was always resigned, father was, about giving the girls up in marriage,
but every one always said he would draw the line there. He is
developing, I guess.

"Do you remember Nesbitt and Orchard? Mr. Nesbitt was a member of the
church when we lived here, but it was before I was born, so I don't
feel especially well acquainted on that account. But he calls me
Connie and acts very fatherly.

"He is still a member of the church, and they say around town that he
is not a bit slicker outside the church than he was when father was his
pastor. He hurt me spiritually at first. So I wrote to father about
it. Father wrote back that I must be charitable--must remember that
belonging to church couldn't possibly do Mr. Nesbitt any harm, and for
all we knew to the contrary, might be keeping him out of the electric
chair every day of his life. And Mr. Nesbitt couldn't do the
Christians any harm--the Lord is looking after them. And those outside
who point to the hypocrites inside for excuses would have to think up
something new and original if we eliminated the hypocrites on their
account,--'so be generous, Connie,' wrote father, 'and don't begrudge
Mr. Nesbitt the third seat to the left for he may never get any nearer
Paradise than that.'

"Father is just splendid, Carol. I keep feeling that the rest of you
don't realize it as hard as I do, but you will laugh at that.

"Mr. Nesbitt likes me, but he has--well, he has what a minister should
call a 'bad disposition.' I'll tell you more about it in German when I
meet you. German is the only language I know that can do him justice.