AN ORATION UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
"On high in yonder old church tower,
* * * * *
The ancient bell rings out the hour,
Sometimes with voice of wondrous power."
--JOHN BREAKENRIDGE.
Monsieur Editor Quinet mounted the platform and stood there, cool and
masterful.
At the same moment the Curé in his black gown, bolted up from his chair
beside his young vicar, on the gallery of the parsonage, and regarding
the orator with indignation, raised his breviary towards the church with
outstretched arm.
"Messieurs, what ruins us".... Quinet commenced.
His sentence was shattered to pieces!
"KLING-KLANG-G-G-G!" a loud church bell resounded from one of the
towers, sending a visible shock over the assembly and drowning the
succeeding words.
"What ruins us".... Quinet, with imperturbable composure, commenced
again in a louder voice.
A cashing peal from the opposite belfry replied to the first and
compelled him to stop.
The Curé, swelling with triumph, marched up and down his gallery,
turning quickly at each end; while the bells of both the towers,
swinging confusedly in their belfries, sent forth one horrible continued
torrent of clangor over the amazed crowd.
The speaker was soon convinced that no amount of cool waiting would
prevail. He did, therefore, what was a more keenly effective
continuation of his sentence than any words,--raised his finger and
pointed it steadily for a few moments at the Curé, and then withdrew.
For many a day the story of Quinet and the bells was told in
Dormillière.