We shall be glad to have you join us." "Sure thing, ma'am," said Mr.Sleighter, pushing back his chair and beginning to rock on its hind legs, picking his teeth with his pen knife, to the staring horror of the little girls.
The reading was from the Scripture to which throughout the centuries the Christian Church has gone for authority and guidance in the exercise of charity and in the performance of social service, the story of the Samaritan gentleman to whom the unhappy traveller whose misfortune it was to be sorely mishandled by thieves owed his rescue and his life.
Throughout the reading Mr.Sleighter paid the strictest attention and joined in the prayers with every sign of reverence.

At the close he stood awkwardly shifting from one foot to another.
"Well, I'll be goin'," he said.

"Don't know how you roped me in for this here visit, ma'am.

I ain't et in any one's house since I left home, and I ain't heard any family prayers since my old dad had 'em--a regular old Methodist exhorter he was.

He used to pray until all was blue, though most times, specially at night, I used to fall asleep.