“I didn't see any in front of my mouth,” sez Josiah, lookin' 'shamed but some composed.
“And you know what the story wuz,” sez he, “accordin' to that, he did it all to try her faith.”
I wouldn't encourage Josiah by even smilin' at his words, though I knew well what the story wuz he referred to.
It wuz at a Conference meetin', when Simeon Lathers wuz jest a-beginnin' to take notice of how pretty Irene Filkins wuz.
She had gone forward to the anxious seat, with some other young females, their minds bein' wrought on, so it wuz spozed, by Deacon Lathers's eloquent exhortations, and urgin's to 'em to come forward and be saved.
And they had gone up onto the anxious seat a-sheddin' tears, and they all knelt down there, and Deacon Lathers he went right up and knelt down right by Sister Irene Filkins, and them that wuz there say, that right while he wuz a-prayin' loud and strong for 'em all, and her specially, he put his arm round her and acted in such a way that she resented it bitterly.
She wuz a good, virtuous girl then, any way.