ry good, Mr. Somers, but I sha'n't fret over _him_. I'm
not sure but he's a little _too_ good for my liking--I'm not sure that
it's quite natural. Jenny! fetch some more biscuit!--how long do you
suppose Mr. Somers and I can live upon one?"

Parson Somers eat porridge and studied the philosophy of Mrs Somers'
statements.

"My dear," said he at length,--"I am not sure that you are correct in
your view--indeed it seems to me--a--rather contradictory. I don't know
what the stir is about; and I don't think there is any occasion, my
dear, for you--a--to fret, about anything. Not about Mr. Linden,
certainly. The disaffection to the new school was--a--confined to very
few! I don't think it has taken root in the public mind generally. You
will be better able to form a judgment on Thursday."

"Bless your heart! Mr. Somers," said his wife, "what's Thursday to do?
If you think I've said all I _could_ say--why there's no help for it.
Now there's Sam Deacon--don't come to meeting half the time
lately,--and to match that, Faith Derrick walks into Sunday school with
one of those Seacomb children tagging after her."

"Well," said Mr. Somers looking exceedingly mystified,--"what's the
harm in that? If Miss Faith chooses to do it, it shews, I am sure, a--a
charitable disposition,--praiseworthy!"

"Mr. Somers!"--said the lady. "Is it possible you can think for one
moment that I mean what you mean? If she came to Society too, I should
know what to make of it, but when people work alongside of some folks,
and not alongside of others, why it's as long as it's broad. Then Maria
Davids says she drove those boys over to Neanticut 'tother day--or
helped drive 'em. What do you think of that, Mr. Somers?"

Mr. Somers looked as if his wife was too fast for him.

"My dear," said he however, plucking up,--"I think I would trust Faith
Derrick as soon as Maria Davids, or--any other young lady in
Pattaquasset! If she did go to Neanticut I presume it was all as it
should be. Squire Deacon never was--a--very remarkable for being a
religious man or anything like that; and you can't help folks working
alongside of each other--they will do it," said Mr. Somers relapsing
into his jocular mood. "I am a man of peace, my dear, and you should be
a woman of peace."

"Why you don't suppose I believed what Maria Davids said?" replied Mrs.
Somers. "Her words are not worth their weight in gold--and she isn't a
bit too good to be jealous. But the thing is, if