," like a heavy stone, upon the gaiety.

"I'll never be able to stand seven sermons," said Miss Wood to me.

* * * * *

"Do you often have these visitations?" Ogden inquired of Judge Henry.
Our host was giving us whisky in his office, and Dr. MacBride, while we
smoked apart from the ladies, had repaired to his quarters in the
foreman's house previous to the service which he was shortly to hold.

The Judge laughed. "They come now and then through the year. I like the
bishop to come. And the men always like it. But I fear our friend will
scarcely please them so well."

"You don't mean they'll--"

"Oh, no. They'll keep quiet. The fact is, they have a good deal better
manners than he has, if he only knew it. They'll be able to bear him.
But as for any good he'll do--"

"I doubt if he knows a word of science," said I, musing about the
Doctor.

"Science! He doesn't know what Christianity is yet. I've entertained
many guests, but none--The whole secret," broke off Judge Henry, "lies
in the way you treat people. As soon as you treat men as your brothers,
they are ready to acknowledge you--if you deserve it--as their superior.
That's the whole bottom of Christianity, and that's what our missionary
will never know."

* * * * *

Thunder sat imminent upon the missionary's brow. Many were to be at his
mercy soon. But for us he had sunshine still. "I am truly sorry to be
turning you upside down," he said importantly. "But it seems the best
place for my service." He spoke of the table pushed back and the chairs
gathered in the hall, where the storm would presently break upon the
congregation. "Eight-thirty?" he inquired.

This was the hour appointed, and it was only twenty minutes off. We
threw the unsmoked fractions of our cigars away, and returned to offer
our services to the ladies. This amused the ladies. They had done
without us. All was ready in the hall.

"We got the cook to help us," Mrs. Ogden told me, "so as not to disturb
your cigars. In spite of the cow-boys, I still recognize my own
country."

"In the cook?" I rather densely asked.

"Oh, no! I don't have a Chinaman. It's in the length of after-dinner
cigars."

"Had you been smoking," I returned, "you would have found them short
this evening."

"You make it worse," said the lady; "we have had nothing but Dr.
MacBride."

"We'll share him with you now," I exclaimed.

"Has he announced his