EX LIBR1S 
 
 FRED M. I)K>VIT 
 
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 II TKKI-XiKAlMI AVI:. 
 

 ALVMNW BOOK FVND 
 
*//7*V^xC 
 
ANNE SPARROW AS THE PURITAN PRISCILLA. 
 
 "To be sure, her kerchief was figured and her apron cross-barred; but what 
 of that ? " Page 194. 
 
ZURY: THE MEANEST MAN 
 IN SPRING COUNTY 
 
 A NOVEL OF WESTERN LIFE 
 
 BY 
 
 JOSEPH KIRKLAND 
 
 BOSTON AND NEW YORK 
 HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY 
 
 1887 
 
Copyright, 1887, 
 BY JOSEPH KIRKLAND. 
 
 All rights reserved. 
 
 The Riverside Press, Cambridge f 
 Electrotyped and Printed by II. 0. Houghton & Co. 
 
z/8 
 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 I. EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY .... 1 
 II. TRIFLING DOINGS OF Low- DOWN FOLKS . . 21 
 
 III. ZURY " NIGGERING . LOGS AND MAKING A CORN- 
 
 CROP 37 
 
 IV. MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY FOR A 
 
 COLLEGE ,..,. 64 
 V. How THE MEANEST MAN GOT so MEAN, AND 
 
 HOW MEAN HE GOT 74 
 
 VI. A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD . . 88 
 
 VII. ANNE SPARROW MEETS THE MEANEST MAN . 106 
 VIII. How ANNE BOARDS ROUND, AND HOW SHE 
 
 LIKES IT 131 
 
 IX. UNIVERSALISM, AND " COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE " 150 
 
 X. HOW FARES THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER ? 176 
 
 XI. ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END AND HER PEACE 
 
 ALSO 202 
 
 XII. ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED . . 224 
 
 XIII. PANDORA S Box, WITH HOPE AT THE VERY BOT 
 
 TOM 246 
 
 XIV. PASTORAL CARE FOR AN INTRACTABLE EWE- 
 
 LAMB 269 
 
 XV. KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS .... 287 
 XVI. A NOVELTY IN NOVEL WEDDING TRIPS . . 303 
 XVII. ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE .... 326 
 
 XVIII. ELECTIONEERING 342 
 
 XIX. HOME AGAIN ZURY DEFEATED THOUGH VICTO- 
 
 __ RIOUS 362 
 
 J09.L 
 
vi CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XX. SHOOTING-MATCH CHOIR PASTOR S VISIT . 376 
 
 XXI. ZURY IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT . . 397 
 
 XXII. MAN PROPOSES ; WOMAN DISPOSES . . . 415 
 
 XXIII. A NIGHTMARE ALSO A HORSE-SHED . . 440 
 
 XXIV. A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE 460 
 
 XXV. AMARI ALIQUID 475 
 
 XXVI. ANOTHER PROPOSAL AND ANOTHER ANSWER . 493 
 XXVII. A LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM . 509 
 
ZURY: 
 
 THE MEANEST MAN IN SPRING COUNTY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 EARLY DAYS IN SPUING COUNTY. 
 
 GREAT are the toils and terrible the hardships 
 that go to the building up of a frontier farm ; in 
 conceivable to those who have not done the task 
 or watched its doing. In the prairies, Nature has 
 stored, and preserved thus far through the ages, 
 more life-materials than she ever before amassed 
 in the same space. It is all for man, but only for 
 such men as can take it by courage and hold it by 
 endurance. Many assailants are slain, many give 
 up and fly, but he who is sufficiently brave, and 
 strong, and faithful, and fortunate, to maintain the 
 fight to the end, has his ample reward. 
 
 " Spect we must be a-gittin daown inter 
 Spring River bottom, dad." 
 
 " Should n wonder, Zury. This h yer flat s 
 the secV bottom. Tears t be a drap jist ahead, 
 that ll let us daown t the low bottom." 
 
 Just then, a more than usually vicious jolt 
 
2 ZURY. 
 
 of the wagon beside which they were walking, 
 brought a cry of pain from inside the cotton tilt 
 that covered it. Old Ephraitn stopped the team, 
 and poked his head into the opening at the back. 
 
 " What s the matter, Shoog ? " (short for 
 " Sugar "). " Did ee hurt eeself ? " 
 
 " Mommy s honey knocked her head agin the 
 hoop, when ye slumped inter that blamed old 
 chuck-hole ! " said the mother, who had her sick 
 little girl in her arms, assuaging the pain of a 
 hard bump, the latest of many sustained during 
 the past weeks of slow and painful travel. 
 
 " Poppy can t oilers shun raound th chuck- 
 holes ; the road s so narrer, n the s sech lots on 
 em ! " 
 
 "Chuck-holes" is the expressive Western name 
 for the short, sharp depressions which use makes 
 in unworked country roads, each hole being on 
 the other side of the track from some rock or 
 root that raises a wheel out of its rut. 
 
 " Don t li l Shoog wanter come out n have 
 poppy hold her on the mare fer a spell?" 
 
 But the little pale one was too tired, and only 
 shook her head. 
 
 " Wai never mind ! Mebbe we 11 git thar 
 come night. Then she kin rest ! " 
 
 With this blessed, heavenly, almost incon 
 ceivably blissful thought, the little procession 
 resumed its laborious progress. It consisted of 
 a "prairie schooner," a groaning and complain 
 ing wagon, covered with a cotton tilt stretched 
 over high hoops, and drawn by a span of jaded 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 3 
 
 mares worn down by hundreds of miles of steady 
 pulling, and still further exhausted by two long- 
 legged, shambling colts, that had been their bur 
 den and their solace ever since they left the 
 mountains of southern Pennsylvania. Next fol 
 lowed a cow and calf. Next came a fine sheep 
 dog, evidently in charge of the whole party, and 
 extremely watchful that no man, woman, or child, 
 horse, colt, cow, or calf, or smallest bit of stray 
 personal property, should fall out and get left be 
 hind. If a whip should be dropped, Shep would 
 pick it up, and drag it carefully forward until 
 relieved of its long, awkward weight. Even a 
 piece of useless household waste could not be got 
 rid of without its being once or oftener taken 
 away from Shep, while he was sternly given to 
 understand that it must be left behind, blows 
 being sometimes necessary to his full compre 
 hension, after which he would consent to aban 
 don it, reluctantly and with many a halt and 
 backward look. Then he would be low-spirited 
 and unhappy for miles, seeming hurt that his 
 humble effort to be useful should be snubbed 
 and nipped in the bud. 
 
 The guiding spirit of the caravan was a 
 shabby, grizzled, middle-aged man, worn and 
 bent with toil and self-forgetfulness. He walked 
 beside the mares, sometimes guiding them, but 
 oftener letting them find their own way, with 
 the lines hung up on the names. Near him, or 
 elsewhere, " here and there and everywhere," 
 traveled a stout, red-faced, well-grown boy, of 
 
4 ZURY. 
 
 whom we shall hear so much in these pages that 
 we need not dwell upon him just now. The 
 whole outfit, the "schooner" and its accompani 
 ments, was only one of a million like unto it 
 which have traversed this land, headed westward, 
 in the century past, and will continue to travel 
 for a generation yet to come, until they meet the 
 reflux wave from the Pacific with the message, 
 " No use to go on. Standing room only." Then, 
 as the illimitable tide continues to flow, it must 
 diverge, part up toward the Arctic, to the region 
 of the Saskatchewan, even disturbing the elk, 
 beaver, and wild swans of the mysterious Macken 
 zie River ; part down, down, down, to the Isthmus 
 and beyond. They are good things, these " prairie 
 schooners," the carriers of virtue, honesty, intel 
 ligence, and freedom, and an incredible capacity 
 and appetite for toil, the " Mayflowers of the 
 West." 
 
 Now our party reaches another steep decliv 
 ity, to descend which a wheel has to be chained. 
 Once down, they find themselves in a flat and 
 comfortable bottom-land, formed by the latest 
 river deposits, containing some sand and gravel, 
 and therefore making a better roadway, in dry 
 times, than the clayey upland. Gigantic white- 
 trunked poplars, cottonwoods, and sycamores, and 
 ragged water-elms, with a plentiful sprinkling of 
 splendid black-walnuts, here spring from an al 
 most grassless plain, and climbing up their trunks 
 and stretching from tree to tree are enormous 
 wild grape-vines, the whole having a look of 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 5 
 
 tropical luxuriance. Up to a certain level, ex 
 actly the same on all the trees, there is a gray 
 stain left by the muddy spring floods, which 
 shows the proximity of the river, and graphically 
 indicates the times when it changes from a mere 
 innocent-looking belt of clear water, interrupted 
 by bars and beds and shallows innumerable, to 
 a vast moving lake, a surging flood of silt- 
 charged fluid, carrying its quota to form the delta 
 of the Mississippi. 
 
 So great is the relief of the soft and level road 
 that the little girl falls asleep, and awakes quite 
 refreshed; then, further stimulated by a dose of 
 the inevitable quinine, she is induced to try a 
 short ride on the back of the nigh mare, where 
 her father carefully holds her as he walks. 
 
 "Oh, ferever ! how funny!" she exclaims, as 
 she looks about on the changed scene. "Ain t 
 this jist tew cur us ! Looks s though th trees 
 all hed the r stock n s on ! " 
 
 At this bright fancy the others all laughed, 
 or came as near to a hearty laugh as their kind, 
 grim, grown-up pioneers, ever do come. 
 
 "Yew bet!" said Zury. " Pootty dirty 
 stock n s tew ! " 
 
 " What s them long things a-hangin fr m th 
 trees ? " 
 
 " Them s swings the trees puts up fer good 
 little gals to swing on tew ! " % 
 
 "Wai, that s me!" 
 
 " That s so, honey ! If ever th wuz a good 
 little gal, it s mommy s honey. Best little gal on 
 the job." 
 
6 ZURY. 
 
 " Kin I git t hev a swing? " 
 
 "Kin ye? Ye jist kin! N Zury s the boy 
 that 11 swing ye ! Jest s sure s we git thar ! " 
 
 u Thar," the unknown land where all was to 
 be well, where a thousand buds of promise were 
 to blossom and a thousand dreams were to be 
 come realities, was a whole section of the public 
 domain, "six hunderd V forty acres o the finest 
 land th t ever laid ou doors," which Ephraim 
 Prouder had " entered," paying for it partly with 
 the land-warrant given him as a soldier in the war 
 of 1812, and partly with the entire savings of his 
 lifetime. He had never seen it, but had invested 
 his all in it with the fine and amazing faith of the 
 emigrant, faith so rarely misplaced, among all 
 the hordes who have taken their lives in their 
 hands and journeyed forth to people the West. 
 
 "Ephr m, ain t it git-tin nigh on ter noon? 
 Better n t we stop and eat a piece ? " 
 
 " Not hardly, S liny," said the old man, squint 
 ing up at the sun. " Guess we better push on 
 t the river. Can t be fur naow. Then we 11 hev 
 s m water fer the stawk, n know whar we be." 
 
 Almost as he spoke, the glitter of water ap 
 peared between the tree trunks, and they soon 
 reached the river bank, where the existence of a 
 ferry was indicated by a great rope stretched 
 across, each end attached high up on a conven 
 ient tree trunk 1 , and the middle hanging down near 
 the water. 
 
 " Guess we 11 ongear h yer, n git acrost after- 
 w ds," said Ephraim. 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 7 
 
 " Better hold on till we git over, dad ; th ain t 
 no grass h yer fer the stawk," suggested Zury. 
 
 " Mebbe th ain t none t other side nuther, 
 son." 
 
 " Mebbe not, but the can t be any less n none, 
 V the kin be more." 
 
 By this time they saw the scow putting out 
 from the further bank and creeping slowly over, 
 aided by the device of attaching its bow to the 
 rope with a shorter line than that which held its 
 stern ; so that its flat side was presented slanting 
 to the current. As it approached it did not look 
 large enough to hold the wagon, alone; but never 
 theless, the whole caravan was got on board and 
 safely over, albeit Shep evidently thought the 
 experiment a hazardous one, and felt it incum 
 bent on him to take the most active and anxious 
 care that no accident should be allowed to occur. 
 
 The place where they crossed was a mill-pond, 
 made by a dam just below. At the dam were a 
 saw-mill and grist-mill, and near by was a country 
 store, a tavern, and a few other modest structures. 
 
 " That s Way back, I s pose." 
 
 " Ya-as," answered the ferryman. " That s 
 Wayback City." 
 
 " Spect the s a ford daown below the dam," 
 said Zury. 
 
 " Wai, yes, a kinder sorter one," answered the 
 other, after due consideration of the fact that he 
 had his charge safely on board and beyond the 
 possibility of backing out. " Might lose a colt or 
 a calf, V th ferriage is only twenty cents." 
 
8 ZURY. 
 
 " Twenty cents ! " said father and son in cho 
 rus. The idea of characterizing such a sum of 
 money as " only twenty cents ! " 
 
 But there was no help for it ; the money was 
 produced with difficulty and paid with pain. The 
 ferryman directed them to a little " rise " where 
 they would find grass, and there they fed their 
 beasts and ate their " piece " in quiet ; but the 
 outlay of twenty cents cast a gloom over the oc 
 casion. 
 
 Afterward the " men folks " went to the tavern 
 to get some accurate directions for finding their 
 new home ; they only knew the Section, Town, 
 and Range, and that it was on the edge of the 
 timber six miles beyond Wayback. Then they 
 spent a few more cents in supplies, and started 
 on the final stage of their hegira. 
 
 It was the reverse of the descent they had made 
 in the morning. First the low, ragged luxuriance 
 of the bottom, annually enriched with the fine 
 Nile-like deposit of the floods; then the "second 
 bottom," covered with the calmer verdure spring 
 ing from deposits made centuries ago; then the 
 final climb to the general level. 
 
 Spring County is one of those highly-prized and 
 early-sought-for localities where both prairie and 
 timber awaited the settler. Spring River in the 
 course of ages had dug for itself a deep ravine, 
 through which it runs between high banks, 
 sometimes abutting the river in bluffs, sometimes 
 receding from it and leaving broad bottoms, but 
 oftenest having bluff on one side and bottom on 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 9 
 
 the other. On each bank a belt of country was 
 then (it was in the first quarter of the present 
 century that our scene opens) covered with forest 
 primeval. The timber growth of the near bot 
 toms has been already described. Further up the 
 slopes, elm, oak, maple, hickory, and other hardy 
 growths had braved and checked the prairie fires 
 and equally destructive prairie winds from time im 
 memorial. Outside these timber belts, and crowd 
 ing them in a stout struggle for the mastery, lies 
 the famous u Grand Prairie." For countless years 
 the soil has lain fallow ; crop after crop of prairie 
 grass has grown up in summer strong and rank, 
 and then in winter has lain down and decayed; 
 the result of the process being a soil of great 
 general fertility, suggestive of a thick layer of 
 cream on a gigantic milkpan. Lucky the pioneer 
 who has such woods behind him and such prairie 
 before him at the onset of his battle with the 
 elements. 
 
 As the Providers caravan emerged from the 
 timber on the open, Ephraim called to his wife, 
 
 " See here, S liny ! Here s the Grand Paraira 
 at last ! " 
 
 With haste Selina scrambled out to the wagon- 
 seat, where she sat and feasted her eyes on the 
 long-wished-for sight. There it was, to be sure ! 
 Under the warm afternoon sun, which was al 
 ready sinking in the yellow western glow of a 
 great, cloudless sky, lay an undulating ocean of 
 grass and flowers. In places, where an inequality of 
 the surface brought them into perspective range, 
 
10 ZURY. 
 
 the " prairie flowers " (blue gentian) gave to the 
 whole sward a tinge of pale azure ; here and there a 
 tall " rosin weed " would raise its spike of bloom ; 
 and again, the golden-rod gave the needed "dash of 
 color; " in damp spots there were lady-slippers and 
 other thirsty plants ; and mixed with these few 
 examples of nature s gay moods were weeds and 
 flowers of a thousand descriptions and as many 
 shades of color and varieties of form and texture. 
 Among, between, and around them was the per 
 sistent, peculiar prairie grass, a hardy, seedless 
 growth that spreads only by pushing out its in 
 tricate, interlacing roots ; tenacious of life, and 
 resisting drought and ^even fire with wonderful 
 hardihood, but never deigning to reestablish it 
 self after its chosen place has been desecrated by 
 the plow. In ground that has been cultivated 
 and then allowed to return to waste, other grasses 
 may be sown, strange weeds may plant them 
 selves in wild waste ; but its former proud occu 
 pant never returns. 
 
 Now it is near nightfall, and the man of the 
 family begins to look out anxiously for some 
 landmark in the woods which for miles back 
 have been skirting, on the right, the prairie road 
 they are traveling. At length he stops the team, 
 and walks off toward a towering oak he has been 
 noticing from afar. The two colts instantly lie 
 down ; so do the cow and calf, and the dog ; and 
 each of the mares begins to " favor " her weariest 
 foot. The youth climbs into the wagon-seat, and 
 rests there ; and the woman, with the child in 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 11 
 
 her arms, emerges from the recesses of the tilt 
 and sits beside him, without a word. The soft 
 rustle of the tree-tops and the music of the tree- 
 toads are the only sounds which break the vast 
 silence. Presently the man returns, tramping 
 through the thick grass. 
 
 "Here we be, S liny. That thar s the blazed 
 tree. We re jist abaout on the line twixt the 
 tew half-sections, where we stan ." 
 
 " This is home, is it ? Wai, ferever ! " 
 
 And Selina looked about her at forest and 
 prairie and sky and solitude. It is impossible 
 to tell whether she meant any sarcasm by her 
 words or not, probably not. But she heaved 
 a deep, unconscious sigh. 
 
 " Zury, the s a little branch starts out a ways 
 beyond the blazed tree. You take the pail V 
 see if ye kin git some water, V find a place t 
 water the stawk." 
 
 After Zury, followed by the faithful Shep, had 
 gone on his errand, the man took the harness off 
 the mares, and they walked off a few steps, lay 
 down and took a refreshing roll, and, concluding 
 that they were more tired than hungry, lay still 
 in the luxuriant grass, only nibbling at what they 
 could reach. 
 
 " Hand me daown th old muskit, S liny, n 
 I 11 see if I kin start a fire." * 
 
 He gathered a little dry grass and weeds, and, 
 putting a few grains of powder into the gun, fired 
 it into the mass, and soon had a smoky blaze. 
 (This was before the days of the friction match.) 
 
12 ZURY. 
 
 "Why didn t ye make it to wind ard o th 
 wagin, Ephr m, so s to keep off the skeeters ? " 
 
 " Oh, Zury he kin start a little smudge mound 
 thar. We 11 need one both sides afore morn n ." 
 
 Then, as Zury reappeared, 
 
 "D ye find the water? That s right; n ye 
 brought a chunk fer the fire, that s saved me a 
 trip. Naow drive the. stawk daown t the branch, 
 n take th axe along n cut a couple o crotches 
 n a pole to hang the kittle on tew." 
 
 " Come, Shep ; fetch em along." 
 
 The cheerful leap and bark of the dog starts 
 up the resting quadrupeds, and directs them all 
 toward the place he and his master have just ex 
 plored. He knows as well as anybody does what 
 is wanted, and accomplishes it better than any 
 body else could. 
 
 When they come back, the mares and the cow 
 are turned out, and allowed to graze at will, be 
 ing restrained, until they shall get to be " way- 
 wonted," from straying too far in the boundless 
 waste of herbage by the simple device of tether 
 ing the colts and calf. 
 
 Soon the kettle is boiling, the inevitable and 
 inestimable pot of green tea is ready, a tiny cup 
 of milk is provided. for the sick girl, the bread 
 and ham bought at Wayback are made good use 
 oi by the others, the additional " smudges " are 
 built, some things are removed from the wagon 
 to make sleeping-room, as has become a nightly 
 custom, and all hands turn in to their familiar 
 wagon-beds and sleep the sleep of the weary. 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 13 
 
 The whippoorwills keep up their sad and cease 
 less calls, the tree-toads their wild chatter, and all 
 night the gentle rustle of the leaves responds to 
 the undying breeze of the Grand Prairie. 
 
 As day dawned, the prairie reappeared, cov 
 ered with a shallow sea of silvery fog ; the night 
 sounds ceased, and from all around, near and far, 
 came the sound of the innumerable prairie-chick 
 ens, the miniature crow of the invisible cocks, 
 " Kitticadoo, cado-o-o-o ! " in ceaseless repetition, 
 now near, now far, in humble imitation of their 
 more belligerent congeners of the barn-yard. 
 
 Before " sun-up " Ephraim and Zury were stir 
 ring about in the heavy dew, freeing one of the 
 colts which had got entangled in its tether and 
 nearly ruined for life (vastly to Shop s pertur 
 bation), gathering sticks and hickory bark for a 
 fire, bringing up water, and so forth. Then, for 
 the rest of the day, and for many days there 
 after, the axes of father and son were heard from 
 dawn to dark, felling, trimming, and notching 
 logs, joists, and rafters for the hut. Next, by the 
 help of the now refreshed team, they had to be 
 " snaked " up through the grass to the place se 
 lected for a building site. The nearest neighbor 
 was three miles away, the nearest post-office and 
 store six miles. 
 
 When the "raising bee" took place, the re 
 freshments for the little band of friendly work 
 ers had to be cooked by Selina over a chip fire 
 in the jopen air. The feast consisted of boiled 
 pork, crackers, molasses and water with a dash of 
 
14 ZURY. 
 
 ginger, coffee sweetened with molasses, and, alas ! 
 the last of the cherished dried apples they had 
 brought from "home." Not another atom of fruit 
 did they see, except a small remnant of apples 
 kept for " the babe," till next blackberry har 
 vest ; barring a few wild grapes in the autumn, 
 the peculiarity of which fruit is that it consists 
 entirely of skin and bone, and very little of them. 
 
 After the raising, the rafters had to be cov 
 ered with " clapboards," split from straight logs 
 selected and cut square for the purpose. These 
 boards were held up by stringers laid across the 
 rafters, and held down by poles laid on them and 
 weighted with sticks and stones ; and, to do them 
 justice, a very poor roof they made, after all. 
 
 Next, the chinks in the walls had to be filled 
 up with split pieces of wood, and wet clay daubed 
 in all the crevices within and without, and a stick 
 chimney built and similarly plastered. Next 
 hang up some spare bed-clothing over the door and 
 window openings ; and next, move into the floor- 
 less, lightless shelter, pile your few household 
 belongings on the bruised sod of the interior, 
 and sit down and be thankful. 
 
 A hovel ? A palace to those who have con 
 structed it with their own hands, and now occupy 
 it, after having made a covered wagon serve as 
 a home for nearly three months. 
 
 All this and a hundred times more, which no 
 body would read even if anybody could possibly 
 write it, was accomplished by the able and will 
 ing father and son, the mother being chiefly occu- 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 15 
 
 pied with her sickly little one. As soon as the 
 household stuff was discharged from the wagon, a 
 load of boards was hauled from the saw-mill, and 
 a rough door and a rougher window-blind were 
 knocked together and hung in place by hinges 
 made from hickory withes. Later, the window 
 was cross-barred and covered with greased paper, 
 which admitted a little light ; and as soon as a 
 two-inch augur could be borrowed, a hole was 
 bored through the wall by the side of the fire, 
 through which small aperture a tiny ray of light 
 could fall on Selina s needles, on those rare occa 
 sions when she had time to sit down and devote 
 herself to such mere luxury as knitting. At other 
 times the hole was closed by a plug. 
 
 The only individual of the four travelers who 
 will journey on with us all through our story is 
 Zury, the boy. His parents, by some means we 
 wot not of, found for him the name " Usury," 
 pronounced with the accent on the second syl 
 lable, which extraordinary prenomen, shortened 
 to " Zury," has played a great part in Spring 
 County life from that day to this, and will bear a 
 proportionally important burden in these chron 
 icles. 
 
 Zury had come early so early that he had 
 forgotten it to that most thrilling experience 
 in every fine boy s life, the discovery that he, 
 too, is valuable to the little world about him. 
 He was a natural worker, a seeker after chances 
 to be useful, his ambition always outrunning the 
 demands made on him. When he could be lifted 
 
16 ZURY. 
 
 on a horse to go for the cows, of course he re 
 belled against " tending baby ; " and when he 
 could plow, he despised milking and the other 
 " chores," but he did them all the same, asking 
 no rest save the rest of change of occupation. 
 Achievement sprang from his mind and muscles 
 like petroleum from a flowing well : the only 
 thing needful was to provide channels for it. 
 
 Frontier life was what he needed to grow in. 
 Openings for hard profitable work are there 
 plenty, unmistakable, and tempting. One of the 
 ways in which he showed his enjoyment of the 
 consciousness of power was a natural impatience 
 of control or interference, a brusque self-assertion, 
 a rudeness which in a weaker being would have 
 been intolerable. Some splendid horses will balk 
 if you check or guide them, though at their own 
 speed and in their own fashion they will cheer 
 fully do more than anybody could ask or expect. 
 
 So sets out a traveler magnificently equipped 
 with natural gifts. Let us see how circumstances 
 favor, or dwarf, or distort their growth. 
 
 Up to this time he still retained a few boyish 
 weaknesses, not love of play, exactly, except as 
 all work was play to him, but a love for ingenious 
 devices in the work he did, and a busy brain 
 always occupied with thoughts of such devices 
 and of other things. Of course he was an indus 
 trious and accomplished whittler; his jack-knife 
 was always at hand and always sharp, and in the 
 intervals of more important avocations always 
 busy. His colts grew up " ready broke," or near 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 17 
 
 it; they began to help him almost as soon as 
 they were weaned. His horses were as tame as 
 dogs, and (up to their limited intellects) as intelli 
 gent. As he would say, " Hoss-flesh is cheaper n 
 man-flesh. Whenever ye kin dew back-work 
 with hoss-paower, ye re a makin money." 
 
 Another of his weaknesses was his love for his 
 helpless sister. It was a yearning fondness in direct 
 proportion to his strength and her weakness. If he 
 had grown weaker or she stronger, his affection 
 would have become less absorbing. Of course 
 little whittled playthings were her constant com 
 panions on the bed-cover, the earth-floor was too 
 damp for her, and mixed with them were lots 
 of vari-colored birds eggs, exquisitely cleaned by 
 a process devised by Zury. 
 
 The first eggs he brought her were of a delicate 
 pale green, and formed her dear delight for days. 
 Her little hands, more delicate than the eggs 
 themselves, fondled them with a tenderness that 
 kept them safe from breaking, but unhappily 
 nothing could save them from natural decay. 
 
 " What s th matter, Shoog? Don t ee cry." 
 
 " Oh, my eggies got spile t." 
 
 " Nem mind, Sweety ; bub 11 git ye s more 
 t morry ! " 
 
 "No, I want them." 
 
 " All right. Shoog sh ll have em agin t mor- 
 ry!" 
 
 "Sure enough?" 
 
 " Jest s sure s shootin ." 
 
 So the little sufferer went to sleep comforted. 
 
18 ZURY. 
 
 Zury took the eggs and tried to " blow " them 
 making a hole in each end, and puffing the 
 contents through with his breath. But they were 
 too delicate, and either the shell broke in spite of 
 all care or the holes were so big that the beauty 
 was lost. He pondered over the problem long and 
 hard, gazing at the egg he held, and trying to 
 overcome the apparent physical impossibility. 
 
 " Could n t I poke in suthV ? Not hardly ; th 
 ain t no room. Lessee naow. Ef I war n t so 
 big, I d jis crawl inside V scoop her aout good! 
 Lessee lessee lessee. Thar ! I ve got it ! " 
 
 He made a pin-hole in one end of each egg; 
 and with the first streak of dawn he was up and 
 out hunting for an ant-hill he had before observed, 
 where some almost infinitesimal marvels of in 
 dustry in formic shape were always busy at their 
 incomprehensible tasks. Here he deposited the 
 eggs, and soon saw the little creatures doing his 
 desired work in a manner delightful to behold. 
 
 "Where s my eggies?" asked a sweet little 
 voice when he came in for his breakfast. 
 
 " Brer Zury s a-fixin on em. Wait till noon- 
 spell, then we 11 see ! " 
 
 " Sure enough ? " 
 
 " Jest s sure s shootin ." 
 
 With much difficulty the little one waited, her 
 faith in Brer Zury aiding her to bear the im 
 patience of childhood and invalidism. (Her habit 
 of doing without most of the things she wanted 
 being also a helpful influence, alas !) 
 
 At noon-spell again : 
 
EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. 19 
 
 " Where s my eggies ? " 
 
 u They m a-comin along; not quite done yit." 
 
 The irrepressible tears would start at this fresh 
 disappointment ; so Zury went out and brought 
 in one of the eggs, with a small army of the little 
 toilers still busy about it. 
 
 " Oh, ferever ! What s them li l things ? " 
 
 " Them s ants lee tie bugs that loves eggs, 
 n they m a diggin on em aout fer li l Shoog. 
 See em a-runnin in n aout o th hoel ? Every 
 one t conies aout s got a leetle grain o stuff, 
 see ? He wants t carry it daown in th ant-hole 
 t feed his little sisters, only sence I fetched it 
 away he can t find the hoel any more." 
 
