JACK SHOUT AGAIN. 
431 
“Oh, Annie! I never could talk to him: 
I should be afraid. Wouldn’t you ?” 
“ No,” replied Annie. “ I might be afraid 
of some ministers, perhaps, but not of him : 
he is so kind and fatherly, and at the same 
time almost like our companion. I don’t 
think that feeling can be right, either,—to be 
afraid of clergymen, I mean. The } 7 get grave 
ways sometimes, I know,—one don’t wonder 
at that; but I believe if young people were 
to go to them oftener and more frankly for 
advice, they would be pleased instead of 
offended. Of course, one would not want 
to be always talking of one’s religious feel¬ 
ings to them more than to any others; but still 
every one wants advice sometimes, and then 
the minister is one proper person to give it, 
and our Sunday-school teacher is another.” 
The colloquy was interrupted by the ap¬ 
proach of a boy, who was coming from the vil¬ 
lage with a bag over his shoulder, whistling 
as he walked. It proved to be Jack himself; 
and Antoinette wondered whether her cousin 
would speak to him. At another time, per¬ 
haps, she would not have done so; but she 
remembered what they had just been talking 
about, and resolved to conquer herself. 
