'ithin ten mile' o' her, he better
leave his medjer 'ith the coffin man."

"Tell her howdy for me, will you, Enos?" said John; and Enos said he
would.

Deeply absorbed, but clear in bloody resolve, March walked his horse
down the turnpike in the cold sunshine and blustering air. He heard his
name and looked back; had he first recognized the kindly voice he would
not have turned, but fled, like a partlet at sight of the hawk, from
Parson Tombs.

"Howdy, John! Ought to call you Mister March, I reckon, but you know I
never baptized you Mister." They moved on together. "How's yo' maw?"

John said she was about as usual and asked after the parson's folks.

"O they all up, thank the Lawd. Mr. March, this is the Lawd's doin' an'
mahvellous in ow eyes, meetin' up with you this way. I was prayin' faw
it as I turned the bend in the road! He's sent me to you, Mr. March, I
feel it!"

March showed distress, but the parson continued bright.

"I jest been up to get Brother Garnet to come he'p us in ow protracted
meet'n', an' to arrange to let the college boys come when they begin
school ag'in, day after to-morrow. Mr. March, I wish you'd come, won't
you? to-night!"

"I couldn't very well come to-night, Mr. Tombs. I--I approve of such
meetings. I think it's a very pleasant way to pass--" he reddened. "But
I'm too busy----"

"This is business, Mr. March! The urgentest kind! It's the spirit's
call! It may never call again, brotheh! What if in some more convenient
season Gawd should mawk when yo' fear cometh?"

The young man drooped like a horse in the rain, and the pastor,
mistaking endurance for contrition, pressed his plea. "You know,
the holy book says, Come, faw _all_ things ah _now_ ready; it
don't say _all_ things will ever be ready again! The p'esumption
is they won't! O my dear young brotheh, there's a wrath to
come--real--awful--everlasting--O flee from it! Come to the flowing
fountain! One plunge an' yo' saved! Johnnie--do I make too free? I've
been prayin' faw you by name faw years!"

"O you hadn't ought to have done that, sir! I wa'n't worth it."

"Ah! yes you air! Johnnie, I've watched yo' ev'y step an' stumble all
yo' days. I've had faith faw you when many a one was savin' you was jess
bound to go to the bad--which you know it did look that way, brotheh.
But, s' I, Satan's a-siftin' of him! He's in the gall o' bitterness jess
as I was at his age!"

"You! Ha-ha! Why, my dear Mr. Tombs, you don't know who you