 " Oh, take it back, so the kin find ther li l sis 
 ters agin ! " 
 
 So all the long afternoon she pleased herself 
 with thinking of the work going on and the little 
 sisters being fed. At night Ziiry brought in 
 another, and again the girl was impatient to have 
 it returned. Then when the shells were perfectly 
 cleaned, she took them with a fresh delight, so 
 pretty and so pure ; and so light that she could 
 scarcely feel their weight in her fingers. One 
 poor stray ant that had not been carried back she 
 carefully guarded till Zury took it, with the prom 
 ise to return it to its sorrowing family, which 
 promise he faithfully performed. 
 
 On another day he came with a new plan for 
 the amusement of his darling. 
 
 " Brer Zury s fixed up a nice swing fer li l 
 Shoog." 
 
20 ZURY. 
 
 " A grape-vine swing? " 
 
 " Ya-as. Dooz she wanter come aout n swing 
 in the sunshine a leetle ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ! " said the child ; and, wrapped up 
 in all the poor defenses against the air which 
 their limited supplies could furnish, Zury carried 
 her out, and her thread-like fingers grasped the 
 rough vine while Zury swung her in short and 
 gentle vibrations. A very little was enough, and 
 they hoped for more strength on some other day. 
 The next time she was not so eager to make the 
 experiment ; and after the third time she said, 
 sweetly smiling, 
 
 " I feel so much better to-day th t I guess I 
 won t hev t go aout n swing." 
 
 And she swung no more. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 TRIFLING DOINGS OF LOW-DOWN FOLKS. 
 
 " EPHRAIM, could n t we git t git some stuff 
 fr m the sor-mill fer a floor, puncheons er 
 suth n ?" (" Puncheons," or "slabs," are the 
 side-cuts from logs squared for sawing.) 
 
 " Wai, S liny, ye see, th way the roads is 
 naow, a load o puncheons d take a day t haul, 
 n would n t more n kiver th spot th bed stan s 
 on, arter all." 
 
 " Mebbe the babe d dew better ef she worn t 
 right ontew th bare graound." 
 
 The old man sighed wearily, but had nothing 
 to say. Zury shortly afterward stopped his whit 
 tling and went out into the darkness ; returning 
 soon with his axe and some knotty chunks of hard 
 wood. Then he proceeded to chop and shape 
 them, throwing the chips into the fire as they 
 accumulated about him. 
 
 " What ye baout, sonny ? " 
 
 " Makin some gluts." (Gluts are wooden 
 wedges used in rail-splitting.) 
 
 " What fer ? " 
 
 " Split s m boards t lay daown fer a floor." 
 
 " The 11 all warp up." 
 
 " Mebbe so, mebbe not." 
 
22 ZURY. 
 
 " The will, sure s shootin ." 
 
 " Wai, let em." 
 
 Next morning at early dawn they could hear 
 his axe resounding through the leafy aisles, and 
 before breakfast two trees had fallen victims to 
 his prowess. 
 
 " What made ye pick sech small ones, Zury ? 
 Sh thought ye d a made a better outin ef ye d a 
 tuk big uns, like the one we got t rive the clab- 
 boards out of." 
 
 " Little uns, jest split in tew, n laid bark 
 daown, ain t s liable t warp up, I guess." 
 
 " Jesso, jesso. Dunno but ye re right, my son." 
 
 " Yew bet I m right, dad ! " 
 
 The trees were felled, cut in lengths equal to 
 the width of the room, hauled up, and split ; then 
 laid athwart the hovel in furrows carefully hol 
 lowed out of the ground and shaped so as to 
 bring the split sides to something like a level. 
 How beautiful that jagged and splintery surface 
 looked to those four pairs of eyes ! No shining 
 tessellated tiles, no noiseless velvety carpet, ever 
 gave more heartfelt delight. The mother thought 
 of the golden pavement of the heavenly streets, 
 but of course she kept to herself the foolish, un 
 practical fancy. 
 
 " Ye re my boy, ain t ye, Zury ? " 
 
 " That s what yew allers llaowed, mother, so I 
 llaow it s so." 
 
 "Mine too," said a weak little voice from out 
 the bundle of bed-clothes Zury held in his lap 
 before the fire. He laid his rough, bronzed cheek 
 
TRIFLING DOINGS OF LOW-DOWN FOLKS. 23 
 
 on the pale forehead and damp clinging hair of the 
 suffering child, but did not speak. 
 
 About the floor they none of them said much ; 
 but they almost hated to go to bed and lose sight 
 of it. They slyly peeped down at it, gleaming in 
 the firelight, during the short interval between 
 their lying down and their dropping asleep ; and 
 in the morning they awoke with a pleasurable 
 start at the returning memory that the precious 
 floor was really there, awaiting their feet, in place 
 of the damp earth they had been accustomed to. 
 
 " Naow if so be we c d anyways git t git th 
 haouse banked up a leetle, we d be pootty well 
 fixed fer frost." 
 
 " Oh, naow, mammy, ye re a-puttin on scol 
 lops ! Don t ye want a pie-anner ? I spose ye 
 llaow the Queen of England has her haouse 
 banked up, besides bein floored ; so noth n 11 
 dew but yew must hev yourn done, tew." 
 
 " Ye re the boy kin dew it, Zury, if ye wuz t 
 git sot fer it." 
 
 " Show me where the s a mattick sot fer t 
 loosen the dirt with, V a spade sot fer t bank 
 her up with, V I d be sot fer the jawb quick 
 enough ! " 
 
 " If we lived back in God s country, we c d git 
 t borry forty matticks n spades." 
 
 " Did n t know th used em in heaven ; thought 
 likely th c d dig the claouds with a hat er a tur 
 key-tail." 
 
 The seed of suggestion was sown, however, and 
 the wise mother knew her son well enough to let 
 
24 ZURY. 
 
 it take its time to grow. So that very evening 
 Zury brought in a neat thin piece of hard wood, 
 some four feet long, which he proceeded to hew 
 into some kind of rough spade-shape. 
 
 " She 11 split, Zury, sure s ye re born ! " 
 
 " Mebbe so, dad, mebbe not." 
 
 " Ye 11 see, right where ye got t set yer 
 foot, she 11 split square off." 
 
 " Yew jes hold yer hosses." 
 
 " Ye can t dig nothin with that thar slopin 
 tool, no place t set yer foot on, V so all-fired 
 long in the bit." 
 
 " Din t I tell ye t Eol<3 yer hosses? " 
 
 " Lop-sidedest tool ever I see. One shoulder 
 baout six inches higher n t other." 
 
 Zury did not deign to reply to this taunt. 
 
 " Bain t ye a-goin t hew that shoulder daown 
 level with t other ? " 
 
 " Guess that shoulder s baout right," answered 
 the youth, who delighted in mystifying his father. 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! " said the mother. 
 
 This was the strongest expression Selina ever 
 indulged in ; probably it was a contraction and 
 corruption of u If I ever." 
 
 Then Zury got a long iron rod and laid it in the 
 coals to heat, while he went on smoothing, sharp 
 ening, and polishing his odd-looking implement. 
 
 " Goin t brand yer name ontew it, Zury ? " 
 
 " Yew jest wait n see if I don t put my mark 
 on it so ye 11 know it any wher s." 
 
 All done, and the iron white hot, he proceeded 
 to burn a hole in the " high-shouldered " side, 
 
TRIFLING DOINGS OF LOW-DOWN FOLKS. 25 
 
 just the right shape and size, and in just the 
 right place for the digger s foot. 
 
 " Wai, ferever I " 
 
 " Zury, boy, I b lieve ye c d make a clock ! " 
 
 "Ya-as, with my axe, V my jack-knife V a 
 piece o hot iron." 
 
 " But, arter all s said n done, that ain t no 
 mattick ner no pickaxe." 
 
 " Haow d ye How t loosen up the sile, sonny?" 
 
 " Wai, the s th old axe." 
 
 " Th old axe ! Sho t man ! I 11 gree t bank 
 up in an hour all the dirt th ole axe 11 loosen up 
 in a day ! " 
 
 " Tell ye what, dad, if I 11 get th dirt ready, 
 11 yew shovel it up ? " 
 
 "What, get it ready, loose enough t handle 
 with that thar wooden do-good fixin o yourn ? " 
 
 " Ya-as, good n loose." 
 
 " Go ahead ; I 11 bank up all yew 11 loosen." 
 
 " It s a whack ! Remember, all the dirt I 11 
 turn up with any tool I ve got, er kin make." 
 
 It was a " whack," or bargain struck. So, 
 after covering up the fire with the new shovel, 
 " t harden the p int," they went to bed. 
 
 Next morning, the parents looked to see Zury 
 "whaling away" with the old axe, laying out a 
 large job of shoveling for his father ; but he took 
 things much as usual, did his " chores," and came 
 in for his breakfast. 
 
 "Don t llaow t donobankin up t -day, sonny?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, mammy; llaow t give dad all the 
 shovelin he wants t tie up tew this arternoon." 
 
26 ZURY. 
 
 Then he began to harness the mares. 
 
 " Goin off t borry a mattick, boy ? " 
 
 44 No ; thought I d jist hitch em up fer a leetle 
 exercise." 
 
 The next thing they saw of him he was coming 
 around with the plow ; and, drawing furrow after 
 furrow about the house, back and forth and cross 
 wise, he easily provided all the loose soil the bank 
 ing up needed, and gave his father all the work 
 he could do in the rest of two days. 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! " 
 
 Life was not unbearably hard with them yet. 
 The beasts could get ample food by the simple 
 effort of wandering off for it ; the house could be 
 kept quite habitable by the warmth of the open 
 fire ; all were well except the ailing girl, and she 
 could still sit up a little and take some interest 
 in things, especially Zury and Shep. But the 
 " pinch of the winter " was approaching. The 
 features of each year shrivel up and grow pale 
 and thin and wrinkled as it nears its end. 
 
 " Don t mommy s honey want a leetle apple?" 
 
 44 1 wuz feared they wuz all gone." 
 
 44 Oh, no ; plenty on em left." 
 
 Poor Selina ! she was afraid there were more 
 of them than her little 4 honey" would ever eat, 
 though in truth they had dwindled to a mere 
 handful. 
 
 44 There, mommy 11 hang this one up by the 
 string afore the fire, and honey can take this 
 switch and keep it whirlin while it cooks." 
 
 So the little one would watch the circling and 
 
TRIFLING DOINGS OF LOW-DOWN FOLKS. 27 
 
 hissing fruit for long, long spells, and then her 
 mother would make it as tempting as possible to 
 the waning appetite of the invalid. 
 
 " Now, remember to save all the seeds fer 
 Brer Zury." 
 
 This was an added incentive to stout efforts to 
 eat ; for if she did not eat the apple, how could 
 she give the seeds to brother Zury ? 
 
 " Ephraim, if we could only manage t squeeze 
 out a leetle pay fer the doctor, mebby he d 
 come oftener, V bring s m stronger physic. I 
 kin see the babe s better every time he gives her 
 suth n ." 
 
 The next time the doctor came, Selina gave 
 him her wedding-ring as a substitute for money. 
 Thereafter he often dropped in, and always left 
 some anodyne, or stimulant, or tonic, to deceive 
 the parents with a show of relief. 
 
 " Thar ; wha d I tell ye ! See haow she sleeps ! 
 Hain t slep like that sence last time he wuz h yer! 
 If we only hed a plenty o that same stuff, so s we 
 could keep her right up tew it ! " 
 
 They did break a little prairie that season, 
 though it was too late to put in any crop. They 
 called it twelve acres, but it wasn t. They 
 thought they could get it fenced before frost, but 
 they could n t. They hoped for a mild winter, 
 but it proved a severe one : for years afterward 
 it was remembered, and in bitter jest was styled 
 " the year eighteen-hundred-and-froze-to-death." 
 They felt almost sure of sustaining their beasts 
 till the spring grass should start, but one of the 
 
28 ZURY. 
 
 mares died. They resolved not to mortgage any 
 of their land, but they were disappointed. 
 
 It was this way : The little girl, who might 
 have lived, and even thriven, in a warm, rich 
 and comfortable city home, could not bear the 
 cruelty of her environments, and died after long, 
 quiet suffering. 
 
 How slow Death was in finishing his work that 
 night ! Long after the beloved eyes had turned 
 up out of sight, the poor little chest kept on, gasp 
 succeeding gasp, the heart-broken mother praying 
 that each might be the last. Ephraim had fallen 
 asleep by the fire, and Zury had fled out into the 
 pitiless snow-storm the black fury in his heart 
 outvieing the white blast about his head. At last 
 Selina laid her hand on her husband s shoulder 
 and answered his questioning look with a nod. 
 He called Zury in from the path which his tramp 
 ing had kept open in the snow, and both men 
 sat by the fireside till morning, while Selina 
 straightened the wasted limbs, put on the poor 
 girl s poor best clothes, tied up the sharp chin 
 and closed the eyes with something. They 
 had no coins to lay on the lids. 
 
 The whole family had not money enough, nor 
 even credit enough, to provide a coffin for the child. 
 Then the poor vanquished father went to the vil 
 lage, and gave the store-keeper a mortgage on one 
 of his cherished quarter sections, and thus estab 
 lished a credit which relieved their direst needs. 
 He drove back home with the little coffin, and in 
 it and around it food and clothing that seemed 
 
TRIFLING DOINGS OF LOW-DOWN FOLKS. 29 
 
 luxurious in their destitution. The grief-stricken 
 mother did not reproach anybody for that the re 
 lief came only after her darling was gone. 
 
 There was no funeral. Nobody could reach 
 them through the pathless snow. There was not 
 even a burial until spring thawed the ground so 
 that a grave could be dug. Ephraim tried it, but 
 it was like picking at a bed of sandstone. Then 
 Zury cleared the snow off a little space, and built 
 there a huge fire, to soften the obdurate bosom of 
 mother earth, hardened against thus untimely re 
 ceiving back her own. He kept it going far into 
 the night ; but the wind rose and the snow flew 
 again before morning, so that when day broke 
 there was only a fresh white drift where the fire 
 had been. Then they fixed two crotched sticks 
 against the back of the house, and set the lit 
 tle coffin on them, where it remained until April 
 came, and with it a day sufficiently humane to al 
 low death the rights which even death possesses. 
 
 Selina could not get around the house through 
 the drifts ; but she learned the place where they 
 had set up the supports, and could go and rest her 
 face against the corresponding spot inside when 
 no one was looking. 
 
 At the death of his sister, Zury s grief was 
 passionate and heart-rending. This surprised the 
 mother, who had not credited him with so much 
 love and tenderness. In fact, it startled her out 
 of some of her own sorrow. She had looked the 
 coming disaster in the face so long as to be better 
 prepared. 
 
30 ZURY. 
 
 A veil must be drawn over the sufferings of 
 that first winter. The reader would resent the 
 tale, if fully told, as being beyond the pale of 
 presentable narrative. After Zury s outburst of 
 feeling, he settled down into a stony hardness. 
 Those tears for his "baby" sister were the last 
 tears he shed for many a year. It was as if the 
 fountain had filled up and run over a few drops, 
 and then frozen solid. All this poverty, toil, and 
 distress, and the terrible need for money, made 
 a deep impression on the forming mind of the 
 youth ; and being of a logical turn, he " put this 
 and that together," and drew conclusions fitted to 
 the premises as he saw them. Money was life ; 
 the absence of money was death. "All that a 
 man hath will he give for his life ; " ergo all that 
 a man hath will he give for money. 
 
 The axe is the vade mecum of the pioneer. As 
 we use it, it is strictly an American tool. Long 
 in the handle, perfectly fitted to the grasp, free 
 and quick in the great curve it makes from far 
 above and behind the head clear down to the 
 ground in front, it has a grace and effectiveness 
 much in advance of the short, heavy " woodman s 
 axe " of other countries. The accomplished West 
 ern axeman strikes his blow with an exactness of 
 aim that is literally " to a hair," and a vigor and 
 quickness of repetition delightful to behold. 
 
 One inclement day, Ephraim and Zury went to 
 Wayback together, so that one could turn the 
 (borrowed) grindstone while the other held the 
 
TRIFLING DOINGS OF LOW-DOWN FOLKS. 31 
 
 axes and restored them to the razor-like quality 
 they ought always to possess. The enforced 
 idleness of the season had brought quite a large 
 gathering of men and boys to "the store," and 
 Tom Lackner, the store-keeper, improved the oc 
 casion by getting up a chopping contest for the 
 amusement of the public and the benefit of his 
 wood-pile, which consisted of a huge mass of logs 
 of various lengths, all too long and large for use 
 without cutting and splitting. 
 
 " See h yer, boys, I bserve ye kin all cut lots 
 o wood jest a-settin raound the stove n talkin 
 abaout it ; who kin cut the most with an axe ? " 
 
 Hereupon arose a wordy war, each showing how 
 well he could wield the axe or the long bow. 
 
 " Wai, chin-music is cheap, but the longest 
 pole takes the persimmon. I 11 give a dollar t 
 the boy er man that kin cut n split the most 
 wood outer my wood-pile in an hour by the clock. 
 All split wood, mind ; no twigs n saplin s." 
 
 " Oh, ain t ye cunnin , n ain t ye kind ! Haow 
 much 11 th other fellers git, th t comes aout 
 second n third n so on ? " 
 
 " Wai, I 11 give them day- wages, a bit an 
 hour." 
 
 " Haow 11 ye pay ? " 
 
 " The dollar man in store-truck, th rest in 
 cash." 
 
 " Good enough ! Then all 11 git abaout the 
 same, th way yew charge fer yer truck ! " 
 
 At this hit all laughed; but the upshot was 
 that some half a dozen entered into the friendly 
 
32 ZURY. 
 
 contest, Zury among the rest. Each selected his 
 log, such a one as he thought would about 
 last him the hour. Zury observed that all passed 
 by a short, thick black- walnut, too formidable to 
 be attractive. He carefully studied the two ends, 
 measured the diameter with his eye, and called 
 his father into consultation. 
 
 " Dad ye see that thar season-check in the 
 butt-end? Cut daown t that V she ll most 
 split herself, V one cut threw that lawg 11 
 gimme tew chunks short enough t split up. 
 Them long ones, ye got t make a threw cut fer 
 every chunk ye git aout till ye come tew th last." 
 
 " Kin ye fetch it in an haour, Zury ? " 
 
 " Kin I ? I 11 dew it er die a-tryin ! Yew 
 jest watch me ! Take yer axe V hew aout a 
 couple o gluts ; but don t dull th axe, fer the 
 land s sake ! I 11 swap axes with ye when I in 
 half done." 
 
 " Now, boys ! " shouted Tom Lackner, pulling 
 out his watch and affecting to pause for the exact 
 second. " Be ye all ready ? " 
 
 " Ya-as ! " 
 
 "Good V ready?" 
 
 " Ya-as ya-as ! " 
 
 " Then spit on yer hands ! " He was laugh 
 ingly and heartily obeyed. After further jocular 
 delays and disappointments he yelled, " Now 
 GO!" 
 
 How the chips flew ! The connoisseurs gath 
 ered around one contestant or another as sympathy 
 or admiration dictated ; but the largest number 
 
TRIFLING DOINGS OF LOW-DOWN FOLKS. 33 
 
 kept their eyes fixed, admiringly, on Zury and the 
 most able of his rivals. 
 
 " Every other pop fetches a chip ! " 
 
 " Ya-as, n he don t never cut his chips in 
 tew. See haow clean th edges be ! " 
 
 " Yew bet ! He ain t the feller t waste three 
 clips on one chip ! " 
 
 When Zury had cut his log half through he 
 hopped down, seized one of the gluts his father 
 had prepared, set it instantly into the exact spot 
 in the " season-check," struck it a few mighty 
 blows, and the monster log parted in the middle, 
 leaving him a clean place for the remaining cross 
 cut. 
 
 " Some head-work s well s hand work in Zury, 
 boys ! " 
 
 " Ain t he chain-lightnin ? " 
 
 "I ll bet ye!" 
 
 Now with the fresh axe (which his father had 
 rubbed on a whetstone after shaping the gluts), 
 he fairly flew at his work. Faster and faster fell 
 the strokes : he was in a frenzy of hope and emu 
 lation. The second cross-cut was complete ; the 
 two gluts were set and driven ; both axes put in 
 play, one sunk deep in the widening rift until the 
 other liberated it by going in deeper ; and at last 
 the second and more difficult " chunk " gave way 
 and lay in two shining aromatic halves of solid 
 black walnut. The rest was easy; the foe, being 
 driven from his stoutest defenses, made but little 
 resistance, and before "time" was called Zury 
 had what looked like a whole cord of solid split 
 
34 ZURY. 
 
 black walnut sticks of appropriate length and 
 thickness. 
 
 He straightened up and took his eyes off his 
 work for the first time. 
 
 " Thar ! That s all I kin dew ! If any feller s 
 done better, /can t help it!" 
 
 But no one had done better, or as well. The 
 next best man six feet four, wielding an extra 
 weight axe with an extra long helve had done 
 more work, but he had not used as shrewd plans 
 to help him, and he made only a good second. 
 
 Tom s eyes glistened as he saw the six great 
 piles of cut wood ready for his use, and he paid 
 up his promised guerdons with great good humor. 
 Zury took his dollar in the shape of a grind 
 stone, which would thereafter save him and his 
 father from many a long journey, or, what was 
 worse, many an hour of work impaired by dull 
 ness of tools. Tom would have liked to add 
 something to Zury s pay, except that he feared to 
 arouse jealousy in the breasts of others who had 
 also done their best. Luckily his eyes fell upon 
 a bundle of papers which had accumulated in the 
 shelves adjoining the post-office desk. 
 
 " Sa-ay, Zury; aour Member o Congress he s 
 sent me aout by frank a hull heap o numbers 
 o th Republican, t dew what I m a min ter 
 with, fer the good o th party, V t help him git 
 reflected. Folks hez helped themselves all th 
 wanted tew, but yit the 1 s a lot of old numbers 
 left. Don t ye wanter clean em aout ? " 
 
 " Free gratis ? " 
 
TRIFLING DOINGS OF LOW-DOWN FOLKS. 35 
 
 " Oh, ya-as gratuitous distribution wuz 
 whut he llaowed in his letter." 
 
 " O. K. Thet s th kind o tradin suits me," 
 
 So he carried home a large bundle of " Repub 
 licans," full of tales, continued stories, political ar 
 ticles, news from abroad, advertisements, riddles, 
 jokes, and such like familiar newspaper scraps. 
 The inner sides of the logs of their house were 
 already hewn to something like a flat surface, and 
 Zury, as he found the opportunity, papered the 
 whole interior with the neat, cheap, and cheerful 
 hangings ; and afterward, whenever time and day 
 light served, his favorite pastime was reading the 
 wit and wisdom thus spread about him. He had 
 some sad experiences, as when in the most thrill 
 ing part of an exciting tale he came to the dread 
 words, " continued in our next;" and the "next " 
 happened not to have been among those which 
 had been given him ! For years one of these un 
 finished narratives haunted him (he not being a 
 sufficiently experienced novel-reader to complete it 
 for himself), and he would return wistfully to the 
 familiar corner where that tantalizing mystery 
 was stated, never in the world to be solved ! 
 
 The tale was delightfully commonplace and 
 improbable, one of the old-fashioned simple- 
 hearted kind, that might have been written by 
 machinery, run out by the mile, and cut off in 
 lengths to suit. A boy, " born of poor but 
 respectable parents in the little town of B.," was 
 good, and strong, and willing, and ambitious. 
 But, alas, he could not get any education to speak 
 
36 ZURY. 
 
 of because he had to work so hard, and his father 
 was too poor to give him clothes fit for school. 
 The first time he tried schooling, the other boys 
 laughed at his rags ; he fought with the biggest 
 and whipped him, but he never went back to 
 school. He ran away to sea ; his ship was cast 
 away on an uninhabited island, where his farming 
 knowledge and his mechanical ingenuity made 
 him the salvation of the whole company including 
 the captain s lovely daughter. " For a full account 
 of his shrewd doings and his ingenious contriv 
 ances on the island, the rescue of all hands, his 
 education, his marriage, and the glorious height 
 from which he looked back on his early discour 
 agements, the reader must look to our next." 
 And there was no next ! 
 
 When Selina saw the rough walls thus deco 
 rated and humanized she said, for the first time 
 since her bereavement, 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! " 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 COKN-CROP. 
 
 " EPHRAIM, what 11 yer crap dew withaout no 
 fence ? " 
 
 "Dunno." 
 
 " No fence, no crap," said Zury. Then after 
 a pause Selina said, 
 
 " Haow much fence 11 it take t go raound 
 them twelve acres ? " 
 
 " Th ain t no twelve acres, mammy ; but it 11 
 take a good half milcj of fence," said Ephraim. 
 
 " N forty acres 11 take a full mild," added the 
 boy. 
 
 " Forty acres, sonny ! " 
 
 " Yes, mammy ; I said forty acres, V I meant 
 it, tew ! A mild o fence, pig-tight, bull-strong, 
 n boss-high." 
 
 "A mild o fence!" 
 
 " Yes, a mild o fence if the timber holds 
 out." And he gave a jerk of the head over to 
 ward the forest where millions of trees were to 
 be had for the hauling. 
 
 " Guess ye 11 wear yer axe daown tew a pen 
 knife fore ye split all them rails I " 
 
 " Yew 11 see ! " 
 
38 ZURY. 
 
 So Zury fell to work at the task of providing a 
 whole mile of fencing material. Part of this was 
 prepared in a way worth describing. He would 
 find a long, prostrate tree-trunk in the woods, 
 dry but not rotten, the victim of some storm or 
 lightning stroke of past years. This he would 
 measure off in about twenty-foot lengths, and at 
 the end of each length he would build a fire, 
 which, patiently attended to and replenished, 
 would sever the log at that point, leaving it in 
 lengths which could be hauled by a stout team 
 over the snow to the place where they might be 
 needed. This method of severing logs is called 
 in the vernacular " niggering them off," whether 
 because of its laziness, or of the blackness of the 
 resulting heads, cannot be certainly stated. It is 
 certainly ingenious and effective. Zury, start 
 ing in the morning with his axe a,nd a burning 
 brand, could light and attend to some thirty fires, 
 and so prepare thirty logs, while he would have 
 been chopping only a quarter as many. To be 
 sure, there would be disappointments, as when 
 the fire, through excess of zeal in doing its part 
 of the work, would burn the log all up, while 
 Zury was at home asleep. 
 
 Now at once, before the snow failed them, 
 these logs ought to be "snaked" up to the 
 plowed field and laid end to end around it, so 
 that it would be half fenced at once. Then a 
 couple of lines of " stake-and-rider " on top of the 
 logs would make a good barrier against all ma 
 rauders except the deer, which were still at that 
 
ZURY "NIGGERING" LOGS. 39 
 
 day a great nuisance among the scattered corn 
 fields of Illinois, and which could clear any fence. 
 But then, one horse, alone, was helpless. What 
 was to be done ? 
 
 " Dad, ye better git three more bosses, n 
 gears, n a bob-sled, n another plaow, n some 
 seed-corn, n a saow n pigs, n a stack o hay, 
 n a load o mill-feed fer the stawk, n 7 some 
 floorin -stuff, n one thing another." 
 
 " N yew llaow t pay fer em, I s pose." 
 
 u I llaow t dew my share." 
 
 The old man groaned in spirit, fer he saw that 
 this meant a mortgage on another of his cher 
 ished quarter-sections, and he saw that his son 
 was right, too. 
 
 " Faoun a pot o gold, Zury ? " 
 
 " Hain t quite faound it yet, mammy, but it s 
 buried up in the paraira yunder." 
 
 44 Take a heap o diggin t git it aout." 
 
 "With one hoss it will." 
 
 " Wha d ye llaow t dew ? " 
 
 " Snake up the lawgs raoun the hull forty-acre 
 piece, n saplin s enough t stake- n -rider em, n 
 git the balance inter sod-corn somehaow." 
 
 " Wai, son, ef yew kin stand it, I kin." 
 
 So another quarter was mortgaged, and the 
 things Zury wanted were obtained ; the swine 
 from a neighbor on credit. The youth felt his 
 responsibility, and worked twelve or fourteen 
 hours daily, even when the daylight was less than 
 nine hours long. The glittering steel-gray light 
 of many a zero-morning found him already at his 
 
40 ZURY. 
 
 fires. All day long his axe rang through the 
 frosty air as he felled saplings for the fence and 
 stripped them for fuel for the " niggering " fires, 
 and then it was long after night-fall before he 
 tramped homeward through the deep gloom of 
 the silent woods, the frosty snow squealing loudly 
 under his footsteps. 
 
 Old Ephraim was fully occupied with the home 
 duties, caring for his almost helpless wife and 
 almost perishing live-stock, and providing fuel for 
 the voracious open fire that must be kept going 
 night and day on the hearth to make life even 
 barely possible. He dragged the back-logs up to 
 the door, and even into the house, with a horse. 
 Zury did his timber work, as far as possible, in the 
 woods close to the homestead. In the first place 
 it made less hauling for the heavy logs ; then, be 
 sides, he reasoned, 
 
 " Th ain t no better place fer trees th n whar 
 trees hez growed." 
 
