Stephen Crane

“ He was an ideal Sunday-school superintendent -- one who had never felt hunger or thirst or the wound of the challenge of dishonor.
Jimmie, walking carefully on his toes, followed Homer Phelps. He felt that the kingly superintendent might cry out and blast him to ashes before he could reach a chair. It was a desperate journey. But at last he heard Homer muttering to a young lady, who looked at him through glasses which greatly magnified her eyes. "A new boy," she said, in a deeply religious voice. ”

“ It was said to be the most heart-breaking task to be generous, wasn't it? One had to pay the price of one's eyes in order to be pacific, didn't one? As for patience, it was tortured martyrdom to be patient, wasn't it? ”

“ Sometimes we do almost what we like."
"All right," said Jimmie, glad to place himself in the hands of his friend. In due time they entered the Sunday-school room, where a man with benevolent whiskers stood on a platform and said, "We will now sing No. ”