land and polite, "I will consider it,
Samantha, I will give it my consideration."

"No, no, Josiah Allen, you know right from wrong, truth from
falsehood, honesty from dishonesty, you don't want to consider."

"Yes, I do, Samantha; it is so genteel when a moral question comes up
to wait and consider; it is very fashionable."

"How long do you lay out to wait, Josiah Allen?" sez I, coldly.

"Oh, it is fashionable to not give a answer till you're obleeged to,
but I will consult agin with Ury and probable along by Fall I can give
you my ultimatum."

"And whilst you are a considerin' Bardeen will go on a sellin' pizen
to destroy all the good that Ernest White, that devoted minister of
Christ, and all the good men and wimmen helpers have done and are a
doin'."

"Well," sez Josiah, "I may as well tell you, you would probably hear
on't, Ernest White writ me some time ago, and sent me a long petition
signed by most all the ministers and leadin' men and wimmen, beggin'
me to stop Bardeen."

"Well, what did you tell him, Josiah Allen?"

"I told him, Samantha, I would consider it."

"And," sez I, "have you been all this time, months and months, a
considerin'?"

"Yes, mom," sez he, in a polite, genteel tone, "I have."

"Well, do you stop considerin' to once, Josiah Allen."

"No, Samantha, a pardner can do a good deal, but she can't break up a
man's considerin'. It is very genteel and fashionable, and I shall
keep it up."

I groaned aloud; the more I thought on't, the worse I felt. Sez I, "To
think of all the evils that are a flowin' out of that place, Josiah,
and you could stop it to once if you wuz a minter."

"But," sez Josiah, "Ury sez that if it wuzn't sold there by Cap'n
Bardeen the factory folks would go over into Zoar and git worse likker
sold by low down critters."

Sez I, "You might as well say if Christians don't steal and murder, it
will be done by them of poor moral character. That is one strong
weepon to kill the evil--confine the bizness to the low and vile and
show the world that you, a Methodist and a deacon, put the bizness
right where it belongs, with murder and all wickedness, not as you are
sayin' now by your example, it is right and I will protect it."

"Well," sez Josiah, as sot as a old hen settin' on a brick bat, "it is
law; Ury has settled it."

My heart ached so that it seemed to clear my head. "We'll see," sez I,
"if it can't be changed. I'll know before a week has gone over my
head