When Betty returned, and Donald told her the happenings of the morning, the clouds dispersed1 somewhat, and before long the dictum that "there is humor in all things"--even in ejection from house and home--seemed proven true. After lunch they sat in Donald's den3, and were laughingly suggesting every kind of habitat, possible and impossible, from purchasing and fitting up the iceman's covered wagon4 and perambulating round the town, to taking a store and increasing their income by purveying5 Betty's tempting6 preserves and confections.
Their consultation7 was interrupted by the arrival of Nickey, armed with a Boy Scouts8' "Manual."
"Gee9! Mr. Maxwell: Uncle Jonathan Jackson's all right; I'll never do another thing to guy him. He's loaned us his tent for our Boy Scouts' corpse10, and I've been studyin' out how to pitch it proper, so I can show the kids the ropes; but----"
"Donald!" cried Betty. "The very thing--let's camp out on the church lot."
"By Jinks!" exclaimed Maxwell, unclerically. "We'll have that tent up this very afternoon--if Nickey will lend it to us, second hand, and get his men together."
Nickey flushed with delight. "You betcher life I will," he shouted excitedly. "Is it for a revival11 stunt12? You 'aint goin' to live there, are you?"
"That's just what we are going to do, if Jonathan and you'll lend us the tent for a few months. Mr. Bascom wants to let the rectory to some other tenants13, and we've got to find somewhere else to lay our heads. Why, it's the very way! There's not a thing against it, that I can see. Let's go and see the tent, and consult Mrs. Burke. Come along, both of you."
And off they hurried, like three children bent14 on a new game. It was soon arranged, and Hepsey rose to the occasion with her usual vim15. To her and Nickey the transportation of the tent was consigned16, while Maxwell went off to purchase the necessary boarding for a floor, and Mrs. Betty returned to the rectory to pack up their belongings17.
"We'll have to occupy our new quarters to-night," said Maxwell, "or our friend the enemy may raid the church lot in the night, and vanish with tent and all."
An hour or so later, when Maxwell arrived at the church, clad in overalls18 and riding on a wagon of planks19, he found Mrs. Burke and Nickey with a contingent20 of stalwarts awaiting him. There was a heap of canvas and some coils of rope lying on the ground near by. Hepsey greeted him with a smile from under the shade of her sun-bonnet.
"You seem ready for business, even if you don't look a little bit like the Archbishop of Canterbury in that rig," she remarked. "I'm afraid there'll be an awful scandal in the parish if you go wanderin' around dressed like a carpenter; but it can't be helped; and if the Bishop21 excommunicates you, I'll give you a job on the farm."
"I don't mind about the looks of it; but I suppose the vestry will have something to say about our camping on church property."
"That needn't worry you. Maybe it'll bring 'em to their senses, and maybe, they'll be ashamed when they see their parson driven out of his house and havin' to live in a tent,--though I 'aint holdin' out much hope of that, to you. Folks that are the most religious are usually the hardest to shame. I always said, financially speakin', that preachin' wasn't a sound business. It's all give and no get; but this is the first time I've ever heard of a parish wanting a parson to preach without eating and to sleep without a roof over his head. Most of us seem to forget that rectors are human being like the rest of us. If religion is worth havin', it's worth payin' for."
The planking was soon laid, and the erection of the tent was left to Nickey's captaining--all hands assisting. With his manual in one hand he laid it out, rope by rope, poles in position, and each helper at his place. Then at a word, up it soared, with a "bravo" from the puzzled onlookers22.
"We want a poet here," laughed Maxwell. "Longfellow's 'Building of the Ship,' or Ralph Connor's 'Building the Barn' aren't a circumstance to Nickey's 'Pitching the Parson's Tent.'"
It was next divided off into three convenient rooms, for sleeping, eating and cooking--and Hepsey, with three scouts, having driven across to the old rectory while the finishing touches were being put to the new, she and her military escort soon returned with Mrs. Betty, and a load of furniture and other belongings.
