what more do we learn about miss maudie during chapter 8

First, we learn that Miss Maudie isn't easily intimidated. When the Baptists comment that she indulges in the sin of vanity by spending so much time caring for her garden, she retorts, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance!" Through this response we see that Miss Maudie isn't afraid to make a comeback, nor is she ignorant of her Bible.

Miss Maudie's comments about Boo show her to be both compassionate and sympathetic. They also show her tolerance of the less fortunate.

"That is a sad house. I remember Arthur Radley when he was a boy. He always spoke nicely to me, no matter what folks said he did. Spoke as nicely as he knew how."