With Duncan McNair, it was different. He had no interest of any sort. He came to Sunday-school sometimes with and sometimes without a lesson; he came because he liked to be with the boys, liked Miss Wynn, liked the library books, and, like every other boy in the congregation, he liked Mr. Earle. But first in his list of saints and heroes was Dr. Myers, who had once helped him out of some boyish scrape; for that matter, somebody might have a chance to help him out of a scrape almost any day, for he was generally in one. His mother had died so long ago that he scarcely remembered her. He had been petted and spoiled as well as cared for, by his grandmother, until she too, was called away when he was twelve years old. Since then, he had lived at home with his father and the housekeeper.
Judge McNair was a wealthy and influential lawyer, and a man of much culture, both intellectual and spiritual. Duncan was his only son, and of late, from being more constantly with the boy, he noticed with pain the careless habits of thought and speech which he had been suffered to acquire. He said, too, that though openhearted and generous, Duncan was wilful and passionate, and that very few people seemed to have any influence over him. From the first, Mabel was one of these few; but though he was always ready to serve her, he would not listen to serious conversation. Scenting the most distant approach to it, he brought out his keenest weapons of nonsense and adroitness, and invariably managed to turn aside every attempt at a personal appeal.
Just once that winter, Mabel grew hopeful. It was the Sabbath of the Week of Prayer. She had gone from her closet to her class; gone with the lesson not more in her mind than in her heart, and had taught as one who teaches for eternity. Duncan forgot to be nonsensical. Lewie seemed to realize that there might be a depth of meaning in their watchword which he had not fathomed, and even Perry was less alive to the importance of his official duties. Referring to the notices of religious services every evening during the week, the teacher expressed the hope that they would all attend the meetings, and was gratified at the promptness with which they responded to the request.
But it turned out that of all the class, only Herbert and Arthur Knapp were present upon Monday evening. Some trifle kept Perry away, Mrs. Amesbury sent Lewie upon an errand to her milliner, and Duncan forgot all about the meeting until it was too late; his father being out of town, he was not reminded by him as he would otherwise have been. As for Miss Wynn herself, she was detained at home by an attack of nervous headache. So it chanced that none of those four heard of a singular discussion which arose at the close of the evening's service, nor of the result. It appeared that a popular lecturer, who regarded not the appointments of the "Evangelical Alliance," proposed to occupy Tuesday evening in speaking in the hall upon a scientific subject, and Mr. Morse suggested that the meeting for that evening be given up. Though Mr. Earle and others were opposed, the majority were in favour of the arrangement, and carried that point. They argued that a great many would go to the lecture anyway who ought to go to the meeting, if there were one, and it was better to give it up entirely.
Said Mr. Earle, "If it were a question of making an appointment there might be room for hesitation, but in the case of one already made, and by us at second hand, I must protest against recalling the notice."
But, as I have said, the majority ruled, and the lecturer was sure of an audience. Strangely enough, Mr. Morse did not speak of the matter at home. It is not so very strange either, for Mrs. Morse never went out evenings, and Perry was not supposed to be interested in prayer-meetings. Ah, if we only knew sometimes what people were interested in!
"Want to go to the lecture tonight, Perry?" asked Mr. Morse at tea-time. "I'm going to get tickets. Get one for you?"
"No, sir. I've another engagement," answered Perry.
"Better give it up. This will be best one of the season."
"Well, I don't care about going," replied Perry.