to mix up wid dat ar crowd."

In the study that night, when she and Hasty helped Douglas to unpack his
many boxes of books, they were as eager as children about the drawings
and pictures which he showed them. His mind had gone beyond the
parsonage front now, and he described to them the advantage of adding an
extra ten feet to the church spire.

Mandy felt herself almost an artist when she and Hasty bade the pastor
good night, for she was still quivering from the contagion of Douglas's
enthusiasm. Here, at last, was a master who could do something besides
find fault with her.

"I jest wan' to be on de groun' de firs' time dat Mars Douglas and dat
ere Deacon Strong clinches," she said to Hasty as they locked the
doors and turned out the hall light. "Did yuh done see his jaw?" she
whispered. "He look laughin' enough NOW, but jes' yuh wait till he done
set dat'ere jaw a his'n and afar ain't nobody what's goin' ter unsot
it."

"Maybe dar ain't goin' ter be no clinchin'," said Hasty, hoping for
Mandy's assurance to the contrary.

"What?" shrieked Mandy. "Wid dat 'ere sneakin' Widow Willoughby already
a-tellin' de deacons how to start de new parson a-goin' proper?"

"Now, why you's always a-pickin' onto dat 'ere widow?" asked Hasty,
already enjoying the explosion which he knew his defence of the widow
was sure to excite.

"I don' like no woman what's allus braggin' 'bout her clean floors,"
answered Mandy, shortly. She turned out the last light, and tiptoed
upstairs, trying not to disturb the pastor.

John Douglas was busy already with pencil and paper, making notes of
the plans for the church and parsonage, which he would perfect later
on. Alas, for Douglas's day dreams! It was not many weeks before he
understood with a heavy heart that the deacons were far too dull and
uninspired to share his faith in beauty as an aid to man's spiritual
uplift.

"We think we've done pretty well by this church," said Deacon Strong,
who was the business head, the political boss, and the moral mentor
of the small town's affairs. "Just you worry along with the preachin',
young man, and we'll attend to the buyin' and buildin' operations."

Douglas's mind was too active to content itself wholly with the writing
of sermons and the routine of formal, pastoral calls. He was a keen
humanitarian, so little by little, he came to be interested in the heart
stories and disappointments of many of the village unfortunates, some of
whom were out