whenever the old people desired to distinguish their younger guest.

Brother Stevens, it may be said here, found no difficulty in
maintaining the character he had assumed. He had, in high degree,
the great art of the selfish man, and could, when his game required
it, subdue with little effort, those emotions and impulses, which
the frank and ardent spirit must speak out or die. He went into the
house of the hospitable old man, and into the village of Charlemont,
as if he had gone into the camp of an enemy. He was, indeed, a
spy, seeking to discover, not the poverty, but the richness of the
land. His mind, therefore, was like one who has clothed himself
in armor, placed himself in waiting for the foe, and set all his
sentinels on the watch. His caution measured every word ere it was
spoken, every look ere it was shown, every movement ere he suffered
his limbs to make it. The muscles of his face, were each put under
curb and chain--the smiles of the lip and the glances of the eyes,
were all subdued to precision, and permitted to go forth, only
under special guard and restriction. In tone, look, and manner, he
strove as nearly as he might to resemble the worthy but simple-minded
man, who had so readily found a worthy adherent and pupil in him;
and his efforts at deception might be held to be sufficiently
successful, if the frank confiding faith of the aged heads of the
Hinkley family be the fitting test of his experiment.

With them he was soon perfectly at home--his own carriage seemed
to them wondrously becoming, and the approbation of John Cross was
of itself conclusive. The preacher was the oracle of the family,
all of whom were only too happy of his favor not to make large
efforts to be pleased with those he brought; and in a little while,
sitting about the friendly fireside, the whole party had become as