 This indicated the wild scheme his long head 
 had in contemplation, an apple orchard ! He 
 had the little pocket of seeds the poor " baby " 
 had saved for him, and some he had himself saved 
 thus : he one day found, in a broken jug on the 
 one board that served as a kitchen shelf, the ap 
 ples his sister had not lived long enough to eat, 
 eight shriveled relics. Zury said nothing, but 
 carefully separated the seeds, and adding them to 
 the rest, had nearly four hundred. 
 
 " Like enough half on em 11 spraout. Seed 
 lings ain t no sure thing t fetch good fruit, but 
 
ZURY "NIGGERING" LOGS. 41 
 
 mebbe some on em 11 be O. K., n then we kin 
 graft fr m them onter th others. Apples 11 fetch 
 money h yer. Th ain t no money, but yet the s 
 more money th n the s apples." 
 
 Then in building his u niggering " fires he 
 would often please himself with the fancy, 
 
 " That row o ash-heaps 11 come jest right fer a 
 row o apple-trees." 
 
 Shep was Zury s only companion through these 
 long, cold work-days, and he proved his physical 
 superiority, as compared with his human friends, 
 by keeping fat and happy through it all ; catch 
 ing many a rabbit for his own tooth, and even 
 some for Zury to carry home to eke out the slen 
 der stores of the household and vary the fare for 
 the suffering mother. Zury always carried his 
 rifle, and hoped for deer, as the tracks where 
 they scraped the snow for grazing and brushed 
 the trees for browsing were everywhere plenti 
 ful. But the sound of his axe and the smoke of 
 his fires tended to keep them at a distance ; also 
 the wild turkeys that roamed the woods in great 
 broods, long of limb, fleet of foot, wary and wily. 
 
 However, one morning before day, when his 
 snow-muffled footsteps approached the nearest of 
 the fires, he chanced to catch sight of a pair of 
 gleaming eyeballs while he himself was still in 
 shadow. Keeping Shep quiet behind him, he 
 crept cautiously up to where he could rest his 
 rifle on a log, drew his " bead," and pulled trig 
 ger. The sharp crack echoed from hill to hill, far 
 up and down the lonely bottom, white and still 
 
42 ZURY. 
 
 in the bitter dawn. Shep bounded forward, and, 
 his yelps becoming stationary, Zury guessed that 
 his game was secured. He soon arrived, breath 
 less with haste and hope, at the place where Shep 
 in a passion of excitement was keeping guard over 
 a fine buck, rather thin, to be sure, but splen 
 did game for an Eastern boy who had never be 
 fore had a shot at anything more worthy than a 
 rabbit. While he was bleeding the game, drag 
 ging it back to his working place, and hanging 
 it up on a convenient sapling, the day broke, and 
 his father came down, having heard the unaccus 
 tomed sound of the rifle, and missed hearing the 
 accustomed sound of the axe. 
 
 " You Zury ! Any thin the matter ?" 
 
 "NothV much." 
 
 "Wha"d ye shoot at?" 
 
 "Deer." 
 
 " Missed it, did ye ? " 
 
 " Tew missed it ! Look a yonder on the sap- 
 linV 
 
 " Wai, wal ! I will say ! Better n t I pack it 
 up t the haouse n skin it afore it freezes?" 
 
 " Jest s yew say baout that." 
 
 " Better come up noon-spell n have a bite o 
 venison." 
 
 " No. Got my dinner with me." 
 
 " Better come up, sonny." 
 
 " No time." 
 
 So, Zury did not quit work a single minute 
 earlier than usual. 
 
 Now came the long, tough job of " snaking " 
 
ZURY "NIGGERING" LOGS. 43 
 
 the logs up to the prairie and around "the forty," 
 a mile in circumference. This was hardly finished 
 before the snow went off, and the ground thawed 
 into deep mud. Then the live stock began to be 
 able to shift for itself, and none too soon, for the 
 little hay they had laid up was gone. 
 
 Ephraim proposed a " log-rollin ," a bee (like 
 the raising-bee), where all well-disposed neighbors 
 might join in a day s work for one, expecting him 
 to reciprocate when any of them had occasion to 
 ask for public aid in the same fashion. (This is 
 the origin of the phrase "log-rolling," used in 
 political slang ; the several parties interested in 
 divers men or measures making common cause 
 for the common gain.) 
 
 " No, dad. We hain t paid em nothin fer 
 comin t aour raisin , n hain t no time t spare 
 t be a paradin raound, anyhaow." 
 
 " I don t see, nohaow, what I c d git up fer em 
 t feed em." 
 
 " Jesso, jesso, wife ; but I dunno s I see haow 
 we m a goin t git all them lawgs in line." 
 
 " Oh, you n me n th four hosses 11 be bee 
 enough! We ll roll em, or break a leg, one o 
 th tew ! " said his son. 
 
 Snow or no snow, mud or no mud, Zury worked 
 on, dragging and rolling the logs into place on the 
 fence-line. He would take one horse in the morn 
 ing and work him till noon, winding the log-chain 
 around each log, and making the horse roll it into 
 its position ; then leave that horse to graze or 
 "browse around," while he used another in the 
 
44 ZURY. 
 
 afternoon, in the same way. Thus did this one 
 young fellow move weights which several strong 
 men might have "tackled" in vain. 
 
 The " chinkin in " between the ill-matched 
 ends of the " niggered " logs and the setting of 
 the stakes and riders occupied Ephraim and 
 Zury while the ground was getting dry enough to 
 plow. Then the piece they had broken up during 
 the previous fall was plowed, and corn regularly 
 planted, and all the remainder of the inclosed 
 forty was put into " sod-corn," thus : as the plow 
 turned over the ground, one followed behind it 
 and with an axe made a hole at every other step 
 and dropped two or three kernels in the hole and 
 trod it in with his heel as he passed on. 
 
 The face of nature softens wonderfully as the 
 sun climbs the heavens in spring, and the lot of 
 all in contact with her softens too as she begins 
 to smile. This softening, however, is not with 
 out its drawback, and the name of this drawback 
 is mud. The more fertile under sunshine, the 
 more fathomless under rain. The fiercest storm 
 that ever blew over the prairie is not so absolute 
 an embargo on travel as is the mud beneath its 
 surface when the spring rains are pouring and the 
 frozen subsoil is thawing. An astonished trav 
 eler, accustomed to the gravelly comfort of less 
 fruitful lands, once observed to a resident of Il 
 linois : 
 
 tk Well, I ve been through your State." 
 
 "What! Traveled through Illinois and the 
 roads in this condition ? " 
 
ZURY "NIGGERING" LOGS. 45 
 
 "Yes, sir; clear through. Didn t have to 
 travel far, either ; just stood still and went down 
 through, sunk through." And in proof of his as 
 sertion he pointed to his half-dead steed, covered 
 with mud up to his ear-tips, and to himself 
 shrouded from top to toe in the same black 
 stickiness. 
 
 For the Prouders it was high time that life 
 should begin to be easier. If the winter had 
 been as nearly arctic in its length as it was in its 
 severity, it is doubtful if any of the colony would 
 have survived it, except Shep. To the poor be 
 reaved mother it seemed ten years long, and her 
 aged appearance bore out this suggestion. How 
 ever, she now grew strong enough to attend to 
 some of the slight and simple indoor tasks so 
 that both Ephraim and Zury could work at the 
 farming. 
 
 But few plants have changed and improved 
 more by cultivation than has maize. " Indian 
 corn," as the Indians knew it, hard and hardy, 
 small, strong, and poor, would scarcely be recog 
 nized in the prairie giant of these days. Even to 
 these emigrants it was a wonderful novelty. 
 
 " Look, mammy ; h yer s an ear o corn sech s 
 the raise aout h yer ! " 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! Looks bloated, don t it ? 
 Bloated n then shrunk." (The " dent " which 
 occurs in the top of each kernel produces a 
 withered appearance and gives it the name of 
 " horse-tooth " corn. It is quite different from 
 the smooth, hard, semi-globular grains the 
 Prouders had been accustomed to.) 
 
46 ZUR Y. 
 
 " Ye llaow it s shrunk, dew ye? Naow look 
 a h yer." He broke the great ear sixteen 
 inches by three or thereabouts across his knee, 
 and showed her the fractured ends. 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! Them kernels is an inch long, 
 I reckon. N the cob ain t nowher s." 
 
 " That s what s the matter. Naow look a 
 h yer." He fitted the ear together again, and 
 shaped a piece of paper about it, so as to make a 
 bag of just its form and size. Then, while his 
 mother held the bag he shelled off the kernels and 
 dropped them in, and they completely filled it, 
 leaving the cob in his hand. 
 
 14 Naow ain t that a meiikle ! Th cob s left 
 over clean V clar." 
 
 " Ya-as. That s coz the grains is so big V th r 
 cob s so little ; n then we can t pile em so 
 close s they growed." 
 
 " I xpect that s growed on them mountain- 
 ious tall stalks we passed s we corne along, t I 
 could n t see over not when I stood up in th 
 wagin ." 
 
 44 Ya-as ; th llaow raound h yer aways s how 
 a man had n t oughter never lay by his corn until 
 it s growed s high he can t see his way aouter th 
 field come night." 
 
 44 Haow soon d ye llaow t begin plaowin ? " 
 
 44 Oh, jest s soon s we kin see the rows. Th 
 weeds is a-startin ; good corn-graound is good 
 weed-graound, n they 11 be jest a howlin afore 
 we git wunst threw, try aour best." 
 
 The two plows toiled up and down the long, 
 
ZURY MAKING A CORN-CROP. 47 
 
 quarter - mile stretches from daylight till dark 
 for weeks together. The modern " cultivators," 
 which employ two horses and throw the soil from 
 both sides toward the hill, were then unknown. 
 Only one horse could be used by each driver, and 
 the small plow had to make two journeys be 
 tween every two rows. 
 
 By the time they were " once through " the 
 corn seemed to " catch on to the idea " of what 
 was expected of it. Its broad blades shot up 
 knee-high and assumed the deep, strong, fat green 
 which is the characteristic of prairie corn. (Its 
 growth is often three inches a day at this period.) 
 Again Ephraim and Zury set themselves to tire 
 out each one horse between daylight and noon, 
 and another between noon and night; but, shade 
 of Ceres ! how tired they themselves were by 
 " quitting-time ! " To pull off the harness and 
 free the horse, to drag one foot after the other as 
 far as the house, to slouch down anywhere and eat 
 anything that was offered them, and then to roll 
 heavily into their rude beds and enjoy utter ob 
 livion until the too speedy daylight started them 
 forth again, this was all they could pretend 
 to do. 
 
 Selina did not expect any talk, except a word 
 or two casually dropped at meal-times, always on 
 the absorbing subject of the work in hand. She 
 had, herself, planted a few potatoes in one corner 
 of the field, in rows corresponding with the corn 
 rows, so as to be plowed with the corn ; and, on a 
 rainy day, Zury dug up with his wooden spade a 
 
48 ZURY. 
 
 little patch on the sunny side of the house. Into 
 it he put his precious apple seeds to sprout for 
 transplanting, and also the seeds of morning- 
 glories, sunflowers, and hollyhocks brought from 
 " home." So there was soon one streak of color, 
 bloom, and brightness about the dreary place. 
 
 The last plowing of the corn is the most trying. 
 The inclement sun is at its highest and hottest, 
 and beats down almost perpendicularly on the 
 shadeless intervals between the rows. Green- 
 headed horseflies drive the poor steeds frantic; 
 they would commit suicide if horse-sense were 
 equal to it. The corn is breast-high or higher, 
 and quite impenetrable to the summer breezes. 
 No harvest field is so torrid ; nothing short of a 
 " reverberatory furnace " can fairly typify the 
 horror of it. 
 
 Then the wise farmer gives up several of the 
 hottest hours of the day to rest or cooler duties ; 
 but Ephraim was not wise ; he kept at work, and 
 was soon seized with " the shakes." Every other 
 day did he shiver for half an hour, then burn for 
 an hour and a half, and then dissolve in weaken 
 ing sweats. However, the corn did not lose so 
 much by his illness as one might suppose, for he 
 would work until the fit came on, and as long as he 
 could hold the plow and make the plow hold 
 him, then tie his horse and lie down in a fence- 
 corner (within reach of the pail of tepid water), 
 and wrestle with his dreadful distress, and when 
 it began to leave him, stagger to his feet again, 
 untie his horse, and once more hold the plow and 
 
ZURY MAKING A CORN-CROP. 49 
 
 be held by it until it was too dark to work any 
 longer. 
 
 He who doubts the accuracy of this picture can 
 easily convince himself that it is not overdrawn. 
 
 At last, one Saturday night, Selina was glad 
 dened by the words : 
 
 " Corn laid by, mammy." 
 
 " Thank the Lord ! I begun t think it would 
 n t never be ! " 
 
 How they did rest all that night, and all the 
 next day ! Before daylight, Zury, impelled by 
 habit, rolled out of bed and stood on the rattling 
 floor of his loft. 
 
 " Corn s laid by, Zury ! " called out his mother. 
 Instantly he fell back on his bed and was again 
 asleep before he could fairly voice a " hurrah ! " 
 He slept nearly the whole day. 
 
 Toward night they all strolled out to the fence. 
 What a sight the great, green forest of rollicking 
 standards presented ! The day had been one of 
 intense, still sunshine ; one of those when the 
 plant takes its hugest meals of light and soil- 
 juice. The leaves looked slightly wilted as the 
 sun went down. 
 
 " Looks s though suthV wuz th matter on it, 
 don t it ? " said Selina. 
 
 " Nary ! It s like a hawg that s jest tired o 
 feedin V goes t sleep t turn it inter fat." 
 
 The others went back to the house, but Zury 
 could not tear himself away from the sight until 
 dark night. Then he went in. 
 
 " Ye d oughter waited ! Ye kin jest hear em, 
 
50 ZURY. 
 
 like big boys, three in a bed. Sez they, * lay over, 
 bub, V gimme room t grow. And just as 
 he climbed slowly to his bed he called down : 
 " Th 11 be a-growin all night while we re asleep." 
 
 During the week Ephraim drove to town on 
 one of his " well days " to get some medicine and 
 a few other indispensables of life. He came back 
 without them. Zury looked in the empty wagon. 
 
 " Wai, dad ; made a water-haul, did n t ye ? " 
 
 " Yes, son." 
 
 " Mortgage money used up ? " 
 
 " Teetotally ; the way they charge things ! An 
 the interest on it s a-comin dew nex month." 
 
 " Could n t ye git t git at the store ontel the 
 crap comes in ? " 
 
 " Nary. Not thout I "d give em a mortgage 
 on another quarter." 
 
 That evening was a sad one at the log hut. 
 Half the section mortgaged and nothing to show 
 for it but this. Not one cent in money, nothing 
 to eat, drink, or wear, a growing crop that might 
 be worth, ten cents a bushel three months hence, 
 and a little unsodded grave without even a fence 
 around it. 
 
 " Could n t we git t go back home, Ephr m ? " 
 tearfully asked Selina. Ephraim did not reply. 
 Zury asked him further : 
 
 " Wha"d the say, dad?" 
 
 " Llaowed I d bit off more n I could chaw. 
 Said the did n t see haow I wuz a-goin t pay in 
 terest on the mortgages an git shet of em thout 
 losin the place." 
 
ZURY MAKING A CORN-CROP. 51 
 
 " Did, did they ? " 
 
 44 Yes, n offered me a hunderd dollars on an 
 other quarter section, er fifty dollars on my crap. 
 I near abaout tuk em up on the crap." 
 
 44 Oh, do ! " said Selina, who almost hated the 
 corn crop. 
 
 44 Oh, don t ! " said Zury. 
 
 44 Better lose the crap than lose the land that 11 
 fetch craps." 
 
 4k Ef ye lose the crap, ye 11 lose the land tew." 
 
 A long silence followed this, then Zury spoke 
 again. 
 
 44 Ain t them thar pigs out thar in the woods 
 a-growin ? Jest a-howlin ! Ye kin hear em 
 a-crunchin th mast fore ye git within a mild on 
 em." 
 
 44 Feller I bought em of, Peddicomb, he see me 
 in taown n tole me he wuz a-goin t sue me fer 
 the pay fer that saow n pigs." 
 
 44 Sho t man! Did he so ? Wha d ye tell 
 him ? " 
 
 44 Tole him t come n take em, ef he wanted 
 em." 
 
 44 What ? Ye don t tell me ! That saow n 
 pigs ? He don t git em ! " 
 
 44 No danger. He said he didn t want em. 
 Ye kin buy hawgs fer a cent a paound anywhar s 
 naow." 
 
 44 Let s buy em, then." 
 
 44 Buy hawgs, my son, n them sellin at a cent 
 a paound ? " 
 
 44 Why, mammy ; had ye druther buy em at a 
 dollar a paound? " 
 
52 ZURY. 
 
 " I d druther buy suth n t 11 sell fer suthV; 
 that s ef we had any thin t buy with." 
 
 " Mortgage another quarter, dad, V buy some 
 o em cent-a-paound hawgs." 
 
 " That 11 take th last quarter but th one 
 we re on tew, Zury." 
 
 " Mortgage that, tew, if we hev ter. We re 
 boun t swing this thing naow we re inter it. 
 Swing it fer all it s wnth. That s th way t 
 keep the hull patch all four quarters." 
 
 " Haow d ye llaow t dew it, son ? I don t 
 feel t be wuth much myself t git us outer this 
 h yer slough." 
 
 " That s so, dad. Th way yew look ye won t 
 be wuth shucks getherin corn come col weather. 
 N I can t handle n haul no twelve hundred 
 bushel o corn outer that field n daown t the 
 store, besides gittin in th hay, n fencin an 
 other forty, n breakin them colts, n diggin a 
 well, n keepin mam in firewood, n goin t dee- 
 strick scule, n visitin raoun amongst th neigh 
 bors, n whistlin n chawin gum all t wunst." 
 
 " Law, Zury, quit yer foolin ! Ye most make 
 yer ole mammy laugh right aout." 
 
 "Who s a foolin ?" 
 
 " My son, ef ye got any thin t say, say it, n 
 ef not, go t bed." 
 
 " I 11 go to bed when I git ready. Yew mort 
 gage another quarter n git th hawgs. They 11 
 do well on mast all summer, V in fall we 11 
 gether what corn we kin, n hawg the rest." (To 
 " hog " corn is to turn hogs into the field and let 
 them feed themselves.) 
 
ZURY MAKING A CORN-CROP. 58 
 
 " That don t pay no mortgages." 
 
 " Don t, eh ? You better believe it dooz. I 11 
 jes take a load o them havvgs, killed V dressed 
 V froze, daown river till I find some man as 11 
 buy em, if I have t tote em clean t Orleens ! 
 See ef I don t ! " 
 
 They didn t settle the matter that night, but 
 soon separated for sleep. As Zury disappeared 
 up the ladder to his roomy and airy bed-loft he 
 called back to his father, 
 
 " Dad, I m goin t own a mortgage fore I 
 die ; mind what I say." 
 
 " Hope ye will, Zur^y. Yew 11 have a holt of 
 the right eend of the poker then ; V t other 
 feller he 11 have a holt o the hot part, same s 
 we ve got naow." 
 
 " You bet ! An it 11 sizzle his hands, tew, 
 afore I 11 ever let up on him." 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MORE WORK, MOKE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY FOB 
 A COLLEGE. 
 
 ON the following Sunday Zury s mother saw 
 him take down his rifle from its place and start 
 away. 
 
 " Son Zury, whar be ye a-goin a Sund y?" 
 " Goin fer Peddicomb, the man t sold us them 
 hawgs, V is a-goin t sue fer his pay, dog-gone 
 him ! " 
 
 " Oh, my son ! What ever can you mean ? " 
 " Don t stop me, mammy, I m desp rut." Then 
 seeing that she was really alarmed, he burst into 
 one of his rare laughs, and told her not to be 
 scare t, he was n t going to hurt nobody. Still, 
 she looked after him wistfully. But he was fast 
 becoming the ruling spirit in the household, and 
 nobody presumed to interfere with him much, 
 his mother least of all. 
 
 He went over to the farm of Peddicomb, the 
 creditor in the pig-purchase, and introduced the 
 subject. The man was a loquacious person, and 
 went over the case somewhat in these words, 
 which fairly illustrate the hold which the cultiva 
 tion of maize has obtained on the prairie farmers. 
 It has given rise to a new system of chronology 
 and terminology : 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY. 55 
 
 " Ye see it wuz long afore plantin that I sol 
 yer father that saow afore breakin if I remem 
 ber right n he greed t pay me in a week. 
 N then abaout corn-up I buzzed him fer the 
 money, but did n t git no satisfaction. Then we 
 wuz all pootty busy, of course, fer a spell, but 
 when we wuz wunst through I met him to 
 meetin n he llaowed he d done clean forgot 
 all abaout it, n haow he d square up when he 
 got his corn laid by. Wai, tosslin time come 
 n passed, n corn-in-the-milk tew, but he never 
 talked turkey, n come along abaout ros n-ear I 
 jest upped n told him if he did n t settle fer th 
 hawgs I d sue him. In fact, I did tell Squire 
 Braown t c mence suit. Ye see, it s a gittin 
 along to\yard shockin n getherin , n if I don t 
 look aout fer myself th storekeeper he may up 
 n clamp daown on the crap, n me a-stan in by, 
 suckin my fingers n whistlin fer my money." 
 
 This quaint local speech, translated into the 
 vernacular, makes the prairie farmer s time-table 
 for the whole year from spring to spring. 
 
 " Breakin " is the spring plowing ; March and 
 April, when the frost is out and the ground 
 dry enough to turn over without being made 
 "cloddy." "Plantin" should begin about May 
 first. " Corn-up " will follow in about ten days. 
 " Wunst through," the completion of the first 
 corn plowing, should be early in June. 41 Laid 
 by " will follow six or eight weeks later, some 
 time in July. " Tosslin ," when the tassels be 
 gin to turn the field from green to yellow, will 
 
56 ZURY. 
 
 be before the beginning of August. " Corn-in- 
 the milk," by the middle, and " ros n ear," when 
 the milk has coagulated into gluten and the ear 
 may be roasted for the table say by about 
 September first. " Shocking cutting up and 
 placing in " shocks " such portion as is kept for 
 the sake of the fodder in stalks and leaves, takes 
 October, and " getherin " goes on all winter. 
 
 " Dad sez ye won t take em back." 
 
 " No ; thet ain t what I sold em fer. I wanted 
 the money, V if I had n t a wanted money 
 more n hawgs I would a tried to a worked so s 
 to a kep em." 
 
 " How much wuz it ? " (Zury knew the 
 amount as well as he did, but he observed that 
 the other had an interested eye fixed on^his rifle, 
 and he wanted to give him time.) 
 
 " Seven dollars is the price, if the Squire hain t 
 begun suit, n I don t s pose he has ; he don t 
 never do nothin less ye stan over him with a 
 club while he dooz it. That s a good-lookin 
 rifle ye ve got ! " 
 
 " I believe ye ; that rifle cost over twenty-five 
 dollars." 
 
 " Dew tell ! I wanter know ! Wai, it s all 
 right fer a rifle." 
 
 " Ye d want no rifle, dew ye ? If ye d gimme 
 a fair price fer it, ye m ought stop out the seven 
 dollars n gimme the rest in money." 
 
 " Money ! Th ain t no sech a thing ! Hain t 
 set eyes on no money fer a coon s age. Give ye 
 s more hawgs." 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY. 57 
 
 This was just what Zury wanted, so he began 
 to hang back. 
 
 " Oh, hawgs is nowhers naow. Ye can t give 
 em away." 
 
 Nevertheless, he and Shep drove home a fine 
 lot of swine at estimated weights. It happened 
 that as the sharp bargainers were talking, the old 
 doctor rode by, and they got him to " guess them 
 off," he being a noted expert at " guessin 
 hawgs," which is a great accomplishment in the 
 rural districts, wonderful expertness being attained 
 by long experience and many competitive trials of 
 skill in foretelling from the pig s looks how much 
 the pork will weigh. Zury also carried away a 
 " paper-writin ," showing that on the payment of 
 twenty dollars by New Year s day, his rifle was to 
 be returned to said Prouder, otherwise to be and 
 remain the property of said Peddicomb. (A few 
 unusual phrases add largely to the value and dig 
 nity of every transaction.) 
 
 " Wai, mammy ; Peddicomb he got my rifle 
 away before I got a chance to put a bullit inter 
 any vital part, but I got away some of his best 
 hawgs. Here the be." 
 
 " Look awfle thin ! " 
 
 44 Course ! S pose I wanted t pay a cent a 
 paoun fer fat hawgs ? Ef th wuz fat, we 
 could n t make em no fatter twixt naow n 
 sellin time. Thin hawgs is wuth more n fat 
 hawgs every time." 
 
 44 Good plan t starve em most t death, n 1 then 
 sell em back." 
 
58 ZURY. 
 
 " Mammy, ye wuz jest made i er ti sculema am ! 
 Know yer rithmetick fustrate, n back part o 
 th spellin -book tew ; clean over t where the 
 leaves is all tore out ! " 
 
 Zury s strong sense and strong will prevailed in 
 the matter of the additional mortgage. Soon the 
 woods were well sprinkled with Prouder pigs, 
 loudly munching acorns day and night, and almost 
 as wild as deer in their forest freedom. Later the 
 ungathered corn was "hogged," and the lantern- 
 jaws of the woods-rovers stood out with fatness 
 by the time they had been six weeks in the corn 
 field. Then with the first good sleighing Zury set 
 forth, the hay-rack on the " bob-sleds " and twenty 
 good porkers on the hay-rack, besides corn enough 
 to feed his four horses for a month, some bedding, 
 and a bag of bread and ham, half a bushel or so 
 of hard-boiled eggs, and last, but not least, Shep. 
 
 In less than a month he was at home again 
 with a hundred and sixty dollars in silver, not 
 having spent one stiver on the road except two 
 eight-cent tolls and a twenty-cent ferriage, and 
 also the cost of an occasional feed of hay for his 
 team when, as he said, they couldn t live any 
 longer on " post oats," that is, the fragments they 
 could gnaw off the posts they were tied to while 
 eating their corn. 
 
 Did any inanimate treasure ever look more 
 beautiful to its possessors than did those sixteen 
 piles of twenty silver half-dollars each ? It was 
 better than the log floor. They gazed at them 
 lovingly for a long, long time. Their shine 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY- 59 
 
 rested the tired eyes, their jingle charmed the 
 ears unused to pleasant sounds. 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! " sighed Selina. 
 
 " That 11 pay off one of the mortgages, Zury," 
 said his father. 
 
 " That won t pay off nothV, dad, not with my 
 consent." 
 
 " Llaow t bury it, my son?" 
 
 " Yes, mammy ; bury it in some stuff t live on, 
 V a shelter fer the stawk, n s more stawk, n 
 help t fence another forty, n some o th ready 
 John fer dad t take when he goes t buy truck, 
 so s he wunt hev t buy from them sharks that 
 holds the money on the mortgages ; them a-sockin 
 on it tew him every time in regard of quality n 
 prices of everythin ." 
 
 " Wai ; ye 11 git yer gun back, Zury ? " 
 
 The youth thoughtfully lifted two of the little 
 piles and set them apart from the others, leaving 
 fourteen together. Then he replaced them with 
 the rest, saying stoutly, 
 
 " Noap ! I guess not. If ary deer comes 
 araound a-pokin his nose at me n try in t bite 
 me, I kin borry dad s ole muskit. But I ain t 
 a-goin t hev much time a-foolin raound with no 
 guns. Hawgs 11 fetch pigs a goodie faster n 
 rifles 11 fetch deer." 
 
 " Zury, th dew say s haow th ain t no better 
 use fer money n t pay debts with." 
 
 * ; Don t ye b lieve it, dad. Borryin s a need- 
 cessity, n payin s a luxury. We can t fford no 
 luxuries yit a spell. Gimme another year, n 
 
60 ZURY. 
 
 I 11 talk t ye baout clearin off them mort 
 gages." 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! " 
 
 Zury had brought home with him an individual 
 name Jule. Jule was as black as black could be : 
 " charcoal d make a white mark on him." 
 
 " Haow on arth d ye pick him up, Zury?" 
 
 " Wai, I seen him nigh t the steamboat landin 
 fer a couple o days, V then agin I missed him ; 
 n that night I heerd the boys a-la-aughin V 
 raisin Ned cause they d scared Jule most white 
 by a tellin on him his ole master d come on the 
 boat n wuz a-layin fer him." 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! Worn t they a crool, stony 
 hearted set o critters ! Did n nobody take his 
 part ? " . 
 
