His black coat was immaculately neat, but the worn button-covers and the shiny lapels told their own eloquent story.

Oh, it seemed to me I knew him as well as if every incident of his life were written plainly upon his high, pale forehead! I have lived long in a country neighbourhood, and I knew him--poor flagellant of the rural church--I knew how he groaned under the sins of a Community too comfortably willing to cast all its burdens on the Lord, or on the Lord's accredited local representative.

I inferred also the usual large family and the low salary (scandalously unpaid) and the frequent moves from place to place.
Unconsciously heaving a sigh the young man turned partly aside and said to me in a low, gentle voice: "You are detaining my boys from church." "I am very sorry," I said, "and I will detain them no longer," and with that I put aside my whistle, took up my bag and moved down the hill with them.
"The fact is," I said, "when I heard your bell I thought of going to church myself." "Did you ?" he asked eagerly.

"Did you ?" I could see that my proposal of going to church had instantly affected his spirits.

Then he hesitated abruptly with a sidelong glance at my bag and rusty clothing.