Under the Storm | Page 8

the man in the black gown said, 'and burn their graven
images in the fire.'"
"But we never worshipped them," said Stead.
"Pious preacher said so," returned the youth, "and mighty angered was
he with the rails." (Jeph and Will were sparring with two fragments of
them.) "'Down with them,' he cried out, so as it would have done your
heart good to hear him."
"And the parson is gone! There will be no hearing the catechism on
Sundays!" cried Ralph Wilkes, making a leap over the broken font.
"Good luck for you, Ralph," cried the others. "You, that never could
tell how many commandments there be."
"Put on your hat, Stead," called out another lad. "We've done with all
that now, and the parson is gone to prison for it."
"No, no," shouted Tom Oates, "'twas for making away with the
Communion things."
"I heard the red coat say they had a warrant against scandalous
ministers," declared Ralph Wilkes.
"I heard the man with the pen and ink-horn ask for the popish vessels,
as he called them, and not a word would the parson say," said Oates.
"I'd take my oath he has hid them somewheres," replied Jack Beard, an
ill-looking lad.
"What a windfall they would be for him as found them!" observed
Wilkes.
"I'd like to look over the parsonage house," said Jeph.
"No use. Old dame housekeeper has locked herself in, as savage as a
bear with a sore head."

"Besides, they did turn over all the parson's things and made a bonfire
of all his popish books. The little ones be dancing their rounds about it
still!"
Stead had heard quite enough to make him very uneasy, and wish to get
home with his tidings to his father. There was a girl standing by with a
baby in her arms, and she asked:
"What will they do to our minister?"
"Put him in Little Ease for a scandalous minister," was the ready
answer. "But he is a good man. He gave us all broth when father had
the fever!"
"And who will give granny and me our Sunday dinner?" said a little
boy.
"But there'll be no more catechising. Hurrah!" cried Oates, "hurrah!"
"'Tis rank superstition, said the red coat, Hurrah!" and up went their
caps. "Halloa, Stead Kenton, not a word to say?"
"He likes being catechised, standing as he does like a stuck pig, and
answering never a word," cried Jack.
"I do," said Steadfast, "and why not?"
"Parson's darling! Parson's darling!" shouted the boys. "A malignant!
Off with him." They had begun to hustle him, when Jeph threw himself
between and cried:
"Hit Steadfast, and you must hit me first."
"A match, a match!" they cried, "Jeph and Jack."
Stead had no fears about Jeph conquering, but while the others stood
round to watch the boxing, he slipped away, with his heart perplexed
and sad. He had loved his minister, and he never guessed how much he
cared for his church till he saw it lying desolate, and these rude lads
rejoicing in the havoc; while the words rang in his ears, "And now they
break down all the carved work thereof with axes and with hammers."

CHAPTER IV
.
THE GOOD CAUSE.

"And their Psalter mourneth with them O'er the carvings and the grace,

Which axe and hammer ruin In the fair and holy place." Bp.
CLEVELAND COXE.
When next John Kenton went into Bristol to market he tried to discover
what had become of Mr. Holworth, but could only make out something
about his being sent up to London with others of his sort to answer for
being Baal worshippers! Which, as he observed, he could not
understand.
There seemed likely to be no service at the church on Sunday, but John
thought himself bound to walk thither with his sons to see what was
going on, and they heard such a noise that they looked at each other in
amazement. It was not preaching, but shouting, laughing, screaming,
stamping, and running. The rude village children were playing at
hide-and-seek, and Jenny Oates was hidden in the pulpit. But at Master
Kenton's loud "How now, youngsters" they all were frightened, some
ran out headlong, some sneaked out at the little north door, and the
place was quiet, but in sad confusion and desolation, the altar-table
overthrown, the glass of the windows lying in fragments on the
pavement, the benches kicked over.
Kenton, with his boys' help, put what he could straight again, and then
somewhat to their surprise knelt down with bowed head, and said a
prayer, for they saw his lips moving. Then he locked up the church
doors, for the keys had been left in them, and slowly and sadly went
away.
"Thy mother would be sad to