She said that probably Miss Whymper was wrestin' the Scripter to
her own destruction."

"Wall," says I, "while you and Miss Whymper are a wrestin' the
Scripter, what will become of the Smedleys? It don't seem right
to let them 'freeze to death, and starve to death, while we are a
debatin' on the ways of Providence."

But she didn't tell, and she wouldn't give.

A woman wuz there a visitin', Miss Bombus'es aunt, I think, and
she spoke up and said that she fully approved of her niece
Bombus'es decision. And she said, "As for herself, she never
give to any subject that she hadn't thoroughly canvassed."

Says I, "There they all are in that little hut, you can canvass
them at any time. Though," says I, thoughtfully, "Marvilla might
give you some trouble." And she asked why.

And I told her she had the rickets so she couldn't stand still to
be canvassed, but she could probably follow her up and canvass
her, if she tried hard enough. And says I, "There is old Grandma
Smedley, over eighty, and five children under eight, you can
canvass them easy."

Says she, "The Bible says, `Search the Sperits.'"

And I was so wore out a seein' how place after place, for three
times a runnin the Bible was lifted up and held as a shield before
stingy creeters, to ward off the criticism of the world and their