"I reckon the Lord must have thought o'
that, too. Suppose you put me to work in the vestry? There's only
one window looks in on the vestry: you can block that up with a
curtain, and there I'll be like a weevil in a biscuit."
When this screen was fixed, the little Bryanite looked round and
rubbed his hands. "Now I'll tell 'ee a prabble," he said--"a
prabble about this candle I'm holding. When God Almighty said
'_let there be light_,' He gave every man a candle--to some folks,
same as you, long sixes perhaps and best wax; to others, a farthing
dip. But they all helps to light up; and the beauty of it is,
Parson"--he laid a hand on Mr. Raymond's cuff--"there isn't one of
'em burns a ha'porth the worse for every candle that's lit from en.
Now sit down, you and the boy, and I'll larn 'ee how to join a board."
CHAPTER XIV.
VOICES FROM THE SEA.
Before winter and the long nights came around again, Taffy had become
quite a clever carpenter. From the first his quickness fairly
astonished the Bryanite, who at the best was but a journeyman and
soon owned himself beaten.
"I doubt," said he, "if you'll ever make so good a man as your
father; but you can't help making a better workman." He added, with
his eyes on the boy's face, "There's one thing in which you might
copy en. He hasn't much of a gift: _but he lays it 'pon the altar_."
By this time Taffy had resumed his lessons.
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