O'er woods and dells
Your lovely strains repeat,
Each accent gladly greet.
Christmas morning in the old Tory Hill Meeting-House was felt by all of the persons who were present in that particular year to be a most exciting and memorable3 occasion.
The old sexton quite outdid himself, for although he had rung the bell for more than thirty years, he had never felt greater pride or joy in his task. Was not his son John home for Christmas, and John's wife, and a grand-child newly named Nathaniel for himself? Were there not spareribs and turkeys and cranberries4 and mince5 pies on the pantry shelves, and barrels of rosy6 Baldwins in the cellar and bottles of mother's root beer just waiting to give a holiday pop? The bell itself forgot its age and the suspicion of a crack that dulled its voice on a damp day, and, inspired by the bright, frosty air, the sexton's inspiring pull, and the Christmas spirit, gave out nothing but joyous tones.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! It fired the ambitions of star scholars about to recite hymns7 and sing solos. It thrilled little girls expecting dolls before night. It excited beyond bearing dozens of little boys being buttoned into refractory8 overcoats. Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Mothers' fingers trembled when they heard it, and mothers' voices cried: “If that is the second bell, the children will never be ready in time! Where are the overshoes? Where are the mittens9? Hurry, Jack10! Hurry, Jennie!” Ding-dong! Ding-dong! “Where's Sally's muff? Where's father's fur cap? Is the sleigh at the door? Are the hot soapstones in? Have all of you your money for the contribution box?” Ding-dong! Ding-dong! It was a blithe11 bell, a sweet, true bell, a holy bell, and to Justin pacing his tavern12 room, as to Nancy trembling in her maiden13 chamber14, it rang a Christmas message:—
Awake, glad heart! Arise and sing;
It is the birthday of thy King!
The congregation filled every seat in the old meeting-house. As Maria Sharp had prophesied15, there was one ill-natured spinster from a rival village who declared that the church floor looked like Joseph's coat laid out smooth; but in the general chorus of admiration16, approval, and goodwill17, this envious18 speech, though repeated from mouth to mouth, left no sting.
Another item of interest long recalled was the fact that on that august and unapproachable day the pulpit vases stood erect19 and empty, though Nancy Wentworth had filled them every Sunday since any one could remember. This instance, though felt at the time to be of mysterious significance if the cause were ever revealed, paled into nothingness when, after the ringing of the last bell, Nancy Wentworth walked up the aisle20 on Justin Peabody's arm, and they took their seats side by side in the old family pew.
(“And consid'able close, too, though there was plenty o' room!”)
(“And no one that I ever heard of so much as suspicioned that they had ever kept company!”)
(“And do you s'pose she knew Justin was expected back when she scrubbed his pew a-Friday? “)
(“And this explains the empty pulpit vases! “)
(“And I always said that Nancy would make a real handsome couple if she ever got anybody to couple with!”)
During the unexpected and solemn procession of the two up the aisle the soprano of the village choir21 stopped short in the middle of the Doxology, and the three other voices carried it to the end without any treble. Also, among those present there were some who could not remember afterward22 the precise petitions wafted23 upward in the opening prayer.
And could it be explained otherwise than by cheerfully acknowledging the bounty24 of an overruling Providence25 that Nancy Wentworth should have had a new winter dress for the first time in five years—a winter dress of dark brown cloth to match her beaver26 muff and victorine? The existence of this toilette had been known and discussed in Edgewood for a month past, and it was thought to be nothing more than a proper token of respect from a member of the carpet committee to the general magnificence of the church on the occasion of its reopening after repairs. Indeed, you could have identified every member of the Dorcas Society that Sunday morning by the freshness of her apparel. The brown dress, then, was generally expected; but why the white cashmere waist with collar and cuffs27 of point lace, devised only and suitable only for the minister's wedding, where it first saw the light?
“The white waist can only be explained as showing distinct hope!” whispered the minister's wife during the reading of the church notices.
“To me it shows more than hope; I am very sure that Nancy would never take any wear out of that lace for hope; it means certainty!” answered Maria, who was always strong in the prophetic line.
Justin's identity had dawned upon most of the congregation by sermon time. A stranger to all but one or two at first, his presence in the Peabody pew brought his face and figure back, little by little, to the minds of the old parishioners.
When the contribution plate was passed, the sexton always began at the right-wing pews, as all the sextons before him had done for a hundred years. Every eye in the church was already turned upon Justin and Nancy, and it was with almost a gasp28 that those in the vicinity saw a ten-dollar bill fall in the plate. The sexton reeled, or, if that is too intemperate29 a word for a pillar of the church, the good man tottered30, but caught hold of the pew rail with one hand, and, putting the thumb of his other over the bill, proceeded quickly to the next pew, lest the stranger should think better of his gift, or demand change, as had occasionally been done in the olden time.
Nancy never fluttered an eyelash, but sat quietly by Justin's side with her bosom31 rising and falling under the beaver fur and her cold hands clasped tight in the little brown muff. Far from grudging32 this appreciable33 part of their slender resources, she thrilled with pride to see Justin's offering fall in the plate.
Justin was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice anything, but his munificent34 contribution had a most unexpected effect upon his reputation, after all; for on that day, and on many another later one, when his sudden marriage and departure with Nancy Wentworth were under discussion, the neighbors said to one another:—“Justin must be making money fast out West! He put ten dollars in the contribution plate a-Sunday, and paid the minister ten more next day for marryin' him to Nancy; so the Peabody luck has turned at last!”—which as a matter of fact, it had.
“And all the time,” said the chairman of the carpet committee to the treasurer35 of the Dorcas Society—“all the time, little as she realized it, Nancy was laying the carpet in her own pew. Now she's married to Justin, she'll be the makin' of him, or I miss my guess. You can't do a thing with men-folks without they're right alongside where you can keep your eye and hand on 'em. Justin's handsome and good and stiddy; all he needs is some nice woman to put starch36 into him. The Edgewood Peabodys never had a mite37 o' stiffenin' in 'em,—limp as dishrags, every blessed one! Nancy Wentworth fairly rustles38 with starch. Justin had n't been engaged to her but a few hours when they walked up the aisle together, but did you notice the way he carried his head? I declare I thought 't would fall off behind! I should n't wonder a mite but they prospered39 and come back every summer to set in the Old Peabody Pew.”
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1
throngs
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| n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 ) | |
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2
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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3
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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cranberries
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| n.越橘( cranberry的名词复数 ) | |
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mince
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| n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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hymns
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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8
refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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mittens
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| 不分指手套 | |
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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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11
blithe
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| adj.快乐的，无忧无虑的 | |
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12
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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13
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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14
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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15
prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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17
goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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18
envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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19
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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20
aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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21
choir
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| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
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22
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
bounty
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| n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与 | |
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25
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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26
beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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27
cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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28
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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29
intemperate
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| adj.无节制的，放纵的 | |
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30
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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31
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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32
grudging
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| adj.勉强的，吝啬的 | |
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33
appreciable
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| adj.明显的，可见的，可估量的，可觉察的 | |
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34
munificent
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| adj.慷慨的，大方的 | |
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35
treasurer
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| n.司库，财务主管 | |
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36
starch
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| n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆 | |
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37
mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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38
rustles
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| n.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的名词复数 )v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的第三人称单数 ) | |
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39
prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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