“Good for you, Uncle John!  Be a fountain of living waters to the thirsty in Zion.  Say, who’s that?” and he pointed to Tom Potwin who had been wistfully watching the pen of the Patriarch as it ran over his paper.  Uncle John regarded the Bishop shrewdly.

“You ought to know, Brother Snow.  ’Tain’t so long since you and him were together.”

The Bishop looked closely again, and the boy now returned his gaze with his own weakly foolish look.

“Well!  If it ain’t that Tom Potwin.  The Lord certainly hardened his heart against counsel to his own undoing.  I tried every way in the world—­say, what’s he doing here?”

“Oh, Brother Rae has given him a home here along with that first woman of Brother Tench’s.  The crazy loon has been bothering me all week to give him a blessing.”

The Entablature of Truth chuckled, being not without a sense of humour.

“Well, say, give him one if he wants it.  Here—­here’s your two dollars—­write him a good one now.”

Uncle John took the money, and at once began writing upon a clean sheet of paper.  The boy stood by watching him eagerly, and when the Patriarch had finished the document took it from him with trembling hands.  The Bishop spoke to him.

“Here, boy, let’s see what Uncle John gives us for our money.”

With some misgiving the owner of the blessing relinquished it into the Bishop’s hand, watching it jealously, though listening with delight while his benefactor read it.

“Patriarchal blessing of Tom Potwin by John Young, Patriarch, given at Amalon June 1st, 1859.  Brother Tom Potwin, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and by authority of the Holy Priesthood in me vested, I confer upon thee a Patriarch’s blessing.  Thou art of Ephraim through the loins of Joseph that was sold into Egypt.  And inasmuch as thou hast obeyed the requirements of the Gospel thy sins are forgiven thee.  Thy name is written in the Lamb’s book of life never more to be blotted out.  Thou art a lawful heir to all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the new and everlasting covenant.  Thou shalt have a numerous posterity who shall rise up to call thee blessed.  Thou shalt have power over thine enemies.  They that oppose thee shall yet come bending unto thee.  Thou shalt come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, and no power shall hinder except the shedding of innocent blood or the consenting thereto.  I seal thee up to eternal life in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen and amen!”

The worthy Bishop handed the paper back to the enraptured boy, and turned to Joel Rae, who now came up.

“Hello, Brother Rae.  I hear you took on that thirteenth woman of mine.  Much good it’ll do you!  She was unlucky for me, sure enough—­ rambunctious when she was healthy, and lazy when she was sick!”

When they came out of the house half an hour later, he added in tones of confidential warning: