The
Revival of ten years ago, lacking the vibrant spirit of Mr. John
Thurston, had been a very different affair. This was something quite
new in all Skeaton experience. Red-hot expectation flamed now in
every eye. Maggie could feel that the old woman next to her was
trembling all over.
Thurston announced:
"Brother Crashaw will now deliver an address."
Brother Crashaw, his head still lowered, very slowly got up from his
seat. He moved as though it were only with the utmost difficulty and
power of self-will that his reluctant body could be compelled into
action. He crept rather than walked from his chair to the reading-
desk, then very very painfully climbed on to the high platform.
Maggie, watching him, remembered that earlier time when he had
climbed into just such another desk. She remembered also that day at
her aunts' house when he had flirted with Caroline and shown himself
quite another Brother Crashaw. He had aged greatly since then. He
seemed now to be scarcely a man at all. Then suddenly, with a jerk,
as though a string had been pulled from behind, he raised his face
and looked at them all.
Pages:
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833