 " Oh, yes ; th wuz a long, lanky feller Cap n 
 Abe Linkin he wuz Cap n n part owner of th 
 flatboat th t tuk my hawgs. Sez he, Let him 
 alone, boys. Ye onery limbs ! Wanter tromp 
 outer a poor cuss when he s daown ? Some on 
 em jest larfed at him ; sez they, Oho Abe ; 
 lookin aout fer fear yer ole uncle 11 git hurt? 
 Or yer half-brother is he, which ? Ye see, Abe 
 wuz pootty dark complected. Wai, then the all 
 hooted, n then the Cap n he jest rared up on his 
 hind legs, long enough t reach f rn h yer t 
 Christmas, n lifted a hand t looked like the 
 hand o Providence, n the fellers npped n 
 scooted. The wuz all scare t of Abe when he wuz 
 riled. But by that time Jule he d got aout o 
 sight up th road." 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY. 61 
 
 " Wbar d ye come acrost him nex ? " 
 
 " Wai, nex day I lifc aout fer hum light-footed, 
 V come along on a trot, V I seed suth n awful 
 black away ahead twixt th snow-drifts, but 
 when I got t where it wuz it worn t thar. So s 
 I, 4 Whar is he, Shep ? an it worn t more n 
 a quarter of a minute afore Shep he snooped 
 raoun in the snow n come t Jule, jest baout 
 dead. I went up tew him n sez he, I gin up, 
 ma hse ; I 11 go back wi ye n never run away 
 fin ole ma hse no mo . 
 
 " Oh, Lordy, Lordy ! A runaway slave ! " 
 
 "Yew bet! So s I, I m a-goin north, n 
 if ye wanter go back t ole marse, I can t help ye 
 none, but if ye wanter go north * Then y 
 oughter jest seen him ! He jest got half way up, 
 n crept on his hands n knees t me, an of all 
 the beggin ! " 
 
 Here Zury s command of language failed him, 
 and he was silent, while his mother shed a tear or 
 two on her sleeve. 
 
 " Then sez I, 4 Kin ye work ? n sez he, Ef 
 I cudd n work I doan speck dey d want me back 
 s bad. That looked kind o sensible, so sez I, 
 4 1 11 hev t charge ye ten dollars t tote ye a 
 hunderd miles up north. N sez he, Goramity, 
 ma hse, I ain t got a cent ! Wai, ye kin work 
 it aout when ye git thar. Dollar a month n yer 
 keep. N here he is." 
 
 It appeared that after being so dreadfully scared 
 poor Jule had walked all night with nothing to 
 eat, and was very near to death s door when Zury 
 
62 ZURY. 
 
 overtook him. Zury related that Jule always 
 slept in the sleigh face-downward on the straw, 
 and when asked to explain this habit, he said, " I 
 specks it s coz my back done ben so ah mos all 
 my life, pea hs like." But he laughed when he 
 said it, as if it were rather a good joke at his ex 
 pense. 
 
 Probably Jule had been a " lazy nigger " when 
 working under orders from non-workers. But " in 
 dustry is catching, as says the Vicar of Wake- 
 field ; and Jule must have been more or less than 
 human to fail to work hard when he wielded one 
 axe and Zury another on the same job, often on 
 opposite sides of the same tree. Their lonely 
 situation favored the absolute subjection of the 
 weaker mind to the stronger, and in any case, 
 when ethnic disposition toward shirking seemed 
 to show itself, the remedy was easy, and was un 
 sparingly used. For instance : 
 
 44 Chilblains, eh? Wai, Jule, tell ye what it 
 is ; ye better light aout n git daown t whar 
 it s warmer weather. Ye need n t mind abaout 
 th rest o them ten dollars. I 11 let ye often that." 
 
 " Oh, Ma hse Zury ! Doan ye do it ! I 11 git 
 t wu hk in de. mo hnin , shu h s ye re bo hn 
 I will. My feet s awfle, it s jest like I wuz 
 a walkin on my eye-balls, but I ll git roun 
 somehow, foah de Lo hd I will." 
 
 And the poor tropical being (whose sufferings 
 were real enough) would swathe -his unhappy 
 feet in rags, hay, pieces of deerskin and bark, 
 tied on with rawhide thongs and willow withes, 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY. 63 
 
 or anything else he could command, and would 
 hobble out and do at least a half-day s work in the 
 fear of expulsion from this poor harbor of refuge. 
 He had run away from one master, but could not 
 be driven away from another, though for the 
 latter he worked harder than for the former, and 
 getting no greater real wages, rather less. But 
 with Zury he was " free." 
 
 It was with something like dismay that Selina 
 heard Zury tell his father that he was bound to 
 have a whole quarter section fenced for next 
 year s crop. (They were all sitting around the 
 hearth, Zury whittling as usual.) 
 
 " A hull quarter, Zury boy ? " 
 
 " That s what I said, mammy." 
 
 " Ain t that four forties ? " 
 
 " Jest exackly ; a hunderd V sixty acres." 
 
 44 Oh, Zury ; ye make me tired a-talkin that 
 a-way ! " 
 
 44 Ef me n Jule kin stan it, I reckon yew 
 kin ! " 
 
 44 It tuk a mild o fence t dew the forty, that 
 makes four mild altogether ye re a-layin aout t 
 dew this winter." 
 
 44 Mammy, ef I wuz hired aout t yew I d let 
 ye dew the figgerin fer pay. One mild fer forty, 
 that makes four miles fer four forties, don t it? " 
 
 44 Course it dooz. N ye know ye re all th 
 chick er child I ve got left ! Ef ye kill yerself 
 yer poor ol mammy 11 be in th poorhaouse fust 
 thing ye know. Yer dad, he ain t a-goin t be no 
 caount t work n more, so fur s I kin see ! " 
 
64 ZURY. 
 
 Zury did not reply directly, but quickly whit 
 tled out eight little sticks of equal lengths. 
 
 " Now, look a-hyar, mammy. Ye see that li l 
 square I ve drawed in th ashes ? That s a 
 forty. Wai, it takes four sticks t go raound it, 
 don t it ? So each stick s a quarter-mild long. 
 Naovv watch while I draw three other forties 
 thar ; four forties in a square. Haow many sticks 
 will it take t go raound em all ? " 
 
 " Why, haow many ? " 
 
 "Jest exackly eight. See? Them fust four 
 goes half raound, n four more fences it all. 
 See ? " 
 
 " Wai, ferever ! " 
 
 " That s jest the difference betwixt wholesale 
 n retail business. I m goin t be a wholesaler 
 all my life, er die a-tryin ." 
 
 And he was. Their quarter section of corn, 
 when it was " tossled aout," looked like a half- 
 mile square of green ocean, the tassels making a 
 yellow foam for the wind-swept waves ; and then 
 the working of it was easy by comparison, as 
 there are only half as many turns for horses and 
 plows to make in doing the work. On some of 
 the giant western farms the fields are laid out so 
 that the plow, starting in the morning, makes 
 but one turn before getting back at noon, the 
 furrow being long enough (say two miles and a 
 half) to use up the whole time. 
 
 There is no need for us to follow every step in 
 the Prouders fortunes. Each inch gained was 
 won by hard work and held by sordid economy. 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY. 65 
 
 Of course, every cent so made looks to its owner 
 " big as a cart-wheel." Zury s acquaintances 
 soon began to say of him that he " would pinch a 
 dollar till the eagle on it squealed." And Zury 
 did nob deny it, but gloried in it. He never 
 looked into a book, nor did he in any way (except 
 by using it) add to the slender stock of learning 
 he had acquired before the migration. The news- 
 papered walls of their room was all his library. 
 He was without associates, ambitions, or objects 
 in life, except, in the first place, " subduing" that 
 farm ; in the next place, clearing it of the mort 
 gages ; in the third place, increasing its money- 
 making capabilities ; and thenceforth and forever 
 adding dollar to dollar, mortgage to mortgage (on 
 other people s farms), note to note, and gain to 
 gain, with all the force of a strong intellect pent 
 into a narrow channel. 
 
 As the fine farm grew fat, the old couple who 
 had given their life to it dwindled away. Selina 
 died, murmuring the name of her lost daughter 
 with her last intelligible breath. Zury had long 
 looked for the event, and (being callous from the 
 wound he had received in the death of his sis 
 ter) was not at all affected by it. Old Ephraim 
 seemed half dead during the rest of his life, as if 
 part of his body and part of his mind had sickened 
 with her sickness and been buried in her grave. 
 
 He and Peddicomb had both been connected 
 with the little sect of Christians called "Soul- 
 sleepers," from their individual guess as to the 
 
66 ZURY. 
 
 fate of mankind between death and judgment. 
 Old Prouder s easy descent toward second child 
 hood was accompanied by a maundering return 
 of interest in the doctrine of Soul-sleeping. This 
 made Zury anxious, and impatient, and prone to 
 be, as Ephraim phrased it, " hard on his poor old 
 dad." But the veteran jealously kept the old 
 mastery of his property, while at the same time 
 he clung to Zury with touching persistence and 
 confidence. He was as close as ever, or closer : 
 his devotion to the great principle of Soul-sleep 
 ing was only such as could be rendered without 
 expense, and usually when Zury was absent and 
 Peddicomb present. 
 
 The Soul-sleepers had founded a college at a 
 town in Ohio, the headquarters of Soul-sleeping. 
 The truth probably is, that denominational edu 
 cation would be for them denominational suicide ; 
 for when you educate a Soul-sleeper he ceases to 
 be one. But that is their lookout. They had 
 their college, and whether they needed it or not 
 they needed funds for it. An emissary in quest 
 of contributions came to Spring County : the man 
 selected (one Elder Bigration) being, of course, as 
 wise as a serpent at any rate. He showed great 
 devotion to business, that is, devotion, with an 
 eye to business. His sermon on Sunday was very 
 stirring. He likened faith to an anchor, and re 
 marked that when the tempest-tossed ship was 
 about to founder in the fathomless ocean of de 
 spair, then the ungodly soul in his .frenzy seized 
 on any frail plank or bit of wreck, in the vain 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY. 67 
 
 hope of salvation. But what, he asked, did the 
 Soul-sleeping Christian do? He lashed himself 
 to the anchor ! 
 
 This made a deep impression on all ; and on the 
 road home Ephraim ventured to call Zury s at 
 tention to the importance of the truth set forth ; 
 but Zury only chuckled in his dry way, and said, 
 
 " Wai, th Elder he s a talker sure enough. 
 A reg lar old Blower from Blowtown. But when 
 the ship s a-sinkin , if any feller ups n ties him 
 self to the anchor, why I reckon he s a fool. 
 He d oughter be bored fer th holler-horn ! Gim 
 me a board t float on, every time ! " (Of course 
 his mind reverted to the wall-paper shipwreck in 
 all its thrilling details.) 
 
 Bigration stayed at the Peddicombs, and awak 
 ened great interest in the breasts of the three un 
 married daughters by his fervor. He would walk 
 up and down before the fire-place by the hour, at 
 intervals groaning out, " What shall I do to be 
 saved?" or some other pious ejaculation. Long 
 and anxious were his talks with Peddicomb not 
 as to how much brother Peddicomb would give, 
 but how much could be squeezed out of brother 
 Prouder. He aimed to make the former a co- 
 worker, with a double purpose ; the second thought 
 being that co-workers give more money, as well as 
 more other help, than the non-workers. 
 
 " Pootty poor show of gittin any thin out of 
 oldEphr m!" 
 
 " Brother, I shall, with God s help, discharge 
 my duty ! " (He said this as if his duty had been 
 a gun.) 
 
68 ZURY. 
 
 At last it was settled that a note, without in 
 terest, having a year to run, might seem to 
 brother Prouder a fine investment in the work 
 of grace ; and further, brother Peddicomb was to 
 give as much as brother Prouder did; so the lat 
 ter would feel that he was bestowing on the Cause 
 twice what he paid out, buying two dollars 
 worth of grace for a dollar. Privately, the mis 
 sionary hoped that brother Prouder might take a 
 notion to give such a sum as would be a dreadful 
 pull to brother Peddicomb ; to punish the lesser 
 nabob who presumed to challenge him in this 
 manner. (He did n t know Ephrairn !) 
 
 As Bigration departed on his fearful errand to 
 Prouder s, Peddicomb called after him, encourag 
 ingly : 
 
 " Mebbe ye m ought git suth n aouter him by 
 a-stayin with him till he thinks yer keep 11 come 
 t more n his subscription." 
 
 Toward night he returned, " beat out " as he 
 expressed it. 
 
 " Brother Peddicomb, come over and labor 
 with me on brother Prouder. Ym stalled!" 
 
 " He-he ! Wha M I tell ye ? Wai, let s have 
 s m supper, n sleep on it. T rnorrer 11 be time 
 enough." 
 
 Zury was absent when they called. Ephraim 
 received them cordially, but warily. He did n t 
 " slop over," not he ! The meeting opened with 
 prayer by brother Bigration, during which he 
 depicted a happy fate for those who should serve 
 Heaven in the way he pointed out : they were to 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY. 69 
 
 do well in this world, and better, if anything, in 
 the next ; while those who grieved away the 
 Spirit now were to have very bad luck in both. 
 Their store and their bread-basket, however full 
 hitherto, would be empty henceforth and for 
 ever ! (Proverbs iii. 1-10.) 
 
 Old Ephraim groaned in the spirit and in the 
 flesh. Ruin seemed to stare him in the face as 
 the experience of Job was held up before his eyes. 
 The threats chimed in with his natural sordid 
 fears. Times were hard : perhaps his punishment 
 had begun already ! 
 
 " Havvgs is three cents a paound er less, n beef 
 th same, and wheat a-droppin every day. Ya-as, 
 a year s time withaout interest is an objick ; but 
 then I d druther see when th time comes. I 11 
 dew full s well then s if I gin ye my note naow, 
 mebbe better. Very likely better. * 
 
 " Brother Prouder, the Lord don t require no 
 man t go beyond his means. Let s go out and 
 look over your stock and crops a little." 
 
 A score of handsome hay-ricks ; two thousand 
 bushels of good wheat in the barn ; a hundred 
 acres of corn yet to gather ; sixty cattle, two 
 hundred sheep, and more hogs than cattle and 
 sheep together ; and all marketable by spring. 
 No deduction to be made for family sustenance in 
 the mean while, for there were bee-hives, potato- 
 pits, cabbage-pits, pork in pickle, apples, milch 
 cows, chickens, in short, provender of all 
 kinds in utter abundance, outside all the salable 
 " truck." 
 
70 ZURY. 
 
 Ephraim s heart did warm up a little as he 
 looked over the splendid show, but then he took 
 gloomy views, and in estimating values took care 
 not to overstate anything. 
 
 When they returned to the house Bigration 
 produced pencil and paper and spent some time 
 in figuring. At last he submitted to Prouder a 
 list of the salable truck with valuations. Ephra- 
 im could find no fault with it. 
 
 "Now, brother Prouder, that property can t 
 fetch less than those figgers. If it s the Lord s 
 will, it 11 fetch more, won t it ? " 
 
 " Surelye, ef it s his will." 
 
 " If it fetches more, ye 11 owe it t Him, won t 
 
 ye?" 
 
 Ephraim was silent. 
 
 " Then, brother," added the emissary, rising 
 and speaking with a heart-moving fervor, " return 
 to Him half the surplus. Stacks may burn, corn 
 may rot, wheat may sprout, cattle may die of 
 murrain, and hogs of cholera ; but if the Cause 
 is to get one poor half of the bare increase in value 
 on these good things, you are safe to know that 
 your other half will be more than the whole gain 
 or even the whole principal itself will be if 
 you let this occasion slip by. The Lord cares for 
 his own lest he strike his foot against a stone." 
 
 Superstition stimulated cupidity into liberality. 
 When the visitors departed they had Ephraim s 
 sign-manual to a document promising all that Bi 
 gration had asked ; the document to rest in Ped 
 dicomb s hands until the " overplus," if any, wai- 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY. 71 
 
 ascertained, when he was to add a like amount, 
 and forward the whole to the struggling institu 
 tion. 
 
 On their way home they met Zury, and Peddi- 
 comb, who had begun to feel very uneasy in view 
 of the obligation he had rashly undertaken, re 
 vealed the matter to him in the confident hope 
 that he would find means to upset the whole 
 thing. Zury looked very black, but did not make 
 known any plan of interference. 
 
 As he proceeded homeward he pondered long 
 over the affair. At first every impulse was against 
 it ; but still, the more he thought the more he 
 saw two clear sides to the subject. He had be 
 gun to feel keenly the want of education. Here 
 was a lot of money his earnings going into 
 an educational institution ; could n t he borrow 
 time enough from the farm to attend the school ? 
 In all his thoughts about himself (they were few 
 and rare) he was always the boy in that unfin 
 ished wall-paper story. The Soul-sleepers Col 
 lege might be his ship to run away to. The sea 
 was the sea of knowledge, of which he had learned 
 so little. The unhabited island oh dear ! Why 
 did that next paper happen to be nowhere in the 
 world for him ? Now that blower to come and 
 get away a heap of his hard earnings in pay for 
 wind ! Should it go for nothing ? Not if he 
 knew it ! 
 
 " Wai, dad, I hear you ve be n V gone V 
 done it ! " 
 
 Ephraim, already in something of a panic at 
 
72 ZURY. 
 
 what he had done, sat speechless before his son. 
 His empty jaws fell apart, and his poor old thin 
 face blanched in every wrinkle. 
 
 " Son Zury," he began, as soon as he found his 
 voice, "d ye b lieve the kin c lect any thin on 
 that thar paper-writin ? " 
 
 44 C lect ? Course the kin ! That thar Bi- 
 gration he s jest sharp enough t draw up a 
 bindin agreement. N ye re jest fool enough t 
 sign one ! " 
 
 44 Mebbe mebbe it 11 pay us, son mebbe 
 we 11 git more aouter th truck fer givin a sheer 
 on it t th Cause." 
 
 44 Ah, yah ! Goin pards with th Almighty, be 
 ye ? I s pose that s the kind o talk the come it 
 over ye with ! " 
 
 " It s only half the overplus, ye know." 
 
 44 1 don t care what ye call it, half the over 
 plus or a quarter of the underpins, it s a good 
 four hunderd dollars, that s what it is!" 
 
 44 Four hunderd dollars ! Lord a massy on me ! 
 But mebbe we 11 git it back. The Lord don t 
 fergit his own." 
 
 But the old man shook as if with palsy. He 
 spilt his tea on the way to his mouth ; the pot 
 was empty, and lie was too stingy to let Jule 
 make him a second drawing. Zury even pitied 
 him. 
 
 44 Ne mind, dad. I ve thought of a way t git 
 even with em ! " 
 
 44 Haow s that, my son ? " 
 
 44 Why, I 11 take it aout in edication next win 
 ter." 
 
MORE WORK, MORE PIGS, BUT NO MONEY- 73 
 
 " But, Zury," the old man screamed in his 
 quavering voice, " it s way off in Ohio ! " 
 
 " I don t keer if it s in Jericho ! I 11 foller that 
 money n git th wuth on it somehow." 
 
 Zury s short evening passed in fits of grim an 
 ger at the extortion that had been practiced on 
 his doting old father, alternating with dim visions 
 of gaining greater money-making power through 
 " schooling." Ephraim lay till morning in the 
 sad wakef ulness of age. Four hundred dollars ! 
 Zury gone, and he alone on the farm all winter ! 
 Then bright and early he walked over to Peddi- 
 comb s. (The latter had been growing more and 
 more anxious at the prospective obligation so un 
 expectedly thrust upon him.) 
 
 " Lijah, jest lemme look over that thar paper- 
 writin a half a minute." 
 
 He took it and pretended to scan it carefully, 
 though his dim eyes could not make out a word 
 of it ; then he said, 
 
 " Oh, that ain t drawed right at all, not the 
 way I meant it, ner understood it, nuther ! " And 
 he tore it in scraps and threw it in the fire. 
 
 So ended the Spring County aid to the Soul- 
 sleepers College. (The college probably did its 
 work, the sect seems to have disappeared.) 
 
 So, too, passed away Zury s last glimpse of ed 
 ucational progress, except the sordid training 
 forced upon him by his character and circum 
 stances. The ship had sailed without him. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 HOW THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MEAN, AND 
 HOW MEAN HE GOT. 
 
 EPHEAIM wanted Zury to marry, but it was 
 with " a sharp eye to the main chance." Property 
 and personal service at no wages might both be 
 secured by a judicious choice. Girls were not 
 plenty, but at the Peddicombs there were three 
 of marriageable age. Their place was only three 
 miles from Prouder s, and they were still the near 
 est neighbors. Mrs. Peddicomb had not long sur 
 vived the birth of her three daughters. She died 
 (as was and is common among farmers wives) 
 at not much over thirty years of age, just when 
 her life ought to have been in its prime. 
 
 She was called a " Come - gals kind of a 
 woman " by neighbors ; partly in ridicule of her 
 enthusiasm, and partly in admiration of her en 
 ergy. It was told of her that she would get up 
 before light on Monday, " fly raound," uncover 
 the fire, hang on the kettle, and call up the ladder 
 to the loft, 
 
 44 Come gals ! Dew git up V start in ! To 
 day s Monday, to-morrow s Tuesday, n next 
 day s Wednesday; n then comes Thursday, 
 Friday, n Saturday, the hull week gone n 
 nothin done." 
 
HOW THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MEAN. 75 
 
 The two younger girls had been cared for by 
 the oldest, and so had retained some girlish fresh 
 ness and delicacy, but as for Mary (the caretaker 
 after her mother s death), she was 44 good-look 
 ing " only because she looked good. 
 
 On this marriage subject Ephraim took occa 
 sion to speak to Zury. 
 
 "Mary Peddicornb, she s a likely gal." 
 
 44 Mary? Why not S mautliy V Flory?" 
 
 44 Oh, yes ; they re all right tew. Th oF man 
 he s got th best part of a section. Some stwak, 
 tew ; V th haouse n barn s fust rate." 
 
 44 Ya-as. Ef th haouse n barn worn t so good 
 he d have more stawk th t d pay him right 
 smart better n th haouse n barn dooz." 
 
 44 Peddicomb ain t like t marry ag in. Mary 
 she 11 have her sheer." 
 
 44 Any more n th others ? " 
 
 "Oh, no. All same. But I reck n Mary she d 
 be more of a manager. She kin work! I ve 
 watched her ever sence she wuz knee-high to a 
 hoppy-toad, n I tell ye she kin work ! " 
 
 44 Ef ye mean more manageable ye mought s 
 well say so." 
 
 44 Wai, I dew llaow she d be full s little likely 
 t be uppish s th others." 
 
 " Ye llaow t humbly and humble goes 
 together ?" 
 
 " Wai, yes ; mongst the wimrnin folks, substan 
 tially. Nothin sets em so bad up s bein ha ans m. 
 Spiles em fer use abaout the place. Th humbly 
 ones take t milkin more willin like ; n I don t 
 
76 ZURY. 
 
 see but what the caows give daown tew em full s 
 well s tew the ha ans m ones. N then when 
 ther looks goes the re apt t kick." 
 
 "What, the caows?" 
 
 "No, the wimmin." 
 
 (" Humbly " in country parlance is a corrup 
 tion of " homely," the opposite of handsome ; 
 plain, ungainly. "Humbly as a hedge fence.") 
 
 Zury pondered on this shrewd counsel from 
 time to time, but took no step toward marrying. 
 
 " Right smart o things t think on afore th 11 
 be any hurry baout a-gittin marr d. Th feller 
 th t s in an orfle sweat t marry, he s li ble t be 
 the very feller th t s behindhand with everythin 
 else. Takes Time by the forelock baout gittin a 
 wife ; n by the fetlock baout gittin suthin fer 
 her t eat." 
 
 The boy was wedded to his idols quite as 
 faithfully, if not quite so sordidly, as was his 
 father. Their dispositions were much alike. No 
 draft on their powers of endurance and self-denial 
 could be too great. 
 
 As to niggardliness, there was a confessed 
 rivalry between them. Each would tell of the 
 money-making and money-saving exploits of the 
 other, and of his efforts to surpass them. 
 
 " Dad s a screamer t save money ! D ye ever 
 see him withe a plaow-pint ontew a plaow? Give 
 him a hickory grub, n he kin dew it so it 11 run 
 a good half a day ; n then withe it on agin in 
 noon-spell whilst th team s a eatin , n then withe 
 it on agin come night so s t be ready fer nex 
 
HOW THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MEAN. 77 
 
 morn n , V keep it up fer a week that-a-way, 
 sooner n pay th smith a cent t rivit it fast." 
 
 " Thasso, thasso, Zury. Hickory twigs is 
 cheaper ner iron any day." 
 
 " Ya-as, dad ; but then I kin make a shillin 
 while ye re a savin a cent. Look at it wunst. 
 I upped n sold the smith a half an acre, n took 
 a mortgage on it, n made him dew all aour 
 repairin b way of interest on the mortgage, n 
 then foreclosed th mortgage when it come dew, 
 V got th land back, shop n all. Business is 
 business ! " 
 
 Ephraim always wanted to buy at the shop 
 where they wrapped up the purchases with the 
 largest and strongest paper and twine, and the 
 harnesses on the farm gradually grew to be largely 
 composed of twine. Zury could buy everything 
 at wholesale, half price, including merchandise, 
 paper, twine, harnesses, and all. 
 
 One day Zury came across a poor little boy 
 carrying a poorer little puppy and crying bitterly. 
 
 " What s the matter, sonny? " 
 
 " Our folks girnme a dime t draownd this h yer 
 purp, n I I I hate t dew it." 
 
 " Wai, ne mind, bub ; gimme the dime n I 11 
 draownd him fer ye." 
 
 Whereupon he took the cash and the pup and 
 walked to the mill-pond, while the boy ran home. 
 Zury threw the little trembling creature as far 
 as he could into the pond. A few seconds of 
 wildly waving small ears, legs, and tail, and then 
 a splash, and then nothing but widening ripples. 
 
78 ZURY. 
 
 But out of one of the ripples is poked a little 
 round object, which directs itself bravely toward 
 the shore. Nearer and nearer struggles the small 
 black nozzle, sometimes under water, and some 
 times on top, but always nearer. 
 
 " Ye mis able, ornery little fyce, ye ! Lemme 
 ketch ye swimmiu ashore ! I 11 throw ye furder 
 nex time." 
 
 At last poor little roly-poly drags itself to the 
 land and squats down at the very water s edge, 
 evidently near to the end of its powers. Zury 
 picks it up and swings it for a mighty cast, but 
 stops and studies it a moment. 
 
 u Looks fer all the world like a sheep-dawg- 
 purp." 
 
 Whereupon he slipped it into his pocket and 
 carried it home, where it grew up to be a fit mate 
 to old Shep, and the ancestress of a line of sheep 
 dogs which ornament Spring County to this day. 
 
 Later, when the same boy, grown older, applied 
 to Zury for one of the pups, he charged him the 
 full price, fifty cents, took all he had, thirty-six 
 cents, and his note on interest for the balance, 
 the dog being pledged as security. The note be 
 ing unpaid when due, Zury took back the dog. 
 " Business is business ! " 
 
 Years passed, and it came time for the old man 
 to be gathered to his fathers and the son to reign 
 in his stead. When Ephraim lay on his death 
 bed, he whispered to Zury : 
 
 " What day s to-day ? " 
 
HOW THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MEAN. 79 
 
 " Tuesday, father? " 
 
 "I hope I ll live ontel Thursday, V then ye 
 kin hev tlie fun r l Sunday, V not lose a day s 
 work with the teams." 
 
 He did not die till Saturday night, but Zury 
 had the funeral on Sunday all the same, like a 
 dutiful son as he was, bent on carrying out his 
 father s last request. 
 
 After Zury had grown to be a prosperous 
 farmer, Chicago became the great market for the 
 sale of grain. Teams by the score would start 
 out from far down the State, and, driving during 
 the day and camping at night, make the long 
 journey. They would go in pairs or squads so as 
 to be able to double teams over the bad places. 
 Forty or fifty bushels could thus be carried in one 
 load, when the chief parts of the roads were good, 
 and "the ready John " (hard cash), could be got 
 for the grain, at twenty or thirty cents a bushel 
 for corn or wheat. This sum would provide a 
 barrel or two of salt, and perhaps a plow and a 
 bundle of dry goods and knickknacks for the 
 women folks, the arrival of which was a great 
 event in the lonely farm-houses. 
 
 Zury had now working for him (beside Jule, 
 who kept house and attended to the live stock), 
 a young fellow who became a score of years after 
 ward private, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, and 
 captain in the th Illinois Volunteer Infantry 
 in the great war. From his stories, told in 
 bivouacs and beside camp fires, to toiling, strug 
 gling, suffering " boys in blue," these tales are 
 
80 ZURY. 
 
 taken almost verbatim. (Some of them have 
 already found their way into print.) 
 
 u Zury always wanted to get onto the road with 
 farmers whose housekeeping was good, because 
 his own was well, wuss th n what we git down 
 here in Dixie, an there s no need of that. Well, 
 when they d halt for noon-spell, Zury he d hap 
 pen along promiscuous-like, an most generally 
 some of em would make him stop an take a 
 bite. He was good company if he was so near. 
 N then a man s feed warn t counted fer much, 
 unless it was some store-truck or boughten stuff. 
 
