the
seven deadly sins," he said.

"I'm not objecting to your prayers," agreed Dick, "but there were
plenty of closets in your house where you might have gone and told the
Lord your opinion of me; only that wasn't good enough for you; you
must needs tell the whole village!"

"There, father, that's what I always said," agreed Mrs. Todd.

"Well, I ain't one that can't yield when the majority's against me,"
said the Deacon, "particularly when I'm treatin' John Trimble for the
colic. If you'll stop actin' so you threaten to split the church, Dick
Larrabee, I'll stop prayin' for you. The Lord knows how I feel about
it now, so I needn't keep on remindin' Him."

[Illustration]

IX

"That's a bargain and here's my hand on it," cried Dick. "Now, what do
you say to letting me be Santa Claus? Come on in and let's look at
John Trimble. He'd make a splendid Job or Jeremiah, but I wouldn't let
him spoil a Christmas festival!"

"Do let Dick take the part, father,"--and Mrs. Todd's tone was most
ingratiating. "John's terrible dull and bashful anyway, an' mebbe he'd
have a pain he couldn't stan' jest when he's givin' out the presents.
An' Dick is always so amusin'."

Deacon Todd led the way into the improvised dressing-room. He had
removed John's gala costume in order to apply the mustard faithfully
and he lay in a crumpled heap in the corner. The plaster itself
adorned a stool near by.

"Now, John! John! That plaster won't do you no good on the stool. It
ain't the stool that needs drawin'; it's your stomach," argued Mrs.
Todd.

"I'm drawed pretty nigh to death a'ready," moaned John. "I'm rore,
that's what I am,--rore! An' I won't be Santa Claus neither. I want to
go home."

"Wrop him up and get him into your sleigh, father, and take him home;
then come right back. Bed's the place for him. Keep that hot
flat-iron on his stomach, if he'd rather have it than the mustard.
Men-folks are such cowards. I'll dress Dick while you're gone. Mebbe
it's a Providence!"

On the whole, Dick agreed with Mrs. Todd as he stood ready to make his
entrance. The School Committee was in the church and he had had much
to do with its members in former days. The Select-men of the village
were present, and he had made their acquaintance once, in an executive
session. The deacons were all there and the pillars of the church and
the choir and the organist--a spinster who had actively disapproved
when he had put beans in the melodeon one Su