"There's my mother," Sadie said thoughtfully. "She is good."
"Not because she's a Christian though; it's because she's your mother.
You'd have to look till you were gray to find a better mother than
I've got, and she isn't a Christian either."
"Well, I'm sure Mr. Hammond is a good man."
"Not a whit better or pleasanter than Mr. Holland, as far as I can see. I don't like him half so well. And Holland don't pretend to be any better than the rest of us."
"Well," said Sadie, gleefully, "I dont know many good people.
Miss Molton is a Christian, but I guess she is no better than Mrs.
Brookley, and she isn't. There's Ester; she's a member of the
church."
"And do you see as she gets on any better with her religion, than you do without it? For my part, I think you are considerably pleasanter to deal with."
Sadie laughed. "We're no more alike than a bee and a butterfly, or any other useless little thing," she said, brightly. "But you're very much mistaken if you think I'm the best. Mother would lie down in despair and die, and this house would come to naught at once, if it were not for Ester."
Mr. Arnett shrugged his shoulders. "I always liked butterflies better than bees," he said. "Bees sting."
"Harry," said Sadie, speaking more gravely, "I'm afraid you're almost an infidel."
"If I'm not, I can tell you one thing—it's not the fault of
Christians."