Chapter 3

"All that glisters is not gold,
Often have you heard that told;
Many a man his life hath sold,
But my outside to behold."

_Merchant of Venice._

No sooner was Deacon Pratt left alone, than he hastened to the humble
dwelling of the Widow White. The disease of Daggett was a general decay
that was not attended with much suffering. He was now seated in a homely
armchair, and was able to converse. He was not aware, indeed, of the real
danger of his case, and still had hopes of surviving many years. The
deacon came in at the door, just as the widow had passed through it, on
her way to visit another crone, who lived hard by, and with whom she was
in the constant habit of consulting. She had seen the deacon in the
distance, and took that occasion to run across the road, having a sort of
instinctive notion that her presence was not required when the two men
conferred together. What was the subject of their frequent private
communications, the Widow White did not exactly know; but what she
imagined, will in part appear in her discourse with her neighbour, the
Widow Stone.

"Here's the deacon, ag'in!" cried the Widow White, as she bolted hurriedly
into her friend's presence. "This makes the third time he has been at _my_
house since yesterday morning. What _can_ he mean?"

"Oh! I dare say, Betsy, he means no more than to visit the sick, as he
pretends is the reason of his many visits."

"You forget it is Sabba' day!" added the Widow White, with emphasis.

"The better day, the better deed, Betsy."

"I know that; but it's dreadful often for a _man_ to visit the sick--three
times in twenty-four hours!"

"Yes; 't would have been more nat'ral for a woman, a body must own,"
returned the Widow Stone, a little drily. "Had the deacon been a woman, I
dare say, Betsy, you would not have thought so much of his visits."

"I should think nothing of them at all," rejoined the sister widow,
innocently enough. "But it is dreadful odd in a _man_ to be visiting about
among the sick so much--and he a deacon of the meeting!"

"Yes, it is not as common as it might be, particularly among deacons. But,
come in, Betsy, and I will show you the text from which minister preached
this morning. It's well worth attending to, for it touches on our forlorn
state." Hereupon, the two relicts entered an inner room, where we shall
leave them to discuss the merits of the sermon, interrupted by many
protestations on the part of the Widow White, concerning the "dreadful"
character of Deacon Pratt's many visits to _her_ cottage, "Sabba' days" as
well as week days.

In