I am not so proud of it as I once was . I was really puffed up with earthly vanity over it at that time . Felix , I thought , would be hard put to it to beat it . As for Peter , I did not consider him a rival to be feared . It was unsupposable that a hired boy , with little education and less experience of church-going , should be able to preach better than could I , in whose family there was a real minister . The sermon written , the next thing was to learn it off by heart and then practise it , thumps included , until I was letter and gesture perfect . I preached it over several times in the granary with only Paddy , sitting immovably on a puncheon , for audience . Paddy stood the test fairly well . At least , he made an adorable listener , save at such times as imaginary rats distracted his attention . Mr. Marwood had at least three absorbed listeners the next Sunday morning . Felix , Peter and I were all among the chiels who were taking mental notes on the art of preaching a sermon . Not a motion , or glance , or intonation escaped us . To be sure , none of us could remember the text when we got home ; but we knew just how you should throw back your head and clutch the edge of the pulpit with both hands when you announced it . In the afternoon we all repaired to the orchard , Bibles and hymn books in hand . We did not think it necessary to inform the grown-ups of what was in the wind . You could never tell what kink a grown-up would take . They might not think it proper to play any sort of a game on Sunday , not even a Christian game . Least said was soonest mended where grown-ups were concerned . I mounted the pulpit steps , feeling rather nervous , and my audience sat gravely down on the grass before me . Our opening exercises consisted solely of singing and reading .
We had agreed XXXXX omit prayer .
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