“Well, I'll go--this once,” said Uncle Ike, and Quincy assisted him in making his preparations. On their way to the church they passed two couples--Alice and Mrs. Hawkins, and Maude and Mr. Merry. Mr. Jonas Hawkins could not leave home for he was afraid the cats would carry off his last brood of chickens. Some fifty had been hatched out, but only a dozen had survived the hot weather, heavy rains, and the many diseases prevalent among chickens.
When Mr. Gay arose to give out the first hymn, Maude said to Mr. Merry, “Why, he looks like a different man. His red hair is a beautiful brown.”
“It's the light from the coloured glass windows,” commented Mr. Merry.
“Then it must be the curtains in Mrs. Hawkins' dining room that colour his hair at home,” retorted Maude.
How grandly rose the volume of tone from scores of throats! Even Uncle Ike's quavering voice joined in.
“All hail the power of Jesus' name, Let nations prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all.”
The organ creaked and wheezed somewhat, but so many fresh, young voices softened its discordant tones.
A short prayer, and Mr. Gay began his sermon, if such it can be called.
“MY BRETHREN: My text, to-day is, 'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.' All nations have a God, even if all the people do not believe in him. The majority in each nation does believe in a God. Are those who do not believe all fools? Unhappily, no. There are many highly educated men and women who deny the existence of God. They claim man is a part of Nature, and Nature is all. They forget the poet who wrote
“'Man is but part of a stupendous whole, Whose body Nature is, and God the soul.'
“Remember, God is the Soul. Each of you has a soul, a spark of the Divinity.
“I can best support my argument by a story--a true one.
“I once knew a young man whom we will call Richard. He had a well-to-do father and was sent to college. When he graduated, his father, a pious man, wished him to study for the ministry. He objected, saying his health was poor. He wished to go into the mountains, he lived in the West, and his father consented.
“He drifted into a mining camp and whatever regard he may have had for religion, soon disappeared. He was not a fool, but, in his heart, he said there was no God.