"He ain't a bit like his father," said some one.
"He 's like his father was in his best days," replied another.
"He don't look like he 's over-pleased with the business. They say he did n't want to come."
"Well, I guess it 's purty resky work gittin' up to speak before all these people that 's knowed him all his life, an' know where an' what he come from."
"They say, too, that he 's some pumpkins out at the college."
"I 'ain't much faith in these school-made preachers; but we' ll soon see what he kin do in the pulpit. We 've heerd preachers, an' we kin compare."
"That 's so: we 've heerd some preachers in our day. He must toe the mark. He may be all right at college, but he 's in a pulpit now that has held preachers fur shore. A pebble 's all right among pebbles, but it looks mighty small 'longside o' boulders. He 's preachin' before people now. Why, Brother Simpson himself never would 'a' got a special dispensation to hold the church all these years, ef it had n't been fur the people backin' him up an' Conference was afraid they 'd leave the connection."
"Well, ef this boy is anything, Lord only knows where he gets it, fur everybody knows—"
"'Sh!"