Free Down an English Lane by Margaret Thornton Page A

may, through You, offer comfort and hope for the future…

    Later, as he looked around his congregation from his place in the pulpit – six feet above contradiction as his wife often joked – he found that his melancholia had lifted. The opening hymn, ‘For all the saints who from their labours rest’, had been sung heartily by the choir and congregation, and he could almost feel the raising of everyone’s spirits.
    For Luke there was always a sense of pride and quiet joy when he glanced down at his beloved wife sitting in her accustomed place in a pew near the front. That had been her place ever since he had been rector of the parish. And now an added joy was that she was accompanied by Audrey and little Johnny, who was sitting between them. The little boy would go out during the sermon as it was asking too much of a small child to be still and quiet for the whole of the morning worship. A few of theteenage girls, including Audrey, had a rota and they took it in turns, Sunday by Sunday, to look after the young children who had come to church with their parents. Patience and Luke had agreed that John should get used to the idea of church attendance at an early age; and in September, when he was four years old, he would start at the afternoon Sunday school.
    Patience looked very attractive, and elegant, too, in her leaf-green costume with the white collar, and a white straw hat trimmed with a green ribbon on her short auburn curls. Audrey, keeping a watchful eye on Johnny as he made a tower of the hymn books, was wearing the same sky blue dress as she had worn the previous night at the concert, and how well it complemented the colour of her eyes. She gave a knowing little smile at Luke as she met his glance, as if to say, Don’t worry; I’m keeping an eagle eye on him…
    Timothy was not with them as he was in the front row of the choir stalls, looking angelic, as all the choir boys did, with their white surplices and ruffles around their necks. He was taking his duties as a chorister very seriously, his eyes seldom straying from the music in front of him and his mouth opening wide, like a hungry little bird, to enunciate the words clearly, as Mr King, the choirmaster, had taught them to do.
    Luke smiled to himself. Timothy, once so timid and unsure of himself, had come on by leaps andbounds during the last year. Luke glanced covertly at the row behind him where Maisie was sitting. What his wife had told him last night about the girl’s fondness for Bruce Tremaine had surprised him. He still tended to remember Maisie as the odd and shabby, but delightful, little girl who had come to share their home six years ago. It was incredible to think that she might be old enough to consider herself in love… But then, so might Audrey; they were much the same age. He remembered, however – although it was many many moons ago – the pangs of young love and how they could hurt.
    Maisie looked very much in control of herself this morning, he thought. She was singing away cheerfully, in her usual confident manner, and not letting her eyes wander into the congregation, as he was sure she must be wanting to do, for a glimpse of the young man that she…what? Luke asked himself. That she loved…or was it just a schoolgirl crush?
    Bruce was there, sure enough, dressed in his uniform as he had been the night before, sitting quite near to the front with his parents and his lady friend, Christine. She was not in uniform this morning, but dressed in a pink and white candy-striped cotton frock and a white straw hat with a large brim. She looked very stylish, but very demure, too, with her eyes downcast at the hymn book in her white-gloved hands.
    The hymn before the sermon, ‘Lord of our Life and God of our Salvation’ was one of Luke’s favourites.
    ‘Lord, Thou canst help when earthly armour faileth,
    Lord, Thou canst save when deadly sin assaileth,
    Lord, o’er Thy church, nor death nor hell prevaileth;
    Grant us Thy peace,