ration. "Well," sez she, "I must say that it is a beautiful place;
it is founded on a natural terrace that rises up from a broad,
beautiful, green plain, flashing rivers run through the valley, and
back of it rises the mountains."

"Like as the mountains are about Jerusalem," sez I.

"Yes, a beautiful clear stream rushes down the mountain side from the
melting snow on top, but warmed by the southern sun, as it flows
through the fertile land, it is warm and sweet as it reaches Robert's
place. And Robert says," continued Miss Meechim, "that that is just
how old prejudices and injustices will melt like the cold snow and
flow in a healing stream through the world. He talks well, Robert
does. And oh, what a help he has been to me with Dorothy!"

"What duz she say about it?" sez I.

"She does not say so, but I believe she thinks as I do about the
infeasibility as well as the intrinsic depravity of disproving the
Scriptures."

"Well," sez I, "Robert was right about the mission of our Lord being
to extend justice and mercy, and bring the heart of the world into
sweetness, light and love. His whole life was love, self-sacrifice and
devotion, and I believe that Robert is in the right on't."

"Oh, Robert is undoubtedly following his ideas of right, but they
clash with mine," sez Miss Meechim, shakin' her head sadly, "and I
think he will see his error in time."

Here Miss Meechim stopped abruptly to look apprehensively at a young
man that I knew wuz a Jonesville husband and father of twins. He was
lookin' admirin'ly at Dorothy, and Miss Meechim went and sot down
between 'em, and Tommy come and set with me agin.

Tommy leaned up aginst me and looked out of the car window and sez
kinder low to himself:

"I wonner what makes the smoke roll and roll up so and feather out the
sky, and I wonner what my papa and my mama is doin' and what my
grandpa will do--they will be so lonesome?" Oh, how his innocent words
pierced my heart anew, and he begun to kinder whimper agin, and
Aronette, good little creeter, come up and gin him an orange out of
the lunch-basket she had.

Well, we got to New York that evenin' and I wuz glad to think that
everybody wuz well there, or so as to git about, for they wuz all
there at the deepo, excep' them that wuz in the street, but we got
safe through the noise and confusion to a big, high tarven, with
prices as high as its ruff and flagpole. Miss Meechim got for her and
Dorothy what she called "sweet