But she did, poor little creeter! she did.

Maria died when Cicely wus about eighteen. She had always been delicate,
and couldn't live no longer: so she died. And Josiah and me went right
after the poor child, and brought her home with us.

[Illustration: CICELY.]

She lived, Cicely did, because she wus young, and couldn't die. And Josiah
and me wus dretful good to her; and many's the nights that I have gone
into her room when I'd hear her cryin' way along in the night; many's the
times I have gone in, and took her in my arms, and held her there, and
cried with her, and soothed her, and got her to sleep, and held her in my
arms like a baby till mornin'. Wall, she lived with us most a year that
time; and it wus about two years after, while she wus to some of her
father's folks'es (they wus very rich), that she met the young man she
married,--Paul Slide.

He wus a handsome young man, well-behaved, only he would drink a little
once in a while: he'd got into the habit at college, where his mate wus
wild, and had his turns. But he wus very pretty in his manners, Paul was,
--polite, good-natured, generous-dispositioned,--and very rich.

And as to his looks, there wuzn't no earthly fault to find with him, only
jest his chin. And I told Josiah, that how Cicely could marry a man with
such a chin wus a mystery to me.

And Josiah said, "What is the matter with his chin?"

And I says, "Why, it jest sets right back from his mouth: he hain't got no