"Trust him with anything but a knife and fork," said she, with another look and shake of the head. "He has no idea but what everything on the supper-table is meant to be eaten straight off. I would keep two such men as my husband as soon as I would Philetus."
"Philetus!" said Fleda,--"the person that brought the chicken and thought he had brought two?"
"You've hit it," said Mrs. Douglass. "Now you know him. How do you like our new minister?"
"We are all very much pleased with him."
"He's very good-looking, don't you think so?"
"A very pleasant face."
"I ha'n't seen him much yet except in church; but those that know say he is very agreeable in the house."
"Truly, I dare say," answered Fleda, for Mrs. Douglass's face looked for her testimony.
"But I think he looks as if he was beating his brains out there among his books--I tell him he is getting the blues, living in that big house by himself."
"Do you manage to do all your work without help, Mrs. Douglass?" said Fleda, knowing that the question was "in order" and that the affirmative answer was not counted a thing to be ashamed of.