I am afraid you have not maintained your steadfastness as you should." Here Mr.Hall's eye wandered doubtfully to Jonas, of whom he felt a little afraid.

Jonas, on his part, had no reason to like Mr.Hall for his advice in Cynthy's love affair, and now the minister's praises of Mrs.Anderson and condemnation of Cynthy Ann had not put him in any mood to listen to exhortation.
"Well, Mr.Harrison," said the young minister solemnly, approaching Jonas much as a dog does a hedgehog, "how do you feel to-day ?" "Middlin' peart, I thank you; how's yourself ?" This upset the good man not a little, and convinced him that Jonas was in a state of extreme wickedness.
"Are you a Christian ?" "Wal, I 'low I am.

How about yourself, Mr.Hall ?" "I believe you are a New Light.

Now, do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ ?" asked the minister in an annihilating tone.
"Yes, I do, my aged friend, a heap sight more'n I do in some of them that purtends to hev a paytent right on all his blessins, and that put on solemn airs and call other denominations hard names.

My friend, I don't believe in no religion that's made up of sighs and groans and high temper" (with a glance at Mrs.Anderson), "and that thinks a good deal more of its bein' sound in doctrine than of the danger of bein' rotten in life.