human
A pretty place, this village is, said the motorist to the minister.
gpt
I have visited the Ellerys here. Really charming in summer time--so utterly deserted and peaceful. He looked out of the window speculatively.
human
Rather odd we should be passing through it to-day. There's been a lot of talk about it in our family lately.
gpt
How so?
human
Why, my brother-in-law--Peg's husband--don't you remember, the one who sang so fearfully flat in----
gpt
But what did you start to tell me about him?
human
I forget, I'm sure. What was it? Oh, yes; he owns those print mills in Johnsonville--hideous place for Peg to live, that town!--and of late he's been awfully put out by the failure of his water-power. There's not much fall there at the best, and when the river's low--and it's low most all the time nowadays--he doesn't get power enough, so he says, to run a churn! He's been wondering what he could do about it, when doesn't he get a tip from some old Rube up here that, above this village, there's a whopping water-power--the Winthrop Branch. I know it--fished it lots of times. He didn't take any stock in it of course at first, but, just on the chance, he sent his engineer up here to look it over, and, by Jove, it's true. It'll furnish twice the power he's had in Johnsonville lately.
gpt
Seems queer, said the minister a little skeptically,
human
Well, _I_ said that, but Pete says that his engineer tells him that there are lots of such unknown water-powers in the East. Nobody but farmers live near 'em, you see.
gpt
I thought the cost of transmitting power was so great it didn't pay for any water-force but Niagara.
human
He isn't going to carry the power to Johnsonville. He's going to bring his mill here. A lot of his operators come from around here and most of 'em have kept their old homes, so there won't be any trouble about keeping his help. Besides, it seems the old hayseed who wrote him about it owned the land, and offered him land, water-power, right of way--anything!--free, just to 'help the town' by getting the mill up here. That bespeaks the materialistic Yankee, doesn't it?--to want to spoil a quiet little Paradise like this village with a lot of greasy mill-hands.
gpt
I think I'll begin the service now. There's no use waiting for a congregation to turn up. He felt in one pocket after the other with increasing irritation.
human
Pshaw! I've left my eyeglasses out in the car.
gpt
They're coming back! she cried.
human
Annie and her children!
gpt
They are _all_ coming back, she said,
human
she got up and opened the door into the great, cold, lofty church,
gpt
Next Christmas! said Miss Molly.
human
Next Christmas--
gpt
We will open the service by singing hymn number forty-nine.
human
Oh, come, all ye faithful!