I spoze mebby they thought that this would skare Christopher and make him gin up his doin’s, or ruther the ones that wuz a-representin’ him to Chicago.

They did talk fearfully skareful, and calculated to skare any man that hadn’t went through with what Christopher had.  They said that ruther than have the young people who would be gathered there from the four ends of the earth—­ruther than have these innocent young creeters contaminated by walkin’ through them rooms and lookin’ at them wonders of nature and art, why, they had ruther not have any Fair at all.

Why, I read sights and sights about it, and hearn powerful talk, and immense quantities of it.

And one night I hearn the most masterly and convincin’ arguments brung up on both sides—­arguments calculated to make a bystander wobble first one way and then the other, with the strength and power of ’em.

It wuz at a church social held to Miss Lums, and a number of us had got there early, and this subject wuz debated on before the minister got there.

Deacon Henzy wuz the one who give utterance to the views I have promulgated.

He said right out plain, “That no matter how keen the slight would be felt, he shouldn’t attend to it if it wuz open Sunday.”  He said “that the country would be ruined if it took place.”

“Yes,” sez Miss Cornelius Cork, “you are right, Deacon Henzy.  I wouldn’t have Cornelius Jr. go to Chicago if the Fair is open Sundays, not for a world full of gold.  For,” sez she, “I feel as if it would be the ruin of him.”

And then sister Arvilly Lanfear (she is always on the contrary side), sez she—­“Why?”

“Why?” sez Miss Cork.  “You ask why?  You a woman and a perfessor?”

“Yes,” sez Arvilly—­“why?”

Sez Miss Cork, “It would take away all his reverence for the Sabbath, and the God who appointed that holy day of rest.  His morals would be all broke up, and he would be a ruined boy.  I expect that he will be there two months—­that would make eight days of worldliness and wickedness; and I feel that long enough before the eighth day had come his principles would be underminded, and his morals all tottered and broke down.”

“Why?” sez Arvilly.  “There hain’t any wickedness a-goin’ on to the Fair as I know of; it is a goin’ to be full and overflowin’ of object lessons a teachin’ of the greatness and the glory of the Lord of Heaven, and the might and power of the human intellect.  Wonders of Heaven, and wonders of earth, and I don’t see how they would be apt to ruin and break down anybody’s morals a-contemplatin’ ’em—­not if they wuz sound when they begun.

“It seems to me it would make ’em have ten times the reverence they had before—­reverence and awe and worshipful love for the One, the great and loving mind that had thought out all these marvels of beauty and grandeur and spread ’em out for His children’s happiness and instruction.”