"You air the woman! I know you by your favorance to your talk. I
allowed you would look that fair and tender. Here air the woman,
John and Marthy, that restored unto me my sight, and brung me up out
of the Valley of the Shadow. She tolt me what to do, and I follered
it, and, lo! the meracle was performed; wonderful things was done
unto me!" Here Aunt Dalmanutha--for it was she--supplemented the
embrace with kisses rained upon the head and brow of the trained
nurse.

Extricating herself at last from the strong arms in which she was
lifted from the ground and rocked powerfully back and forth, Miss
Shippen was able to look once more into the face she had failed to
recognize, and from which at least a score of years were now erased.

"Yes, John and Marthy and Evy and t' other seven young uns, take the
look of your life at that 'ere angel messenger that brung me the
good tidings of great joy; that lifted me up out of the pit of
darkness on to the mountain-tops whar I now sojourn. Yes, look, for
in heaven you 'll never see no better sight."

Embarrassed by the open-mouthed family gaze, and by the additional
presence of several teachers, who stopped to see and listen, Miss
Shippen said:

"Tell me all about your trip, Aunt Dalmanutha."

"Tell about it? Tell that which ten thousand tongues could scarce
relate? God knows my stumbling speech hain't equal to the occasion;
but I 'll do my best. You last seed me a-taking my fearsome way to
the railroad; and what were the sinking of my heart when John left