and cheeks as red as blood, because her Ma, who was a queen by
occupation, happened to cut her finger with a black-handled knife
along about New Year's - the clergy, I say, have often objected that
all these matters, being brought to a child's attention at the same
period in its life, are likely to be regarded in after years as of
equal evidential value. I am not much of a hand to argue, myself,
but I should like to have one of these carping critics meet my
friend, Mrs. Sarah M. Boggs, who has taught the infant-class since
1867, having missed only two Sundays in that time, once, in 1879,
when it stormed so that nobody in town was out, and once, last
winter a year ago, when she slipped off the back porch and hurt her
knee. I can just see Sister Boggs laying down the law to anybody
that finds fault with the infant-class, let him be preacher or who.
Why the very idea! Do you mean to say, sir - I guess Sister Boggs
can straighten him out all right.

No less faithful is Mr. Parker, the leading lawyer of the town, who
conducts the Bible-class. I believe one morning he didn't get there
until after the last bell was done ringing, but otherwise his record
of attendance compares favorably with Sister Boggs's. Both teachers
agree to ignore the stated lesson for the day, but whereas Sister
Boggs leads her flock through the flowery meads of narration, Mr.
Parker and his class have camped out by preference for the last forty
years in the arid wilderness of Romans and Hebrews and Corinthians
First and Second, flinging the plentiful dornicks of "Paul says this"
and "Paul says that" at each other's heads in friendly strife. Mr.
Parker's class is also very assiduous in its attendance upon the
Young People's meetings, seemingly holding the dogma, "Once a young
person always a young person." The prevailing style of hairdressing
among the members is to grow the locks long on the left side of the