The Chimes : Large Print

There are not many people-and as it is desirable that a story-teller and a story-reader shouldestablish a mutual understanding as soon as possible, I beg it to be noticed that I confine thisobservation neither to young people nor to little people, but extend it to all conditions of people:little and big, young and old: yet growing up, or already growing down again-there are not, I say,many people who would care to sleep in a church.

I don't mean at sermon-time in warm weather(when the thing has actually been done, once or twice), but in the night, and alone.

A greatmultitude of persons will be violently astonished, I know, by this position, in the broad boldDay.

But it applies to Night. It must be argued by night, and I will undertake to maintain itsuccessfully on any gusty winter's night appointed for the purpose, with any one opponent chosenfrom the rest, who will meet me singly in an old churchyard, before an old church-door; and willpreviously empower me to lock him in, if needful to his satisfaction, until morning.For the night-wind has a dismal trick of wandering round and round a building of that sort, andmoaning as it goes; and of trying, with its unseen hand, the windows and the doors; and seeking outsome crevices by which to enter. And when it has got in; as one not finding what it seeks, whateverthat may be, it wails and howls to issue forth again: and not content with stalking through the aisles,and gliding round and round the pillars, and tempting the deep organ, soars up to the roof, andstrives to rend the rafters: then flings itself despairingly upon the stones below, and passes,muttering, into the vaults.

Anon, it comes up stealthily, and creeps along the walls, seeming to read,in whispers, the Inscriptions sacred to the Dead.

At some of these, it breaks out shrilly, as withlaughter; and at others, moans and cries as if it were lamenting.

It has a ghostly sound too, lingeringwithin the altar; where it seems to chaunt, in its wild way, of Wrong and Murder done, and falseGods worshipped, in defiance of the Tables of the Law, which look so fair and smooth, but are soflawed and broken.

Ugh! Heaven preserve us, sitting snugly round the fire! It has an awful voice,that wind at Midnight, singing in a church!