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The Age of Faith When old Allan Delcher slept with his fathers being so found in the big chair, with the worn, leather-bound Bible open in his lap the revived but still tender faith of Aunt Bell Hardwick was bitten as by frost.
Now God being a Presbiterian would know these 42 little ones had not been elected so they might as well be et up by bears as anything else to show forth his honour and glory Forever Amen. It should teach a Boy to be mighty carful about kidding old men unless he is a Presbiterian. I spelled every word in this right. "Mr. Allan Delcher Linford."
Helplessly he fell upon his knees before the big chair praying out his grief in hard, dry sobs that choked and shook his worn body. When Clytie knocked at the door an hour later, he was dry-eyed and apparently serene, but busy with papers at his table. "Is it something bad about Bernal, Mr. Delcher," she asked, "that he's going away so queer and sudden?"
Allan Delcher Linford, Esquire, aged nine years and six months." "This lesson," it began, "is to teach us to love God and the prophets or else we will likely get into trouble. It says Elisha went up from Bethel and some children came out of the city and said go up thou Baldhead.
"You pray for him, too, Clytie you love him but it's nothing to talk of." But the alarm of Clytemnestra was not to be put down by this. "Oh, Mr. Delcher " a look of horror grew big in her eyes "You don't mean to say he's gone and joined the Universalists?" The old man shook his head. "And he ain't a Unitarian?"
He said the words with great maudlin tears raining down his face, when my own eyes were dry!" "How good if you can leave them both in the church, preaching the word where you preached it so many years!" "I misdoubt the father's blood in them at least, in the older. But it's late. Good night, Clytie a good Christmas to you." "More to you, Mr. Delcher! Good night!"
If Clytie doesn't give up the skin of this one I shall be tempted to forget that she's a woman. There, I hear grandad coming, so you won't be leaving me alone." Grandfather Delcher came in cheerily as Nancy left the room. "Resting, my boy? That's good. You look brighter already Nancy must come often." He took Nancy's chair by the couch and began the reading of his morning's mail.
When he could no longer be reproached it transpired that he had left "to Allan Delcher Linford, son of one Clayton Linford," a beggarly pittance of five thousand dollars; and "to my beloved grandson, Bernal Linford, I give, devise and bequeath the residue of my estate, both real and personal."
She was not a little proud of Bernal the day he recited this to Grandfather Delcher without a break, though he began the second stanza somewhat timidly, because it sounded so much like swearing. Nor did she neglect to teach both boys the lessons of Holy Writ.
He told his tale to the two boys and Clytie, Grandfather Delcher having wished to hear no more of the occurrence.
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