“Glory be! Who be I, to question the Lord’s ways? One day I picked up a map, an’ seed a place on it called ‘Little Sins.’ ‘Little Sins wants great Deliverance,’ says I, an’ I started clane off an’ walked to the place, though I’d never so much as heard of it till then. ’Twas harvest-time there, an’ I danced into the field, shouting ‘Glory, glory. The harvest is plenty, but the labourers be few!’ The farmer was moved to give me a job ’pon the spot. I bided there two year, an’ built them a chapel an’ preached the Word in it. They offered me money to stop an’ preach; and I laid it before the Lord. But He said, ‘You’re the King’s Postman. Keep moving, keep on moving!’ I’ve built two more chapels since then.”
Late that afternoon three bodies were recovered from the sea—the captain, the mate, and a boy of about sixteen; and were buried in the churchyard next day, as soon as the inquest was over. Pascoe followed the coffins, and pointed the service at the grave-side with interjaculations of his own. “Glory be!” “A-men!” “Hallelujah!” “Great Redemption!” To the Vicar’s surprise the small crowd after a minute began to follow the man’s lead, until at length he could scarcely read for these interruptions.
At supper that night Pascoe sprang a question on the Vicar.
“Be you convarted?” he asked, looking up with his mouth full of bread and cheese.
“I hope so.”
“Aw, you hopes! ’Tis a bad case with ’ee, then. When a man’s convarted, he knows. Seemin’ to me, you baint. You don’t show enough of the bright side. Now, as I go along, my very toes keep ticking salvation. Down goes one foot, ‘Glory be!’ Down goes the other, ‘A-men!’ Aw! I must dance for joy!”
He got up and danced around the kitchen.
“I wish the man would go,” Humility thought to herself.
His very next words answered her wish. “I’ll be leavin’ to-morrow, friends. I’ve got a room down to the village, an’ I’ve borreyed a razor. I’m goin’ to tramp round the mines at the back here, an’ shave the miners at a ha’penny a chin. That’ll pay my way. There’s a new preacher planned to the Bible Christians, down to Innis, an’ I’m goin’ to help he. My dears, don’t ’ee tell me the Lord didn’ know what He was about when He cast the Garibaldi ashore!”
He left the Parsonage next day. “Ma’am,” he said to Humility on leaving, “I salute this here house. Peace be on this here house, for it is worthy. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward.”