第14章 THE CHERITY OF THE JONESVILLIANS(4)

Miss Bombus wouldn't give because I didn't put the names in the Jonesville Augur or Gimlet, for she said, "Let your good deeds so shine.""Why," says I, "Miss Whymper wouldn't give because she wanted to give secreter, and you won't give because you want to give publicker, and you both quote Scripter, but it don't seem to help the Smedleys much."She said that probably Miss Whymper was wrestin' the Scripter to her own destruction.""Wall," says I, "while you and Miss Whymper are a wrestin' the Scripter, what will become of the Smedleys? It don't seem right to let them 'freeze to death, and starve to death, while we are a debatin' on the ways of Providence."But she didn't tell, and she wouldn't give.

A woman wuz there a visitin', Miss Bombus'es aunt, I think, and she spoke up and said that she fully approved of her niece Bombus'es decision.And she said, "As for herself, she never give to any subject that she hadn't thoroughly canvassed."Says I, "There they all are in that little hut, you can canvass them at any time.Though," says I, thoughtfully, "Marvilla might give you some trouble." And she asked why.

And I told her she had the rickets so she couldn't stand still to be canvassed, but she could probably follow her up and canvass her, if she tried hard enough.And says I, "There is old Grandma Smedley, over eighty, and five children under eight, you can canvass them easy."Says she, "The Bible says, `Search the Sperits.'"And I was so wore out a seein' how place after place, for three times a runnin the Bible was lifted up and held as a shield before stingy creeters, to ward off the criticism of the world and their own souls, that I says to myself -- loud enough so they could hear me, mebbe, "Why is it that when anybody wants to do a mean, ungenerous act, they will try to quote a verse of Scripter to uphold 'em, jest as a wolf will pull a lock of pure white wool over his wolfish foretop, and try to look innocent and sheepish."I don't care if they did hear me, I wuz on the step mostly when Ithought it, pretty loud.

Wall, from Miss Bombus'es I went to Miss Petingill's.

Miss Petingill is a awful high-headed creeter.She come to the door herself and she said, I must excuse her for answerin' the door herself.(I never heard the door say anything and don't believe she did, it was jest one of her ways.) But she said Imust excuse her as her girl wuz busy at the time.

She never mistrusted that I knew her hired girl had left, and she wuz doin' her work herself.She had ketched off her apron I knew, as she come through the hall, for I see it a layin' behind the door, all covered with flour.And after she had took me into the parlor, and we had set down, she discovered some spots of flour on her dress, and she said she "had been pastin' some flowers into a scrap book to pass away the time." But I knew she had been bakin'

for she looked tired, tired to death almost, and it wuz her bakin'

day.But she would sooner have had her head took right off than to own up that she had been doin' housework -- why, they say that once when she wuz doin' her work herself, and was ketched lookin'

awful, by a strange minister, that she passed herself off' for a hired girl and said, "Miss Petingill wasn't to home, and when pressed hard she said she hadn't "the least idee where Miss Petingill wuz."Jest think on 't once -- and there she wuz herself.The idee!

Wall, the minute I sot down before I begun my business or anything, Miss Petingill took me to do about puttin' in Miss Bibbins President of our Missionary Society for the Relief of Indignent Heathens.

The Bibbins'es are good, very good, but poor.

Says Miss Petingill: "It seems to me as if there might be some other woman put in, that would have had more influence on the Church."Says I, "Haint Miss Bibbins a good Christian sister, and a great worker?""Why yes, she wuz good, good in her place.But," she said, "the Petingills hadn't never associated with the Bibbins'es."And I asked her if she s'posed that would make any difference with the heathen; if the heathen would be apt to think less of Miss Bibbins because she hadn't associated with the Petingills?

And she said, she didn't s'pose "the heathens would ever know it;it might make some difference to 'em if they did," she thought, "for it couldn't be denied," she said, "that Miss Bibbins did not move in the first circles of Jonesville."It had been my doin's a puttin' Miss Bibbins in and I took it right to home, she meant to have me, and I asked her if she thought the Lord would condemn Miss Bibbins on the last day, because she hadn't moved in the first circles of Jonesville?

And Miss Petingill tosted her head a little, but had to own up, that she thought "He wouldn't.""Wall, then," sez I, "do you s'pose the Lord has any objections to her working for Him now?""Why no, I don't know as the Lord would object.""Wall," sez I, "we call this work the Lord's work, and if He is satisfied with Miss Bibbins, we ort to be."But she kinder nestled round, and I see she wuzn't satisfied, but I couldn't stop to argue, and I tackled her then and there about the Smedleys.I asked her to give a pound, or pounds, as she felt disposed.

But she answered me firmly that she could't give one cent to the Smedleys, she wuz principled against it.

And I asked her, "Why?"

And she said, because the old lady wuz proud and wanted a home, and she thought that pride wuz so wicked, that it ort to be put down.

Wall, Miss Huff, Miss Cephas Huff, wouldn't give anything because one of the little Smedleys had lied to her.She wouldn't encourage lyin'.

And I told her I didn't believe she would be half so apt to reform him on an empty stomach, as after he wuz fed up.But she wouldn't yield.

Wall, Miss Daggett said she would give, and give abundant, only she didn't consider it a worthy object.