Why , even old Josiah Sloane gets up every night . '' `` With his whiskers sticking out every which way , and his hair ditto , '' interjected the graceless Eben . `` When the minister calls for testimonials and all the folks look at our pew , I feel ready to sink through the floor for shame , '' sighed Mollie . `` If father would get up just once ! '' Miriam Bell entered the kitchen . She was ready for the meeting , to which Major Spencer was to take her . She was a tall , pale girl , with a serious face , and dark , thoughtful eyes , totally unlike Mollie . She had `` come under conviction '' during the meetings , and had stood up for prayer and testimony several times . The evangelist thought her very spiritual . She heard Mollie 's concluding sentence and spoke reprovingly . `` You should n't criticize your father , Mollie . It is n't for you to judge him . '' Eben had hastily slipped out . He was afraid Miriam would begin talking religion to him if he stayed . He had with difficulty escaped from an exhortation by Robert in the cow-stable . There was no peace in Avonlea for the unregenerate , he reflected . Robert and Miriam had both `` come out , '' and Mollie was hovering on the brink . `` Dad and I are the black sheep of the family , '' he said , with a laugh , for which he at once felt guilty . Eben had been brought up with a strict reverence for all religious matters . On the surface he might sometimes laugh at them , but the deeps troubled him whenever he did so .
Indoors , Miriam touched her younger sister 's shoulder and looked XXXXX her affectionately .
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