And the next Tuesday evenin' we had the pound party. They
concluded to have it to our house. And Thomas Jefferson and
Maggie, and Tirzah Ann and Whitefield came home early in the
afternoon to help trim the parlor and setin' room with evergreens
and everlastin' posies, and fern leaves.

They made the room look perfectly beautiful. And they each of
'em, the two childern and their companions, brought home a motto
framed in nice plush and gilt frames, which they put up on each
side of the settin' room, and left them there as a present to
their pa and me. They think a sight of us, the childern do --
and visey versey, and the same.

One of 'em wuz worked in gold letters on a red back-ground "Bear
Ye One Another's Burdens." And the other wuz "Feed my Lambs."

They think a sight on us, the childern do -- they knew them
mottoes would highly tickle their pa and me. And they did seem to
kinder invigorate up all the folks that come to the party.

And they wuz seemingly legions. Why, they come, and they kept a
comin'. And it did seem as if every one of 'em had tried to see
who could bring the most. Why, they brought enough to keep the
Smedleys comfortable all winter long. It wuz a sight to see 'em.

It wuz a curious sight, too, to set and watch what some of the
folks said and done as they brought their pounds in.

I had to be to the table all the time a'most, for I wuz appointed
a committee, or a board -- I s'pose it would be more proper to