When Dr.Ledsmar finally spoke, it was in a kindlier tone than the young minister had looked for."I had half a notion of going to hear you preach the other evening," he said;"but at the last minute I backed out.I daresay I shall pluck up the courage, sooner or later, and really go.
It must be fully twenty years since I last heard a sermon, and I had supposed that that would suffice for the rest of my life.But they tell me that you are worth while;and, for some reason or other, I find myself curious on the subject."Involved and dubious though the compliment might be, Theron felt himself flushing with satisfaction.He nodded his acknowledgment, and changed the topic.
"I was surprised to hear Father Forbes say that he did not preach," he remarked.
"Why should he?" asked the doctor, indifferently.
"I suppose he hasn't more than fifteen parishioners in a thousand who would understand him if he did, and of these probably twelve would join in a complaint to his Bishop about the heterodox tone of his sermon.
There is no point in his going to all that pains, merely to incur that risk.Nobody wants him to preach, and he has reached an age where personal vanity no longer tempts him to do so.What IS wanted of him is that he should be the paternal, ceremonial, authoritative head and centre of his flock, adviser, monitor, overseer, elder brother, friend, patron, seigneur--whatever you like--everything except a bore.They draw the line at that.
You see how diametrically opposed this Catholic point of view is to the Protestant.""The difference does seem extremely curious to me,"said Theron."Now, those people in the hall--""Go on," put in the doctor, as the other faltered hesitatingly.
"I know what you were going to say.It struck you as odd that he should let them wait on the bench there, while he came up here to smoke."Theron smiled faintly."I WAS thinking that my--my parishioners wouldn't have taken it so quietly.
But of course--it is all so different!"
"As chalk from cheese!" said Dr.Ledsmar, lighting a fresh cigar."I daresay every one you saw there had come either to take the pledge, or see to it that one of the others took it.That is the chief industry in the hall, so far as I have observed.Now discipline is an important element in the machinery here.Coming to take the pledge implies that you have been drunk and are now ashamed.