It was Dr. Wentworth’s habit to walk with his family in the garden, early in the morning and late in the afternoon.  If early, Rose was usually his company; in the afternoon the whole family, Agate Bissell always excepted.  She had in full measure that peculiar New England feeling that Sunday is to be kept by staying in the house, except such time as is spent at church.  And though she never, impliedly even, rebuked the doctor’s resort to his garden, it was plain that deep down in her heart she thought it an improper way of spending Sunday; and in that view she had the secret sympathy of almost all the noteworthy villagers.  Had any one, upon that day, made Agate a visit, unless for some plain end of necessity or mercy, she would have deemed it a personal affront.

Sunday was the Lord’s day.  Agate acted as if any use of it for her own pleasure would be literal and downright stealing.

“We have six days for our own work.  We ought not to begrudge the Lord one whole day.”

Two circumstances distressed honest Agate’s conscience.  The one was that the incursion of summer visitors from the city was tending manifestly to relax the Sabbath, especially after the church services.  The other was that Dr. Wentworth would occasionally allow Judge Bacon to call in and discuss with him topics suggested by the sermons.  She once expressed herself in this wise:—­

“Either Sunday is worth keeping, or it is not.  If you do keep it, it ought to be strictly done.  But lately Sunday is raveling out at the end.  We take it on like a summer dress, which in the morning is clean and sweet, but at night it is soiled at the bottom and much rumpled all over.”

Dr. Wentworth sat with Rose on one side and her mother on the other, in the honeysuckle corner, where the west could be seen, great trees lying athwart the horizon and checkering the golden light with their dark masses.  Judge Bacon had turned the conversation upon this very topic.

“I think our Sundays in New England are Puritan and Jewish more than Christian.  They are days of restriction rather than of joyousness.  They are fast days, not feast days.”

“Do you say that as a mere matter of historical criticism, or do you think that they could be improved practically?”

“Both.  It is susceptible of proof that the early Christian Sunday was a day of triumph and of much social joy.  It would be well if we could follow primitive example.”

“Judge, I am hardly of your opinion.  I should be unwilling to see our New England Sunday changed, except perhaps by a larger social liberty in each family.  Much might be done to make it attractive to children, and relieve older persons from ennui.  But after all, we must judge things by their fruits.  If you bring me good apples, it is in vain to abuse the tree as craggy, rude, or homely.  The fruit redeems the tree.”

“A very comely figure, Doctor, but not very good reasoning.  New England has had something at work upon her beside her Sundays.  What you call the ‘fruit’ grew, a good deal of it at any rate, on other trees than Sunday trees.”