Cross. You can not look too close, I'm thinking into such books as
you'll find at the house of Widow Thackeray. I can give a pretty
'cute guess where she gets all that sort of talk, that seems so
natural at the end of her tongue."

"Verily, I will speak with Sister Thackeray on this subject,"
responded the pastor--"but your own books, Sister Cooper, and those
of your daughter Margaret--if it is convenient, I should prefer to
examine them now while I am here."

"What! Margaret's books! examine Margaret's books!"

"Even so, while I am present and while Brother Stevens is here,
also, to give me his helping counsel in the way of judgment."

"Why, bless us, Brother Cross, you don't suppose that my daughter
Margaret would keep any but the properest books? she's too sensible,
I can tell you, for that. She's no books but the best; none, I'll
warrant you, like them you'll find at Widow Thackeray's. She's not
to be put off with bad books. She goes through 'em with a glance
of the eye. Ah! she's too smart to be caught by the contrivances
of those devils, though in place of four brothers there was four
thousand of 'em. No, no! let her alone for that--she's a match for
the best of 'em."

"But as Brother Stevens said," continued John Cross, "where sin
gets into the heart, the eye is blinded to the truth. Now--"

"Her eye's not blinded, Brother Cross, I can tell you. They can't
cheat her with their books. She has none but the very best. I'll