llstone.
They're hard if they're angels, and hard if they're devils; it does n't
make much difference."

"I guess you've found a few soft ones, if report says true," returned
Louisa, bluntly. "You'd better go and get some of their sympathy, the
kind you can buy and pay for. The way you've ruined your life turns
me fairly sick. You had a good father and mother, good education and
advantages, enough money to start you in business, the best of wives,
and two children any man could be proud of, one of 'em especially.
You've thrown 'em all away, and what for? Horses and cards and gay
company, late suppers, with wine, and for aught I know, whiskey, you
the son of a man who did n't know the taste of ginger beer! You've spent
your days and nights with a pack of carousing men and women that would
take your last cent and not leave you enough for honest burial."

"It's a pity we did n't make a traveling preacher of you!" exclaimed
John, bitterly. "Lord Almighty, I wonder how such women as you can live
in the world, you know so little about it, and so little about men."

"I know all I want to about 'em," retorted Louisa, "and precious
little that's good. They 're a gluttonous, self-indulgent, extravagant,
reckless, pleasure-loving lot! My husband was one of the best of 'em,
and he would n't have amounted to a hill of beans if I had n't devoted
fifteen years to disciplining, uplifting, and strengthening him!"

"You managed to strengthen him so that he died before he was fifty!"

"It don't matter when a man dies," said the remorseless Mrs. Banks, "if
he's succeeded in living a decent, Godfearing life. As for you, John
Hathaway, I'll tell you the truth if you are my brother, for Susanna's
too much of a saint to speak out."

"Don't be afraid; Susanna's spoken out at last, plainly enough to please
even you!"

"I'm glad of it, for I did n't suppose she had spunk enough to resent
anything. I shall be sorry tomorrow, 's likely as not, for freeing
my mind as much as I have, but my temper's up and I'm going to be the
humble instrument of Providence and try to turn you from the error of
your ways. You've defaced and degraded the temple the Lord built for
you, and if He should come this minute and try to turn out the crowd of
evildoers you've kept in it, I doubt if He could!"

"I hope He'll approve of the way you've used your 'temple,'" said John,
with stinging emphasis. "I should n't want to live in such a noisy one
myself; I'd rathe