He was already conscious of being
somewhat out of place with the regular work of the church: the pastoral
calls, which mean visiting, day after day, in the homes of the members to
talk with the women about nothing at all, at hours when the men of the
household are away laboring, with brain or hand, for the necessities of
life; the meetings of the various women's societies, where the minister
himself is the only man present, and the talk is all women's talk; the
committee meetings, where hours are spent in discussing the most trivial
matters with the most ponderous gravity--as though the salvation of the
world depends upon the color of the pulpit carpet, or who should bake a
cake for the next social.
For nearly a week now, Dan had found no time to touch the garden; he was
resolved this day to make good his neglect. An hour before Denny was up
the minister was ready for his work. As he went to get the garden-tools
from the little lean-to woodshed, Deborah called from the kitchen, "'Tis
airly ye are this mornin' sir. It's not many that do be layin' awake all
the night waitin' for the first crack o' day, so they can get up to
somebody else's work fer thim."
The minister laughingly dodged the warm-hearted expressions of gratitude
he saw coming. "I've been shirking lately," he said. "If I don't do
better than this the boss will be firing me sure. How is he?"
"Fine sir, fine! He's not up yet. You'll hear him yelling at you as soon
as he sees what you're at.
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