ns, and that put
on solemn airs and call other denominations hard names. My friend, I
don't believe in no religion that's made up of sighs and groans and high
temper" (with a glance at Mrs. Anderson), "and that thinks a good deal
more of its bein' sound in doctrine than of the danger of bein' rotten
in life. They's lots o' bad eggs got slick and shiny shells!"

Mr. Hall happened to think just here of the injunction against throwing
pearls before swine, and so turned to Humphreys, who made his heart glad
by witnessing a good confession, in soft and unctuous tones, and couched
in the regulation phrases which have worn smooth in long use.

Julia had slunk away in a corner. But now he appealed to her also.

"Blest with a praying mother, you, Miss Anderson, ought to repent of
your sins and flee from the wrath to come. You know the right way. You
have been pointed to it by the life of your parents from childhood.
Reared in the bosom of a Christian household, let me entreat you to seek
salvation immediately."

I do not like to repeat this talk here. But it is an unfortunate fact
that goodness and self-sacrificing piety do not always go with practical
wisdom. The novelist, like the historian, must set down things as he
finds them. A man who talks in consecrated phrases is yet in the
poll-parrot state of mental development.

"Do you feel a desire to flee from the wrath to come?" he asked.

Julia gave some sort of inaudible assent.

"My dear young sister, you have great reason to be thankful--very great
reason for gratitude to Almighty God." (Like many other pious young men,
Mr. Hall said _Gawd_.) "I met you the other night at your uncle's. The
young man whose life we then despaired of has recovered." And with more
of this, Mr. Hall told Julia's secret, while Mrs. Anderson, between her
anger and her rapt condition of mind, seemed to be petrifying.

I trust the reader does not expect me to describe the feelings of Julia
while Mr. Hall read a chapter and prayed. Nor the emotions of Mrs.
Anderson. I think if Mr. Hall could have heard her grind her teeth while
he in his prayer gave thanks for the recovery of August, he would not
have thought so highly of her piety. But she managed to control her
emotions until the minister was fairly out of the house. In bidding
good-by, Mr. Hall saw how pale and tremulous Julia was, and with his
characteristic lack of sagacity, he took her emotion to be a sign of
religious feelings and told