on my pardner, when crossness wuz in his mean and snappishness wuz
present with him. I have known him to set off with the mean of a
lion and come back with the liniment of a lamb. Curious, haint
it?

And jest the prospect of a tower ahead is a great help to a woman
in rulin' and keepin' a pardner straight and right in his
liniments and his acts. Somehow jest the thought of a tower sort
a lifts him up in mind, and happifys him, and makes him easier to
quell, and pardners must be quelled at times, else there would be
no livin' with 'em. This is known to all wimmen companions and
and men too. Great great is the mystery of pardners.




II.

ARDELLA TUTT AND HER MOTHER.


But to resoom and continue on. I was a settin' one day, after it
wuz all decided, and plans laid on; I wuz a settin' by the fire a
mendin' one of Josiah's socks. I wuz a settin' there, as soft and
pliable in my temper as the woosted I wuz a darnin' 'em with, my
Josiah at the same time a peacefelly sawin' wood in the
wood-house, when I heard a rap at the door and I riz up and opened
it, and there stood two perfect strangers, females. I, with a
perfect dignity and grace (and with the sock still in my left
hand) asked 'em to set down, and consequently they sot. Then