His nurse with difficulty prevented him." "Is his power of speech gone ?" asked Mr.Boulder.
"Practically so; in any case, Dr.Slyder insists on his not using it.
In fact, poor McTeague's mind is a wreck.

His nurse was telling me that this morning he was reaching out his hand for the newspaper, and seemed to want to read one of the editorials.

It was quite pathetic," concluded Dr.Boomer, shaking his head.
So the whole matter was settled, and next day all the town knew that St.Osoph's Church had extended a call to the Rev.Uttermust Dumfarthing, and that he had accepted it.
* * * * * Within a few weeks of this date the Reverend Uttermust Dumfarthing moved into the manse of St.Osoph's and assumed his charge.

And forthwith he became the sole topic of conversation on Plutoria Avenue.
"Have you seen the new minister of St.Osoph's ?" everybody asked.

"Have you been to hear Dr.Dumfarthing ?" "Were you at St.Osoph's Church on Sunday morning?
Ah, you really should go! most striking sermon I ever listened to." The effect of him was absolute and instantaneous; there was no doubt of it.
"My dear," said Mrs.Buncomhearst to one of her friends, in describing how she had met him, "I never saw a more striking man.