"Why, this is perfect!" cried Betty. "The only thing lacking to complete the illusion is a trout23 brook24 in the front yard, and the smell of pines and the damp mossy earth of the forests. We'll wear our old clothes, and have a bonfire at night, and roast potatoes and corn in the hot coals, and have the most beautiful time imaginable."
The town visitors who still lingered on the scene were received cordially by Maxwell and Mrs. Betty, who seemed to be in rather high spirits; but when the visitors made any inquiries25 concerning structural26 matters they were politely referred to Nickey Burke for any information they desired, as he had assumed official management of the work.
Just before the various helpers left at six o'clock, smoke began to issue from the little stove-pipe sticking out through the canvas of the rear of the tent, and Mrs. Betty, with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her cooking apron27 on, came out to watch it with all the pride of a good housekeeper28.
"Isn't it jolly, Mrs. Burke," she exclaimed. "I was afraid that it would not draw, but it really does, you see. This will be more fun than a month at the seashore; and to-morrow we are going to have you and Nickey dine with us in the tent; so don't make any other engagement. Don't forget."
By noon of the following day everybody in town knew that the Maxwells had been dispossessed, and were camping on the church lot; and before night most of the women and a few of the men had called to satisfy their curiosity, and to express their sympathy with the rector and his wife, who, however, seemed to be quite comfortable and happy in their new quarters. On the other hand, some of the vestry hinted strongly that tents could not be put up on church property without their formal permission, and a few of the more pious29 suggested that it was little short of sacrilege thus to violate the sanctity of a consecrated30 place. Nickey had painted a large sign with the word RECTORY on it, in truly rustic31 lettering, and had hung it at the entrance of the tent. The Editor of the Durford Daily Bugle32 appeared with the village photographer, and after an interview with Maxwell requested him and his wife to pose for a picture in front of the tent. This they declined with thanks; but a half-column article giving a sensational33 account of the affair appeared in the next issue of the paper, headed by a half-tone picture of the tent and the church. Public sentiment ran strongly against Bascom, to whom rumor34 quickly awarded the onus35 of the incident. In reply to offers of hospitality, Maxwell and Mrs. Betty insisted that they were very comfortable for the time being, and were not going to move or make any plans for the immediate36 future. The morning of the fourth day, Maxwell announced to Mrs. Betty that he had a strong presentiment37 that Bascom would soon make another move in the game, and he was not surprised when he saw Nelson approaching.
"Thank goodness we are in the open air, this time," Maxwell remarked to Betty as he caught sight of the visitor. "I'll talk to him outside--and perhaps you'd better shut the door and keep out the language. I may have to express myself more forcibly than politely."
Nelson began:
"I am sorry to have to intrude38 upon you again, Mr. Maxwell, but I must inform you that you will have to vacant that tent and find lodgings39 elsewhere."
"Why, pray? This tent is my property for as long as I require it."
"Ah! But you see it has been put up on the land that belongs to the church, and you have no title to use the land, you know, for private purposes."
"Pardon me," Maxwell replied, "but while the legal title to all church property is held by the wardens40 and vestry collectively, the freehold use of the church building and grounds is held by the rector for the purpose of the exercise of his office as rector. No church property is injured by this tent. This lot was originally purchased for a rectory. To all intents and purposes (excuse me; I am not punning) this tent is the rectory pro2 tem. The use of a rectory was offered me as part of the original agreement when I accepted the call to come to this parish."
"Hm! You speak quite as if you belonged to the legal profession yourself, Mr. Maxwell. However, I am afraid that you will have to get off the lot just the same. You must remember that I am simply carrying out Mr. Bascom's instructions."
"Very well; please give my compliments to Mr. Bascom and tell him that he is welcome to come here and put me out as soon as he thinks best. Moreover, you might remind him that he is not an autocrat41, and that he cannot take any legal action in the matter without a formal meeting of the vestry, which I will call and at which I will preside. He can appeal to the Bishop if he sees fit."
