The Sacristan
Willingly Paused In His Task And Explained That He Was Preparing The
Bier For The Funeral Of A
Church dignitary (as we learned later, the
dean) which was to take place the next day at noon; and if
We would come
at that hour we should hear some beautiful music. We knew that he was
establishing a claim on our future custom, but we thanked him and
provisionally feed him, and left him at his work, at which we might have
all but fancied him whistling, so cheerfully and briskly he went about
it.
Outside we lingered a moment to give ourselves the solemn joy of the
Chapel of the Constable which forms the apse of the cathedral and is its
chief glory. It mounted to the hard, gray sky, from which a keen wind
was sweeping the narrow street leading to it, and blustering round the
corner of the cathedral, so that the marble men holding up the
Constable's coat-of-arms in the rear of his chapel might well have ached
from the cold which searched the marrow of flesh-and-blood men below.
These hurried by in flat caps and corduroy coats and trousers, with
sashes at their waists and comforters round their necks; and they were
picturesque quite in the measure of their misery. Some whose tatters
were the most conspicuous feature of their costume, I am sure would have
charmed me if I had been a painter; as a mere word-painter I find myself
wishing I could give the color of their wretchedness to my page.
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