandthebenedictionpronounced.
TomSawyerwenthomequitecheerful,thinkingtohimselfthattherewassomesatisfactionaboutdivineservicewhentherewasabitofvarietyinit.
Hehadbutonemarringthought;hewaswillingthatthedogshouldplaywithhispinchbug,buthedidnotthinkitwasuprightinhimtocarryitoff.
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