the original expression. Everybody who came to "Gunn's" went away and
said,--

"Have you heard the new oath Caesar Gunn swears with since he got
religion?" and "Damn bress the Lord" soon became a very by-word in the
town.




IV.

Early in the autumn, Deacon Little's wife came one morning to the house
and asked to see Hetty alone. Hetty met her with great coolness and
remained standing, with evident purpose to regard the interview as
simply one of business. As heartily as it was in Hetty Gunn's nature to
dislike any one, and that was very heartily, she disliked Mrs. Little.
Again and again, during the six months that James and Sally had been
living in her house, Hetty had asked Deacon and Mrs. Little to come
and spend the day with them there. The deacon always had come alone,
bringing feeble apologies for Mrs. Little, on score of headaches,
previous engagements, and so on; but privately, to Hetty, he had
confessed the truth, saying,--

"You see, Hetty, she hasn't spoken to Sally yet; and she says she never
will: just to see her on the street, gives her a dreadful nervous
headache, sometimes for two days. Mrs. Little's nerves are too much for
her always: she ain't strong, you know, Hetty."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Hetty at last, bluntly. "It isn't nerves, it's