"I don't believe this part of the programme will work," Alfred said,
confidently, the moment the door closed after Mrs. Roberts. "Those
fellows will all be afraid of Mr. Roberts, and we shall lose what little
hold we have on them."
"They don't look to me as though it ever occurred to them to be afraid
of anything," Gracie said; but Alfred Ried, who had studied deeper into
this problem of the different classes of society, was ready with his
answer.
"Yes they are; they can be awed, and made to feel uncomfortable to the
degree that they will resolve not to appear in that region again.
One cannot judge from their behavior in Sabbath-school. Some way they
recognize a mission school as being in a sense their property, and
behave accordingly; but in a man's own house, surrounded by things of
which they do not even know the name, he has them at a disadvantage, and
can easily rouse within them the feeling that they are 'trapped.' Than
which there is nothing those fellows dread so much, I believe."
"But they were not afraid of Flossy last week, even surrounded by the
elegances of her parlors and dining-room."
"Ah!" he said, his eyes alight, "she has a wisdom born of God, I think,
for managing these and all other concerns.
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