“How a steeple would look a-pintin' down! That is a true woman's idee.” [Illustration: SISTER FILKINS.] Sez I, “I would have it a-pintin' down towards the depths of darkness that wuz in that man's heart that roze it up, and the infamy of the deed that kep him in the meetin' house and turned his victim out of it.” “I d'no as she wuz his victim,” sez Josiah. Sez I, “Every one knows that in the first place Simeon Lathers wuz the man that led her astray.” “It wuzn't proved,” sez Josiah, a-turnin' the almanac over and lookin' at the advertisement on the back side on't. “And why wuzn't it proved?” sez I, “because he held a big piece of gold against the mouths of the witnesses.” “I didn't see any in front of my mouth,” sez Josiah, lookin' 'shamed but some composed. “And you know what the story wuz,” sez he, “accordin' to that, he did it all to try her faith.” I wouldn't encourage Josiah by even smilin' at his words, though I knew well what the story wuz he referred to. It wuz at a Conference meetin', when Simeon Lathers wuz jest a-beginnin' to take notice of how pretty Irene Filkins wuz. She had gone forward to the anxious seat, with some other young females, their minds bein' wrought on, so it wuz spozed, by Deacon Lathers's eloquent exhortations, and urgin's to 'em to come forward and be saved. And they had gone up onto the anxious seat a-sheddin' tears, and they all knelt down there, and Deacon Lathers he went right up and knelt down right by Sister Irene Filkins, and them that wuz there say, that right while he wuz a-prayin' loud and strong for 'em all, and her specially, he put his arm round her and acted in such a way that she resented it bitterly. She wuz a good, virtuous girl then, any way. And she resented his overtoors in such a indignant and decided way that it drawed the attention of a hull lot of brothers and sisters towards 'em. And Deacon Lathers got right up from his knees and sez, “Bretheren and sisters, let us sing these lines: “He did it all to try her faith.” I remembered this story, but I wuzn't goin' to encourage Josiah Allen by lettin' my attention be drawed off by any anectotes--nor I didn't smile--oh, no I But I went right on with a hull lot of burnin' indignatin in my axents, and sez I, “Josiah Allen, can you look me in the face and say that it wuzn't money and bad men's influence that keep such men as Deacon Widrig and Simeon Lathers in the meetin' house?” Sez I, “If they wuz poor men would they have been kep', or if it wuzn't for the influence of men that like hard drink?” “Wall, as it were,” sez Josiah, “I--that is--wall, it is a-gettin' bed-time, Samantha.” And he wound up the clock and went to bed. And I set there, all rousted up in my mind, for more'n a hour--and I dropped more'n seven stitches in Josiah's heel, and didn't care if I did. But I have episoded fearfully, and to resoom and go on.