But the elder did not notice his feeble compromise, while Alfaretta only
gave him a quick, contemptuous look, for her father, opening and shutting
his mouth slowly for a moment, began to say,--

"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a child that's
ungrateful for the best of teaching and sound doctrine! Many's the time,"
said the elder, lifting his eyes and hands,--"many's the time I've showed
her the truth; many's the time I've explained how every other sort of
religion is all wrong, and is of its father the Devil! And I've brought
her up faithful to the catechism and the confession, yet now the child
would instruct the parent! This comes," he cried, becoming very angry,
and beating his hand so violently upon the table that the family Bible
fell with a crash to the floor, from which Thaddeus lifted it,--"this
comes from your settin' in the seat of the scornful, and bein' in the
kitchen of an unbeliever! You'll leave her; do you hear me, Alfaretta?
You'll leave her this day month. I'll perform my duty to my child's soul,
even if Brother Ward's wife has to do her own cooking. Yes, and I'll do
my duty to Brother Ward, too, though I used to think him a pious young
man. I'll tell him he has got to convert that woman's soul She's a
corrupter of youth, she's a teacher of false doctrines,--her tellin' Mrs.
Davis there wasn't any hell!--she's a--a Episcopalian, so she is! She'll
experience a change of heart, or the Session will take this matter in
hand."

At this terrible threat, even Alfaretta was speechless, and her mother
put two shaking hands on her arm, and whispered, "Oh, Retta, I wouldn't
say no more; it makes your pa angry."

"Yes," continued the elder violently, "that woman is the Jonah of the