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20 when he comes into supper after his cottage preaching. The parson likes it; it puts a bit o' colour into 's face, and makes him look a deal handsomer."

This allusion to brandy-and-water suggested to Miss Gibbs the introduction of the liquor decanters, now that the tea was cleared away; for in bucolic society five-and-twenty years ago, the human animal of the male sex was understood to be perpetually athirst, and "something to drink" was as necessary a 'condition of thought' as Time and Space.

"Now, that cottage preaching," said Mr Pilgrim, mixing himself a strong glass of 'cold without,' "I was talking about it to our Parson Ely the other day, and he doesn't approve of it at all. He said it did as much harm as good to give a too familiar aspect to religious teaching. That was what Ely said&mdash;it does as much harm as good to give a too familiar aspect to religious teaching."

Mr Pilgrim generally spoke with an intermittent kind of splutter; indeed, one of his patients had observed that it was a pity such a clever man had a pediment" in his speech. But when he came to what he conceived the pith of his argument or