Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/76

92 when a hymn, sung in quartette, was heard, strong and melodious, to proceed from the depth of the pine wood. Here, the little assembly of two or three hundred persons had grouped themselves, standing or sitting under the trees. In the midst, upon a somewhat open space, stood the pastors of the various congregations, and around them the elders, with their grave, honest countenances. The youngest of the teachers gave out, as the principal subject for meditation, the words of the Apostle Paul: “Rejoice always;” admonishing his hearers to examine what was the cause of a continued joy, even during the sins and sorrows of our earthly life. The cause of this, he declared to them, was the free grace of Christ.

The dark-eyed and dark-haired, but mild Penchaud, uttered a prayer full of ardent love. The elders, alternately with the clergy, took their turn in urging the importance of a more true, more perfect life in Christ. And thus the divine service was continued, with alternating prayer and the singing of hymns. All this was good, but I felt a want of a loving and elevating spirit, and felt in particular, the want of a mental communication of spiritual experience, which I had looked for from the numbers of this assembly, meeting together again after the interval of twelve months, and I was inclined to attribute these wants to the desire which the leaders of the meeting had, rather to instruct themselves than to induce those present to take part in its business. Long pauses intervened between the addresses.

About twelve o'clock, the forenoon service was ended, and the assembly broke up into parties and