 " But one day they jest passed the wink and 
 sot it up on him, and come noon-spell nobody 
 asked Zury an me to eat. Zury left me to take 
 care of both teams while he walked up and down 
 the line of wagins. Everybody who hadn t jest 
 eat, warn t quite ready yet, an by the next 
 time he came to those who had n t been quite 
 ready, they d * jest eat. 
 
 " Wai, Zury swallered his disappointment and 
 I swallerd all the chawed wheat I could git 
 away with, and the first settlement we passed 
 Zury went and bought a monstrous big bag of 
 sody-cr ackers, and we eat them for supper and 
 breakfast. And still we were not happy. 
 
 " Next noon-spell Zury said, Boys, s posin we 
 kinder whack up V mess together. Wai, the 
 others d had enough of their joke, and so they 
 all agreed, and chipped in. Ham, pickles, pies, 
 cakes, honey, eggs, apples, and one thing another. 
 Ye see every man s o woman knew that when they 
 
HOW THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MEAN. 81 
 
 got together, her housekeep would be compared 
 with everybody else s; so these long drives were 
 like donation parties, or weddings, or funerals, 
 well fed. 
 
 " Of course, Zury s sody-crackers went in with 
 the rest, an me an Zury always ate some any 
 how for appearance sake. I could see the fellers 
 were all makin fun of Zury s cute dodge of 
 gettin a dozen good meals for him an me at the 
 price of a few pounds of sody-crackers. But then, 
 they did n t know Zury so well as they thought 
 they did. By an by the trip was done an 
 settlin -up-time came, when each man was called 
 on for his share of pasturage, ferriage, an one 
 thing another. Zury paid his, but he deducted 
 out twenty-five cents paid for sody-crackers. Said 
 it was one of the cash outlays for the common 
 good, an if any of the rest of em spent money 
 an did n t put it in, more fools they. Business 
 is business/ 
 
 So Zury in the soda-cracker episode came out 
 " top of the heap " as usual. The top of the 
 heap was his accustomed place, but still he per 
 ceived that he was living under one useless dis 
 ability, and, with his quick adaptation of means 
 to ends and remedies to deficiencies, he simply 
 married. Tn doing this, he was guided by his 
 father s shrewd words ; counsel which had lain 
 fallow in his memory for years. 
 
 Zury s marriageability had, of course, not been 
 unobserved in the household of the three daugh 
 ters. Peddicomb had remarked what a good 
 
82 ZURY. 
 
 " outin " the Prouders had made in their pur 
 chase of swine from him, and cherished the same 
 kind of feeling toward them that most of us ex 
 perience when some other person has done better 
 in a joint transaction than we did. 
 
 " Them Praouders, the 11 skin outer the land 
 all the kin skin, V then sell offen the place all 
 t anybody 11 buy, n then feed t the hawgs all 
 a hawg 11 eat, n then give th rest t th dawg, 
 n then what th dawg won t tech the 11 live on 
 theirselves." 
 
 " Yew bet," tittered Semantha, the second. 
 " That thar ornery Zury Praouder he d let a 
 woman starve t death ef he could. N o man 
 Praouder wuz th same way, tew. Th o woman 
 she wuz near abaout skin n bone when the 
 buried her. I seen her in her coffin, n I know." 
 
 " Oh, don t yew be scaret, S manthy. I hain t 
 saw Zury a-lookin over t your side o the 
 meetin -haonse, no gre t," kindly rejoined Flora, 
 the youngest daughter. 
 
 "Who, me? He knows better! Not ef hus 
 bands wuz scarcer ner hen s teeth." 
 
 " Six hunderd n forty acres o good land, all 
 fenced n paid fer ; n a big orchard ; n all well 
 stocked, tew." (He added this with a pang, re 
 membering once more the pig-purchase, which by 
 this time had grown to a mighty drove, spite of 
 many sales.) 
 
 " Don t care ef he owned all ou doors. Th 
 more the ve got, th more it shows haow stingy 
 the be." 
 
HO W THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MEAN. 83 
 
 Then the meek Mary ventured a remark. 
 
 " Mebbe ef Zury wuz t marry a good gal it d 
 be the makin on him." 
 
 " Oh, Mary, yew hain t no call t stan up fer 
 Zury ! Th* o man he d a ben more in yewr line." 
 
 " No, Zury wouldn t want me, ner no other 
 man, I don t expect," she answered with a laugh 
 and a sigh. 
 
 One Sunday afternoon Zury rode over to Ped- 
 dicomb s to get a wife. He tried to decide which 
 girl to ask, but his mind would wander off to 
 other subjects, crops, live stock, bargains, in 
 vestments. He did n t much think that either 
 girl he asked would say no, but if she did, he 
 could ask the others. When he came near the 
 house he caught sight of one of the girls, in her 
 Sunday clothes, picking a "posy" in the "front 
 garding." It was Mary. 
 
 " Good day, Mary. Haow s all the folks ? " 
 
 " Good day, Zury Mr. Praouder, I s pose I 
 should say. Won t ye light ? " 
 
 u Wai, I guess not. I jes wanted t speak 
 abaout a little matter." 
 
 " Wai, father he s raoun some ers. Haow s 
 the folks t your us ? " 
 
 " All peart ; that is t say th ain t no one naow 
 ye know, but me n Jule n Mac. That makes 
 a kind of a bob-tail team, ye know, Mary. No 
 body but Jule t look out fer things. Not b t 
 what he s a pretty fair of a nigger as niggers go. 
 He c d stay raoun n help some aoutside." 
 
 "Whatever is he a-drivin at?" thought Mary, 
 but she said nothing. 
 
84 ZURY. 
 
 " The s three of you gals to hum. Ye don t 
 none of ye seem t go off yit, tho I sh d 
 a-thought Flory she d a-ben picked up afore this, 
 n S manthy tew fer tliat matter." 
 
 Neither of them saw the unintended slur this 
 rough speech cast upon poor Mary. 
 
 44 Don t ye think we d better git married, 
 Mary ? " 
 
 "What, me?" 
 
 "Wai, yes." He answered this in a tone 
 where she might have detected the suggestion, 
 " Or one of your sisters," if she had been keen 
 and critical. But she was neither. She simply 
 rested her work-worn hand upon the gate post 
 and her chin upon her hand, and looked dream 
 ily off over the prairie. She pondered the novel 
 proposition for some time, but fortunately not 
 quite long enough to cause Zury to ask if either 
 of her sisters was at home, as he was quite capa 
 ble of doing. 
 
 She looked up at him, the blood slowly mount 
 ing to her face, and considered how to say yes. 
 He saw that she meant yes, so he helped her out 
 a little. He wanted to have it settled and go. 
 
 14 Wai, Mary, silence gives consent, they say. 
 When shall it be?" 
 
 u Oh, yew ain t in no hurry, Zury, I don t ex 
 pect." 
 
 He was about to urge prompt action, but the 
 thought occurred to him that she must want to 
 get her " things " ready, and the longer she 
 waited the more 4t things " she would bring with 
 her. So he said : 
 
HO W THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MEAN. 85 
 
 " Suit yerself, Mary. I 11 drop over n see ye 
 nex Sunday, n we 11 fix it all up." 
 
 Mary bad no objection to urge, though possibly 
 in her secret heart she wished there had been a 
 little more sentiment and romance about it. No 
 woman likes "to be cheated out of her wooing," 
 but then this might come later. He called for her 
 with the wagon on the appointed day, and they 
 drove to the house of a justice of the peace who 
 lived a good distance away. This was not for the 
 sake of making a wedding trip, but because this 
 particular justice owed Zury money, as Zury care 
 fully explained. 
 
 And so Mary went to work for Zury very much 
 as Jule did, only it was for less wages, as Jule got 
 a dollar a month besides his board and clothes, 
 while Mary did not. 
 
 For a year or two or three after marriage 
 (during which two boys were born to them) Zury 
 found that he had gained, by this investment, 
 something more than mere profit and economy 
 that affection and sympathy were realities in life. 
 But gradually the old dominant mania resumed 
 its course, and involved in its current the weak 
 wife as well as the strong husband. The general 
 verdict was that both Zury and Mary were 4t jest s 
 near s they could stick n live." " They d skin 
 a flea fer its hide n taller." 
 
 " He gin an acre o graound fer the church n 
 scule-house, n it raised the value of his hull 
 farm more n a dollar an acre. N when he got 
 onto the scule-board she llaowed she hadn t re- 
 
86 ZURY. 
 
 leased her daower right, V put him up t tax the 
 deestrick f er the price of that same acre o ground." 
 
 So Zury, claiming the proud position of " the 
 meanest ma-an in Spring Caounty," would like to 
 hear his claim disputed. If he had a rival he 
 would like to have him pointed out, and would 
 " try pootty hard but what he d match him." 
 
 Strange as it may seem, these grasping charac 
 teristics did not make Zury despised or even dis 
 liked among his associates. His " meanness " was 
 not underhanded. 
 
 " Th ain t nothin mean abaout Zury, mean s 
 he is. Gimme a man as sez right aout look aout 
 fer yerself, n I kin git along with him. It s 
 these h yer sneakin fellers th t s one thing afore 
 yer face n another behind yer back th t I can t 
 abide. Take ye by th beard with one hand n 
 smite ye under th fifth rib with t other ! He 
 pays his way n dooz s he grees every time. 
 When he buys taters o me, I d jest s live s hev 
 him measure em s measure em myself with him 
 a-lookin on. He knows haow t trade, n ef yew 
 don t, he don t want ye t trade with him, that s 
 all ; ner t grumble if ye git holt o the hot eend 
 o th poker arter he s give ye fair notice. Bet 
 ter be shaved with a sharp razor than a dull one;" 
 
 On an occasion when the honesty of a more 
 pretentious citizen was compared with Zury s, to 
 the advantage of the latter, he said: 
 
 " Honest ? Me ? Wai, I guess so. Fustly, I 
 wouldn t be nothV else, noliaow; seck ndly, I 
 kin fford t be, seein s haow it takes a full bag 
 
HOW THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MEAN. 87 
 
 t stand alone ; thirdly, I can t fford t be noth n* 
 else, coz honesty s th best policy." 
 
 He was evidently quoting, unconsciously but by 
 direct inheritance, the aphorisms of his fellow 
 Pennsylvania!!, Dr. Franklin. 
 
 In peace as in war strong men love " foemen 
 worthy of their steel." Men liked to be with 
 Zury and hear his gay, shrewd talk ; to trade with 
 him, and meet his frankly brutal greed. He en 
 joyed his popularity, and liked to do good turns to 
 others when it cost him nothing. When elected 
 to local posts of trust and confidence he served 
 the public in the same efficient fashion in which 
 he served himself, and he was therefore contin 
 ually elected to school directorships and other like 
 " thank ee jobs." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A BKAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWAKD. 
 
 " TELL ye what, pardners," said Zury one day 
 to his associates on the school board, " Johnny 
 McVey that works to the tavern, he s hed a letter 
 from a feller he knowed in Massychusetts ; a Bos 
 ton doctor n a good one, tew ; askin ef a gal a 
 ra-al smart gal kin git a jawb a scule-teachin 
 aout h yer. Sez she s got a big notion o comin 
 West. I told him t write t hev her come along. 
 Plenty o room h yer fer her t grow up with th 
 keel n try. Ef she can t keep school she kin keep 
 company with some o th boys. Gals is so paow- 
 erfle scuss. It won t matter ef she s caovv- 
 hocked, parrot-toed, ewe-necked, n hain t got but 
 one eye, n that one a squinter. Some feller 11 
 take up with her." 
 
 Zury s " pardners," three of the other members 
 of the school board, kept a grim silence until he 
 was out of hearing, then they broke forth : 
 
 " Say, fellers, mebbe th legislatur s upped n 
 p inted Zury a guardeen over we-uns, n we ain t 
 never heer d the news till naow." 
 
 " Looks like it, don t it, naow ? Him a sendin 
 fer a gal-teacher unbeknownst t us ! Some stuck- 
 up, white-faced, soft-handed, hifalutin silk-stockin 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 89 
 
 th t never went bar-foot ner did a day s work in 
 her life ! " 
 
 " Ah, yah ! Her a-comin aout h yer t keep 
 Deestrick Scule Number Seven ! She 11 be outer 
 th poor-farm afore ye know it." 
 
 " I believe ye. Set a city gal at that thar jawb 
 that s beat aout men, ra al men, that 11 aout- 
 weigh three on her ! " 
 
 " Ye re mighty right. Thar s Johnny McVey, 
 he ain t no great shakes fer a man, but he kin 
 lick any gal that s goin . N jest see haow th 
 boys jest massacreed him ! Kep school jest a day, 
 not hardly that, neither." 
 
 " Why, that thar gal won t be but a maouthfle 
 apiece fer Sile Anstey n John Felser ; n not a 
 bite left fer the rest t chaw on ! " 
 
 "Wai, jest let her come n try it on, that s 
 all ! Zury Praouder ! Smart Aleck d oughter 
 he his other name ! " 
 
 The young woman whom McVey had sent for, 
 and who, with all the reckless and splendid cour 
 age of New England youth, self-reliance, and in 
 experience, had taken her life in her hand and 
 journeyed into the unknown wild, is well worth 
 a few paragraphs, historical, biographical, and 
 descriptive. 
 
 At the very time when Prouder and his neigh 
 bors were wagoning corn all the way from Spring 
 County to Chicago, a young girl named Anne 
 Sparrow was growing up in a Lowell cotton-fac 
 tory, wearing out her shoes and a clean pine floor 
 by her ceaseless tread, to and fro, behind frames 
 
90 ZURY. 
 
 which held hundreds of whirring spindles. As 
 she walked, with a springy, half-dancing step, she 
 kept time to the rhythm of the machinery and 
 sang or whistled, clear and shrill, some pretty air 
 to the same measure. She was handsome in a 
 style of beauty not then in vogue, though highly 
 favored a few years later, a tall, lithe, strong 
 blonde, with red hair, gay, brave blue eyes, and a 
 red-and-white and freckly skin. 
 
 The threads twisted by those spindles were con 
 stantly breaking, which gave her the duty (back- 
 ache-y at first, but easy afterward) of leaning 
 over the frames and deftly re-uniting them, which 
 service earned a pretty good living for herself and 
 widowed mother. The widow was intellectual, 
 even literary in a modest way, for she edited 
 the local weekly paper which published or de 
 clined with thanks the crude offerings of the 
 work-girls of the factory- town. Anne herself, 
 grew up with a great deal of desultory knowl 
 edge, largely the result of reading the books sent 
 to the " weekly " for review, at first to aid her 
 mother in writing the book-notices, and later to 
 enable her to write them herself. 
 
 " My happiest days " (she said, long afterward) 
 " were those when the paper came out containing 
 something I had written. I tried to fancy that it 
 looked like the things in the " Boston Transcript." 
 I was always hoping the " Transcript" would copy 
 something I had written, but it never did! I 
 would conjure up things as I worked, and then 
 write and re-write them ; and sometimes (not of- 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 91 
 
 ten) they looked bright when printed ; but it 
 made no difference. Nobody cared whether they 
 were bright or not." (A smiling sigh.) 
 
 Among the books she read and reviewed were 
 those to which Fourier gave his name, and she 
 became deeply impressed with the plausible views 
 they set forth. She and her mother were above 
 their business, their neighbors, and their circum 
 stances, an offense never forgiven by any com 
 munity since the world began. So the aging and 
 failing mother and the growing girl were essen 
 tially alone in the world. When Anne ap 
 proached marriageable age she saw that no one 
 whom she would marry would ever offer him 
 self. 
 
 Society has created a cruel fate for lonely wo 
 men. Every theory which seems to provide a 
 place for the unmarried millions of the gentle 
 sex finds a natural following of adherents among 
 them. Even Mormonism is not coarse enough to 
 repel the lower orders of the race, abhorrent as 
 it is to the refined. Fourierism aimed at giving 
 every human being an honorable chance to live ; 
 no wonder it gained passionate adherents from 
 the ranks of New England women, Anne Spar 
 row among the rest. 
 
 The widow s death soon left the daughter alone 
 and desolate, and she drifted quite into the 
 stream of the most " advanced thinkers." She 
 wrote some articles for the Boston papers, which 
 were always published until she suggested a 
 little pay for her contributions. Some of the 
 
92 ZURY. 
 
 leading people among the " new-lights " learned 
 her name, and wrote kindly to her, a gleam of 
 light in her darkness. A young doctor, who had 
 attended her mother in her last illness, had a great 
 influence among the " come-outers," and Anne 
 joined their ranks under his guidance. 
 
 The whole story of the New England " social 
 istic movement " has never been told, and prob 
 ably never will be ; certainly not until the gener 
 ation of its actors shall have passed away. The 
 annals of Brook Farm give only the surface of 
 events. As to Anne s part in it, we need not in 
 quire how far from the beaten track her " broad 
 views " led her. Whatever she did was not done 
 from wickedness ; it was in accordance with her 
 honest opinions of right and wrong, and not in 
 violation of them. Her lips are sealed ; she had 
 neither praise nor blame to bestow on her former 
 friends at the time when she begins to be con 
 nected with our story. That is, when her theo 
 ries, her independence, her pride, her strength, 
 her weakness, had led her far out into the West, 
 to Wayback in Spring County, Illinois. 
 
 One of her characteristics (mental or physical, 
 it is hard to say which) must be touched upon 
 because it affects her future. By some accident, 
 perhaps an inherited or at least an inborn ten 
 dency, she was morbidly sensitive to darkness 
 As a little child if she awoke alone, after bein<j: 
 
 O 
 
 put to sleep, she would scream " Mother ! " at the 
 top of her voice until help cnme ; and later, when 
 the widow tried to reason with her, she confessed 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 93 
 
 that if she were alone at night, and knew the 
 house was on fire, she could more easily be burned 
 in her bed than put her feet on the unseen floor. 
 Her intellect recognized this as a kind of insan 
 ity, but it was no more to be conquered than is 
 that of the poor lunatic who kills himself to es 
 cape imaginary perils threatening his life. 
 
 So it was the rule of the little household that 
 Anne should never be left alone at night. To 
 gether she and her mother sat at home ; together 
 they went out (though seldom) ; and together 
 they slept and woke. Then when her mother 
 died 
 
 Poor, suffering, lonesome girl ! To die, sud 
 denly, was her nightly longing; but luckily 
 sometimes afterward she said unluckily she was 
 sane enough to fear that too. 
 
 Among her mother s papers she found a slip 
 which had been made as the record of an incident 
 she herself had forgotten. It was used in an ef 
 fort to get medical relief, so the doctor told her 
 when they afterward became acquainted. Here 
 it is : 
 
 " Oh, mother mother dear I m so glad 
 you ve come to bed at last ! I heard a noise 
 and I got afraid I was going to be frightened. 
 And then the bed and the room began to move 
 about like a boat and I got almost seasick 
 and then I shuddered, and the goose-flesh came 
 all down my back and on my legs; just feel 
 them ! and I could hear my hair crawl about on 
 
94 ZURY. 
 
 the pillow and I tried to call out but. I could n t ! 
 And then you came, and I didn t quite get fright 
 ened after all." 
 
 At the end was appended in another hand (the 
 doctor s) this quotation : " Comes erectce stant ; 
 vox faucibus hcesit" and some medical hiero 
 glyphics. 
 
 The triumph of the rebellious scholars over 
 their teacher at the last attempted term of the 
 Way back school made Anne s prospect a very 
 gloomy one. To this threatening danger must be 
 added the prejudice conceived against her by a 
 majority of the school board because Zury had in 
 vited her without their advice and consent. 
 
 Fancy, now, a meeting of that august body, 
 composed of fonr farmers all alike in attainments 
 of " book-larninY except that three of them 
 could almost read and write, while the fourth 
 could not. The place is the log school-house in 
 the woods between Wayback and the Prouder 
 Farm. (Zury Prouder was unluckily away.) The 
 time is evening, starry on the prairie, but dark 
 ness under the giant trees that surround the school- 
 house. The light (material) is one tallow dip; 
 the light (intellectual) consists of the afore-men 
 tioned four members of the school board of Way- 
 back district and Anne Sparrow. 
 
 " Miss Sparrer, this h yer s brother Peddicomb, 
 and this s brother Sapp, an brother Anstey. 
 My name is Bromwell, Ornri Bromwell." (The 
 pronunciation of these sounding syllables was 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 95 
 
 evidently a strengthening exercise, precious as an 
 antidote to any modesty or self-distrust.) 
 
 " Brother Proauder and brother Braown, they re 
 absent, but, as is well known, four is a quorum of 
 six. If we re all agreed, we 11 now proceed to 
 examine yew as a candidate fer teacher of Dees- 
 trick Scule Number Seven." 
 
 Anne had no difficulty in " doing" all the little 
 arithmetical " sums " they propounded " up to the 
 rule o three." Her handwriting was tolerable. 
 Spelling was her forte, and she " floored " phthisic 
 and indefatigability and incomprehensibility with 
 out murmur. The doughty four began to fear 
 they would have no chance to exercise their unac 
 customed authority, unaccustomed because this 
 was the first time they had ever met without 
 Prouder and Squire Brown, who were the ruling 
 spirits of the board and also to fear they could 
 not give to Zury the desired " set-back." 
 
 But their great hope lay in the " back part o the 
 spellin -book." They could not answer the ques 
 tions, but by painful effort, eyes on line and finger 
 on word, they could ask them ; and then by the 
 same process they could compare the spoken 
 answers with the printed ones. Poor Anne felt her 
 courage dissolving into thin air as the grand in 
 quisitors marked question after question u missed " 
 when she had given the sense instead of the words 
 in her answer. If she could only have given the 
 words and reversed the sense she would have been 
 quite safe. Every little while a brother would 
 moisten his fingers with nature s lubricator and 
 
96 ZURY. 
 
 snuff the tallow dip which served to show the 
 darkness of the squalid school-room, subsequently 
 cleaning his fingers on his garments in a vain 
 effort to save the page from a little more grime ; 
 and on each of those occasions she would see in 
 the sinking candle an emblem of her sinking 
 heart. 
 
 At last the fateful four retired outside the door 
 into the vocal silence and lumined darkness of the 
 dewy woods to consult on the candidacy. 
 
 The consultation was short, and to a great ex 
 tent inaudible, but evidently all on one side. 
 
 " She got the parts o grammar Othorgaphy an 
 Entomology all right ; an Sign Tax after she 
 thort awhile ; but she left aout Prosody altogether." 
 
 " She did n t seem t git a-holt on a verb agree- 
 in with its nomitive in number n person, nei 
 ther : thort they orter correspond. Agree s the 
 word in the book." 
 
 " To be sure ! Ye correspond with a man ontel 
 y agree with him n then yer correspondence 
 draps." 
 
 " Yes, sir ! N when she tried t tell what* an 
 adverb 11 qualify, she left aout other adverbs, 
 teetotally." 
 
 " Ye reckleck brother McVey he answered every 
 question." 
 
 " Yew bet ! N if all the boys had n t a ben 
 able fer to a licked him, brother McVey he d a 
 done fust-rate." 
 
 So all who spoke were of one mind ; each try 
 ing to show the others that he had detected a 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 97 
 
 failure on Anne s part, some glaring and inex 
 cusable and irremediable defect in her education. 
 The poor girl, divining what was going on, was 
 almost hysterical in her discomfiture. Had she 
 come all this way by railroad, steamboat, canal- 
 boat, and stage to find out that she was unfit to 
 teach anything, however simple, to anybody, how 
 ever ignorant ? Had she (metaphorically) de 
 scended to the very foot of the social ladder to be 
 told that she must go lower or starve ? Poor girl ! 
 Alone, homeless, friendless, almost moneyless, 
 she passed a very bad quarter of an hour. 
 
 The mighty tetrapod approached the school- 
 house door to go in and tell her her doom. But 
 now brother Anstey, who not being able to read 
 or write had never before been known to utter a 
 word, put in his little oar. As his disability shut 
 him out from any active part in the oral examina 
 tion, he had simply sat in the shadow during its 
 progress and scanned the candidate s whitening 
 face, great scared eyes, and quivering lips. Now 
 he said, 
 
 " Brother Bromwell, somehoaw it don t seem 
 t me s haow we ain t got no quorum t act fer 
 keeps, s long s brother Praouder n brother 
 Braown ain t h yer." 
 
 "I don t llaow t let brother Praouder n 
 brother Braown have the say-so baout everythin ." 
 
 " N four s a quorum o six, every time," 
 added the brother who had laboriously acquired 
 this one item of (inaccurate) parliamentary in 
 formation, and no more. 
 
98 ZURY. 
 
 "Ef the worn t but three on us we couldn t 
 do nauthV, but four s a quorum/ 
 
 " Oh, four s a quorum, is it ? " said brother 
 Anstey, and then his little eyes twinkled, and he 
 slipped off around the corner of the school-house, 
 chuckled to himself, fought mosquitoes, and peeped 
 in at the window ; and this is what he saw. 
 
 The three learned worthies filed portentously 
 in, wise as owls, and far more solemn. Said 
 brother Bromwell : 
 
 " Miss Sparrer, we ve considered your case n 
 reached a conclusion ; n so s you kin see that 
 everythin s done in pro formy n cordin t law, 
 we will take the vote right here afore ye. Our 
 board s composed of six, n consekently four s a 
 quorum by law as you are doubtless aweer. Gen 
 tlemen, all as is in favior of votin t hev Miss 
 Sparrer excepted n ingaged as teacher of Dees- 
 trick Scule Number Seven 11 please signify it by 
 sayin why wheer s brother Anstey ? " 
 
 This oration with its absurd close, all spoken 
 in one breath, was too much for the overcharged 
 feelings of poor Anne, and she burst out laugh 
 ing. She could n t have helped it if her life had 
 depended on it, instead of simply her living. 
 It turned out all right, however : it made the 
 brothers look foolish, and left her mistress of the 
 situation, a safer state of things than if they 
 had gone off leaving a crushed fellow-mortal as a 
 gratifying trophy of their power. 
 
 " He must a mistook n thought we wuz through. 
 I ll step t the door n holler to him." 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 99 
 
 Then Anne heard, for the first time in her life, 
 the peculiar intonation with which Westerners and 
 Southerners shout aloud, giving great force to 
 the " Oh ! " and slighting the rest of the cry. 
 
 " O-H-H-H brother Anstey ! " 
 
 But of course brother Anstey was n t to be had. 
 He had been moved by some unsuspected and al 
 most unimaginable tender and sympathizing chord 
 in his rough nature to " break that quorum if it 
 cost him a leg ! " as he afterward gleefully de 
 clared, and so he kept himself well hidden and 
 let the shout echo unanswered over and beyond 
 and around him, and away through miles of si 
 lent, shadowy tree-trunks and branches ; silencing 
 many a low-voiced forest denizen, making many a 
 night-brooding beast, bird, and insect pause and 
 listen ; but extorting no response from him, a 
 hundred feet away, to whom it was addressed. 
 
 " O-H-H-H brJther Anstey ! " 
 
 Even old Shep, at the Prouder farm-house, 
 heard the " O-H-H-H," and set up his answering 
 bark ; and to him other watch-dogs replied, 
 " Down the coast, each taking up the burden," 
 
 so that, for aught we know, it may have spread on 
 and on, in ever-widening circles, until it reached 
 the Mississippi on the west, the Great Lakes on 
 the north, the Ohio on the south, and daylight in 
 the east. There seems no perceptible reason why, 
 in that quiet, breezeless starlight, inhabited by 
 from a dog and a half to ten dogs per square 
 mile, the chorus should ever come to a halt, why 
 every dog that heard that shout should not bark ; 
 
100 ZURY. 
 
 and every dog that heard that dog, and so on to 
 an extent which the imagination fails to grasp in 
 its monstrous possibilities. (This digression just 
 about measures the delay in waiting for brother 
 Anstey s answer.) 
 
 Meanwhile the conviction was deepening and 
 hardening in the little assembly at the school- 
 house, that the august body must ignominiously 
 
 go home. 
 
 " Zury Praouder ain t no man fer a school-di 
 rector away all of his time, buyin n sellin 
 cattle n truck, n tradin hosses n sech-like." 
 
 " Miss Sparrer, I xpeck we ve got t git another 
 meetin t morrer night, ef s be ye kin be raound 
 
 n think it wuth yer while." 
 
 " T morrer s Sat d y ; mebbe we kin git t git 
 t gether t th tahvern t Wayback, n save Miss 
 Sparrer a-comin daown h yer." 
 
 Manifestly this was an expedient to " let her 
 down easy " and spare her and them a journey 
 which must, after all, prove fruitless. Still, Anne 
 took it as a sure opening to success, and accepted 
 it joyfully. The hearty laugh had had its due re 
 flex influence on her spirits : she slipped the old 
 spelling-book into her pocket, and simply resolved 
 to learn the whole "back part" by heart during 
 the next day. 
 
 " Bid ye good-night, Miss Sparrer, n wish ye 
 well. S pose ye kin find yer way t the tahvern 
 
 ye can t miss it, n it s safe enough. We don t 
 none o us happen t be a-livin that way, xcep 
 brother Anstey, n he s gone." 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 101 
 
 Alone ! Were they men ? Could they leave 
 her in that black place alone ! She is going to 
 be frightened, surely ! Oh, horror ! Oh, desola 
 tion ! She must call to them she must call for 
 help she must scream out loud to break this 
 dreadful silence ! But not a sound will her dry 
 and hollow throat give forth. Once more her 
 old well-known fear of being frightened fell upon 
 her with a force greater than ever before. Her 
 hair took on its horrid independent life and moved 
 audibly and sensibly beneath her hat, and rough 
 ening chills shot over her body and limbs. 
 
