' And so
Billy Breen's name went down.
When the meeting was over, thirty-eight names stood upon the communion
roll of the Black Rock Presbyterian Church; and it will ever be one of
the regrets of my life that neither Graeme's name nor my own appeared
on that roll. And two days after, when the cup went round on that first
Communion Sabbath, from Nelson to Sandy, and from Sandy to Baptiste, and
so on down the line to Billy Breen and Mrs. Mavor, and then to Abe, the
driver, whom she had by her own mystic power lifted into hope and faith,
I felt all the shame and pain of a traitor; and I believe, in my heart
that the fire of that pain and shame burned something of the selfish
cowardice out of me, and that it is burning still.
The last words of the minister, in the short address after the table
had been served, were low, and sweet, and tender, but they were words of
high courage; and before he had spoken them all, the men were listening
with shining eyes, and when they rose to sing the closing hymn they
stood straight and stiff like soldiers on parade.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147