He went to the upper story,
and related to his metaphysical associate his wonderful success;
how he had driven the dame from the house in tears and deep
confusion, and left the backsliding laird in such a quandary of
shame and repentance that he could neither articulate a word nor
lift up his countenance. The dame thanked him most cordially,
lauding his friendly zeal and powerful eloquence; and then the
two again set keenly to the splitting of hairs, and making
distinctions in religion where none existed.
They being both children of adoption, and secured from falling
into snares, or anyway under the power of the wicked one, it was
their custom, on each visit, to sit up a night in the same
apartment, for the sake of sweet spiritual converse; but that time,
in the course of the night, they differed so materially on a small
point somewhere between justification and final election that the
minister, in the heat of his zeal, sprung from his seat, paced the
floor, and maintained his point with such ardour that Martha was
alarmed, and, thinking they were going to fight, and that the
minister would be a hard match for her mistress, she put on some
clothes, and twice left her bed and stood listening at the back of
the door, ready to burst in should need require it.
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