Buttothinkthatallthistroublehadcomethroughthebuildingofthenewchurch。
Thatwasthebitternessofit。
Forthetwenty—fiveyearsthatRuralDeanDronehadpreachedinthelittlestonechurch,ithadbeenhisoneaim,asheoftenputitinhissermons,torearalargerArkinGideon。HisonehopehadbeentosetupagreaterEvidence,or,verysimplystated,tokindleaBrighterBeacon。
Aftertwenty—fiveyearsofwaiting,hehadbeenableatlasttokindleit。EverybodyinMariposaremembersthebuildingofthechurch。FirstofalltheyhaddemolishedthelittlestonechurchtomakewayforthenewerEvidence。Itseemedalmostasacrilege,astheDeanhimselfsaid,tolayhandsonit。IndeeditwasatfirstproposedtotakethestoneofitandbuilditintoaSundaySchool,asalessertestimony。Then,whenthatprovidedimpracticable,itwassuggestedthatthestonebereverentlyfashionedintoawallthatshouldstandasatoken。Andwheneventhatcouldnotbemanaged,thestoneofthelittlechurchwaslaidreverentlyintoastonepile;
afterwardsitwasdevoutlysoldtoabuildingcontractor,and,likesomuchelseinlife,wasforgotten。