And when he had quite finished, the congregation declared the whole sermon to be mere milk and water.

It insulted their intelligence, they said.

After which, a week later, the Rev.Dr.Dumfarthing took up the same subject, and with the aid of seven plain texts pulverized the rector into fragments.
One notable result of the controversy was that Juliana Furlong refused henceforth to attend her brother's church and sat, even at morning service, under the minister of St.Osoph's.
"The sermon was, I fear, a mistake," said Mr.Furlong senior; "perhaps you had better not dwell too much on such topics.

We must look for aid in another direction.

In fact, Edward, I may mention to you in confidence that certain of your trustees are already devising ways and means that may help us out of our dilemma." Indeed, although the Reverend Edward did not know it, a certain idea, or plan, was already germinating in the minds of the most influential supporters of St.Asaph's.
Such was the situation of the rival churches of St.Asaph and St.Osoph as the autumn slowly faded into winter: during which time the elm trees on Plutoria Avenue shivered and dropped their leaves and the chauffeurs of the motors first turned blue in their faces and then, when the great snows came, were suddenly converted into liveried coachmen with tall bearskins and whiskers like Russian horseguards, changing back again to blue-nosed chauffeurs the very moment of a thaw.