"Yes. That is, not in meetin' or sewin' circle or anything like that, or
not out and out and open anywhere. But you want to cultivate a sort of
different handshake and how-dy-do for each set, so's to speak. Gush all
you want to over an aristocrat. Be thankful for advice and always SO
glad to see 'em. With the poor relations you can ease up on the gush and
maybe condescend some. Town folks expect condescension and superiority;
give it to 'em. When it comes to scum, why--well, any short kind of a
bow and a 'Mornin' 'll do for them. 'Course the Lord, in His infinite
mercy, made 'em, same as He did potato bugs, but it's necessary to keep
both bugs and them down to their proper place."

She delivered this in the intervals between trips to the kitchen with
the dinner dishes. The minister listened with a troubled expression on
his face.

"Mrs. Coffin," he said, "I guess I'm dull. There was a Scotch professor
at college and the fellows used to say his bump of humor was a dent.
Maybe mine isn't much better. Are you joking?"

Keziah stacked the cups and saucers.

"I ain't jokin'," she declared. "I've been a poor relation in this
village for a good while and my brother was a shoemaker and on the upper
fringe of the town-folk class. My humor bump would have to stick up like
Cannon Hill afore I could see any joke in that."

"But you're not seriously advising me to treat a rich man differently
from a poor one?"