The first hymn was sung
chiefly by the missionary and Mrs. Muir, whose voice was very high, with
one or two of the men softly whistling an accompaniment. The second hymn
was better, and then came the Lesson, the story of the feeding of the
five thousand. As the missionary finished the story, Bill, who had been
listening with great interest, said:
"I say, pard, I think I'll call you just now."
"I beg your pardon!" said the startled missionary.
"You're givin' us quite a song and dance now, ain't you?"
"I don't understand," was the puzzled reply.
"How many men was there in the crowd?" asked Bill, with a judicial air.
"Five thousand."
"And how much grub?"
"Five loaves and two fishes," answered Bruce for the missionary.
"Well," drawled Bill, with the air of a man who has reached a
conclusion, "that's a little too unusual for me. Why," looking pityingly
at the missionary, "it ain't natarel."
"Right you are, my boy," said Bruce, with a laugh. "It's deucedly
unnatural."
"Not for Him," said the missionary, quietly. Then Bruce joyfully took
him up and led him on into a discussion of evidences, and from evidences
into metaphysics, the origin of evil and the freedom of the will, till
the missionary, as Bill said, "was rattled worse nor a rooster in the
dark.
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