`` The one that makes the most impression , '' answered the Story Girl promptly . `` And we girls must be the judges , because there 's nobody else . Now , who is to preach next Sunday ? '' It was decided that I should lead off , and I lay awake for an extra hour that night thinking what text I should take for the following Sunday . The next day I bought two sheets of foolscap from the schoolmaster , and after tea I betook myself to the granary , barred the door , and fell to writing my sermon . I did not find it as easy a task as I had anticipated ; but I pegged grimly away at it , and by dint of severe labour for two evenings I eventually got my four pages of foolscap filled , although I had to pad the subject-matter not a little with verses of quotable hymns . I had decided to preach on missions , as being a topic more within my grasp than abstruse theological doctrines or evangelical discourses ; and , mindful of the need of making an impression , I drew a harrowing picture of the miserable plight of the heathen who in their darkness bowed down to wood and stone . Then I urged our responsibility concerning them , and meant to wind up by reciting , in a very solemn and earnest voice , the verse beginning , `` Can we whose souls are lighted . '' When I had completed my sermon I went over it very carefully again and wrote with red ink -- Cecily made it for me out of an aniline dye -- the word `` thump '' wherever I deemed it advisable to chastise the pulpit . I have that sermon still , all its red thumps unfaded , lying beside my dream book ; but I am not going to inflict it on my readers . 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 XXXXX the art of preaching a sermon .
as because by in of on over that to with