It is at least safe to say that no other in Lewisburg stood so high as an enemy to dirt, and as a "rat, roach, and mouse exterminator," as did Mrs.Matilda White, the wife of Ralph's maternal uncle, Robert White, Esq., a lawyer in successful practice.

Of course no member of Mrs.White's family ever stayed at home longer than was necessary.

Her husband found his office--which he kept in as bad a state as possible in order to maintain an equilibrium in his life--much more comfortable than the stiffly clean house at home.

From the time that Ralph had come to live as a chore-boy at his uncle's, he had ever crossed the threshold of Aunt Matilda's temple of cleanliness with a horrible sense of awe.

And Walter Johnson, her son by a former marriage, had--poor, weak-willed fellow!--been driven into bad company and bad habits by the wretchedness of extreme civilization.