"He was awful tiresome--there!" exclaimed Mrs. Boddington. "What's the use of pretendin' he warn't? Nobody couldn't mind what his sermons was about; I don't believe as he knew himself. Now, a minister had ought to know what he means, whether any one else does or not, and I like a minister that makes _me_ know what he means." "Why, Mrs. Boddington," said Mrs. Flandin, "I didn't know as you cared anything about religion, one way or another." "I've got to go to church, Mrs. Flandin; and I'd a little rayther be kep' awake while I'm there without pinching my fingers. I'd prefer it." "Why, has anybody _got_ to go to church that doesn't want to go?" inquired Diana. But that was like a shell let off in the midst of the sewing circle. "Hear that, now!" said Mrs. Boddington. "Ain't that a rouser!" Mrs. Boddington was a sort of a cousin, and liked the fun; she lived in the one farm-house in sight of Mrs. Starling's. "She don't mean it," said Mrs. Mansfield. "Trust Di Starling for meaning whatever she says," returned the other. "You and I mayn't understand it, but that's all one, you know." "But what _do_ she mean?" said Mrs. Salter. "Yes, what's the use o' havin' a church, ef folks ain't goin' to it?" said Mrs. Carpenter. "No," said Diana, laughing; "I only asked why any one _must_ go, if he don't want to? Where's the _must?_" "When we had good Mr. Hardenburgh, for example," chimed in Mrs. Boddington, "who was as loggy as he could be; good old soul! and put us all to sleep, or to wishin' we could. My! hain't I eaten quarts o' dill in the course o' the summer, trying to keep myself respectably awake and considerin' o' what was goin' on! Di says, why _must_ any one eat all that dill that don't want to?" "Cloves is better," suggested Miss Gunn. Some laughed at this; others looked portentously grave. "It's just one o' Di's nonsense speeches," said her mother; "what they mean I'm sure I don't know. She reads too many books to be just like other folks." "But the books were written by other folks, mother." "La! some sort, child. Not our sort, I guess." "Hain't Di never learned her catechism?" inquired Mrs. Flandin. "Is there anything about going to church in it?" asked the girl. "There's most all sorts o' good things in it," answered vaguely Mrs. Flandin, who was afraid of committing herself. "I thought Di might ha' learned there something about such a thing as we call _duty_." "That's so," said Mrs. Mansfield. "Just what I am asking about," said Di. "That's the thing. Why _is_ it duty, to go to church when one don't want to go?" "Well, I'm sure it was time we had a new minister," said Mrs Salter; "and I'm glad he's come. If he's no better than old Mr. Hardenburgh, it'll take us a spell to find it out; and that'll be so much gained. He don't _look_ like him any way." "He _is_ different, ain't he?" assented Mrs. Boddington. "If we wanted a change, we've got it. How did you all like his sermon last Sabbath?"