The peculiar form in which this request was made, and the tone in which it was uttered, put it almost out of the power of the farmer to say no.

“Go in there and sit down,” he (sic) answed, pointing to the kitchen, “and I will see my wife, and hear what she has to say.”

And Mr. Wade went into the parlor where the supper table stood, covered with a snow-white cloth, and displaying his wife’s set of bluesprigged china, that was only brought out on special occasions.  Two tall mould candles were burning thereon, and on the hearth blazed a cheerful hickory fire.

“Hasn’t that old fellow gone yet?” asked Mrs. Wade.  She had heard his voice as he returned from the door.

“No.  And what do you suppose?  He wants us to let him stay all night.”

“Indeed, and we’ll do no such thing!  We can’t have the likes of him in the house, no how.  Where could he sleep?”

“Not in the best room, even if Mr. N—­shouldn’t come.”

“No, indeed!”

“But I really don’t see, Jane how we can turn him out of doors.  He doesn’t look like a very strong man, and it’s dark and cold, and full three miles to D—.”

“It’s too much!  He ought to have gone on while he had daylight, and not lingered here as he did until it got dark.”

“We can’t turn him out of doors, Jane; and it’s no use to think of it.  He’ll have to stay now.”

“But what can we do with him?”

“He seems like a decent man, at least; and don’t look as if he had anything bad about him.  We might make him a bed on the floor somewhere.”

“I wish he had been to Guinea before he came here,” said Mrs. Wade, fretfully.  The disappointment, the conviction that Mr. N—­would not arrive, and the intrusion of so unwelcome a visitor as the stranger, completely unhinged her mind.

“Oh, well, Jane,” replied her husband in a soothing voice, “never mind.  We must make the best of it.  Poor man!  He came to us tired and hungry, and we have warmed him and fed him.  He now asks shelter for the night, and we must not refuse him, nor grant his request in a complaining reluctant spirit.  You know what the Bible says about entertaining angels unawares.”

“Angels!  Did you ever see an angel look like him?”

“Having never seen an angel,” said the husband smiling, “I am unable to speak as to their appearance.”

This had the effect to call an answering smile to the face of Mrs. Wade, and a better feeling to her heart.  And it was finally agreed between them, that the man, as he seemed like a decent kind of a person, should be permitted to occupy the minister’s room, if that individual did not arrive, an event to which they both now looked with but small expectancy.  If he did come, why the man would have put up with poorer accommodations.