"No," sez I, "and truly as you say, the woman who is your wife
needs prayer, she needs help, morn half the time she duz."

He looked kinder dissatisfied at the way I turned it, but he sez,
"'Plumbin' done here!'"

"I'd love to know where they are goin' to plum. I don't see no
sign of plum trees, nor no stick to knock 'em off with." And agin
he sez, "You would make a great 'fuss, Samantha, if I should say
what is painted up right there on that cross piece. You would say
I wuz a swearin'."

Sez I coldly, (or as cold as I could with my blood heated by the
voyalence and rapidity of the walk he had been a leadin' me,)
"There is a Van in front of it. Van Dam haint swearin'."

"You would say it wuz if I used it," sez he reproachfully. "If I
should fall down on the ice, or stub my toe, and trip up on the
meetin' house steps, and I should happen to mention the name of
that street about the same time, you would say I wuz a swearin'."

I did not reply to him; I wouldn't. And ag'in he hurried me on'ards
by some good lookin' bildin's, and trees, and tavrens, and cottages,
and etc., etc., and we come to Caroline street, and Jane, and
Matilda, and lots of wimmen's names.

And Josiah sez, "I'll bet the man that named them streets wuz love
sick!"