"Dr. Lavendar," said William King, "some time when Goliath is doing his2.40 on a plank road, don't you want to pull him up at that house onthe Perryville pike where the Grays used to live, and make a call? Anold fellow called Roberts has taken it; he is a—"
"Teach your grandmother," said Dr. Lavendar; "he is an Irvingite. Hecomes from Lower Ripple, down on the Ohio, and he has a daughter,Philippa."
"Oh," said Dr. King, "you know 'em, do you?"
"Know them? Of course I know them! Do you think you are the only manwho tries to enlarge his business? But I was not successful in myefforts. The old gentleman doesn't go to any church; and the young ladyinclines to the Perryville meeting-house—the parson there is a niceboy."
"She is an attractive young creature," said the doctor, smiling at somepleasant memory; "the kind of girl a man would like to have for adaughter. But did you ever know such an old-fashioned little thing!"
"Well, she's like the girls I knew when I was the age of the Perryvilleparson, so I suppose you'd call her old-fashioned," Dr. Lavendar said."There aren't many such girls nowadays; sweet-tempered and sensible andwith some fun in 'em."
"Why don't you say 'good,' too?" William King inquired.
"Unnecessary," Dr. Lavendar said, scratching Danny's ear; "anybody whois amiable, sensible, and humorous is good. Can't help it."
"The father is good," William King said, "but he is certainly notsensible. He's an old donkey, with his TONGUES and his VOICE!"
Dr. Lavendar's face sobered. "No," he said, "he may be an Irvingite,but he isn't a donkey."
"What on earth is an Irvingite, anyhow?" William asked.
Dr. Lavendar looked at him, pityingly: "William, you are soridiculously young! Well, I suppose you can't help it. My boy, aboutthe time you were born, there was a man in London—some folks calledhim a saint, and some folks called him a fool; it's a way folks havehad ever since our Lord came into this world. His name was Irving, andhe started a new sect." (Dr. Lavendar was as open-minded as it ispossible for one of his Church to be, but even he said "sect" when itcame to outsiders.)
"He started this new sect, which believed that the Holy Ghost wouldspeak again by human lips, just as on the Day of Pentecost. Well,there was 'speaking' in his congregation; sort of outbursts ofexhortation, you know. Mostly unintelligible. I remember Dr.Alexander said it was 'gibberish'; he heard some of it when he was inLondon. It may have been 'gibberish,' but nobody can doubt Irving'ssincerity in thinking it was the Voice of God. When he couldn'tunderstand it, he just called it an 'unknown tongue.' Of course he wasconsidered a heretic. He was put out of his Church. He died soonafter, poor fellow."
"Doesn't Mr. Roberts's everlasting arguing about it tire you out?"William asked.
"Oh no," Dr. Lavendar said, cheerfully; "when he talks too long I justshut my eyes; he never notices it! He's a gentle old soul. When Ianswer back—once in a while I really have to speak up for theProtestant Episcopal Church—I feel as if I ha