236 History of Methodism 



edges of the joist, which might have obstructed the 

 passage of sound from the room below. And I had 

 not been long in bed before I heard my kind-hearted 

 sister say: 'Q Mr. Jenkins, you do not know how 

 much you have grieved me ! ' ' Grieved you, Betsy,' re- 

 plied he; ' how in the world can I have grieved you? ' 

 ' By the way you have talked to Brother Capers. I 

 am afraid he will never come here again. How can 

 you talk to him so?' 'Why, Betsy, child,' returned 

 he, ' do n't you reckon I love Billy as well as you do ? 

 I talk to him so because I love him. He '11 find peo- 

 ple enough to honey him without my doing it; and 

 he's got to learn to stand trials, that's all.' Sister 

 Jenkins seemed not to be satisfied, but wished to ex- 

 tort a promise that he would not talk so roughly to 

 me any more. But his conscience was concerned in 

 that, and he would not promise it. ' You may honey 

 him as much as you please, but I go for making him 

 a Methodist preacher.' 'Well, then,' thought I, ' it is a 

 pity, my old friend, that you should spoil your work 

 by not tightening your floor. You might as well have 

 promised, for I will take care that you shall not make 

 any thing by the refusal.' The next morning it was 

 not long before something fetched up the unpleasant 

 theme, and as he was warming into the smiting spirit, 

 I looked in his face and smiled. 'What,' said he, 

 ' do you laugh at it ? ' 'As well laugh as cry, Brother 

 Jenkins,' I returned; 'did you not tell Sister Jenkins 

 that you loved me as well as she did, and only wanted 

 to make a Methodist preacher of me ? I am sure you 

 would not have me cry for any thing that is to do me 

 so much good.' It was all over; he joined in the laugh, 

 and threw away his seeming ill-humor. But as for 

 the matter of the immoralities at H., it turned out to 



