He thinks that he 's bound to live up to his cleverness , and that it 's smarter to thrash out some new way of getting to heaven than to go by the old track the common , ignorant folks is travelling . But he 'll get there sometime all right , and then he 'll laugh at himself . '' `` Mr. Howard was a Methodist to begin with , '' said Miss Cornelia , as if she thought he had not far to go from that to heresy . `` Do you know , Cornelia , '' said Captain Jim gravely , `` I 've often thought that if I was n't a Presbyterian I 'd be a Methodist . '' `` Oh , well , '' conceded Miss Cornelia , `` if you were n't a Presbyterian it would n't matter much what you were . Speaking of heresy , reminds me , doctor -- I 've brought back that book you lent me -- that Natural Law in the Spiritual World -- I did n't read more 'n a third of it . I can read sense , and I can read nonsense , but that book is neither the one nor the other . '' `` It IS considered rather heretical in some quarters , '' admitted Gilbert , `` but I told you that before you took it , Miss Cornelia . '' `` Oh , I would n't have minded its being heretical . I can stand wickedness , but I ca n't stand foolishness , '' said Miss Cornelia calmly , and with the air of having said the last thing there was to say about Natural Law . `` Speaking of books , A Mad Love come to an end at last two weeks ago , '' remarked Captain Jim musingly . `` It run to one hundred and three chapters . When they got married the book stopped right off , so I reckon their troubles were all over . It 's real nice that that 's the way in books anyhow , is n't it , even if 't ist n't so anywhere else ? '' `` I never read novels , '' said Miss Cornelia . `` Did you hear how Geordie Russell was today , Captain Jim ? '' `` Yes , I called in on my way home to see him . He 's getting round all right -- but stewing in a broth of trouble , as usual , poor man . '' ` Course he brews up most of it for himself , but I reckon that do n't make it any easier to bear . '' `` He 's an awful pessimist , '' said Miss Cornelia .
`` Well , no , he ai n't a pessimist exactly , XXXXX .
't Cornelia Howard Law Methodist Presbyterian Russell pessimist right third