"Eleven, are there not?"
"Eleven!" ejaculated Mrs. Wade, looking towards the man in unfeigned
surprise.
"Eleven!" said her husband, with more of rebuke than astonishment in
his voice. "Is it possible, sir, that you do not know how many
Commandments there are? How many are there, Charley? Come! Tell me;
you know, of course."
"Ten," said the child.
"Right, my son," returned Mr. Wade, with a smile of approval.
"Right. Why, there isn't a child of his age within ten miles who
can't tell you that there are ten Commandments. "Did you never read
the Bible, sir?" addressing the stranger.
"When I was a little boy, I used to read in it sometimes. But I'm
sure I thought there were eleven Commandments. Are you not mistaken
about there being only ten?"
Sister Wade lifted her hands in unfeigned astonishment, and
exclaimed--
"Could any one believe it? Such ignorance of the Bible!"
Mr. Wade did not reply, but he arose, and going to one corner of the
room, where the Good Book lay upon a small mahogany stand, brought
it to the table, and pushing away his plate, cup and saucer, laid
the volume before him, and opened that portion in which the
Commandments are recorded.
"There!" he said, placing his finger upon a proof of the man's
error. "There! Look for yourself!"
The man came round from his side of the table, and looked over the
farmer's shoulder.
"There! Ten;--d'ye see!"
"Yes, it does say ten," replied the man. "And yet it seems to me
there are eleven. I'm sure I have always thought so."
"Doesn't it say ten, here?" inquired Mr. Wade, with marked
impatience in his voice.
"It does certainly."
"Well, what more do you want? Can't you believe the Bible?"
"Oh, yes I believe in the Bible, and yet, somehow, it strikes me
that there must be eleven Commandments. Hasn't one been added
somewhere else?"
Now this was too much for Brother and Sister Wade to bear. Such
ignorance on sacred matters they felt to be unpardonable. A long
lecture followed, in which the man was scolded, admonished and
threatened with Divine indignation. At its close, he modestly asked
if he might have the Bible to read for an hour or two, before
retiring to rest. This request was granted with more pleasure than
any of the preceding ones. Shortly after supper the man was
conducted to the little spare room accompanied by the Bible. Before
leaving him alone, Mr. Wade felt it his duty to exhort him on
spiritual things, and he did so most earnestly for ten or fifteen
minutes. But he could not see that his words made much impression,
and he finally left his guest, lamenting his ignorance and obduracy.
In the morning, the man came down, and meeting Mr. Wade, asked him
if he would be so kind as to lend him a razor, that he might remove
his beard, which did not give his face a very attractive aspect. His
request was complied with.
"We will have family prayer in about ten minutes," said Mr. Wade, as
he handed him a razor and a shaving-box.
In ten minutes the man appeared and behaved himself with due
propriety at family worship. After breakfast he thanked the farmer
and his wife for their hospitality, and departing, went on his
journey.
Ten o'clock came, and Mr. N--had not yet arrived. So Mr. and Mrs.
Wade started off for the meeting house, not doubting that they would
find him there. But they were disappointed. A goodly number of
people were inside the meeting house, and a goodly number outside,
but the minister had not yet arrived.
"Where is Mr. N--?" inquired a dozen voices, as a little crowd
gathered around the farmer.
"He hasn't come yet. Something has detained him. But I still look
for him; indeed, I fully expected to find him here."
The day was cold, and Mr. Wade, after becoming thoroughly chilled,
concluded to go in, and keep a look-out for the minister from the
window near which he usually sat. Others, from the same cause,
followed his example, and the little meeting house was soon filled,
and still one after another came dropping in. The farmer, who turned
towards the door each time it opened, was a little surprised to see
his guest of the previous night enter, and come slowly along the
aisle, looking from side to side as if in search of a vacant seat,
very few of which were now left. Still advancing, he finally passed
within the little enclosed altar, and ascending to the pulpit, took
off his old gray overcoat and sat down.
By this time Mr. Wade was by his side, and with his hand upon his
arm.
"You mustn't sit here. Come down, and I'll show you a seat," he said
in an excited tone.
"Thank you," returned the man, in a composed tone. "It is very
comfortable here."
"But you are in the pulpit! You are in the pulpit, sir!"
"Oh, never mind. It is very comfortable here." And the man remained
immovable.
Mr. Wade, feeling much embarrassed, turned away, and went down,
intending to get a brother official in the church to assist him in
making a forcible ejection of the man from the place he was
desecrating. Immediately upon his doing so, however, the man arose,
and standing up at the desk, opened the hymn book. His voice
thrilled to the very finger ends of Brother Wade, as, in a distinct
and impressive manner, he gave out the hymn beginning--
"Help us to help each other, Lord,
Each other's cross to bear;
Let each his friendly aid afford,
And feel a brother's care."
The congregation arose after the stranger had read the entire hymn,
and he then repeated the two first lines for them to sing. Brother
Wade usually started the tune. He tried it this time, but went off
on a long metre tune. Discovering his mistake at the second word, he
balked, and tried it again, but now he stumbled on short metre. A
musical brother here came to his aid, and let off with an air that
suited the measure in which the hymn was written. After the singing,
the congregation kneeled, and the minister, for no one now doubted
his real character, addressed the Throne of Grace with much fervor
and eloquence. The reading of a chapter from the Bible succeeded to
these exercises. Then there was a deep pause throughout the room in
anticipation of the text, which the preacher prepared to announce.
Brother Wade looked pale, and his hands and knees trembled;--Sister
Wade's face was like crimson, and her heart was beating so loud that
she wondered whether the sound was not heard by the sister who sat
beside her. There was a breathless silence. The dropping of a pin
might almost have been heard. Then the fine, emphatic tones of the
preacher filled the crowded room.
"_A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another_."
Brother Wade had bent to listen, but he now sank back in his seat.
This was the ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT!
The sermon was deeply searching, yet affectionate and impressive.
The preacher uttered nothing that could in the least wound, the
brother and sister of whose hospitality he had partaken, but he said
much that smote upon their hearts, and made them painfully conscious
that they had not shown as much kindness to the stranger as he had
been entitled to receive on the broad principles of humanity. But
they suffered most from mortification of feeling. To think that they
should have treated the Presiding Elder of the District after such a
fashion, was deeply humiliating; and the idea of the whole affair
getting abroad, interfered sadly with their devotional feelings
throughout the whole period of the service.
At last the sermon was over, the ordinance administered, and the
benediction pronounced. Brother Wade did not know what it was best
for him now to-do. He never was more at a loss in his life. Mr.
N--descended from the pulpit, but he did not step forward to meet
him. How could he do that? Others gathered around and shook hands
with him, but he still lingered and held back.
"Where is Brother Wade?" he at length heard asked. It was in the
voice of the minister.
"Here he is," said two or three, opening the way to where the farmer
stood.