Digital books pub

The preacher was the oracle of the family,
all of whom were only too happy of his favor not to make large
efforts to be pleased with those he brought; and in a little while,
sitting about the friendly fireside, the whole party had become as
sociable as if they had been "hail fellow! well met," a thousand
years. Two young girls, children of a relative, and nieces of the
venerable elder, had already perched themselves upon the knee of
the stranger, and strove at moments over his neck and shoulder,
without heeding the occasional sugary reproof of Dame Hinkley,
which bade them "let Brother Stevens be;" and, already had Brother
Stevens himself, ventured upon the use of sundry grave saws from
the holy volume, the fruit of early reading and a retentive memory,
which not a little helped to maintain his novel pretensions in the
mind of the brethren, and the worthy teacher, John Cross himself.
All things promised a long duration to a friendship suddenly begun;
when William Hinkley, the younger, a youth already introduced to
the reader, made his appearance within the happy circle.


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