"Then I understand that you propose to stay where you are, in defiance42 of Mr. Bascom's orders?"
"I most certainly do. It is well known that Mr. Bascom has successfully intimidated43 every one of my predecessors44; but he has met his match for once. I shall not budge45 from this tent until I see fit."
"Well, I should be very sorry to see you forcibly ejected."
"Don't waste any sympathy on me, sir. If Mr. Bascom attempts to molest46 me, I shall take the matter to the courts and sue him for damages."
"Your language is somewhat forcible, considering that you are supposed to be his pastor47 and spiritual advisor48."
"Very well; tell Mr. Bascom that as his spiritual advisor I strongly suggest that his spiritual condition will not be much improved by attempting to molest us here."
"But to be perfectly49 frank with you, Mr. Maxwell, he can force you to leave, by stopping the payment of your salary, even if he does not eject you by force."
"I rather think not. Until he can bring specific charges against me, he is liable for the fulfillment of our original contract, in his writing. Moreover, I may have more friends in the parish than he imagines."
Nelson was visibly disturbed by the rector's firm hold on the situation.
"But," he stuttered, "Mr. Bascom is the richest man in the parish, and his influence is strong. You will find that everyone defers50 to his judgment51 as a matter of course."
"All right; then let me add, for your own information, that I can earn my living honestly in this town and take care of myself without Mr. Bascom's assistance, if necessary; and do my parish work at the same time. I have two muscular arms, and if it comes down to earning a livelihood52, independent of my salary, I can work on the state road hauling stone. Williamson told me yesterday he was looking for men."
"I can scarcely think that the parishioners would hold with their rector working like a common laborer53, Mr. Maxwell," admonished55 Nelson.
"We are all 'common,' in the right sense, Mr. Nelson. My view is that work of any kind is always honorable when necessary, except in the eyes of the ignorant. If Mr. Bascom is mortified56 to have me earn my living by manual labor54, when he is not ashamed to repudiate57 a contract, and try to force me out of the parish by a process of slow starvation, his sense of fitness equals his standard of honor."
"Well, I am sure that I do not know what I can do."
"Do you want me to tell you?"
"If it will relieve your feelings," Nelson drawled insolently58.
"Then get out of this place and stay out. If you return again for any purpose whatever I am afraid it is I who will have to eject you. We will not argue the matter again."
"Well, I regret this unfortunate encounter, and to have been forced to listen to the unguarded vituperation of my rector." With which retort he departed.
Soon after Nelson had left, Mrs. Burke called in, and Betty gave her a highly amusing and somewhat colored version of the interview.
"You know, I think that our theological seminaries don't teach budding parsons all they ought to, by any means," she concluded.
"I quite agree with you, Betty dear; and I thank my stars for college athletics," laughed Maxwell, squaring up to the tent-pole.
"What did I tell you," reminded Hepsey, "when you had all those books up in your room at my place. It's just as important for a country parson to know how to make a wiped-joint or run a chicken farm or pull teeth, as it is to study church history and theology. A parson's got to live somehow, and a trade school ought to be attached to every seminary, according to my way of thinking! St. Paul made tents, and wasn't a bit ashamed of it. Well I'm mighty59 glad that Bascom has got come up with for once. Don't you give in, and it will be my turn to make the next move, if this don't bring him to his senses. You just wait and see."
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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purveying
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| v.提供，供应( purvey的现在分词 ) | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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vim
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| n.精力，活力 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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overalls
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| n.（复）工装裤；长罩衣 | |
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planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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structural
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| adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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onus
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| n.负担；责任 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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wardens
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| n.看守人( warden的名词复数 )；管理员；监察员；监察官 | |
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autocrat
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| n.独裁者；专横的人 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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intimidated
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| v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的 | |
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predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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advisor
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| n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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defers
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| v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的第三人称单数 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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laborer
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| n.劳动者，劳工 | |
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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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55
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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56
mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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57
repudiate
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| v.拒绝，拒付，拒绝履行 | |
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insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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