rfectly fascinating. How do you keep your wit so ready and
so bright? I suppose you'll answer, "by using it." The chapter which
contains Mrs. Woodford's interview with Rev. Mr. Strong (the dear old
saint) in her penitential mood, is very, very admirable.

_To Mrs. George Payson, Dec. 20, 1877._

Before the year quite departs, I must tell you, my dear Margaret, how
glad I am that you appreciate my dear, good bad Kezia. It is nineteen
years since I read Adam Bede, but I remember Mrs. Poysen in general.
Kezia is not an imitation of her; the main points of her character were
written out long before Adam Bede appeared; I destroyed the book in
which I trotted her out, but kept _her_, and once in a while tried her
on my husband, but as he did not seem to see it, put her away in her
green box, biding my time. As to Juliet, my good man _loathes_ so to
read about bad people that he almost made me cut out all my last mention
of her. I was in an unholy frame when I did it, and with reason, for
they who like Pemaquid best, say it was a mistake not to dispose of her
in some way. But as to Mrs. Woodford being a model mother, I did not aim
to make her a model anything. All I wanted of her was to bring out the
New England pecularities as they would appear to a worldly stranger. As
to all parties _seeming_ indifferent about Juliet, you may be right;
I was behind the scenes and knew they were not; but as I say, what I
thought the best part of her, George made me cut out. No, I never knew
any one sing exactly like Kezia, but there are such cases on record.
There was "the Singing Cobbler," whose wife complained of him in court,
and he defended himself so wittily in verse, that everybody sided with
him, and his wife forgave his offence, whatever it might be. [22]

[1] The following is the passage referred to: "If you aspire to be a son
of consolation; if you would partake of the priestly gift of sympathy;
if you would pour something beyond commonplace consolation into a
tempted heart; if you would pass through the intercourse of daily life
with the delicate tact that never inflicts pain; if to that most acute
of human ailments--mental doubt, you are ever to give effectual succor,
you must be content to pay the price of the costly education. Like Him,
you must suffer, being tempted."

[2] By the late Rev. William James, D.D.

[3] See appendix G, p.557.

[4] Then pastor of the Collegiate Reformed Church, Fifth avenue and
Forty-eighth s