re to you. And you know that
you and their mother would ruther see 'em lay dead at your feet, than to
see 'em enter that door with the doom of the place on 'em.

"It's a heavy door, Theodore, loaded down with greed and lowest
passions, you can't shet it alone, nor I can't, but I would feel guilty
as a dog if I didn't try my very best. Public Opinion backed by Law is
what has got to slam that door to and lock it. But you and I can help,
and you can do more than I can, and I want you to promise me to do all
you can."

Agin I see he wuz strugglin' for speech, and I hurried to git my last
words in, "I believe you want to do right, and I will encourage you by
tellin' you that Josiah is goin' to vote for you, though we hain't got
nothin' agin Mr. Parker. He's close-mouthed, which is a good quality,
though it can be carried too fur.

"A neighbor of ourn had warned her girl to not be too familiar with the
hired man, a good Christian he wuz too. And once when her ma wuz gone he
asked her where the milk pail wuz, and she wantin' to be on the safe
side wouldn't say a word. That wuz bein' too cautious, and a good many
think he's been a little too mute about some things, he didn't tell jest
where his politics wuz. But then the tongue is a onruly member and has
to be curbed in, and I guess he means well. And Mr. Davis, too, of
course he's gittin' along in years. But jest think of Methusaler, Mr.
Methusaler's folks would call Mr. Davis nothin' but a child."

Here he blurted right out, "I hain't Theodore, though I've been took for
him before, I'm President of a Gas Company."

I wuz mortified for most a minute, but come to think it over I knowed
such seeds of truth as I'd been a scatterin' couldn't help but do good
even if the sile wuzn't so rich as I'd spozed.

CHAPTER XVI.

Well, the next week we had a busy time, Josiah and Molly and I went
mostly together, Blandina most always meetin' Professor Aspire Todd
somewhere nigh the entrance, I guess it wuz planned, but 'tennyrate I
wuz willin', plan or no plan.

And we visited every interestin' spot from Morocco to the Model City and
from Physicial Culture Hall to Nevada.

There wuz a meetin' that scientific folks held there, and its main aim
seemed to be to make light of the religion of Christ. It madded Josiah
dretfully, and he sez, "I feel it my duty as a deacon to go and give in
my testimony and break up such wicked doin's."

Sez I, "Josiah you let 'em alone. You cou