knit Old Tobe a pair o' mittins! An' they say one o' his thumbs was
bigger'n the hand o' Providence. You don't want to try all the goodness
out of him, do ye?"

Cyrus gave one swift glance at his wife. "There! you see!" it said
plainly. "I am not without defenders." He took down his shaving-mug,
with an air of some bravado. But Mirandy was no shrew; she was simply
troubled about many things.

"Well," she said, compressing her lips, and wrinkling her forehead in
resignation. "If folks want to kill themselves, I can't hender 'em! But
when he's down ag'in, I shall be the one to take care of him, that's
all. Here, Cyrus, don't you go into that cold bedroom. You shave you
here, if you're determined to do it."

So Cyrus, after honing his razor, with the pleasure of a bored child
provided at last with occupation, betook himself to the glass set in
the lower part of the clock, and there, with much contortion of his
thin visage, proceeded to shave. Mirandy put her potatoes on to boil,
and set the fish on the stove to freshen; then She sat down by the
window, with a great basket beside her, and began to bind shoes.

"Here," said Mrs. Wadleigh, coming to her feet and adjusting her skirt,
"you give me a needle! I've got my thimble right here in my pocket.
It's three months sence I've seen a shoe. I should admire to do a pair
or two. I wish I could promise ye more, but somehow I'm bewitched to
git over home right arter dinner!"

Mrs. Pendleton laid down her work, and leaned back in her chair. Cyrus
turned, cleared his throat, and looked at her.