in this region:  you’ve heard tell of him a good many times, I s’pose.  He was getting to be old, and didn’t preach much.  He had a colleague, they set so much by him in his parish, and I didn’t know’s I’d ever get another chance to hear him, so I didn’t want to stay to home, and neither did Cousin Statiry; and Jacob Gunn, old Mr. Gunn’s nephew, he said it might be the last time ever he’d hear Parson Croden, and he set in the seats anyway; so we talked it all over, and we got a young boy to come and set ’long of the cap’n till we got back.  He hadn’t offered to go anywhere of an afternoon for a long time.  I s’pose he thought women ought to be stayers at home according to Scripture.

“Parson Ridley—­his wife was a niece to old Dr. Croden—­and the old doctor they was up in the pulpit, and the choir was singing the first hymn—­it was a fuguing tune, and they was doing their best:  seems to me it was ‘Canterbury New.’  Yes, it was; I remember I thought how splendid it sounded, and Jacob Gunn he was a-leading off; and I happened to look down the aisle, and who should I see but the poor old cap’n in his cap and gown parading right into meeting before all the folks!  There!  I wanted to go through the floor.  Everybody ’most had seen him at home, but, my goodness! to have him come into meeting!”

“What did you do?” said I.

“Why, nothing,” said Miss Polly; “there was nothing to do.  I thought I should faint away; but I called Cousin Statiry’s ’tention, and she looked dreadful put to it for a minute; and then says she, ’Open the door for him; I guess he won’t make no trouble,’ and, poor soul, he didn’t.  But to see him come up the aisle!  He’d fixed himself nice as he could, poor creatur; he’d raked out Miss Patience’s old Navarino bonnet with green ribbons and a willow feather, and set it on right over his cap, and he had her bead bag on his arm, and her turkey-tail fan that he’d got out of the best room; and he come with little short steps up to the pew:  and I s’posed he’d set by the door; but no, he made to go by us, up into the corner where she used to set, and took her place, and spread his dress out nice, and got his handkerchief out o’ his bag, just’s he’d seen her do.  He took off his bonnet all of a sudden, as if he’d forgot it, and put it under the seat, like he did his hat—­that was the only thing he did that any woman wouldn’t have done—­and the crown of his cap was bent some.  I thought die I should.  The pew was one of them up aside the pulpit, a square one, you know, right at the end of the right-hand aisle, so I could see the length of it and out of the door, and there stood that poor boy we’d left to keep the cap’n company, looking as pale as ashes.  We found he’d tried every way to keep the old gentleman at home, but he said he got f’erce as could be, so he didn’t dare to say no more, and Cap’n Gunn drove him back twice to the house, and that’s why he got in so late.  I didn’t know but it was the boy that had set him on to go to meeting