 What were all previous terrors compared to 
 this ! The trees were so huge and black ! The 
 world was so big and she so small ! The peo 
 ple were all so far, far away ! O mother, moth 
 er ! Your poor little girl alone alone all 
 alone ! 
 
 She tried the school-house door again and again, 
 but, alas! the boors had locked it after them. 
 Never in her life had she felt such bitter and re 
 proachful anger against any human being as now 
 filled her breast toward those men. And yet it 
 was not just. They could not conceive of such 
 weakness as hers. As to asking her to go home 
 with them if she had been less unlike their 
 kind they might have done so, might have put 
 her to sleep with the wife while the father turned 
 in with the snoring boys. To the dignity of a 
 spare room none of those prosperous settlers had 
 yet arrived. (This was many years ago.) 
 
 Anne felt her way along the ground a little 
 
102 ^ZURY. 
 
 distance, almost on her hands and knees, but she 
 found herself so much more wretched after she 
 lost sight of the school-house, that she crawled 
 back to it again, and laid her cold cheek against 
 the door. It was smooth ; so at least some hu 
 man hand must once have touched it. She tried 
 to whistle, but her poor, parched whistle would n t 
 whistle ; or, if it did, it was so faint she could n t 
 hear it through the ringing in her ears. 
 
 What new horror is that? Her hair is getting 
 up again, she did not know it had lain down. 
 A light, by itself, moving noiselessly, mockingly, 
 from side to side, and coming nearer ; a ghost, 
 a corpse-light ! Black Dread has found her at 
 last, and is coming to seize her in his claws ! 
 
 " 0-h-h-h ! " and she uttered a shriek which might 
 have startled the echoes and the dogs again, only 
 that it was confined to the crack of the school- 
 house door by her two bent hands, one pressed 
 against each side of her eyes and temples, while 
 her feet beat tattoo on the stone outside. 
 
 " Why Miss Sparrer ! Be ye scare t ? It s only 
 old Anstey. I started aout t meet ye on the 
 road, but I could n t find noth n on ye, so I come 
 long clean h yer ! " 
 
 For the first and last time in his life that old 
 man had his gnarled hand kissed ! 
 
 u Oh, I came so near being frightened ! But 
 you came at last. Oh, take me somewhere ! " 
 
 " Wai, I llaowed t take }^e t our us ef so be ye 
 cM put up with poor folks doin s over-night. I 
 jest went hum V raouted aout th ole woman n 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 108 
 
 told her her V me we d take a shake-daown up 
 garret so s ye c d hev a night s rest ye look t 
 need it traveled so fur, V had sech bad luck 
 wi yer zam nation n all ! " 
 
 " Oh-I 11-sit-by-your-fire-all-night-and-not-trou- 
 ble-you-at-all-and-not-let-you-give-up-your-bed-nor- 
 your-wife-either-if-you 11-only-take-me-out-of-this- 
 wilderness!" and she paused for breath, and 
 then resumed faintly, but more deliberately, 
 " And thank you as long as I live ! Oh no, don t 
 take away your hand ! Let me hold it while we 
 walk there so." 
 
 " Why you poor creeter ! " 
 
 So he led her gently along, happy, almost gay, 
 in her revulsion of feeling, and half inclined to 
 put her arms around his corrugated neck and 
 kiss his weather-beaten and toil-marked old face. 
 The moonlight silvered his uncouth outlines, and 
 he looked, in her eyes, more like an angel than he 
 had ever looked to human eyes before unless to 
 his mother s when he met her earliest gaze or 
 than he would ever look again, in this world. 
 
 " I jest sot it up on them fellers baout right. 
 Tell me! I dunno much, but I know s haow 
 yew know a heap. Thet thar ornery Omri Brom- 
 well, he dunno enough t know haow much yew 
 dew know! What yew dunno ain t wuth a-know- 
 in , n I know it ! Takes a blind man t see some 
 things ! " 
 
 " Oh, I knew you were my friend all through." 
 (The fib was unconscious, but even if it had been 
 deliberate, who could have blamed her ?) 
 
104 ZURY. 
 
 " Sho now ! Did ye, though ? Wai, thar ! Ef 
 I ever did ! That shows s haow ye re quicker n 
 a-mink-trap n sharper n a tack ! Wai, I war n t 
 a-goin t let them fellers come no snap jedgment 
 on ye, not by a long chalk ! I jest broke the four- 
 urn a-purpose." 
 
 " Did you ? Oh, you dear man ! " 
 
 " Did I ? Wai, you better b lieve I did ! Them 
 t come a snap jedgment on yew! N Zury 
 Praouder away ! I termined t break that four- 
 urn ef it cost me a leg ! N I did it, tew ! " 
 
 And the old man swelled with pride at his 
 prowess. All alone he had broken a quorum ! 
 Not having any idea what a quorum was, not 
 even its name, all unaided he had attacked the 
 mighty chimera and shattered it at a blow. 
 
 " Yes you did, indeed ! No man in the world 
 could have done it more quickly or better ! " 
 
 " Jest let em wait ontel Zury Praouder gits 
 a-holt on em n he 11 fourum em ! " 
 
 " Who s Zury Prouder ? " 
 
 "What! dunno Zury? Wai, come t think, 
 course ye don t ! Oh Zury, he s a hull team n a 
 hoss t spare, n a dawg under the wagin ! He s 
 lightnin , Zury is ! Ain t noth n th matter o 
 Zury. Jest let him git a-holt on them fellers 
 wunst, a-tryin t run things n him gone, n 
 they 11 look s though an elephant d tromped onto 
 em ! I d druther deal with Zury Praouder, near 
 s he is, then a hull bilin o such misable ornery 
 truck s Omri Bromwell ! A man s more li ble 
 t cut his chin with a dull razor ner with a sharp 
 
A BRAVE GIRL THOUGH A COWARD. 105 
 
 one. If ye deal with Zury, ye know whar ye be, 
 but dealin wi them, whar be ye ? " 
 
 Anne was unable to answer this conundrum, 
 though disposed to think that, dealing with such 
 truck, you were lost. And lightening the way 
 with such amiable conversation (as Bunyan says) 
 they arrived at the humble abode of her guide. 
 There were a few embers just glowing on the 
 hearth, and they showed by their fitful light an 
 empty bed in one corner of the only room. Two 
 things were most fortunate, one that the firelight 
 was too dim to show her how unattractive were 
 the sleeping accommodations offered her, and the 
 other that the light of knowledge in the old man s 
 mind was too dim to show him the same thing. 
 He thought, innocent old soul, that that was "a 
 pootty fair of a bed," as he would have expressed 
 it. And so he bade her good-night, and clambered 
 up the ladder with a comfortable glow of grati 
 fied pride of hospitality in his heart, and Anne 
 heard him and his " old woman " exchanging a 
 few whispered remarks before sinking into their 
 speedy slumbers. Then she, too, after slipping off 
 her shoes and loosening a few garments, lay down 
 to watch the flickering embers which sparkled 
 between her and solitude, one of the sweetest 
 and speediest modes of saying good-night to wake- 
 fulness and good-morrow to dreamland. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 
 
 SUMMER night unless fear distort the vision 
 is beautiful, but summer morning in malarial re 
 gions (to the experienced dweller) is positively ugly. 
 All night the world is a lovely, half veiled Danae ; 
 with break of day she becomes a squalid, unkempt, 
 disorderly invalid. A blue, unwholesome-looking 
 haze spreads over every flat space, and the rays of 
 dawn silver its surface with a pale, sickly light. 
 The dew which is refreshing at night-fall is dank 
 at daybreak. Ague, like the ghost of a giant 
 snake, crawls visible over the land : men shudder 
 at the sight, and their flesh creeps at its very 
 hideousness. Only the tree-tops, far up and out 
 of reach, glorying in the early rays, are truly 
 happy places ; and the birds know it and make 
 the most of it by then and there doing up most of 
 their music, their laundry work, their toilets, and 
 their love-making for all day. 
 
 It seemed to Anne that she had scarcely got to 
 sleep when a noise woke her which sounded in 
 her dreams like the rumbling of an omnibus over 
 Charles River bridge, but which was, in fact, only 
 the passage of old Anstey across the warped and 
 " teetering " boards which formed the floor of the 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 107 
 
 garret. Then by the gray light that came peer 
 ing and peeping in through various imperfectly 
 closed apertures, especially the low wide chimney 
 open to the sky, she saw his bare feet descend the 
 ladder, followed by the rest of his person some 
 what more clothed, but not much. First he raked 
 up the embers into a blaze, then went out and 
 got a pail of water, from which he filled a kettle, 
 which he afterwards hung on the crane to boil. 
 Then he looked over toward Anne, she having just 
 time to close her eyes in pretended slumber. 
 
 People of Anstey s class have not the smallest 
 appreciation of the delicate coyness of sleep. 
 They think that the only things needful to se 
 cure sound slumber are two : first, a place to lie 
 down in, and, second, leisure in the intervals of 
 labor. Sleep they regard as at best a necessary 
 evil, and even down to this age of the world they 
 think that early rising is a virtue ! Annoyance 
 at being roused would be inconceivable to old 
 Anstey, unless uprising and working were the 
 purpose of the awakening. So when he saw, or 
 thought he saw, that Anne was fast asleep, he 
 simply called out : 
 
 " O-H-H-H Miss Sparrer ! " 
 
 " Well, Mr. Anstey ? " 
 
 " I in a-goin aout t milk naow, n I thort I d 
 tell ye th ain t no call fer ye t git up fer a spell 
 yet. Th ole woman she 11 be daown n git some 
 breakf s ; n ye kin jest sleep s long ye wan- 
 ter." 
 
 " Thank you." 
 
108 ZURY. 
 
 So Anne turned her face to the wall with the 
 intention of renewing the effort to restore ex 
 hausted nature. But what is this this horrible 
 bag of rustling corn-husks her head is resting on? 
 These unspeakable " comforts " that are trying to 
 do duty as sheet, blanket, and counterpane com 
 bined ! This rudely lumpy surface whereon they 
 are spread ! Those closely adjacent logs which 
 she knows must be swarming with insects ! Is it 
 imagination, or is she herself already infested ? 
 Ugh ! She springs from the bed as from a vi 
 per s nest, and stands on the floor, hastily exam 
 ines her shoes and puts them on and goes out into 
 the air, where she is confronted with the ugly 
 morning picture before mentioned, disheveled 
 Nature before she has her face washed, her hair 
 combed, or her shoes and stockings on. 
 
 Near by stands a rude bench, made by thrust 
 ing four saplings through holes bored in a slab 
 of wood, and on the bench sits an iron skillet, 
 which, by the piece of soap near at hand and 
 certain other indications, she knows to be the 
 family lavatory. The skillet she fills at the well, 
 and then making her simple toilet (aided by a 
 very small allowance of pocket-handkerchief and 
 a great deal of fresh air), she feels like a new 
 woman. She even ventures on a short walk in 
 the weedy garden-patch, but the dew makes this 
 a disagreeable experience and she soon gets back 
 to the house. 
 
 Anne thought she knew all about poverty. 
 She had certainly seen it in her factory-town, 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 109 
 
 clear down to the very door of the poor-house. 
 But the poor-house folk themselves did not live 
 like this : they would not have put up with it. 
 And those naturalistic enthusiasts how sublime 
 ly they talk about the charms of Nature ! How 
 sacred Nature s mysteries ! How much more you 
 adored her the nearer you got to her ! How in 
 alienable the rights of all her creatures, even the 
 humblest and least attractive ! Ugh ! Did they 
 know about bugs? Are malodorous parasites 
 Nature s creatures with inalienable rights ? Stuff ! 
 Mankind has been for twenty thousand years im 
 proving upon Nature, subduing her forces and 
 killing her bugs now the idea of going back ! 
 
 So musing, she came back to the house-door, 
 where the sound and smell of frying meat saluted 
 her. There she met Mrs. Anstey for the first 
 >time. It is well that our story does not demand 
 that she should be described, for she was really al 
 most " unspeakable," with her bare head and feet, 
 and her whole system ruined with the ceaseless 
 drug-taking which prevailed at that day, so much 
 more, even, than at this. The children were not 
 quite so bad, because, being ungoverned whelps, 
 they had rebelled, often with success, against the 
 ever-recurring Christian duty to take medicine. 
 
 " Howdy inarm ! Yer a-lookin peart. H yer 
 you cubs ! Hike out o h yer fr m raound that 
 thar fire ! Ain t ye got no manners ? Bijah, 
 why ain t ye aout a-helpin yer father do the 
 chores? You Silas! git daown often that stule 
 V give the lady a chance t set. Hike naow er 
 I 11 make ye ! Go read yer book ! " 
 
110 ZURY. 
 
 But Silas, knowing that this last infliction was 
 the penalty reserved for the gravest offenses, none 
 of which had he yet committed that morning, 
 merely gave up the stool and lounged over to the 
 other side of the fire, whence he could stare at 
 Anne continuously. 
 
 " You Eureky ! Why don t ye turn that bread ? 
 Hain t ye got no eyes ? " 
 
 This was obviously unjust, for Eureka, a tall 
 girl, almost a woman, was just then to all appear 
 ance entirely composed of eyes glued upon the 
 visitor. If she had possessed any other organ of 
 sense a nose, for instance it would have in 
 formed her that the " sody " biscuits were burn 
 ing on one side. 
 
 " You Silas ! Mind naow ye don t git t git no 
 breakfV not ontel ye ve washed up ! Elviry yew 
 stop yer whimperin ! Shell I hev t git after ye 
 with a chunk ? Go read yer book ! " 
 
 Now came Anstey with the milk, the straining 
 whereof Anne did not see, which was fortunate 
 for her breakfast appetite. She would have pre 
 ferred that the milk should remain like u the 
 quality of mercy " in Portia s speech. Break 
 fast was soon set dumped rather upon the 
 table ; where some "set by" on the old man s in 
 vitation, and some only helped themselves and 
 haled away their respective portions to individual 
 feeding-places. It was all rather dreadful even 
 to Anne s unpampered taste, and she could not 
 do much in the way of partaking. 
 
 " No meat ? Why, I m a-f eared ye won t make 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. Ill 
 
 nothin of a meal ! Jest tea V bread V milk don t 
 go fur. Ain t ye got nothin else, ole woman 
 store fixin s o no kind? " 
 
 " Oh, I m doing finely ! I have been quite out 
 of the habit of eating meat at breakfast, and 
 bread and milk are my favorite substitute." 
 
 This was true enough regarding meat, espe 
 cially during her mother s illness, when they could 
 scarcely afford it. 
 
 " Wai, ef I d a thought, I c d a give her some 
 o the drops o lixir vity to a give her an appe 
 tite." 
 
 " That s so ! My o woman she s paowerfle on 
 docterin . Ye kin tie t her every time ! " 
 
 This was said with undisguised admiration and 
 marital pride. 
 
 " Course we got eggs ef ye like eggs." 
 
 Anne at once expressed devoted fondness for 
 eggs. 
 
 44 You Reeky ! G out n git s m eggs ; V 
 mind ye don t disturb the settin hens." 
 
 When Eureka returned with the eggs, Anne 
 observed preparations for frying them in the meat 
 gravy. She ventured the suggestion that they 
 should be boiled. 
 
 " Biled eggs ? Ye don t say ! Wai, we don t 
 think biled eggs fit fer shucks, on y fer the chiU n 
 t ? take t scule. Hows ever. Eureky, you fetch 
 in that skillet. Mind ye wash it aout, tew." 
 
 Eggs boiled in the wash-basin rather staggered 
 poor Anne, but so long as the shells were not 
 cracked what difference could it make ? The eggs 
 
112 ZURY. 
 
 were put in, and boiled some ten or fifteen min 
 utes. Then when the water was poured off and the 
 skillet set on the table, she (not without many 
 misgivings) wiped each very dry, and peeled off 
 the shell very carefully, and so secured a shiny 
 ball of nourishing food pure as a snow-flake, which 
 she munched with a good deal of satisfaction. 
 
 The old woman of course could not drop the 
 fascinating subject of medicine yet a while. 
 
 " Oh, no, I ain t no great shakes compared to 
 yer way-up city doctors. Tell yew ! Can t they 
 give physic ? No matter what yer complaint is 
 they ve got suthV other t 11 knock it ! N that 
 s more n what the best of our country doctors 
 kin say ! " 
 
 u Course that s so," volunteered old Anstey. 
 " Them big city doctors they don t llaow t come 
 away aout h yer ! I ve heern tell haow they hev 
 their reg lar zaminations o candidates, same s if 
 it wuz preachers n school-teachers : n them s 
 kin tell what 11 knock all complaints, they sta 
 tion in the big cities ; n them s kin tell what 11 
 knock half, say, why they send them t mejum- 
 sized places, like say Springville or Danfield ; n 
 them s can t tell what 11 knock hardly anythin 
 ceptin agur, n fits, n roomatiz n sech like, why 
 the send sech s them t Wayback n sech like." 
 
 " Course that s so ! Tell me ! Don t I know 
 it? N that s the reason why we country ladies 
 we don t have no health ! Its teetotally and in- 
 tirely the doctors, altogether ! N partly the 
 quality o the physic th sell h yer, tew. Many s 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 113 
 
 the time I ve bought what was cracked up to be 
 good strong med cine t Wayback ; yes V paid a 
 good price fer it, tew, n it did n t seem t take 
 no holt." 
 
 " I Ve often wondered why them big town doc- 
 ters don t put up a mixter of all ther strong med- 
 cines, n put in what s good fer everythin 
 not leave aout a single complaint n send itaout 
 inter the kedntry ter save the lives of their feller- 
 creeters. It d have a big sale, I tell ye ! " 
 
 " Wai, naow, ther wuz a man he come by with 
 suth n o thet kind a pannersee he called it 
 thet d cure every mortial thing. An he had 
 another med cine thet was cracked up t be paow- 
 erfle good fer fits. Wai, I bought some o both. 
 To be sure we ain t had no fits yet, but then, ther 
 ain t no tellin haow soon we may. Then it kind 
 o struck me thet ef the pannersee would cure fits 
 among the rest, what wuz the fit-med cine good 
 fer : so I as t him in case o fits which I sh d give ; 
 n he kinder laughed as he rid off, n sung aout 
 both. I tuk the pannersee cordin t directions, 
 but " (here she sighed) " I never see s it done 
 me much good." (This with an air of resigned 
 melancholy at the well-recognized fact that her 
 case formed an exception to the general experience 
 of humanity.) " The fit-med cine I guess I got 
 sumwhers naow. I 11 gladly give ye a dose Miss 
 Sparrer ef ye feel any ways poorly." 
 
 " Thank you very much, but I am quite well. 
 I m almost always perfectly well." 
 
 " Wai, naow, ye ra ly look it. Oilers lived in a 
 city, I s pose." 
 
114 ZURY. 
 
 " Yes, almost always." 
 
 44 Ah yah ! There T s whar it is ! Wha d I 
 tell ye ? Ye lied them big city docters oilers clust 
 by. N the most paowerfle med cines, no mat 
 ter whut the cost, nuther." 
 
 44 I don t remember ever to have had a doctor in 
 my life to any sickness of my own." 
 
 " What ! Doctered yerself n bought yer own 
 med cines?" 
 
 44 No, did n t need any medicines, and did n t 
 take any." 
 
 " Haow ? never sick ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, often ailing just a little." 
 
 44 Then haow did ye knock the diseases ? " 
 
 " Just let them alone, and they went away of 
 themselves." 
 
 " What ! " in chorus. 
 
 4 Yes. I never had much faith in doctors or 
 doctor-stuff." 
 
 " Wai ! I swaow t man ! " 
 
 " Wai, I know t if I hed n t a had things t 
 a-took in time, at the beginnin , we d a all a be n 
 dead long ago. Thar s nothin like meetin a dis 
 ease in time." 
 
 " I always found that letting it alone in time 
 \vas better." 
 
 Here occurred an explosion of chuckles from 
 Bijah s bench. 
 
 " Yew h yer me ? That settles it ! No more 
 physic fer me ! " 
 
 44 Me, too ! " from Silas. 
 
 " Silas Anstey, you shet up ! Go read yer book ! 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN, 115 
 
 As fer you, Bijah, yew ve got cause t be thank- 
 fle that ye ve got payrents thet s able t buy yer 
 needfle med cines, n knows haow t pr scribe fer 
 ye, yes n make ye take it tew, big s ye be ! " 
 
 "Not much ! " says Bijah, and slides out of the 
 door, followed by Silas. 
 
 The family now scattered to their several avoca 
 tions : Eureka and her mother " doing up " the 
 breakfast things in less than five minutes. Then 
 Mrs. Anstey seated herself beside the fire-place 
 with her knitting and a short pipe which she 
 lighted with a coal held (greatly to Anne s aston 
 ishment) in her toil-hardened fingers. 
 
 "I don t expect ladies smoke whar yew come 
 from." 
 
 44 Well, I never knew of their doing so." 
 
 44 No. Like s not if I wuz fixed same s they 
 be I d be full s praoud s th best on em. It s all 
 owin t haow ye re fixed. We ladies aout h yer 
 in th woods don t give a cent fer looks. My old 
 dad use ter say 4 blessin s on th man t invented 
 eatin , coz ye kin smoke arter it. He wuz a reg - 
 lar old he-one fer terbacker." 
 
 44 1 should think so ! " 
 
 To give herself light, she pulled the plug out of 
 the 44 knitting hole," which let a tiny ray fall 
 directly on her busy needles. Seeing Anne look 
 at the arrangement with interest she explained its 
 convenience. 
 
 44 He fixed this string t hang th plug up by, 
 coz the chil n wuz oilers a-burnin on it up : n 
 he made it long, ye see, so s I c d poke aout th 
 
116 ZURY. 
 
 snow in winter V not have t spend my breath 
 a-blowin on it aout, ner yit wade aoutside t clar it 
 away. But, then, sometimes it drifts V banks 
 up right smart higher than the hoel : n besides, 
 when it s stormy it blows in so I can t stan it, V 
 I jest hev t put in th plug n light a candle." 
 
 " I should think you would run the risk of 
 rheumatism." 
 
 "Wai, yes, that shoulder is oilers th wust. 
 Th docters sez ye kin tell which side o th chim- 
 ley th knittin -hoel is by seem which o the lady s 
 arms is th stiffest." 
 
 Eureka, emboldened by time and by a little 
 encouragement from Anne, grew to be a trifle 
 less shy, and studied with wondering admiration 
 her simple traveling outfit, the first city-made 
 costume she had ever had the happiness to feast 
 her wild eyes upon. She did not examine it for 
 the sake of learning how to dress herself, but 
 more in the spirit with which a Sioux Indian 
 might observe a photographic apparatus, " Big 
 Medicine!" So wonderfully perfect in all ap 
 pointments ; so exquisitely neat in fabric, device, 
 and construction ; so beautiful in results ! Sim 
 ple girl ! But perhaps she will attain, before we 
 lose sight of her, to something more comparable 
 to this ladylike-ness than she now thinks possi 
 ble. We shall see. 
 
 Anne had early learned that it is not polite to 
 " eat and run ; like the beggars." So she de 
 voted herself to the old woman for an hour or 
 more : furnished her a listener ; precious gift to 
 the loquacious and lonely ! 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 117 
 
 The talk turned quite naturally to Mr. Prouder. 
 
 " Zury he s wal fixed. His dad come aout a 
 year ahead of my o man V located a section 
 same as he did. N no man V woman never 
 worked no harder ner we did. But then we 
 did n t hev no Zury ; V Ephr m Praouder, he 
 did n t have no babes a-comin right along as we 
 did. We ve buried three. Many s the day I ve 
 tromped barefooted, droppin V kiverin corn, 
 long arter I d oughter ben layin up, V sewin 
 V gittin ready." And she showed her mis 
 shapen hands and feet in needless confirmation of 
 her words. Anne, trying to get at more agree 
 able themes, ventured : 
 
 " Why, there must have been Indians here when 
 you came." 
 
 "Injins? Oh yes, th wuz some aout on the 
 Vermilion. 
 
 "Hostile Indians?" 
 
 " Hoss - tile ? Wal, no ; they was all a-foot 
 then. The d sold their ponies fer whiskey, mostly. 
 All on em did arter the Black Hawk War. But 
 the never troubled us none. The rale trouble 
 with us wuz t we could n t git ahead fur enough 
 t git no stawk onter the place t eat up th crap. 
 It were oilers morgidged a-fore it wuz gethered ; 
 V then it hed t be sold in th shock er in th 
 ear, instead o feedin on it n sellin the pork." 
 
 " The hog is a pretty respectable animal, after 
 all, is n t he?" 
 
 " Yew better b lieve it ! Breeds like a house 
 fly n grows like a punkin ! Takes care of him- 
 
118 ZURY. 
 
 self s long s the s an acorn, er a snake, er a nub 
 bin he kin git at ; in th woods, in th cornfield, 
 in th barn, in th garding it s all one t him 
 s long s he kin find a hole in the fence big enough 
 t git th little end of his snaout intevv th rest 
 on him follers, soon er late." 
 
 " I Ve read somewhere that without the hog 
 navies could not be kept afloat, nor armies in the 
 field." 
 
 " Wai, I s pose it s so, ef it s in print. Any- 
 haow, yew kin tell em fr m me, th t th kedntry 
 couldn t be settled not a half, no ner a quarter 
 s fast ef the worn t no hawgs. The eats every- 
 thiu , n everythin the eats turns right inter 
 clear meat. N when ye kill em th ain t no 
 waste t speak of it s all thar, fr m the nose t 
 the tail, sound s a fresh-lakl egg ! " 
 
 "Yes, the same book. \ was speaking of before 
 says there is nothing that flies the air or swims 
 the sea or walks the earth that gives so much to 
 use and so little to waste." 
 
 " Dew the say thet naow ? Wai, I give in, 
 the dew know a leetle suth n even in the big 
 cities whar th books is made up ! " 
 
 " I should think beef would be better. You 
 can work the poor ox all his life and eat him when 
 he s dead." 
 
 " Ah yah ! Cattle s tew slow fer Western 
 farmers t work. Beef ain t nowher s alongside 
 o pork. A caow don t usially have but one calf 
 a year ; n it takes the calf four years t come t 
 anythin ; n every year it costs more t keep ner 
 
AWE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 119 
 
 it dooz t keep a hawg all his life. Th saow she 
 hez tew er three litters a year, n lots o pigs 
 every time ; n in tew years th pigs is all hawgs 
 ready t kill. Tell me ! I jest love t see em 
 raound ! Th squeal of a hawg s the sweetest 
 music th t kin be fer a farmer s ears ! " 
 
 " But there s the milk and butter." 
 
 " Oh ya-as. Beef s th rich man s luxury, n 
 pork s the poor man s needcessity. When we 
 can t git butter we kin eat lard, n when we can t 
 git milk we kin drink water ; but when we can t 
 git pork we must jes starve tew death." 
 
 " Did the Prouders raise swine ? " 
 
 " Wai, old Ephr m he wuz lucky enough t git 
 a-holt on s m hawgs fust thing, n stick tew em 
 like grim death tew a dead nigger." 
 
 " Why could n t you do so too ? " 
 
 "Wai, ye see we didn t hev no Zury, ner 
 no luck. N matter haow hard we d try t win 
 ter over a few, the wuz sure t be all eat up, er 
 sold off, er dead a-fore spring come. Wunst we 
 did hev a-seemin good show fer doin it it 
 wuz jest arter we morgidged aour sec n quarter- 
 section. We hed sixteen likely hawgs n shoats, 
 n a poor, mis able, wal, pootty good straw-stack 
 t shelter em. It saounded jest good t hear em 
 squeal, a-craowdin one another alongside th straw 
 t keep warm ! Th o man he d wake up in the 
 night n larf, n say the mometer must be daown 
 below Nero ! Hear em a-pullin kiver ? Ye see 
 he meant the wuz like childern a-quar lin fer 
 the bed-clo s. Wal, one orfle night the crawled 
 
120 ZURY. 
 
 tew fur under, n the wind it jest blowed n 
 canted th hull stack right over ontew em ; n 
 come morniri th wuz all dead th snow spread 
 smooth n white over em all layin thar smoth 
 ered under th straw n snow ! " What a spasm 
 of pain, distress, disappointment, despair, wrin 
 kled that old face at the recollection of this cruel 
 blow ! 
 
 44 Oh, Mrs. Anstey ! I could cry to think of 
 it!" 
 
 44 Could ye, naow ? Ye re a sweet-hearted gal ! 
 Wai, if cryin tears o heart s blood c d a-brought 
 em t life agin, I d a shed em when I went aout 
 n looked at em, all a-layin stiff n dead in rows 
 n heaps ! Not one left n th morgidge a-com- 
 in due ! That quarter wuz sold, n Zury he bid 
 it in." 
 
