Cynthy, "carries his head like he was intimately 'quainted with the
'merican eagle hisself. He's playin' this game sharp. He deals all the
trumps to hisself, and most everything besides. He'll carry off the gal
if something don't arrest him in his headlong career. Jist let me git a
chance at him when he's soarin' loftiest into the amber blue above, and
I'll cut his kite-string for him, and let him fall like fork-ed
lightnin' into a mud-puddle."

Cynthy said she did see one great sin that he had committed for sure.
That was the puttin' on of gold and costly apparel. It was sot down in
the Bible and in the Methodist Discipline that it was a sin to wear
gold, and she should think the poor man hadn't no sort o' regard for his
soul, weighing it down with them things.

But Jonas only remarked that he guessed his jewelry warn't no sin. He
didn't remember nothing agin wearin' pewter.



CHAPTER X.

AN OFFER OF HELP.

The singing-master, Mr. Humphreys, went to singing-school and church
with Julia in a matter-of-course way, treating her with attention, but
taking care not to make himself too attentive. Except that Julia could
not endure his smile--which was, like some joint stock companies,
strictly limited--she liked him well enough. It was something to her, in
her monotonous life under the eye of her mother, who almost never left
her alone, and who cut off all chance for communication with August--it