man who got his living by discovering a bright side in things where
it was not very perceptible to other people. 'But it should not be
given with quite so extreme an accent; or we may be called affected
by other parishes. And, Nathaniel Chapman, there's a jauntiness in
your manner of singing which is not quite becoming. Why don't you
sing more earnestly?'

'My conscience won't let me, sir. They say every man for himself:
but, thank God, I'm not so mean as to lessen old fokes' chances by
being earnest at my time o' life, and they so much nearer the need
o't.'

'It's bad reasoning, Nat, I fear. Now, perhaps we had better sol-fa
the tune. Eyes on your books, please. Sol-sol! fa-fa! mi--'

'I can't sing like that, not I!' said Sammy Blore, with condemnatory
astonishment. 'I can sing genuine music, like F and G; but not
anything so much out of the order of nater as that.'

'Perhaps you've brought the wrong book, sir?' chimed in Haymoss,
kindly. 'I've knowed music early in life and late,--in short, ever
since Luke Sneap broke his new fiddle-bow in the wedding psalm, when
Pa'son Wilton brought home his bride (you can mind the time, Sammy?-
-when we sung "His wife, like a fair fertile vine, her lovely fruit
shall bring," when the young woman turned as red as a rose, not
knowing 'twas coming). I've knowed music ever since then, I say,
sir, and never heard the like o' that. Every martel note had his
name of A, B, C, at that time.'

'Yes, yes, men; but this is a more recent system!'