death had produced a great impression on Caesar: from
that day he had been, Nan declared, "quite a changed pusson;" and the
impression deepened until three months later, in the course of a great
midnight meeting in the Methodist church, Caesar Gunn suddenly announced
that he had "got religion." The one habit which it was hardest for Caesar
to give up, in his new character, was the habit of swearing. Profanity
had never been strongly discountenanced at "Gunn's." The old Squire and
the young Squire had both been in the habit of swearing, on occasion,
as roundly as troopers! and black Caesar was not going to be behind his
masters, not he. So he, too, in spite of old Nan's protestations and
entreaties, had become a confirmed swearer. It had really grown into so
fixed a habit that the words meant nothing: it was no more than a trick
of physical contortion of which a man may be utterly unconscious. How to
break himself of this was Caesar's difficulty.

"Yer see, Nan!" he said, "I dunno when it's a comin': the fust I know,
it's said and done, an' what am I goin' to do 'bout it then, 'll yer
tell me?" At last, Caesar hit on a compromise which seemed to him a
singularly happy one. To avoid saying "damn" was manifestly impossible:
the word slipped out perpetually without giving him warning; as soon as
he heard it, however, his righteous soul remorsefully followed up the
syllable by,--

"Bress the Lord," in Stentorian tones. The compound ejaculation thus
formed was one which nobody's gravity could resist; and the surprised
and grieved expression with which poor Caesar would look round upon an
audience which he had thus convulsed was even more irresistible than
the original expression. Everybody who came to "Gunn's" went away and
said,--

"Have you heard the new oath Caesar Gunn swears with since he got
religion?" and "Damn bress the Lord" soon became a very by-word in the
town.

IV.

Early in the autumn, Deacon Little's wife came one morning to the house
and asked to see Hetty alone. Hetty met her with great coolness and
remained standing, with evident purpose to regard the interview as
simply one of business. As heartily as it was in Hetty Gunn's nature to
dislike any one, and that was very heartily, she disliked Mrs. Little.
Again and again, during the six months that James and Sally had been
living in her house, Hetty had asked Deacon and Mrs. Little to come
and spend the day with them there. The deacon always had c