Chapters 27-28 Summary
Will is worried his friends will spread the tales he has told about Loma, although he thinks they are so good they are worth a whipping. He also told his pals stories about Miss Love, explaining that she wasn’t sleeping with his Grandpa as his wife. In this, he broke his promise to her and is not pleased with himself. The stories about Loma get out right away, and Will gets a whipping.
A committee of ladies had called on Love and told her they were shocked at her behavior and didn’t want her to play at church anymore. So Grandpa and Love hold their own church service at home now. He does the preaching, and Miss Love sings and plays. Grandpa explains to Will his sermon on what is important about Christ. He doesn’t care about the Virgin Birth or Resurrection.
Grandpa tells Will he has to apologize to Aunt Loma for the stories, but he doesn’t say anything to him about discussing with other people his sleeping arrangement with his wife. This is because Love herself had told the townspeople they are sleeping separately.
Chapters 27-28 Commentary
Will is both proud and ashamed of his big mouth. He likes to tell stories but has no control and begins to realize that he can hurt others with his thoughtless words, like Miss Love. Love, however, is way ahead of Will, for she has told the truth to the townspeople in hopes it will help her case. She thinks if she tells them she is just a housekeeper and not really a wife, they will forgive her.
Grandpa’s sermon on Christ and his other religious thoughts are some of the most important passages in the book, the context for the message of tolerance and love. Grandpa is not interested in Christian doctrines, but in the power of Christ’s spirit which is still alive in the present day. Christ teaches people not to fear. He cures the soul and teaches how to have faith in God. Will brings up again his question about why did Christ say ask and you shall receive. He once prayed for a million dollars, and he didn’t get it. Grandpa says he was just wishing, not praying.
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