Mr. Bigler went on and gave some very interesting details of the intimate

connection between railroads and politics, and thoroughly entertained

himself all dinner time, and as much disgusted Ruth, who asked no more

questions, and her father who replied in monosyllables:

"I wish," said Ruth to her father, after the guest had gone, "that you

wouldn't bring home any more such horrid men. Do all men who wear big

diamond breast-pins, flourish their knives at table, and use bad grammar,

and cheat?"

O, child, thee mustn't be too observing. Mr. Bigler is one of the most

important men in the state; nobody has more influence at Harrisburg.

I don't like him any more than thee does, but I'd better lend him a

little money than to have his ill will."

"Father, I think thee'd better have his ill-will than his company. Is it

true that he gave money to help build the pretty little church of

St. James the Less, and that he is, one of the vestrymen?"

"Yes. He is not such a bad fellow. One of the men in Third street asked

him the other day, whether his was a high church or a low church? Bigler

said he didn't know; he'd been in it once, and he could touch the ceiling

in the side aisle with his hand."

I think he's just horrid," was Ruth's final summary of him, after the

manner of the swift judgment of women, with no consideration of the

The Gilded Age