ns and conveniences that would help a Christian perfessor
along, I don't know as I would be to blame to avail myself of 'em."

Sez I, "If you're guiltless what makes you look so meachin?"

"Well, I most knew you wouldn't approve on it, but," sez he, "I can
tell you in a few short words what it will do. You can write your
prayers all out when you have time and put 'em into this wheel and
turn it, or you can have it go by water, you can hitch it to the
windmill and have it a-prayin' while you water the cattle in the
mornin', and I thought, Samantha, that in hayin' time or harvestin'
when I am as busy as the old Harry I could use it that way, or I could
be a turnin' it on my way to the barn to do the chores, or I could
hitch it onto the grin'stone and Ury and I could pray for the whole
family whilst we wuz whettin' the scythes."

"Not for me," sez I, groanin' aloud, "not for me."

"You needn't look like that, Samantha; I tell you agin I wuzn't goin'
to use it only when I wuz driv to death with work. And I tell you it
would be handy for you when you expected a houseful of company, and
Philury wuz away."

"No, indeed!" sez I; "no such wicked, wicked work will be connected
with my prayers."

"Well," sez Arvilly, "I d'no as it would be much wickeder than some
prayers I've hearn when folks wuz in a hurry; they would run their
thanksgivin's into their petitions and them into their amens, and
gallop through 'em so there wuzn't a mite of sense in 'em. Or take so
much pains to inform the Lord about things. I hearn one man say," sez
Arvilly:

"'O Lord, thou knowest by the morning papers, so and so.' I d'no as a
prayer turned off by a wheel would look much worse or be much less
acceptable."

Josiah looked encouraged, and sez he to me, _soty vosey_, "Arvilly
always did have good horse sense."

Sez I, "They wuzn't run by machinery--wicked, wicked way. A boughten
machine!" sez I, shettin' up my eyes and groanin' agin.

"No," sez Josiah eagerly, "I wuz agoin' to tell you; I've got a wheel
to home and a cylinder that come offen that old furnace regulator that
didn't work, and I thought that with a little of Ury's help I could
fix one up jest as good as this, and I could sell this for twice what
I gin for it to Deacon Henzy or old Shelmadine, or rent it through
hayin' and harvestin' to the brethren, or----"

Sez I, "You would disseminate these wicked practices, would you, in
dear Christian Jonesville? No, indeed."

"I tell