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creek on the way home. It was even suspected that on certain Sabbaths they had enjoyed a furtive9 cross-country run together; but by tacit consent the village overlooked it and put it down to the dog. Jack was privileged and not to blame. There was certainly something, from the children's point of view, also, in favor of Jack's conception of Sunday.
On week-day nights there were the church meetings of one kind and another, for which Deacon Pratt's house was always the place, not counting the sociables which Jack attended with unfailing regularity10. They would not, any of them, have been quite regular without Jack. Indeed, many a question of grave church polity had been settled only after it had been submitted to and passed upon in meeting by Jack. "Is not that so, Jack?" was a favorite clincher to arguments which, it was felt, had won over his master. And Jack's groping paw cemented a treaty of good-will and mutual11 concession12 that had helped the village church over more than one hard place. For there were hard heads and stubborn wills in it as there are in other churches; and Deacon Pratt, for all he was a just man, was set on having his way.
And now all this was changed. What had come over the town Jack couldn't make out, but that it was something serious nobody was needed to tell him. Folks he used to meet at the gate, going to the trains of mornings, on neighborly terms, hurried
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past him without as much as a look. Deacon Jones, who gave him ginger-snaps out of the pantry-crock as a special bribe13 for a hand-shake, had even put out his foot to kick him, actually kick him, when he waylaid14 him at the corner that morning. The whole week there had not been as much as a visitor at the house, and what with Christmas in town—Jack knew the signs well enough; they meant raisins15 and goodies that came only when they burned candles on trees in the church—it was enough to make any dog cross. To top it all, his mistress must come down sick, worried into it all, as like as not, he had heard the doctor say. If Jack's thoughts could have been put into words as he sat on the porch looking moodily16 over the road, they would doubtless have taken something like this shape, that it was a pity that men didn't have the sense of dogs, but would bear grudges17 and make themselves and their betters unhappy. And in the village there would have been more than one to agree with him secretly.
Jack wouldn't have been any the wiser had he been told that the trouble that had come to town was that of all things most worrisome, a church quarrel. What was it about and how did it come? I doubt if any of the men and women who strove in meeting for principle and conscience with might and main, and said mean things about each other out of meeting, could have explained it. I know they all would have explained it differently, and so
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added fuel to the fire that was hot enough already. In fact, that was what had happened the night before Jack encountered his special friend, Deacon Jones, and it was in virtue18 of his master's share in it that he had bestowed19 the memorable20 kick upon him. Deacon Pratt was the valiant21 leader of the opposing faction22.
To the general stress of mind the holiday had but added another cause of irritation23. Could Jack have understood the ethics24 of men he would have known that it strangely happens that:
"Forgiveness to the injured does belong,
But they ne'er pardon who have done the wrong,"
and that everybody in a church quarrel having injured everybody else within reach for conscience sake, the season of good-will and even the illness of that good woman, the wife of Deacon Pratt, admittedly from worry over the trouble, practically put a settlement of it out of the question. But being only a dog he did not understand. He could only sulk; and as this went well enough with things as they were in general, it proved that Jack was, as was well known, a very intelligent dog.
He had yet to give another proof of it, that very day, by preaching to the divided congregation its Christmas sermon, a sermon that is to this day remembered in Brownville; but of that neither they
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nor he, sitting there on the stoop nursing his grievances25, had at that time any warning.
It was Christmas Eve. Since the early Lutherans settled there, away back in the last century, it had been the custom in the village to celebrate the Holy Eve with a special service and a Christmas tree; and preparations had been going forward for it all the afternoon. It was noticeable that the fighting in the congregation in no wise interfered27 with the observance of the established forms of worship; rather, it seemed to lend a keener edge to them. It was only the spirit that suffered. Jack, surveying the road from the porch, saw baskets and covered trays carried by, and knew their contents. He had watched the big Christmas tree going down on the grocer's sled, and his experience plus his nose supplied the rest. As the lights came out one by one after twilight28, he stirred uneasily at the unwonted stillness in his house. Apparently30 no one was getting ready for church. Could it be that they were not going; that this thing was to be carried to the last ditch? He decided31 to go and investigate.
His investigations32 were brief, but entirely33 conclusive34. For the second time that day he was spurned35, and by a friend. This time it was the deacon himself who drove him from his wife's room, whither he had betaken him with true instinct to ascertain36 the household intentions. The deacon seemed to be, if anything, in a worse humor than
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even Jack himself. The doctor had told him that afternoon that Mrs. Pratt was a very sick woman, and that, if she was to pull through at all, she must be kept from all worriment in an atmosphere which fairly bristled37 with it. The deacon felt that he had a contract on his hands which might prove too heavy for him. He felt, too, with bitterness, that he was an ill-used man, that all his years of faithful labor38 in the vineyard went for nothing because of some wretched heresy39 which the enemy had devised to wreck40 it; and all his humbled41 pride and his pent-up wrath42 gathered itself into the kick with which he sent poor Jack flying back where he had come from. It was clear that the deacon was not going to church.
