oe had just put on her
second best pair of shoes.

"Well--I shouldn't wonder if Green Valley hadn't got a minister to its
taste at last. He hasn't been regularly appointed and I guess he don't
realize himself that he's it but I'm pretty sure that the minute Parson
Courtney steps out that's just what's going to happen. Of course
there's them that says it can't. Mr. Austin says it would be a
terrible mistake, that he's too young; and Seth Curtis says no rich man
would be fool enough to pester himself with a dinky country church.
But I guess people like Seth and Mr. Austin ain't the kind of people
that have much to say. He's doing regular minister's work, comforting
the sick and picking up the fallen and pacifying the quarrelsome, and
it's work like that that'll elect him.

"And he's getting mighty popular, let me tell you, even with them that
no other minister could please or get near. There's old Mrs.
Rosenwinkle. She loves him just because he never tried to tell her
that the earth was round. Why, she says he's as good as any Lutheran.
And Hank Lolly said that maybe when that new suit Billy's ordered him
out of the new mail-order catalogue gets here, he'll go hear him
preach. It seems the minister's been driving around with Hank all over
creation and Hank says he can get along with him as easy as he does
with Billy.

"And did you hear what he did for Jim Tumley? It seems the minister
told Grandma Wentworth what a fine voice Jim had and what an ear for
music. And he was most surprised that Jim never even had a second-hand
organ of his own in the house but had to go over to his sister's, Mrs.
Hoskins, for to play a little tune when the fancy took him. He said it
was an awful pity that a man who wanted music so badly and was always
so obliging at weddings and funerals and entertainments should be
without a proper instrument. And Grandma just said, 'My land, nobody's
ever thought of that but I'll speak of it.'

"Well, she did and the consequence is that Mary Tumley is so nervous
she can't sleep. She says if she takes the savings out of the bank
there won't be enough money for a Keeley cure, or a respectable funeral
for Jim in case he dies. She's struggled and struggled but come to the
conclusion that it wouldn't be right and would set an awful example to
the Luttins next door, who are extravagant enough as it is.

"But it's my notion that Jim Tumley will get his organ and maybe a
piano. I saw him going i