e eyes of the other nations to have us a
breakin' Sundays after keepin' 'em pure and holy for all these years."

"Pure and holy!" sez Arvilly. "Why, jest look right here in the country,
and see the way the Sabbath is desecrated. Saturday nights and Sundays
is the very time for the devil's high jinks. More whiskey and beer and
hard cider is consumed Saturday nights and Sundays than durin' all the
rest of the week.

"Why, right in my neighborhood a man who makes cider brandy carrys off
hull barrels of it most every Saturday, so's to have it ready for Sunday
consumption.

"The saloons are crowded that day, and black eyes, and bruised bodies,
and sodden intellects, and achin' hearts are more frequent Sundays than
any other day of the week, and you know it.

"And after standin' all this desecration calmly for year after year, and
votin' to uphold it, it don't look consistent to flare up and be so
dretful afraid of desecratin' the Sabbath by havin' a place of
education, greater than the world has ever seen or ever will see agin,
open on the Sabbath for the youth of the land."

"But the nation," sez Miss Henzy, in a skareful voice. "This nation must
keep up its glorious reputation before the other countries of the world.
How will it look to 'em to have our Goverment permit such Sunday
desecration? This is a national affair, and we should not be willin' to
have our glorious nation do anything to lower itself in the eyes of the
assembled and envious world."

Sez Arville, "If our nation can countenance such doin's as I have spoke
of, the man-killin' and brute-makin', all day Sundays, and not only
permit it, but go into pardnership with it, and take part of the pay--if
it can do this Sundays, year after year, without bein' ashamed before
the other nations, I guess it will stand it to have the Fair open."

"But," says Miss Bobbet, "even if it is better for the youth of the
country, and I d'no but it will be, it will have a bad look to the
other nations, as Sister Henzy sez--it will look bad."

Says Arville, "That is what Miss Balcomb said about her Ned when she
wouldn't let him play games to home; she said she didn't care so much
about it herself, but thought the neighbors would blame her; and Ned got
to goin' away from home for amusement, and is now a low gambler and
loafer. I wonder whether she would ruther have kep her boy safe, or made
the neighbors easy in their minds.

[Illustration: "She wouldn't let her Ned play g