I s'pose he thought women ought to be stayers at home according
to Scripture.

"Parson Ridley--his wife was a niece to old Dr. Croden--and the old
doctor they was up in the pulpit, and the choir was singing the first
hymn--it was a fuguing tune, and they was doing their best: seems to me
it was 'Canterbury New.' Yes, it was; I remember I thought how splendid
it sounded, and Jacob Gunn he was a-leading off; and I happened to look
down the aisle, and who should I see but the poor old cap'n in his cap
and gown parading right into meeting before all the folks! There! I
wanted to go through the floor. Everybody 'most had seen him at home,
but, my goodness! to have him come into meeting!"

"What did you do?" said I.

"Why, nothing," said Miss Polly; "there was nothing _to_ do. I thought I
should faint away; but I called Cousin Statiry's 'tention, and she
looked dreadful put to it for a minute; and then says she, 'Open the
door for him; I guess he won't make no trouble,' and, poor soul, he
didn't. But to see him come up the aisle! He'd fixed himself nice as he
could, poor creatur; he'd raked out Miss Patience's old Navarino bonnet
with green ribbons and a willow feather, and set it on right over his
cap, and he had her bead bag on his arm, and her turkey-tail fan that
he'd got out of the best room; and he come with little short steps up to
the pew: and I s'posed he'd set by the door; but no, he made to go by
us, up into the corner where she used to set, and took her place, and
spread his dress out nice, and got his handkerchief out o' his bag,
just's he'd seen her do. He took off his bonnet all of a sudden, as if
he'd forgot it, and put it under the seat, like he did his hat--that was
the only thing he did that any woman wouldn't have done--and the crown
of his cap was bent some. I thought die I should. The pew was one of
them up aside the pulpit, a square one, you know, right at the end of
the right-hand aisle, so I could see the length of it and out of the
door, and there stood that poor boy we'd left to keep the cap'n company,
looking as pale as ashes. We found he'd tried every way to keep the old
gentleman at home, but he said he got f'erce as could be, so he didn't
dare to say no more, and Cap'n Gunn drove him back twice to the house,
and that's why he got in so late. I didn't know but it was the boy that
had set him on to go to meeting when I see him walk in, and I could 'a
wrung his neck; but I guess I misjudged him;