"I consider Mr. Prying rather simple to allow such a man as the priest
to come into his house at all," said his _honor_ Squire Wilson, the
Universalist.

"Had it been my brother," said old Elder Fussel, "I would pay no
attention to the dying request of old uncle Jacob. That would be the way
to bring him to."

"That would be cruel," said High Sheriff Walter, "seeing that Jacob
left him all his property, real and personal. Besides, this is a free
country, and I say a man ought to be allowed to embrace any religion he
has a mind to. That's my creed, at all events."

"Yes," said Mr. Ebenezer White, the Methodist class leader, "_pervided_
the creed he wanted to jine was the religion of the Bible; otherwise
not."

"Do not the Roman Catholics ground their doctrines on the Bible?" said
the sheriff. "That they do, and their Bible contains many books that
yours does not contain."

"Nonsense, sheriff!" said his enlightened _honor_. "The Papists never
read the Bible. I have a boy, Thomas Noonan,--you know him,--and he
neither will read it himself, nor listen to it read. The priest won't
allow him. No Catholic is allowed to have or read a Bible."

"You state what is not true," said a loud, emphatic voice from behind
the stove. It was the voice of Murty O'Dwyer.