Had not a mite of an objection to 'commodatin' the good folks with
'most anything, or puttin' on the longest and seriousest face out
doors--a face that would beat the Deacon's; but couldn't go t'other
thing. Smooth could rather beat the Deacon on a serious face; but the
old hoss was a regular steamboat when it come to exhortations and such
things. Wouldn't 'a done to have a brush with the Deacon, without
being sure of beating him, for he was mighty egotistical about his
prayers. Well, there was no help for it, we must feel kind and happy
to see so many happy ones around one, who could not? It was strictly
in accordance with Smooth's philosophy to make people as happy as
possible, and so he kept asking anxious questions, gettin'
satisfactory answers,--answers that would be sure to make me all
straight in the pious, with a day or two's consideration.
"In this way the spirits kept up until the pleasant hour of midnight
came; then the Deacon invited me to go home and hang up at his
house. It was just the thing for Smooth, but he had to decline twice
before he got over the polite so to accept: and then he knew Split was
taking the mackerel aboard like sixty.
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