preachers, in and out of the
Establishment--mostly represented as very sturdily-constructed men with
bristly hair, fronting the spectator interrogatively and holding thick
books in their hands. Upon one of these portraits--the name of the
original of which was stated at the foot of the print to be the Reverend
Aaron Yollop--Mr. Thorpe now fixed his eyes, with a faint approach to
a smile on his face (he never was known to laugh), and with a look and
manner which said as plainly as if he had spoken it: "This old man is
about to say something improper or absurd to me; but he is my wife's
father, it is my duty to bear with him, and therefore I am perfectly
resigned."

"It's no use looking in that way, Thorpe," growled the old gentleman;
"I'm not to be put down by looks at my time of life. I may have my own
opinions I suppose, like other people; and I don't see why I shouldn't
express them, especially when they relate to my own daughter's boy. It's
very unreasonable of me, I dare say, but I think I ought to have a voice
now and then in Zack's bringing up."

Mr. Thorpe bowed respectfully--partly to Mr. Goodworth, partly to the
Reverend Aaron Yollop. "I shall always be happy, sir, to listen to any
expression of your opinion--"

"My opinion's this," burst out Mr. Goodworth. "You've no business to
take Zack to church at all, till he's some years older than he is now.
I don't deny that there may be a few children, here and there, at six
years old, who are so very patient, and so very--(what's the word for
a child that knows a deal more than he has any business to know at his
age? Stop! I've got it!--_precocious_--that's the word)--so very patient
and so very precocious that they will sit quiet in the same place for
two hours; making believe all the time that they understand every word
of the service, whether they really do or not. I don't deny that there
may be such children, though I never met with them myself, and should
think them all impudent little hypocrites if I did! But Zack isn't one
of that sort: Zack's a genuine child (God bless him)! Zack--"

"Do I understand you, my dear sir," interposed Mr. Thorpe, sorrowfully
sarcastic, "to be praising the conduct of my son in disturbing the
congregation, and obliging me to take him out of church?"

"Nothing of the sort," retorted the old gentleman; "I'm not praising
Zack's conduct, but I _am_ blaming yours. Here it is in plain
words:--_You_ keep on cramming church down his t