"What perswaision?" sez he.
"Methodist Episcopal," sez I.
"And do you, a member of a sister church, which, although it has many errors, is still a-gropin' after the light! Do you counsel me to set aside the sacred and time honored rules of our church, and allow the Sabbath to go by unregarded, have the sanctuary desecrated, the cause of religion languish—I cannot believe it. Think of the widespread desolation it would cause if, as the late lamented Mr. Selkirk sung:
"'The sound of the church-going bells,
These valleys and hills never heard.'"
"No church, no sanctuary, no religius observances."
"Why," sez I, "that wouldn't hinder folks from goin' to church. Folks seem to get to theatres, lectures, and disolvin' views on time, and better time than they do to meetin'," sez I. "In your opinin' it hain't necessary to beat a drum and sound on a bugle as the Salvation Army duz, to call folks to meetin'; you are dretful hard on them, so I hear."
"Yes, they make a senseless, vulgar, onnecessary racket, disturbin' and agrivatin' to saint and sinner."
"But," sez I, "they say they do it for the sake of religion."
"Religion hain't to be found in drum-sticks," sez he bitterly.
"No," sez I, "nor in a bell clapper."