neck," and when the Captain arrived there, he found the parlor filled
with the devout, who were somewhat surprised to see him.

"Why, how do you do?" said Mrs. Small, resplendent in black "alpaca" and
wearing her jet earrings. "I snum if you ain't a stranger! We'll have a
reel movin' meetin' to-night because Mr. Perley's here, and he says
he feels the sperrit a-workin'. Set right down there by the what-not.
Luther," to her oldest but three, "give Cap'n Hedge your chair. You can
set on the cricket. Yes, you can! Don't answer back!"

"Aw, ma!" burst out the indignant Luther, "how d'yer think I'm goin' to
set on that cricket? My laigs 'll be way up under my chin. Make Hart set
on it; he's shorter'n me."

"Shan't nuther, Lute Small!" declared Hartwell, a freckle-faced
youngster, who was the next step downward in the family stair of
children. "Set on it yourself. Make him, ma, now! You said he'd have
to."

"Now, ma, I--"

"Be still, both of you! I sh'd think you'd be ashamed, with everybody
here so! Oh, my soul and body!" turning to the company, "if it ain't
enough to try a saint! Sometimes seems's if I SHOULD give up. You be
thankful, Abigail," to Miss Mullett, who sat by the door, "that you
ain't got nine in a family and nobody to help teach 'em manners. If
Barzilla was like most men, he'd have some dis-CIP-line in the house;
but no, I have to do it all, and--"

Mr. Small, thus publicly rebuked, rose from his seat in the corner by