"What didn't?" sez I.

"I'm always good," sez he, and he snapped out the words real
snappish, and loud.

And I sez mildly, "Wall, you needn't bring the ruff down to prove
your goodness."

And he went on: "I don't see as they are so pesky good here; I
haint seen nothin' of it."

"Wall," sez I, "when I look over Yaddo, and Hilton Park, it makes
me reconciled, Josiah, to have men get rich; it makes me willin',
Josiah."

And he sez (cross), He guessed men would get rich whether I wuz
willin' or not; he guessed they wouldn't ask me.

"Wall, you needn't snap my head off, Josiah Allen," sez I,
"because I love to see folks use their wealth to make pleasant
places for poor folks to wander round in, and forget their own
narrow rocky roads for a spell. It is a noble thing to do,
Josiah Allen; they might have built high walls round 'em if they
had been a mind to, and locked the gates and shet out all the
poor and tired-out ones, But they didn't, and I am highly tickled
at the thought on't, Josiah Allen."

"Wall, I don't shet up our sugar lot, do I? and I have never
heerd you say one word a praisin' me up for that."