atter? Why, sir, your house isn't fit to stay in, and you haven't
anything fit to eat or drink, and I won't stay."

Both the "Squire" and his lady were confounded. This was a piece of
eccentricity entirely unlooked for. They were stupefied. But the elder
was gone. He wouldn't stay in a house not fit to stay in, and where
there wasn't anything fit to eat and drink.

Poor Sister Scrub! She wept like a child at her folly. She "knew it
would be all over town," she said, "and everybody would be laughing at
her." And then, how should she meet the blunt, honest elder again?
"She hadn't meant anything by what she had said." Ah! she never
thought how wicked it was to say _so much_ that didn't mean anything.

The upshot of the whole matter was, that Sister Scrub "saw herself as
others saw her." She ceased making apologies, and became a wiser and
better Christian. Elder Blunt always puts up there, always finds
everything as it should be, and, with all his eccentricities, is
thought by the family the most agreeable, as he is acknowledged by
everybody to be the most consistent, of men.--_Rev. J. V. Watson._

II.--THE PRESENCE.

Mr. Johnson, an English traveler, relates, in his notes on North
America, the following story:

"At Boston," he says, "I was told of a gentleman in the neighborhood
who, having a farm servant, found him very satisfactory in every
respect, except that he invariably came into his employer's room with
his hat on.

"'John,' said he to the man one day, 'you always keep your hat on when
you come into the room.'

"'Well, sir,' said John, 'and haven't I a right to?'

"'Yes,' was his employer's reply, 'I suppose you have.'

"'Well,' said John, 'if I have a right to, why shouldn't I?'

"This was a poser from one man to another, where all have equal
rights. So, after a moment's reflection the gentleman asked:

"'Now, John, what will you take, how much more wages will you ask, to
take off your hat whenever you come in?'

"'Well, that requires consideration, I guess,' said the man.

"'Take the thing into consideration, then,' rejoined the employer,
'and let me know to-morrow morning.'

"The morrow comes, and John appears.

"'Well, John, have you considered what additional wages you are to
have for taking your hat off?'

"'Well, sir, I guess it's worth a dollar a month.'

"'It's settled, then, John; you shall have another dollar a month.'

"So the gentleman retained a good man, while John's hat was