"The shoes that dad was makin' for him," said Billy, "was done two or
three weeks ago, 'cause I took 'em to his office myself. But he comes
to the shop over an' over again, 'cause I've seen him there, an'
whenever he comes he manages to get talkin' with dad about religion. He
always begins it, too, 'cause dad never says nothin' about it unless
the lawyer starts it first."

"Well," said Tom, "seems to me that if he wants to know anythin' on
that subject he could go to some of the preachers, that ought to know a
good deal more about it than dad does."

"Can't tell so much about that sort o' thing," said Billy. "There's
lots of men in this town that don't know much about some things that
knows a good deal about some others. You know when that dog we stole
last summer got sick, there was nobody in town could do anythin' for
him except that old lame nigger down in the holler."

"Well, you're a sweet one, ain't you?" said Tom. "What's dogs got to do
with religion, I'd like to know? You ought to be ashamed o' yourself,
even if you ain't never been to church."

"Well," said Billy, "what I was meanin' is, some folks seem to know a
good deal about things without bein' learned, that other folks will
give their whole time to, an' don't know very much about. Every place
that I go to, somebody says somethin' to me about dad an' religion.
Say, Tom, do you know dad's mighty different to what he used to be
before he got took up?"

"Of course I do. He's always wantin' folks to work, an' always findin'
fault with everythin' we do that ain't right. He didn't use to pay no