The pity which Jed felt for Phineas Babbitt caused him to keep silent concerning his Thanksgiving evening interview with the hardware dealer.

At first he was inclined to tell Major Grover of Babbitt's expressions concerning the war and his son's enlistment.
After reflection, however, he decided not to do so.

The Winslow charity was wide enough to cover a multitude of other people's sins and it covered those of Phineas.

The latter was to be pitied; as to fearing him, as a consequence of his threat to "get square," Jed never thought of such a thing.

If he felt any anxiety at all in the matter it was a trifling uneasiness because his friends, the Hunniwells and the Armstrongs, were included in the threat.