runk than sober all day. Of course we ain't got no such rules about
dogs' noses here, but no one set down on Mrs. Sweet, because it showed
she took an interest; Mrs. Brown said when she was done as she should
think as the sun standin' still on Absalom three days could be worked up
into havin' our streets lit all night, for she says when young Dr. Brown
is out late, Amelia's so awful nervous she has to sit by her an' hold
her hand, an' young Dr. Brown always says it takes him a good hour
longer than it ought to gettin' home, on a'count o' bein' so afraid o'
runnin' into trees in the dark."

"They say--" said Mrs. Lathrop, thoughtfully.

"Yes, but you could n't make his mother believe it," said Susan; "she
thinks he eats peppermint comin' home nights just because he likes to
eat peppermint comin' home nights. Mothers is all like that. You know
yourself how you was with Jathrop. That'd make another nice talk, about
how all sons was n't prodigals, some bein' obliged by fate to be the
calf instead. I must say, Mrs. Lathrop, as the more I think of this new
idea the more took I am with it. The Bible would be most like a new book
if we took it that way an' Sunday would be a day to look forward to all
the week long, just to see what the minister was goin' to say about what
next. The sewin' society was all in favor of the idea an' now if the
square only takes it up with a real mother's heart I don't see why we
should n't get some profit out o' keepin' a minister yet. My notion is
as the minister might just as well learn to be a lesson to us as to be
so dead satisfied with only bein' a trial to us. We've got trials
enough, Lord knows, an' just now what with the weather an' the cleanin'
house no one wants to go to church to hear about things as they all know
anyhow."

"I wonder--" said Mrs. Lathrop, thoughtfully.

"No, I would n't look for that," said Susan; "every one has their limits
an' I would n't expect no man to jump over his own outside. I should n't
ever look for the minister to be really equal to workin' up somethin'
real spicy as would fill the house out o' Uriah the Hittite or Abigail
hangin' upside down to the tree, but I can't well see why he could n't
teach us whether well water's healthy or not by quotin' from Rebecca,
an' when the time comes he could surely get a real nice Thanksgivin'
text out o' John the Baptist's head on the platter."

"Well--" said Mrs. Lathrop, slowly.

"I'm goin' home to Elijah now," sai