all they want to. I--I don't care if they do. Let 'em, I say; l-let 'em!
They can p-p-poke their fun and p-p-p-pup-pup-poke it, but I tell 'em
to h-heave ahead and p-pup-pup-POKE. When I used to g-go to their old
Reg'lar meetin' house, all I done was to go to sleep. But I don't go
to sleep here, glory hallelujah! No, sir! There's too much b-b-blessed
noise and we have too g-good times to g-go to sleep here. That old
K-Kyan Pepper called me t-town f-fool t'other day. T-tut-town fool's
what he called me. Says I to him, says I: 'You-you-y-you ain't got spunk
enough to be a fool,' I says, 'unless Laviny says you c-can be. You old
Reg'lar p-p-pepper shaker, you!"

By this time tee-hees from the children and chuckles from some of the
older members interfered with Mr. Badger's fervent but jerky discourse.
Captain Eben struck the table smartly.

"Silence!" he thundered. "Silence! Brother Badger, I beg your pardon for
'em. Go on!"

But Josiah's train of thought had evidently been derailed by the
interruption.

"I--I--I cal'late that's about all," he stammered and sat down.

The captain looked over the meeting.

"I'm ashamed," he said, "ashamed of the behavior of some of us in the
Lord's house. This has been a failure, this service of ours. We have
kept still when we should have justified our faith, and allowed the
presence of a stranger to interfere with our duty to the Almighty. And
I will say," he added, his voice rising and trembling with indignation,