Lonely and forsaken43, Jack took his old seat on the porch and pondered. The wrinkles in his brow multiplied and grew deeper as he looked down the road and saw the Joneses, the Smiths, and the Allens go by toward the church. When the Merritts had passed, too, under the lamp, he knew that it must be nearly time for the sermon. They always came in after the long prayer. Jack took a turn up and down the porch, whined44 at the door once, and, receiving no answer, set off down the road by himself.
The church was filled. It had never looked handsomer. The rival factions45 had vied with each other in decorating it. Spruce and hemlock46 sprouted47 everywhere, and garlands of ground-ivy festooned
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walls and chancel. The delicious odor of balsam and of burning wax-candles was in the air. The people were all there in their Sunday clothes and the old minister in the pulpit; but the Sunday feeling was not there. Something was not right. Deacon Pratt's pew alone of them all was empty, and the congregation cast wistful glances at it, some secretly behind their hymn-books, others openly and sorrowfully. What the doctor had said in the afternoon had got out. He himself had told Mrs. Mills that it was doubtful if the deacon's wife got around, and it sat heavily upon the conscience of the people.
The opening hymns48 were sung; the Merritts, late as usual, had taken their seats. The minister took up the Book to read the Christmas gospel from the second chapter of Luke. He had been there longer than most of those who were in the church to-night could remember, had grown old with the people, had loved them as the shepherd who is answerable to the Master for his flock. Their griefs and their troubles were his. If he could not ward26 them off, he could suffer with them. His voice trembled a little as he read of the tidings of great joy. Perhaps it was age; but it grew firmer as he proceeded toward the end:—
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men.'"
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The old minister closed the Book and looked out over the congregation. He looked long and yearningly49, and twice he cleared his throat, only to repeat, "on earth peace, good-will toward men." The people settled back in their seats, uneasily; they strangely avoided the eye of their pastor50. It rested in its slow survey of the flock upon Deacon Pratt's empty pew. And at that moment a strange thing occurred.
Why it should seem strange was, perhaps, not the least strange part of it. Jack had come in alone before. He knew the trick of the door-latch51, and had often opened it unaided. He was in the habit of attending the church with the folks; there was no reason why they should not expect him, unless they knew of one themselves. But somehow the click of the latch went clear through the congregation as the heavenly message of good-will had not. All eyes were turned upon the deacon's pew; and they waited.
Jack came slowly and gravely up the aisle52 and stopped at his master's pew. He sniffed53 of the empty seat disapprovingly54 once or twice—he had never seen it in that state before—then he climbed up and sat, serious and attentive55 as he was wont29, in his old seat, facing the pulpit, nodding once as who should say, "I'm here; proceed!"
It is recorded that not even a titter was heard from the Sunday-school, which was out in force.
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In the silence that reigned56 in the church was heard only a smothered57 sob58. The old minister looked with misty59 eyes at his friend. He took off his spectacles, wiped them and put them on again, and tried to speak; but the tears ran down his cheeks and choked his voice. The congregation wept with him.
"Brethren," he said, when he could speak, "glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men! Jack has preached a better sermon than I can to-night. Let us pray together."
It is further recorded that the first and only quarrel in the Brownville church ended on Christmas Eve and was never heard of again, and that it was all the work of Jack's sermon.
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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portend
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| v.预兆，预示；给…以警告 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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5
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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7
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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8
romped
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| v.嬉笑玩闹( romp的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在赛跑或竞选等中）轻易获胜 | |
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9
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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10
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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11
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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12
concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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13
bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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14
waylaid
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| v.拦截，拦路( waylay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
raisins
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| n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 ) | |
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16
moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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17
grudges
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| 不满，怨恨，妒忌( grudge的名词复数 ) | |
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18
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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19
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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21
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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22
faction
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| n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争 | |
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23
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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24
ethics
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| n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准 | |
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25
grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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26
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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27
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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28
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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29
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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30
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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31
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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32
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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33
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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34
conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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35
spurned
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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37
bristled
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| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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38
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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39
heresy
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| n.异端邪说；异教 | |
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40
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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41
humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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42
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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43
Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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44
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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45
factions
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| 组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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46
hemlock
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| n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉 | |
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47
sprouted
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| v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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48
hymns
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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49
yearningly
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| 怀念地，思慕地，同情地； 渴 | |
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50
pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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51
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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52
aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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53
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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54
disapprovingly
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| adv.不以为然地，不赞成地，非难地 | |
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55
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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56
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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57
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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58
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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59
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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