afternoon.

"It is a fine soil," Percy said to the driver, as they started for
Leonardtown. "It contains enough sand for easy tillage and quick
drainage, and enough clay to hold anything that might be applied to
it."

"That's right," said the driver. "Where they put plenty of manure
and fertilizer they raise tobacco three foot high and fifteen
hundred pounds to the acre, but where they run the tobacco rows
beyond the manured land so's to be sure and not lose any manure, why
the stuff won't grow six inches high and it just turns yellow and
seems to dry up, no matter if it rains every day. Say, Mister, would
you mind telling me if you're a preacher?"

"Oh, no," replied Percy, "--I am not a preacher, any more than every
Christian must be loyal to the name."

"Well, anyway, I've learned a lesson I'll try to remember. I never
thought before about how it might hurt other people when I swear. I
don't mean nothing by it. It's just a habit; but your saying Christ
is your friend makes me feel that I have no business talking about
anybody's friend, any more than I'd like to hear anybody else use my
mother's name as a by-word. I reckon nobody has any right to use
Christ's name 'cept Christians or them as wants to be Christians. I
reckon we'd never heard the name if it hadn't a been for the
Christians.

"But I don't have so many bad habits. I don't drink, nor smoke, nor
chew; and I don't want to. My father smoked some and chewed a lot,