yet! He has never been
baptized. If he died now, he wouldn't go to Heaven!"

"Aw! shut up. He air a-goin' in faster'n any of them. Don't you worry
yer head over that. God ain't that kind of a bloke that He wouldn't take
in a sick brat what ain't never done no harm."

Tess had risen, and was standing over the child, Teola having placed
him back in the bed.

"But you don't understand, Tess dear! You see, it's this way: the Bible
says that if a child isn't baptized, he will go to a place where he must
stay always. He won't go to Heaven. You understand?"

"Air the Bible a-sayin' that?"

"Yes."

"Won't he go to a place where God'll find him, if he ain't sprinkled?"

"No."

"That air strange. The poor brat air so blue, so shiverin'--he air so
sick! Aw! Christ'll love him, 'cause he ain't got no friends."

Her eyes spread wide with infinite compassion as she contemplated the
grave-shadowed child.

"Did the student tell ye that the Bible were a-sayin' that?" she asked
peremptorily.

"Yes; and my father has often preached upon it. I know that it is true,"
insisted Teola. "A child must be cleansed of its original sin in the
church.... You see? You see, Tess?"

"I don't see--I don't know, nuther. But what the student says air right.
If the little kid ain't to see God's face 'less he air slapped on the
head with water in the church, then the brat air got to be tooked
there."

"But--but, Tess, is it possible?"

Again the squatter bent her head to gather the words.

"He air a-goin' to die," she replied with conviction, "and he has to be
hit with the water, if he air a-goin' to die, don't he? Air that what ye
means?"

Teola, dropping her face upon the babe, bowed her head in assent, and
wept silently, until the cough that had fastened itself upon the
slender chest since the coming of the child, dried the tears.

Tess remained quiet until the paroxysm had passed.

"Air yer pappy a good sprinkler of brats?"

Teola nodded.

"Air it likely he would sprinkle this 'un'?"

"I don't think my father would turn away a dying babe that needed
cleansing of its sin by the Holy Ghost."

"The Huly what? The student were a-talkin' 'bout him once."

"The Holy Ghost," explained Teola. "He lives in the church, and when a
baby is baptized He comes and stands by the font, and when the water
falls upon it, He takes away all the sin that it is born with."

Tess grunted disbelievingly.

"Can ye sees him?"

"No; He is a spi