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Mackay, Isabel Ecclestone, 1875-1928

"Up the Hill and Over"

"
A subdued chorus of "Certainly not" and "Absurd" showed the trend of
public opinion upon this point.
"I once forgot that Wednesday was Thursday," said the youngest Miss
Sinclair, who always stood for peace at any price.
"Don't be silly, Jessie!" The elder Miss Sinclair, who believed in war
with honour, jogged her sister's elbow none too gently. "That's a
different thing altogether. For my own part," raising her voice, "I
think that as a society we cannot be too careful how we minimise the
fact itself. To us, as a society, it is the fact itself that matters,
and not what Mrs. Coombe said about it. That, to a certain extent, may
be her own affair. But I hold, and I say it without fear of successful
contradiction, that no member of a community can disregard the Sabbath
in a public way without affecting the community at large. That is why I
feel justified in criticising Mrs. Coombe's behaviour. And I hope," here
she raised a piercing eye and let it range triumphantly over the circle,
"I sincerely hope that the minister has been told of this occurrence!"
The meeting rustled with approbation.


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