A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS (PART TWO)

Very soon the church was full and after everyone
was seated, the Reverend stood up in the pulpit to
give his sermon.
"Welcome all of you, on this wonderful, but very
cold Christmas Eve night. It's so good to see so
many of you here, I think we should start the
service, with that age old hymn, 'In the Bleak
Mid-Winter.' So if you would all open your hymn
books to hymn no: 174.

The Organist Roger, started to play and the
congregation stood up and started to sing. When
the hymn was over, the Reverend gave his sermon
and talked about how important it was to give at
this time of the year and how we should think and
pray for those less fortunate than ourselves. As
he was just about to say, let's pray, there was a
snoring noise coming from the back of the church.
Miss Hews turned to see an old tramp asleep on the
floor by the entrance.
"Oh dear, where did he come from?" she said.
She tapped the caretaker David on the shoulder.
"Excuse me David, but can you help me get this
man into the vestibule, we cannot have snoring
going on during the prayers."
"Yes ofcourse," said David getting up from his
seat.
"He's a bit smelly," said David.
"Yes I know, just hold your nose," said Miss Hews.
"He's quite a weight to lift too, I think we
need another pair of hands," said David.
"Is everything okay at the back?" called out the
Reverend.
"Yes everything is fine Reverend." said Miss Hews.
David turned and asked one of the congregation to
help them, Billy the gardener was on hand straight
away.
"Billy can you help us to get this man into the
vestibule, he seems to be out cold, snoring away
like an old steam engine, he is."
"Ofcourse," whispered Billy. "Who is he anyway?"
"Never seen him before, looks a bit like a
tramp come in out of the cold," replied David.
"Okay let's lift him on three, one, two, three.
Come on my friend, let's get you into the vestibule."
"Leave me, Oh! What are you doing?" The Old man
suddenly awoke.
"You were snoring mate come on," said David.
"I want to see my lawyer, you can't touch me,
I'm, I'm, Oh dear, who am I? I don't know where
I am."

They carried the old man into the room and sat
him down.
"I think he's been drinking," Billy said.
Within seconds the old man was snoring again.
"Wow he can certainly snore for England."
They left him and went back to the service. You
could still hear him faintly in the background.

When the service was over, there was alot of
chitter, chatter about the old man.
"Who is he?" said Agnes.
"Well I'm sure I don't know," said Audry.
Nobody had seen him before. The Reverend decided
to leave him in the vestibule over night, after
all he couldn't turn him out in the cold, but then
he would have to lock up the church. The Reverend
left after everyone had gone, but left the old man
a hot flask of sweet tea and a mince pie, then
locked up the church for the night.

To be continued ................