 44 1 hate him ! " 
 
 44 O ye hain t an} r cause t hate him fer a-biddin 
 on it in. Somebody hed t hev it. We lost tew 
 more, under morgidges ; n th one we ve got 
 left is morgidged he hoi s th morgidge n it 
 jest keeps aour noses t the grin -stone t keep 
 a-holt on it n pay interest. So fur we ve done it 
 I dunno haow long we kin keep it up. When 
 we can t, then we Ve got t turn renters, like many 
 is n rentin a farm is nex door t th poor- 
 haouse ! " 
 
 44 Oh, well your boys are coming along and 
 Mr. Anstey is a good man I m sure ; you 11 come 
 out all right," 
 
 44 Oh, yes ; my o man he s all right. He ain t 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 121 
 
 s smart s most ; V th ain t none s smart s 
 Zury ; but yit I dunno s I d care t swap." 
 
 She did well to stand up for Anstey. He was 
 a good man and a good citizen, and a pillar of 
 the church. He always put on shoes to go to 
 meeting, even in summer (stockings, of course, 
 were not required), and as one shoe squeaked and 
 the other did not, his march up the bare aisle was 
 quite impressive. " Squeak clump squeak 
 clump" they went, all the way from the door to 
 the " amen corner," where his devoutness gave 
 him a place. 
 
 "Now, Mrs. Anstey, it is growing late, and I 
 must get to the tavern at Wayback in time for 
 dinner. I am wonderfully thankful to you for 
 your kindness ! " 
 
 "Yew? Beholden tew us ? Nary a mite! I 
 guess ye dunno, chile, what a blessin it is t see 
 sech a face s yourn, V talk with sech a gal s yew 
 be, aout in this neck o woods! I m only scare t 
 fer fear we can t git t keep ye ! Ef so be ye dew 
 stop raound these parts ye wun t ferget t come 
 n see th Ansteys, naow, will ye ? " 
 
 " Aha, my dear friend if you knew me you 
 would n t have any doubt about my remembering 
 you and getting just as well acquainted as you ll 
 allow." 
 
 " Wai, I 11 wait n see if ye keep yer word. 
 God bless n care fer ye ! " 
 
 It would have amused and pleased poor Anne 
 to hear (if she could have understood them) the 
 comments on her when next the Ansteys met 
 about the social (?) board. 
 
122 ZURY. 
 
 " Ki ! She s right on it, ain t she ! " 
 
 " Ya-as. She ain t no slaouch, back part o th 
 spellin -book er not." 
 
 " Talk aboaut splay-feet, knock-knees, caow- 
 hocks, n parrot-toes did ye see her step aout 
 daown th road? She didn seem hardly t tech 
 her feet t the graoun ! " (Anne s experience be 
 hind the cotton-frames had made her a perfect 
 Atalanta.) 
 
 " Gimme a brick-top, arter this." (This was 
 young Silas tribute to her charms.) 
 
 " Tell ye one thing I m a-goin t see Zury, 
 n put him up t a thing er tew ! Them ornery 
 whelps, Bromwell 11 all! Deestrick Number 
 Seven ain t a-goin t lose sech a gal s that, not if I 
 have my say-so." 
 
 Anne set off in fine spirits. Her walk was com 
 paratively happy. Sometimes she whistled gayly 
 and sweetly, rinding that the tones she tried for in 
 vain last night when they might have done some 
 good were again at her service now when she 
 needed them less like the flattering accents of 
 fair-weather friends. Every little while she would 
 take out the dingy spelling-book and learn by 
 heart a question and answer, and say it over aloud 
 as she walked along. 
 
 Often she laughed at herself for her last even 
 ing s darkness-panic, and as often she resolved 
 never to be so foolish again and then remem 
 bered that her life had been dotted with just such 
 panics, and just such recoveries, each followed by 
 just such resolutions. In vain she told herself 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 123 
 
 that she ought to be the same woman in the dark 
 as in the light. She was the same it was the 
 rest of creation that was unstable, and changed 
 its character every night from natural to unnat 
 ural and supernatural and horrible ! 
 
 In the confusion of the previous night she had 
 forgotten to wind her watch, so she did not know 
 how time was passing. Fearing to lose that civ 
 ilized (or at least half-civilized) noon dinner, she 
 quickened her steps, and soon came in sight of 
 " Wayback," now a cluster of houses surrounding 
 the gristmill and sawmill on the river-bank. The 
 few buildings were new, middle-aged, and old, as 
 indicated by the various degrees of fading which 
 they had undergone green lumber, seasoned 
 lumber, and gray, weather-beaten boards reduced 
 almost to the color of the air that has dessicated 
 them. They glared under the pitiless sunshine, 
 asking in vain for the shadows of trees which had 
 been on the ground before any houses intruded, 
 but which had been unwisely sacrificed, leav 
 ing only ugly stumps to show where they had 
 stood. 
 
 The tavern was a two-storied frame structure of 
 more exterior promise than interior excellence. 
 It had a long broad piazza garnished with several 
 massive chairs, made large enough in the frame 
 to stand a great deal of whittling, but yet not large 
 enough to escape being whittled down to emaci 
 ation in all their available limbs. It was kept by 
 one Peleg Thum, its builder, who, not having 
 enough money to finish and furnish it, had been 
 
124 ZURY. 
 
 forced to borrow. Zury was the lender : and 
 thenceforth, as Tom Lackner, the storekeeper, said, 
 " The difference between Peleg Thum and Zury 
 Provider s thumb was that Zury s thumb was on 
 top." 
 
 When Anne reached the tavern she entered 
 the public room (office, post-office, etc.) of the 
 hotel, glanced up at the clock, and saw that it 
 pointed to half-past ten ! Of course it must 
 have stopped in the night. She passed into the 
 darkened dining-room no signs of dinner 
 could she be too late to get anything ? She pen 
 etrated further (startling a myriad of flies which 
 broke the silence of the room with ahum like that 
 of a bee-hive in swarming time), and at last found 
 her friend McVey clerk-steward-porter-man-of- 
 all-work, who glanced at the sun and said he 
 guessed the clock was about right. " A leetle 
 fahst if anything." 
 
 So it was. A farmer s day, beginning long be 
 fore " sun-up," seems to the unaccustomed urban 
 to be half done when it is only fairly begun. It 
 takes time for a person accustomed to "civilized 
 hours " to realize that five hours added to four 
 A. M. brings nine A. M. just as surely as the same 
 space added to eight A. M. brings one P. M. 
 
 John Endicott McVey was a real New Eng- 
 lander, but scarcely a typical one : lie was too 
 slender in body and mind too soft in head and 
 heart. He had " seen better days " even at that 
 early age. If he had gone on seeing them, through 
 the medium of an inherited fortune or even a good 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 125 
 
 salaried position in Boston, he would have passed 
 a highly creditable life, perhaps (if the fortune 
 had been a large one) have had children named 
 for him, or even a street in a suburb ! But a 
 palm is out of place in a prairie. John s hand 
 some face and tall, fine figure fitted him to lead 
 the ge.rman, but not to lead boorish Americans. 
 
 " Will you sit down, Miss Sparrow ? Well, how 
 in the nation did you pass last evening ? " (He 
 said ." Well " in two syllables " Way-ell " 
 and continued : " Haow in the nat-i-o-n did you 
 pahss lahst evenin ? " But we will not inflict 
 another dialect on the long-suffering reader.) 
 
 " Oh, after the school-board meeting I went to 
 Mr. Anstey s for bed and breakfast." 
 
 " I tried the school last year, but soon gave it 
 up. I am here temporarily, waiting for some bet 
 ter opening." 
 
 It was quite refreshing to Anne to hear her na 
 tive tongue again, but now she only said : 
 
 " Can you give me a room, and have my trunk 
 sent up the one I brought here on the stage 
 yesterday ? " 
 
 " Why certainly ! Right away ? " 
 
 Yes and have me called in time for din 
 ner ? " 
 
 " Why certainly." And he proceeded to do all 
 that was required, with an air that indicated that 
 he found it only a pleasure to serve a person with 
 whom he was so much disposed to be friendly as 
 Miss Sparrow. He felt a certain possessory re 
 sponsibility for her, though a stranger, from having 
 been instrumental in bringing her out West. 
 
126 ZURY. 
 
 Anne found her room bare and hideous, but a 
 chamber of state compared with last night. After 
 some comforting ceremonies which can be best ap 
 preciated by a woman who has passed two nights 
 without undressing, she lay down with the spell 
 ing book in hand and read herself to sleep in less 
 than four minutes by the sun. 
 
 Two hours later Anne entered the dining-hall, 
 refreshed and radiant, with an excellent appetite 
 for her dinner. There she was greeted by a good- 
 looking man, neither young nor old ; strong, bold, 
 gay, and sharp. He set a place for her, and made 
 himself so serviceable that she innocently took 
 him for the host. They dined together, and he, 
 being just in from a journey (though chiefly oc 
 cupied in talking about himself), was willing and 
 able to give to everybody the news of the world. 
 
 He called Anne by name, evidently knew a good 
 deal about her, and as evidently wished to know 
 more ; but made his researches so naively and good- 
 naturedly that she was rather amused than of 
 fended or annoyed at the easy task of baffling 
 them. After the meal was over he voluntarily 
 introduced himself as " Usury Praouder, the me- 
 eanest ma-an in Spring Caounty," and she recog 
 nized the mighty arbiter of her destiny in the 
 matter of the pedagogisin of School District Num 
 ber Seven. 
 
 "So ye could n t quite hit it off with the school 
 board, could n t ye ? " 
 
 Who told you that ? " 
 
 " Oh, I know everythin don t need t be told 
 things like common folks ! " 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 127 
 
 " Everything? Do you know the back part of 
 the spelling-book ? " 
 
 " No, but I know enough not t have t know 
 it, V that s better n knowin on it." 
 
 " Well, Mr. Prouder, I don t know so much as 
 that ; so I ll bid you good day and go and learn 
 it." 
 
 " Oh, never ye mind that ! I 11 tell ye haow t 
 git along thaout havin t know it." 
 
 " How is that ? " 
 
 " Oh, you jest leave the whole thing t me, V 
 I 11 fix ye aout." 
 
 " Well, I want to know the back part of the 
 spelling-book, too ! Good-bye ! " 
 
 " Oh say ! Miss Sparrer ! " 
 
 But she was off and away up-stairs in a flash : 
 and between naps that afternoon she mastered the 
 ridiculous little shibboleth from beginning to end. 
 She could have shut the book and made a very 
 fair copy of it from memory. 
 
 At tea Mr. Prouder did not appear, which some 
 what disconcerted her. And in the evening the 
 school board failed to meet according to pro 
 gramme, or to send her any word, which further 
 unwomaned her, whereupon she passed a rather 
 miserable night none the better for the many 
 naps of the day preceding it some few tears 
 finding their way to her lonely pillow. But with 
 the bright morning came renewed strength and 
 courage as usual. 
 
 So when at breakfast Zury Prouder made his 
 appearance, confident, gay, and egotistical as ever, 
 
128 ZURY. 
 
 she felt as if it was just what she had always ex 
 pected. 
 
 " Wai, Miss Sparrer, I fixed that all right, as 
 I said I would." 
 
 " Indeed ? All right ? How ? " 
 
 " Well, you re t have the jawb leastways if 
 you 11 agree to our terms." 
 
 "Terms? I thought the pay was fixed and 
 settled." 
 
 " Wai yes so t is, in a way. But bein 
 s ye ain t quite prepared in yer examination, the 
 board proposes t give ye half wages fer the fust 
 quarter. No more no less." 
 
 Here a hard look settled over Zury s strong face ; 
 a mask of straight, level brow, half-shut eyes, 
 square jaws, and drawn lips, which every man who 
 ever dealt with him learned to know, soon or late 
 in their intercourse, to his cost. 
 
 " But I d rather stand another examination 
 with you on the board." 
 
 This little bit of flattery softened Zury s face, 
 but not his heart. 
 
 " No school-board ain t no ways obleeged t ex 
 amine a candidate more n wunst, s fur s I ve read 
 the law." (He had never looked at any law in the 
 matter, nor she either.) " N then the trouble s 
 right h yer. The board s disposed, if I say th 
 word, t put McVey right in, thaout any furder 
 examination, he havin already passed perfect, O. 
 K. and Al." 
 
 The blood came to Anne s face as she fully took 
 in this pitiful shave, but she choked down her in- 
 
ANNE MEETS THE MEANEST MAN. 129 
 
 dignation with the thought that the whole pay 
 was so small that the loss of half of it for three 
 months was scarcely worth thinking of. 
 
 " Oh, well ! I 11 take it. But I don t see how 
 you can be the meanest man in Spring County. 
 They must be all pretty mean ! " 
 
 " Sho, sho ! We re poor country-folks aout 
 here, n not half ner a quarter up t city ways o 
 makin n savin money ! " 
 
 This was said with a deprecatory smile, as if 
 she had tried to flatter him and Spring County 
 together. Now the fact was (though Anne did 
 not find it out till long afterward) that Prouder 
 had easily forced the board to agree to engage 
 Miss Sparrow, to whom he had taken a liking, 
 and this cut of a few dollars out of her wages 
 was an after- thought purely his own. 
 
 After Anne came to know Zury Prouder better 
 she would have been able to anticipate just such 
 a dodge on his part. This was the kind of man 
 our old friend had grown to be. Whatever diffi 
 cult or baffling or puzzling task he set his strong 
 hand to moved forward at once. Sometimes it 
 seemed almost like harnessing a horse to a hand 
 cart. Only, when all was said and done, some 
 bunch of gain, great or small, would always be 
 found to have resulted either to the party for 
 whom he was acting, or to himself as was often- 
 est the case, or to both. We shall note many a 
 case wherein, in the years that followed, Anne 
 had this experience : some word or act of his 
 would clear her way of an obstruction apparently 
 
130 ZURY. 
 
 impregnable. Zury would always rather do a 
 kind act than an unkind one, especially if he 
 could make more profit by the former. But even 
 if no profit was to accrue, he would do it for fun, 
 provided that he suffered no loss. He was an 
 accomplished cattle and horse breeder ; that part 
 of his large business he attended to personally. 
 He loved to see his beasts enjoy themselves. 
 Nothing pleased him better than to buy a poor, 
 suffering " critter " out of its misery for fifty 
 dollars, and then feed it well, use it well, work 
 it well, and sell it well for a hundred dollars. 
 
 Everything he touched turned to gold. He 
 never knew what weariness was, by day or night, 
 by week, by month, or by year. (If ever dis 
 posed to try to remember what it meant to be 
 tired, he would look back on that first corn-plow 
 ing.) He was school director, supervisor, asses 
 sor; to which offices, as before observed, people 
 elected him because lie did the work so openly 
 and so well ; not because he did not manage them 
 so that his own taxes were less than they should 
 be. His standing in his church was excellent for 
 similar reasons among others. Without his wealth 
 he could not have had these positions, and with 
 out the positions his riches would have been less. 
 
 " I jest make one hand wash th other." 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HOW ANNE BOARDS KOUND, AND HOW SHE 
 LIKES IT. 
 
 "Now, Mr. Prouder, this boarding around* 
 how is that managed ? " 
 
 " Wai, ye see the thing s divided up kinder 
 this way. Th d rectors they make up a sched 
 ule o haow many fam lies the is in th dees- 
 trick taxable fer boardin th teacher, n then the 
 put th names in a hat n then dror em aout ; n 
 th order the happen t come in, they take th 
 teacher turn n turn abaout. Course it s pootty 
 hard on a fam ly th t only schools one child t 
 board th teacher s long s a fam ly hez ter thet s 
 got a half a dozen : but then. It s all owin t 
 haow ye look at it. Th big little fam lies is hard 
 enough t keep, anyhaow. N th wust luck is 
 when ye hain t got none at all." 
 
 " But I suppose that in the families where there 
 are six children the teacher only gets one sixth 
 as much to eat as in the others, so that makes it 
 square." 
 
 " Should n t wonder. Guess there s some broods 
 o chickens I know in the deestrick whar a strange 
 pullet like yew 11 hev t scratch raoun pootty 
 lively t grow fat enough t kill very soon." 
 
132 ZURY. 
 
 " Oh dear me ! " 
 
 " Them s kin afford it, kin commute the teach 
 er s board by payin a dollar a week instead o 
 takin her. But then it s only a few th t s well- 
 fixed enough t spare so much cash." 
 
 " Oh, I see. The poor ones can board the 
 teacher, and the rich ones can give her a dollar a 
 week to stay away ! " 
 
 "Eggzackly." 
 
 " So all who can feed her decently, she can 
 keep away from ; while the places where she 11 
 starve she must go to." 
 
 44 Oh ye need n t be afeared t anybody 11 want 
 t pay yew aout rather V t keep ye." 
 
 Anne, began to smile gently, pluming herself on 
 the implied compliment. 
 
 " Ye see y ain t like a man. All yew 11 eat 
 won t come to no dollar a week." 
 
 Her smile died away. 
 
 " So she must move, bag and baggage, from one 
 place to another, between every two fortnights ! 
 Coming by chance that way it will sometimes be 
 from one end of the district to the other ! " 
 
 " Wai, they kind o change raound with one an 
 other. Sometimes th won t nobody want t take 
 ye , V then agin there 11 be two r three to 
 wunst." 
 
 44 Oh, how dreadful ! As if I were a pauper, 
 shoved on from one parish to another ! " 
 
 44 Human natur s human natur. Come fust 
 frost when the all want t be a-killin , the 11 all 
 want t git through boardin teacher while th 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND. 133 
 
 pork s fresh. Tell yew ! By the time ye ve 
 lighted on tew or three haouses jest at killin time 
 tender-lines, sausages, spare -ribs, pigs -feet, 
 tongues, n head-cheese over n over agin t each 
 haouse ye 11 be s fat s fat, n most like feel s 
 tho th brustles wuz a-spraoutin daown yer 
 back." 
 
 " I can t bear fat pork, and I shall starve" 
 
 " The s ben a good many folks jes a-goin t 
 starve on pork, n very few s ever done it, I 
 reckon." 
 
 " Oh, I can not stand this. How far is it to 
 Springville, and what will it cost me to get 
 there?" 
 
 u Springville s abaout ten thaousan miles, n 
 th fare 11 be abaout a dollar a mile. * 
 
 " Then I 11 walk, and beg my way from door to 
 door ! I may as well beg from strangers on that 
 road as be a pauper all over School District Num 
 ber Seven ! " 
 
 " Naow ye jest better hold yer bosses. Ye re 
 a-borr in trouble. Hain t ye never learnt yit not 
 t cross a river ontel ye come tew it? " 
 
 " I ve come to the river now, this minute and 
 there s neither bridge nor ford nor ferry ! " 
 
 For a few minutes Zury watched her ; the face 
 flushed and lined with trouble ; the eyes so round 
 with apprehension that they looked almost per 
 pendicularly oval ; her foot nervously beating the 
 floor ; her right hand supporting her left elbow, 
 while her left forefinger tapped on her teeth 
 in a manner rather peculiar and characteristic. 
 
134 ZURY. 
 
 (Her mother used to call it " Anne s puzzlemen- 
 tary gesture.") Zury s pause was, consciously or 
 otherwise, for dramatic effect, and to observe her 
 tribulation before relieving it. 
 
 " Nary bridge, ford, ner ferry then we must 
 swim er wade. Zury s here yet the me-anest 
 ma-an in Spring Caounty t be turned back on 
 his tracks." 
 
 Anne called back her eyes from the far-away 
 prospect they were studying on the office floor, 
 and fixed them on his face. 
 
 " I b lieve I s good s told the board t I d take 
 my boardin turn fust off, bein s they kinder hung 
 back." (The fact was that he had told the school- 
 board that he had done his share already by board 
 ing McVey during his short tenure of office, but 
 something seemed to have changed his views of 
 duty.) 
 
 " Oh ! Are you married ? Do your children 
 come to the school ? " 
 
 This time it was Zury s look that wandered far 
 away from the present place and time for a space 
 of silence about as long as the last. Then he spoke 
 in the touching tone of an old grief. 
 
 " We hain t got no livin children. The Lord 
 gave and taketh, an blessed be His name." 
 
 During the silence which followed, poor Anne 
 rapidly constructed a scheme wherein she pro 
 posed to make herself so charming in the Prouder 
 household that at the end of her allotted space 
 they would beg her to stay on and on indefinitely. 
 
 " Who form your family, then ? " 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS BOUND. 135 
 
 "Mary that s my o woman; V S manthy 
 that s her sister ; n her child, little Alphy." 
 
 " Rather a small family." 
 
 " Smaller n I wish it wuz ! " A sigh. " But 
 then ther s the hands baout th place." 
 
 " Well, but after you get tired of me what 
 then ? " 
 
 " Wai, after yer tew weeks is up, we 11 see." 
 
 (" There," thought the hopeful girl, " he thinks 
 the same that I was thinking.") 
 
 " When would you like to have me come ? " 
 
 " I guess I 11 ride home, n fetch a team over 
 fer ye this arternoon ef that 11 suit ye, n friend 
 McVey kin anyway spare ye." (This was a sly 
 reference to the manifest interest poor John Endi- 
 cott was beginning to take in his fair compatriot.) 
 
 " Oh, I think there need be no delay. But I 
 feel as if I were being led blindfold into a path 
 where I can see only two inches before my nose. 
 Two weeks I mean." 
 
 The Prouder mansion was a fine example of the 
 Early Vandal or Aboriginal Prairie architecture ; 
 large, high, square, white, and hideously ugly. 
 The windows and doors were of the most distress 
 ing symmetry and regularity. The eaves pro 
 jected only barely far enough to clear the walls and 
 deliver into bright tin gutters shining in the sun. 
 No opening had any perceptible cap projecting 
 over it, so all looked like eyes devoid of eyebrows. 
 It was set much too near the front gate, with 
 which it was connected by a walk composed of two 
 
136 ZURY. 
 
 planks several feet apart. Outside the gate was a 
 space evidently used in common by cows, horses, 
 pigs, old plows, woodpiles, and stramonium weeds, 
 which last were its only shade. 
 
 Behind the frame house was still standing the 
 old log shanty, so speedily erected years before, 
 and still connected with all the family associations 
 struggle, hardship, sickness, birth, and death. 
 Not that Zury had any such foolish sentiment 
 about it. He would have sold it for ten dollars 
 any day but for two reasons : first ; it was conven 
 ient as a summer kitchen and a winter wood-house, 
 and, second, nobody would give ten dollars for it. 
 It was a most distressed looking place now so 
 dirty, so ragged with decaying bark, the roof so 
 sunken, and its old black clapboards so warped and 
 wildly displaced. Inside, however, was the same 
 old fire-place, with the knitting hole behind it, 
 where the mother had so often sat plying her busy 
 needles in the single ray. 
 
 Zury had often threatened to have the old eye 
 sore pulled down and cut up for fire-wood, but its 
 usefulness and the trouble of destroying it still 
 saved its life. 
 
 Anne and Prouder on arrival were greeted with 
 demonstrative affection by Shep and his tribe, or 
 rather by his tribe and Shep, as the latter brought 
 up the rear as became his age and infirmities. 
 
 " Thar ! thar ! Daown Shep ! Don t ye let em 
 spile yer clo s, Miss Sparrer. Daown ye ornery 
 whelp ! Th ol dorg s a-gittin pretty scaly 
 nowadays d oughter ben dead V buried long 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND. 137 
 
 ago, but I don t seein t have no time t tend t 
 things abaout the haouse." 
 
 44 Why, poor old Sheppy ! Did his master want 
 to kill him ? No, no, Sheppy ; you must n t be 
 killed, and you must n t kiss me before folks ! 
 You are very nicely placed here, Mr. Prouder." 
 Then she glanced around to see what there was 
 she could possibly praise. " Oh, what lovely holly 
 hocks ! It must be pleasant to live so near the 
 grand old woods ! " 
 
 44 Yes it s handy t have fire-wood clust by, 
 n not fur t haul. I cal late t have the trees on 
 that thar forty girdled naow, soon s I kin git 
 raound to it, so s it 11 look a leetle more cleared 
 up n civilized back o the haouse." 
 
 Anne was rather struck with the idea of forty 
 acres of dead, girdled trees as a symbol of civiliza 
 tion, but she did not have time to make any remarks. 
 
 44 Wai, Mary, here we be," said Prouder, as a 
 plain, spare woman appeared at the door. " Miss 
 Sparrer, lemme make ye quainted th my wife." 
 
 44 Pleased t know ye, Miss Sparrer." 
 
 Mrs. Prouder was faded, like her calico. She 
 looked older than her husband, but it was probably 
 because of her thinness, pallor, and sadness. Her 
 face was not wrinkled, except about the lips, 
 which were " all gone," as were her cheeks, too, 
 because of the ruthless sacrifice of teeth which 
 prevailed then (and does to this day) among both 
 men and women of her class. Their enuncia 
 tion of principles of dental policy are announced 
 about as follows : 
 
188 ZURY. 
 
 " Ef one o my teeth c mences t ache, why I 
 go n have it aout, fust s last, n matter ef it dooz 
 hurt ! I d a heap sight druther have the pain 
 all in one big wrench th n spread over day n 
 night fer a week ! " 
 
 Forthwith the misguided and inexperienced 
 Eastern girl began trying to make herself agree 
 able. She asked about everything and admired 
 everything with an effusiveness that was embar 
 rassing to the proud Westerners. 
 
 " Oh, what a picturesque old place that is back 
 there ! Can I go out and see it ? " 
 
 * Wai, S manthy she s in thar cookin supper 
 naow, I xpeck ; but t -morrer, when it s sort o 
 righted up, the 11 be time enough." 
 
 " That thar s the haouse me n father put up 
 when we fus got here. Father n mother n me 
 n a little one that died; n ol Shep we all 
 lived in the covered wagin we come aout in ontel 
 that thar shanty was done. All dead naow but 
 me n ole Shep here." 
 
 "And Shep is a little like the house not 
 much left except the bark." 
 
 " Wai yes in a way. OP Shep s hide it 
 dew git pretty rusty : hair comes aout right smart. 
 Right smart, on it s clean gone in spots. He 
 ain t much count no more." Here the poor old 
 dog looked up deprecatingly with his rheumy 
 eyes, and went slowly out as if he had understood 
 every word. Perhaps he had caught the sound 
 of his name, and felt a dumb regret that it did 
 not indicate affection and sympathy on their part, 
 and usefulness on his, as of old. 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND. 139 
 
 " I should like to make a drawing of the old 
 house, if you please." 
 
 " Why, sartin. Yew kin make a picter o this 
 haouse ef ye like. Make a heap poottier picter ! " 
 
 " Oh, yes, more elegant and comfortable ; but 
 not so picturesque. Perhaps I can make a sketch 
 that will take in both." 
 
 Anne s room, the " spar -chamber," was com 
 fortable the furnishing evidently somewhat mod 
 eled after that of the guest-rooms of the tavern 
 at Wayback : but there was one dreadful luxury 
 which the tavern was free from, a deep feather 
 bed. A bit of rag carpet covered the middle of 
 the floor ; wretched prints of ringleted, red-and- 
 white, large foreheaded "Mary" and "Eliza" 
 graced the walls in company with a six-by-ten 
 mirror, which broadened and shortened her face 
 so much that it made her low-spirited to look in it, 
 and glad that it hung so high that she could only 
 do so by standing on tip-toe. 
 
 The rest of the mansion was like unto the 
 "spar-chamber." The " settin -room " was a dark 
 ened corner apartment with vigorous cross-lights, 
 a black horsehair sofa, rocker, and two other 
 chairs ; a patch of rag-carpet, a black Franklin 
 stove now full of asparagus bushes, a wooden 
 clock on a shelf ; and, last and greatest, the most 
 appalling caricature of Zury which could be con 
 ceived by the mind of man. It was a pastel half- 
 length, life-size as to the bust, and as nearly so as 
 to the head as the limits of the picture-frame 
 would allow. The figure seemed to have been 
 
140 ZURY. 
 
 first drawn with great care, but a little too high 
 up on the canvas ; so that the head had to be 
 squeezed in on top of it as might best be done 
 under the circumstances and the frame; and 
 the observer felt a certain regret that the frame 
 had not been a little shorter so as to shut it out 
 altogether. 
 
 " A gentleman t taught th school three winters 
 ago, he boarded with us nigh onter tew months 
 over his boardin time, an he painted that picter 
 o Zury t pay fer his board." 
 
 " It looks rather like." 
 
 " Wai, folks sez so ; but I can t see no resem 
 blance. Han s m picter, though ! " 
 
 Anne glanced at her to see if this was sarcasm, 
 but no: all was severe truth and directness in 
 that grave, sad face. They stood still for a mo 
 ment, each looking out from one of the windows. 
 Then, with a feeling of surprise and almost alarm, 
 Anne heard the other say, in a touching tone of 
 weariness and despair a falling cadence of min 
 gled sigh and groan, 
 
 "Oh Lordy, Lordy ! " 
 
 She was too much startled to do anything but 
 look and listen for more, but Mrs. Prouder only 
 moved away toward the eating-room, where sup 
 per was soon served. As she looked out of the 
 back window she observed Prouder and the three 
 hired men using the wash-basin, towel, and comb 
 in turn and cleaning their boots on the grass pre 
 paratory to supper. Then they all trooped in 
 and sat down in their habit as they lived. 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND. 141 
 
 The table was spread with a vast and hetero 
 geneous lot of food. Pork, beef, and mutton, 
 all cooked alike, and all hot : potatoes hot from 
 the same pot ; hot soda biscuits in stacks ; green 
 tea, hot and strong ; pickles, stewed wild grapes, 
 wild-grape pies, cake in loaves, and all the other 
 indicia of rude plenty. 
 
