eeth;' to which
Matt used to reply, 'Naa, lass, the teeth's there, but hoo's gi'en
o'er bitin'.'

Not infrequently, both son and daughter would rally her on the
many indulgences she granted the child, and Matt often told her
that what 'he used to ged licked for, th' chilt geet kissed for.'
Mr. Penrose, too, ventured to discuss theology with Matt in the
old woman's presence, and she no longer eyed him with angry fire
as he discoursed from the Rehoboth pulpit on the larger hope. As
for Amos Entwistle, he continued to prophesy the death of the
child, and when it still lived and throve, in spite of his
prediction, he contented himself by saying that 'Deborah hed
turned the Owd Testament blessin' into a curse.'

* * * * *

On Sunday afternoons Matt and Miriam would leave the boy at his
grandmother's while they went to the service at Rehoboth. Then it
was the old woman took down the family Bible, and showed to him
the plates representative of the marvels of old. These began to
work on the child's imagination; and once, when the book lay open
at Revelation, he fastened his little eyes on a hideous
representation of the bottomless pit.

'What's that, gronny?' said he, pointing to the picture.

'That, mi lad, is th' hoile where all th' bad fo'k go.'

'Who dug it? Did owd Joseph, gronny?'

'Nowe, lad; owd Joseph nobbud digs hoiles for fo'k's bodies. That
hoile is fer their souls.'

'What's them, gronny?'

'Nay, lad! A connot tell thee reet--but it's summat abaat us as we
carry wi' us--summat, thaa knows, that never dees.'

'And why do they put it in a hoile, gronny? Is it to mak' it
better?'

'Nay, lad; they put it i' th' hoile because it's noan good.'

'Then it's summat like mi dad when I'm naughty, an' he says he'll
put me i' th' cellar hoile.'

'But he never does--does he, lad?' asked the grandmother
anxiously.

'Nowe, gronny. He nobbud sez he will.' And then, after a pause, he
continued, 'But, gronny, if God sez He'll put 'em in He'll do as
He sez--willn't He?'

'Yi, lad; He will, forsure.'

'An' haa long does He keep 'em in when He gets 'em theer? Till
to-morn t'neet?'

'Longer lad.'

'Till Kesmas?'

'Yi, lad.'

'Longer nor Kesmas?'

'Yi, lad. But ne'er heed. Here's summat to eat. Sithee, I baked
thee a pasty.'

'I noan want th' pasty, gronny. I want to yer abaat th' hoile. Haa
long does God keep bad fo'k in it?'

'Ey, lad. I wish thaa'd hooisht! What doesto