year by year you will more nearly approach my own age, and become,
according to the ordinary opinion of the world, more suitable companions
for me. Then you will reach my age. We shall be three gray-haired friends.
Then will come the saddening time, the mournful days. You two will grow
older and older, and I shall remain where I am--always fifty-three. Then
you will grow to be elderly--elderly people; at last, aged people. If you
live long enough I shall look up to you as I would to my parents."

This was a state of things I had never contemplated. I could scarcely
appreciate it.

"Of course," he continued, "I wish you both to live long; but don't you
see how it affects me? But enough of that. Here comes Mrs. Crowder, and
with her all subjects must be pleasant ones."

"I think thee must buy some short cigars," she said, just putting her
head inside the door, "to smoke after dinner. If large ones are necessary,
they can be smoked after I go to bed. I am getting very impatient; for now
that Mr. Randolph is here, I believe that thee is going to be unusually
interesting."

We arose immediately, and joined Mrs. Crowder in the library.

This lady's use of the plain speech customary with Quakers was very
pleasant to me. I had had but little acquaintance with it, and at first its
independence of grammatical rules struck upon me unpleasantly; but I soon
began to enjoy Mrs. Crowder's speech, when she was addressing her husband,
much more than I did the remarks she made to me, the latter being always
couched in the most correct English. There was a sweetness about her
"thee" which had the quality of gentle music; and when she used the word