Грозовой перевал
Chapter 3
Iwasnotgoingthere:wewerejourneyingtohearthefamousJabesBranderhampreachfromthetext—"SeventyTimesSeven";andeitherJoseph,thepreacher,orIhadcommittedthe"FirstoftheSeventy-First,"andweretobepubliclyexposedandexcommunicated.
Wecametothechapel.Ihavepasseditreallyinmywalks,twiceorthrice;itliesinahollow,betweentwohills:anelevatedhollow,nearaswamp,whosepeatymoistureissaidtoanswerallthepurposesofembalmingonthefewcorpsesdepositedthere.Theroofhasbeenkeptwholehitherto;butastheclergyman’sstipendisonlytwentypoundsperannum,andahousewithtworooms,threateningspeedilytodetermineintoone,noclergymanwillundertakethedutiesofpastor:especiallyasitiscurrentlyreportedthathisflockwouldratherlethimstarvethanincreasethelivingbyonepennyfromtheirownpockets.However,inmydream,Jabeshadafullandattentivecongregation;andhepreached—goodGod!whatasermon:dividedintofourhundredandninetyparts,eachfullyequaltoanordinaryaddressfromthepulpit,andeachdiscussingaseparatesin!Wherehesearchedforthem,Icannottell.Hehadhisprivatemannerofinterpretingthephrase,anditseemednecessarythebrothershouldsindifferentsinsoneveryoccasion.Theywereofthemostcuriouscharacter:oddtransgressionsthatIneverimaginedpreviously.
Oh,howwearyIgrew.HowIwrithed,andyawned,andnodded,andrevived!HowIpinchedandprickedmyself,andrubbedmyeyes,andstoodup,andsatdownagain,andnudgedjosephtoinformmeifhewouldeverhavedone.Iwascondemnedtohearallout:finally,hereachedthe"FirstoftheSeventy-First."
