elinda, whom she
wanted to dispossess. Wesley, Calvin, and Cassius wanted to monopolize
Paul, especially on Sundays, when each of them were about to separate
for their respective meetings to hear the preacher.

"Father," said Calvin, "won't Paul come with me? Our minister, Mr.
Gulmore, is such a clever preacher, and our Sunday school the best and
the largest."

"I say he shan't, now, Calvin," replied Wesley. "Your minister, the old
feller, is nothing, compared with ours, Mr. Barker."

"Well, brothers," said Cassius, "I don't see the use of your jawing
about it. But I say Paul had better come to our meeting--the very name,
Universalist, signifying the same with Catholic, as I was telling Paul
yesterday, while a-fishing, and as our minister said."

"Well, boys," said uncle Jacob, laughing, "my advice to you is; to see
first whether Paul is willing to go with any of ye to yer meetings. I
think his mind is made up to stay at home, like myself."

Amanda now stepped forward to inform this conference that Paul had been
spoiled by their example; that he cried when told he must go to meeting;
and that it was better now not to urge the matter further. In future,
she intended to instruct Paul and Bridget herself; and she was resolved
to cut off all intercourse between them and the younger members of the
family.

Our readers are aware that Amanda was the Miss Prying, a child of her
father by a former marriage; and besides this, she was an old maid. In
addition to the foregoing circumstances, she became pious, attended camp
meetings, donation parties, and _quilting matches_ at young ministers'
houses, who were just preparing to get a _rib_. And though she was
praised as the best needle lady in the town, her epistles on love to
young preachers were the most admirable mixture of classical and
biblical composition that could be found. Though she had a good pair of
hands at making pies, puddings, and other culinary preparations, though
she was praised, flattered, and admired, yet nobody ever yet went beyond
this. All was admiration, praise, flattery, no more. Again: Amanda,
though a strict old school Presbyterian, in order to exhibit her
liberality and prove that she had no objection to a partner from any of
the other countless sects of Protestantism, be he Baptist, Methodist, or
Unitarian--in order to prove her liberality, she attended the donations
of the six ministers of her village, and each of the dominies received
from her