 " Come, Miss Sparrer," said Zury. " Set by, 
 n see ef ye can t make a meal. Good fer ye t 
 have t live wunst in a while like poor folks has 
 t live all the time!" 
 
 " Now, Mr. Prouder, I m sure you ve no need 
 to apologize. I can assure you that ninety-nine 
 men out of a hundred all over the world would 
 be glad to sit down to such a well-spread board 
 as this." (She meant well !) 
 
 The meal went on almost in silence ; Anne s 
 efforts to keep up a cheerful flow of talk being 
 spasmodic and fruitless. Even Zury, who could 
 talk so well where talk was customary and ap 
 propriate, seemed preoccupied and attentive only 
 to the business in hand. The " hired hands," 
 elbows on the table and heads low over the food, 
 shoveled it in without a pause or a word, except 
 occasionally to rattle a spoon in the cup and say 
 " tea ! " when they desired to be served by Mrs. 
 Prouder and her sister who carried around the 
 pot. Then each, as he finished his meal, pushed 
 back his chair and silently departed. 
 
 In spite of the best good-will in the world 
 Anne made but a poor meal. The truth is, the 
 cleaning of boots on the grass had not been a 
 
142 ZURY. 
 
 process resulting in absolute purification. Am 
 monia is the inevitable bane of all intercourse 
 with horses and cattle. Oh, why can we not be 
 led by Thoreau and Walt Whitman to glory in 
 the breath of Nature all the breaths of Nature? 
 But we cannot. 
 
 After the meal, if Anne had had the wisdom 
 of the serpent, which is in keeping with her dove- 
 like harmlessness, she would simply have with 
 drawn to the sitting-room and let the women 
 make their slovenly supper in peace, and then tidy 
 themselves up to join her. But no : such super 
 natural shrewdness was not hers. She felt, and 
 showed, an ill-timed cordiality to Semantha, 
 younger sister of Mrs. Prouder (now a widow), 
 as much too fat as the latter was too thin. She 
 wanted to see Semantha s little daughter, who 
 had quietly been confined in the back kitchen 
 until she could be made presentable to the guest. 
 
 " Now you ve been waiting on us ; you must 
 let me wait on you while you eat. Sit down, do, 
 and tell me what to pass to you ! " 
 
 44 No, thankye. We 11 jest cl ar off a place 
 h yer on this side an set all we want in reach." 
 
 Then Anne took the squalid, dirty, and mal 
 odorous child on her knee, to the poor mother s 
 utter discomfiture. 
 
 " What s your name, little one ? " 
 
 The child said not one word, but went on 
 munching a great piece of crumby, unwholesome 
 cake. 
 
 " Can t you tell me your little name ? And 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND. 143 
 
 how old you are ? And whether you are a good 
 girl or not?" 
 
 No answer. 
 
 " You Alphy ! Tell the lady yer name ! " 
 
 Dead silence. 
 
 " Oh, you m a bad child ! Go read yer book ! 
 Ye must excuse her mom : she ain t got no man 
 ners, n I ain t never ben able t beat none inter 
 her, whip her all I could. Ner keep her lookin 
 decent nuther." 
 
 Whereupon the child slipped down from Anne s 
 lap and went and leaned against her mother, 
 casting back looks of defiance at her enemy and 
 would-be jailer. 
 
 " Tea ! " said the child, jogging her mother 
 and pointing to the cup, filled with a pale green 
 decoction of such lye-like strength that Anne had 
 felt compelled to leave her own modicum of it 
 almost untasted. Semantha placed the cup at 
 Alpha s lips and allowed her to drink all she 
 wanted. 
 
 "I see you are not afraid to give your little 
 girl tea." 
 
 " Tea ? No, indeed ! I oilers llaow t what s 
 good enough fer me ain t none tew good fer Al- 
 
 Anne wished to stay and help the others clear 
 the table and wash the dishes ; but, finding 
 that they absolutely would not begin as long as 
 she was there, she brushed off the cake-crumbs 
 and went out of doors, where she looked over the 
 fence and watched the milking. Then she picked 
 
144 ZURY. 
 
 her way gingerly down to the " spring-house," 
 where the milk was kept ; a little frame struc 
 ture built over a scanty fountain, down on the 
 bank of the " branch " in the hollow. Later she 
 went back to the sitting-room and found there 
 the two women and the child, slightly " slicked 
 up" and made presentable. From them she 
 learned all she could about the school neither 
 of them had ever visited it. She tried, also, to 
 talk a little about other things ; but they seemed 
 as devoid of curiosity as of ideas. And twice, 
 during the short evening, was she startled by 
 that " Oh Lordy, Lordy ! " which one might nat 
 urally have looked for in the cancer-ward of a 
 hospital for incurables, but scarcely in the sunny 
 out-door world. 
 
 " I ve got a little room here I use fer a kind of 
 an office, n if ye 11 come in a minute we ll fix 
 up yer pintment-paper fer the school." 
 
 So Anne followed Zury to a wretched cubby 
 hole, with a more wretched desk and a most 
 wretched pen and ink sneaking among a lot of 
 dusty, grimy, blotted papers, scored with the 
 wildly sprawling hieroglyphics of rough hands 
 hardened by toil. Records are not necessary to 
 such men as Zury Prouder, except to keep other 
 people in mind of mutual undertakings. He and 
 men of his kind remember words, facts, and figures 
 to an extent that would appall a methodical busi 
 ness man accustomed to make a written record 
 of all that occurs. Zury had " writin s " for every 
 thing which might be disputed by other men, 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND. 145 
 
 for the purpose of settling differences ; but for 
 the mere purpose of keeping things in his own 
 memory, no lapse of time could make any mem 
 orandum necessary. 
 
 "Naow, here s th blank fer scheduling yer 
 pintment." And he took out a long printed 
 form with spaces for answers. 
 
 "First I ll put th date thar we re fixed 
 on that. Naow, name ? " 
 
 " Anne Sparrow." 
 
 " Where born ? " 
 
 " Massachusetts." 
 
 "Sex?" 
 
 " Unfortunately, female." 
 
 " Age at pintment ? " 
 
 "Oh, what do they want to know that for? 
 Do they expect a woman to tell her age? " 
 
 " Wai, they xpect her t tell some age er other ; 
 V one old enough to show she comes within the 
 statit over eighteen and under seventy." 
 
 " Oh, well, I in old enough to vote if women 
 had their rights." 
 
 " Put ye daown a hunderd, then ; women d 
 oughter to be voters ; jest as they touch th even 
 hunderd, n not a minute before." 
 
 " Well, I m twenty-one, and if I don t know 
 more than the average voters " 
 
 " Course ye do ! That s th reason we men 
 want t shet ye aout ontel ye ve fergot a lot." 
 
 " Just like you ! Well, what next ? " 
 
 " Married or single ? " 
 
 Anne s color rose. Said she, 
 
146 ZURY. 
 
 " Now, Mr. Prouder, is all this necessary ? " 
 
 " Not unless ye want t dror money aout of th 
 deestrict fun s. Ef ye dew, why, then, I ve got t 
 fill all th blanks in this h yer paper." 
 
 "Let me take it, please." He handed it to her 
 and she scanned it carefully, to gain time, while 
 conscious that his eyes were fixed on her glowing 
 face. 
 
 " Can I keep this a while ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes. It don t make no difference, s I 
 know on. I ve told ye fair and square about th 
 money part." So she folded the paper, and they 
 returned to the "settV re win." 
 
 As early as possible Anne retired to her room. 
 The bed problem was still to be settled. What 
 should she do in that mushy cloud? Sleep in it? 
 Scarcely, as she was not an angel yet. Still she 
 could try ; so when prepared for slumber she set 
 the chair by the bedside, turned down the clothes, 
 and stepped high and clear over the edge into the 
 middle ; then the other foot ; then she stooped 
 down, lay down, and felt as if she were sinking 
 into the ocean. 
 
 Under these circumstances it was hard to get 
 asleep and easy to awake. She rose betimes in 
 the morning, and after making her bed, watched 
 until the men-folks had breakfasted, and descended 
 to eat with the others. But no; they would not 
 sit down with her. When she had quite finished 
 they took their meal in their usual higgledy- 
 piggledy way. She was hurt, yet not disheartened, 
 and resolved to persevere in her kind efforts until 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND. 147 
 
 she should wear out their reserve. But to change 
 women s natures is a hard task. They are the 
 conservatives of the race. No such feeble and 
 familiar force as the doings of one of their own 
 sex can move them, if a man gets to persuading 
 them, why, that is different. 
 
 In a day or two Anne made her sketch of the 
 house, the log shanty, and old Shep. All were 
 slightly flattered, of course ; the ugliness of the 
 new house modified, and that of the old house 
 and dog intensified. The women were much im 
 pressed with the work, but not in unmixed gratifi 
 cation. The old log structure, Anne s favorite, 
 on which she had bestowed much loving labor, was 
 offensive to them. 
 
 " Wai, thar ! Ef Zury don t have that old eye 
 sore took daown naow, and a frame kitchen put 
 up, then I 11 give up ! " 
 
 Zury s own comment was characteristic. (He had 
 had more chance to observe engravings and prints.) 
 " Gee Rusalem ! Ain t that all-fived cute ? Naow 
 ef I wuz a-tryin t sell th place, that d help 
 right smart ! A feller d like enough give a heap 
 more fer the homestead ef he see sech a pootty 
 picter on t ! " Then, for fear of encouraging any 
 idea of owing Anne anything for her work, he 
 added: "But then, course I ain t thinkin o 
 sellin it." 
 
 So her little effort won for her some applause 
 and fame ; but this power, among the rest, marked 
 and accentuated the difference between her and 
 her new friends, which she was trying to lessen. 
 
148 ZURY. 
 
 Zury had told Anne so much about their early 
 doings in the log shanty that she insisted, one day, 
 on being admitted to its interior; and he, being 
 less subject to false pride than his " women-folks," 
 piloted her thither at once. 
 
 "Thar ye kin see the split log floor I laid; 
 see it through the cracks? We put them boards 
 on it arterw ds when mam wuz sick. Thar s 
 whar th bed stood sis n mam V dad all died 
 on that thar bed, n wuz laid out ontew it. 
 Thar, longside th fire, s mam s old knittin -hoel. 
 Them punkins is a-dryin up thar on th same 
 ol poles we useter dry em on. Same old fly 
 trap, tew." And he pointed to two boards, an 
 inch or so apart, baited with honey on their inner 
 faces, hanging overhead where the women could 
 conveniently clap them together occasionally, 
 whereby a myriad of flies had been sacrificed, 
 and their un buried remains were left to tell the 
 tale. 
 
 "And some of the old newspapering yet re 
 mains ! " 
 
 "Ya-as. Right up in that corner is a story I 
 read th beginning of ; n th eend of it ain t 
 nowhar!" And he sighed as with an ancient 
 grievance. 
 
 " What, there over the flour-barrel ? I d like 
 to read it ! " 
 
 " Wai, ye kin ef ye wanter. But I would n t ef 
 I wuz yew I It 11 jest hawnt ye ! " 
 
 "Oh, I 11 risk that!" 
 
 " Wai, so be it. H yer, I 11 set a cheer fer ye 
 t step up on." 
 
HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND. 149 
 
 "What there? No chair for me, I thank 
 you ! " She stepped back a pace or two, gathered 
 up her skirts, and skipped to the top of the flour- 
 barrel like a bird. 
 
 " Great Scott ! Look at her once ! Ye re a 
 reg lar deer n no mistake." 
 
 " Of course I am if you spell it right." 
 
 Then she read the thrilling tale, taking about 
 four minutes to take in what had probably occu 
 pied all Zury s spare time for as many days. After 
 she had finished it she pondered a moment and 
 then said : 
 
 " Oh, I know the end of that story and I ll 
 write it out for you." 
 
 " Sakes alive ! If ye only would, I d " - 
 
 " Well, I will." 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 UNIVERSALISM, AND " COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE. 
 
 BY means of assiduous cultivation of little 
 Alpha, Anne managed to make some small head 
 way with her mother, and in a day or two con 
 trived to have a quiet talk with her down at the 
 44 spring house." (School was not to begin 
 44 take in " till the following Monday.) 
 
 44 Wai, I tell ye haow t is, Miss Sparrer. Mary 
 she warn t never no gre t of a talker, but still she 
 held her own with th rest on us ontel she got 
 mar rd ; V she had tew babes right along, V 
 then the both upped V died, e enabaout together ; 
 V then wal, I dunno s I ve saw her t smile 
 sence. N so it goes." 
 
 44 Dear, dear ! Poor thing ! And that is what 
 makes her do so ? " 
 
 44 Do so? Haow?" 
 
 44 Why, 4 Oh Lordy, Lordy ! you know." 
 
 44 Wal, I dunno s I ever noticed her doin that 
 pertickler, V yet naow ye say it, it dooz sound 
 like her, tew ! " 
 
 44 Why, she does it nearly twenty times a day." 
 
 44 Law suz ! Is that so ! Wal, I s pose I got so 
 used to it I Ve clean forgot all abaout it." 
 
 44 1 suppose she says that whenever she thinks 
 
UNIVERSALISM. 151 
 
 of her children, and thinks of them every time 
 she says that." 
 
 " Likely, likely. Same time she lost em she 
 lost all hopes o havin more : V Zury he never 
 says nothin ; but he s gettin pootty well fixed, V 
 nat rally would wish t have somebody of his own 
 blood t leave all his truck tew : so Mary she jest 
 wishes she c d die so he could have a chance for 
 another wife V more chill n ; but she says she 
 can t even die ; V so it goes ! " 
 
 " And not even a Hagar she can offer to the 
 patriarch ! " 
 
 u Wai, no. Them was Bible times, ye know. 
 We re Christians now : though Zury ain t never 
 experunced religion the dew say ! " 
 
 " Never experienced religion ? " 
 
 " No. Never be n convicted o sin at any of 
 the revivals, n made a child o grace by a 
 change o heart, ye know." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Anne, who had almost forgotten 
 there was such a thing, and that she was now in 
 the very region where a public, spasmodic regen 
 eration was looked upon as necessary to individual 
 salvation. " But he is a good man, I suppose." 
 
 " Oh, Zury dooz ccordin tew his lights, and 
 he s too good a friend t th church t make em s 
 pertickler as they d be th yew n me. He s 
 often be n made the objeck of special prayers ; to 
 meetin n camp-meetin s n sech ; n he s ben 
 led t th anxious seat more times n ye c d 
 shake a stick at but nary tear ner cry fer mercy 
 could they ever git outer him ! Not even when 
 
152 ZURY. 
 
 others, men, women, and cliildern wuz a-fallin V 
 a-shoutin all over the place. N so it goes." 
 
 After a few moments silence she went on in a 
 mysterious whisper : 
 
 " It come pootty nigh gittin him in trouble 
 wunst, tew ! " 
 
 44 Did he go astray ? " 
 
 " Wai, t wuz this way. Some o the broth- 
 ren they upped n llaowed s haow Zury wuz a 
 Universalist ! " 
 
 " A Universalist ? " 
 
 " Nothin shorter ! Llaowed they d seed Univer 
 salist papers hid in th barn ! " 
 
 " Well, suppose he had been." 
 
 " Aha I guess you dunno what a Universalist 
 is ! " (Then with a still more horrified whisper.) 
 " It s a person that believes t all mankind 11 be 
 saved ! " (A pause to note the effect of this 
 frightful thought.) " Course no true Christian 
 kin b lieve no sech a doctrine s that ! Why, if I 
 b lieved I should n t be punished hereafter, I d jest 
 go out an be jest s wicked s ever I c d be ! " 
 
 " What did Mr. Prouder do? " 
 
 " Oh, he jes upped n proved it was all a m li- 
 cious lie, gotten up t hurt him. He moved a 
 c mittee be pinted that very meetin t come up n 
 sarch the barn nex day. Wai, they mended it so 
 t the c mittee went right up same night; n sure 
 enough, they foun a batch o papers ! N then 
 Zury showed haow he d bought a new fannin - 
 mill ; n the fans wuz packed in old papers, n he 
 never knowd what wuz printed onto em. N 
 
UNIVERSALISM. 153 
 
 they reported t the conf rence ; V the conference 
 they held a secret meetin n had a pootty lively 
 time, but the voted by a majority t clear Zury 
 n censure the fannin -mill comp ny ; n that the 
 broth ren wouldn t buy no fannin -mills o that 
 make thaout they d clear themselves o the charge ; 
 n the comp ny the} 7 come out in all the papers in 
 advertisements, sayin t ef it ever did happen t 
 wuz an accident n should n t happen agin, n ad 
 vertised f er old Orthodox papers t be furnished em 
 ferpackin purposes, n so many wuz sent em they 
 hed t hire a barn t store em in ; n it wuz the 
 best thing fer em ever happened in their business. 
 N so it goes." 
 
 " Well, suppose they had proved it on Mr. 
 Prouder." 
 
 " Oh, t would n t a-done at all ! Zury he mought 
 abaout s well a hed a pack o cards found onto 
 th place. A Universalist right into a Christian 
 c munity! He d a hed to a got aout o Spring 
 Caounty best way he could, I reck n, n lucky ef 
 he car r d anythin away with him, tew, barrin a 
 coat o tar n feathers mebby." 
 
 " Do they feel so about here now ? " asked 
 Anne, glad to have learned so much so early. 
 
 " Wai, I m fraid th ain t such a strong feel- 
 in naow. I fear we re a-fallin from grace, spite 
 o the prayers of the righteous which availeth 
 much. The preachers n class-leaders says we be. 
 Preacher he gin us a paowerfle discourse a while 
 back from Rev lations third, fifteenth, 4 So then 
 that thaou art lewkwarm, and neither cold ner hot 
 
154 ZURY. 
 
 I will spew thee aout of my maouth? When I got 
 home I jest upped iT 1 arnt that tex by heart ; 
 n I think t anybody th t d let a Universalist 
 live mongst God s people better larn that tex 
 n tremble, that s all ! N so it goes." 
 
 Of course the critical moment for Anne was 
 when she began school. Her heart beat quick, her 
 color came and went ; but she set her lips together 
 and (coached by Eureka Anstey) stepped to the 
 door and rapped smartly on the frame with her 
 ruler. The scholars came trooping in ; disorderly 
 yet not very noisy, because all the boys and most 
 of the girls were barefoot. 
 
 They took seats as they had been accustomed, 
 the girls on the right and the boys on the left, on 
 benches standing in front of desks which backed 
 against the wall on three sides of the bare room, 
 the fourth side being given up to the teacher s 
 desk and the two entrance doors. An inner line 
 of hard, backless, and armless benches accommo 
 dated the children too small to use the desks. In 
 the midst stood a long, rusty, rectangular stove. 
 
 A most unpromising lot of scholars they looked 
 to her Eastern eyes. All degrees of coarseness, 
 ignorance, suspicion, insubordination, seemed to be 
 the rule ; decent considerateness and conscience 
 the exception. Alwa} 7 s the young are cruel to 
 their teachers : the lower the grade the greater 
 the cruelty. These scholars were low in grade, 
 and their appearance was even more repellant than 
 their real nature because of their uncouth rusticity. 
 
CO MM ON-LA W MA RRIA GE. 1 55 
 
 Anne had brought with her some blank books 
 ruled and headed for scholars names, ages, at 
 tendance, and so forth ; the first of the kind ever 
 seen in District Number Seven. This novelty, 
 together with the interest excited by the new 
 teacher s pretty appearance, kept a moderate de 
 gree of order during the preliminary roll-call, dis 
 tribution of books, and other necessary proceed 
 ings. 
 
 "Now, scholars, we will begin by singing. 
 What hymns do you know?" Dead silence. 
 " Any one may speak." More silence. " Do you 
 know When Thee I seek Protecting Power ? " 
 No answer. " Let us try that." 
 
 Then she sang a verse all through alone, no 
 one attempting to join. 
 
 " Eureka, my dear, come here, please." Eureka 
 bashfully came forward amid the titters of the 
 rest. A whispered conference revealed the fact 
 that they knew " When I can read my title clear." 
 So Anne gave it out, started it, and sang one 
 verse alone as before. 
 
 " Why don t you sing, scholars ? Eureka, why 
 do you not sing ? " 
 
 " That ain t the right tune." 
 
 44 What tune do you sing it to? " For some time 
 nobody spoke ; then some boy said, 44 The tune 
 of when I kin read," at which sally they all laughed. 
 Poor Anne was baffled and already half disheart 
 ened. Still, she put on a brave face and said : 
 
 44 Let us try Old Hundred. I in sure you all 
 know that." 
 
156 ZURY. 
 
 So she sang " From all that dwell below the 
 skies " again entirely alone. 
 
 44 Is not that the tune you have heard ? " 
 
 44 Them ain t th right words." 
 
 44 What are the words, then ? " No answer. 
 " Eureka, dear, what words have you been used to 
 sing Old Hundred to ? " 
 
 " Be thaou O God." 
 
 44 Then we will sing those words." And she 
 sang the verse once more as a solo. 
 
 44 Do join me in singing ! Why will you not? " 
 
 " This ain t no singin -scule. We did n t come 
 h yer t larn t sing." This rude speech came 
 from a hulking fellow whom she had noticed as 
 sitting with his elbows on his knees and his head 
 bent over them, seemingly the better to throw re 
 bellious remarks right and left in semi-secrecy. 
 
 44 You should trust your teacher. I will teach 
 you everything you came to learn, and singing be 
 sides, if you will let me. I am going to try hard 
 to make you all love me if you can." 
 
 Then clasping her hands tightly together to give 
 her fortitude to bear her trials she came forward, 
 and said in gentle tones of touching appeal : 
 
 44 Have I no friends among you all ? I hoped 
 to have you all for my friends. I will, if you do 
 not prevent it. I am a long way from home 
 all alone you are my only hope." 
 
 " Better go back whar ye come from." 
 
 44 I can t, now. I must keep on trying here. 
 Now, if there are any of you who are willing to 
 stand by me like young ladies and gentlemen 
 please all sing with me this time." 
 
COMMON-LA W MARRIA GE. 157 
 
 Then she sang the verse again, and to her slight 
 relief there were several girlish voices half audible 
 with hers. 
 
 " There ! I know I shall find some one to love ! 
 Now, once more ! " 
 
 This time there was quite a fair volume of 
 sound, and she tried to think the worst was past. 
 
 As soon as the verse was ended, the same dread 
 ful boor called loudly, 
 
 " Please m , m I g aout?" 
 
 "What did you say?" 
 
 " I want ou doors." 
 
 " You want out-doors." 
 
 " Thet s wut I said ! I want aout." 
 
 At last she understood this Westernism, new to 
 her. To " want out " is to desire to go out. 
 
 " You can go at ten o clock intermission. Not 
 before." 
 
 "Why not can t I?" 
 
 " You cannot go till then. It is only a few 
 minutes now." 
 
 " I guess I kin ! " 
 
 " If you go now, you can t come back any 
 more." 
 
 " Yew bet I kin come back when I m a-mhV 
 ter." 
 
 " What s your name?" 
 
 " PudJ n tame." General laughter. 
 
 " Will any scholar tell me that boy s name ? " 
 No answer. "I ll call the roll to find it out." 
 Then she read over her list, marking the answers 
 and found all the names marked, although the 
 
158 ZURY. 
 
 rebel had not spoken. Some one had answered 
 for him. 
 
 " You can go, and not return." He did not 
 stir. 
 
 By this time ten o clock had arrived. 
 
 " Girls, please all rise and stand still in your 
 places. Now all turn toward me and stand still. 
 Now, while I sing, all march quietly out, keeping 
 step to my singing." She sang " Hail Columbia," 
 keeping time by clapping her hands, and the girls 
 departed with a good deal of decorum ; some even 
 entering into her spirit sufficiently to clap their 
 hands in time with hers, and to continue the sing 
 ing and marching in the open air. When all were 
 out she closed and locked -their door, and went 
 over to the boys door. 
 
 u Boys, please go out quietly, one by one, as I 
 call your names." 
 
 " No sirree, hoss-fly and buggee ! " cried the 
 rebel. " C m on boys ! " And he bolted through 
 the open window. 
 
 " Silas Anstey ! Please stand at that window 
 and don t let any one else go out." Silas hesitated 
 a moment, and the bully s voice came in. 
 
 " C m on Sile!" 
 
 Anne looked at Silas with a sweet, confiding 
 smile and prevailed. He stood with his back 
 to the window while the other boys filed out one 
 by, one as their names were called. 
 
 " I 11 lick yew, Sile Anstey, jest s quick s yew 
 stick yer snoot aout h yer ! " 
 
 As he passed her Anne said, "John Felser?" 
 
COMMON-LA W MARRIA GE. 159 
 
 He nodded. She touched his hand and said, gently, 
 " I have a friend, after all ! " 
 
 " Yew bet ! " Then when he got outside : 
 " Whar s th ornery whelp s a-goin t lick me ? " 
 But the whelp was nowhere to be seen. He had 
 departed, followed by the jeers of all the rest. 
 
 When the school was again started, however, 
 he returned, and began shouting, from a safe dis 
 tance, a stream of ribald abuse. 
 
 " Please in, m I g aout," said Silas. 
 
 " Not till next intermission, Silas. We must 
 keep to our rules." 
 
 Then she put as good a face on the situation as 
 she could, and allotted to all such lessons as they 
 seemed to be fitted for, and set them to studying. 
 As the horrid words kept on coming in, Anne 
 said : 
 
 " The boys may listen to such language if they 
 like, but " (turning to the girls) " we ladies must 
 do this way to protect ourselves." She bent over 
 her desk with her hands covering her ears. In 
 stantly, every girl was poring over her book, her 
 ears closed to all sounds. 
 
 The turn things had taken was, on the whole, 
 favorable to the cause of law and order, because 
 every soul within was enlisted against the brute 
 without. Still, the session was a failure. At the 
 eleven o clock intermission he had again disap 
 peared, only to re-appear as soon as school was 
 again called. Some laughed, some talked about 
 the matter, all were upset. 
 
 At " noon-spell " Silas said, as he came out, 
 
160 ZURY. 
 
 " Let s go fer him, boys ! " And they went. All 
 the long hour, while poor Anne was pretending to 
 eat the huge " piece " cold sausage, johnny-cake, 
 pie, honey, et cetera, which she had brought from 
 home (for which the events of the morning had 
 left her no appetite), she heard the answering 
 cries of the scouting parties searching all possible 
 and impossible places within reach, a fruitless 
 search. The enemy had retired out of range, she 
 fondly hoped, for good. But no the affliction 
 continued, at intervals, up to the three o clock 
 intermission, at the close of which, she observed 
 that Silas did not come in with the rest. 
 
 "Alas! my one ally has deserted me," she 
 thought, and felt as if she must give up and burst 
 out crying. It was with a mixture of horror and 
 relief that she heard, soon after, Silas s voice : 
 
 " Ye would, would ye ! Ye ornery whelp ! " 
 followed by unmistakable indications of a battle 
 royal. Instantly began a tendency of spectators 
 to doors and windows, which she repressed with 
 difficulty ; using, as the most effectual expedient, 
 a singing lesson. She made all join her in Old 
 Hundred, and then, with more difficulty, induced 
 them to sing, " When I can read," in the tune 
 they were accustomed to : an air wherein five 
 separate notes, bound together, are fitted to the 
 monosyllable which ends the second line. 
 
 She joined them after hearing the air once 
 through. Even while she sang she could not help 
 thinking of her knight outside, fighting her battle 
 in the woodland lists ; and she tremblingly hoped 
 for his success in the tourney. 
 
COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE. 161 
 
 " Ask me not what a maiden feels 
 
 When left in that dread hour alone. 
 Perchance her reason stoops or reels. 
 Perchance a courage not her own 
 Braces her heart to desperate tone." 
 
 The singers had only reached the middle of the 
 second verse of " When I can read," 
 
 " When I ve been there ten thousand years 
 Bright shining as the su-u-u-u-un," 
 
 when the music suddenly stopped, and all eyes 
 were turned toward the boys door. Silas had 
 dragged up his adversary, and now had him pinned 
 down on the door-stone, beaten, but still sullen 
 and struggling. 
 
 " Want him in ? " 
 
 " If he wants to come, and is willing to behave 
 himself in a way fit for the company of a lady 
 and of proper boys and girls." 
 
 " Dew ye, John ? " With a fresh shake. 
 
 " No, I don t ! N I 11 kill yew, Sile Anstey, 
 fust chance I git ! " 
 
 " Yew 11 kill thunder ! " And Silas freed his 
 hold, and started him down the road with a rous 
 ing kick. 
 
 " Silas," said Anne with a smile that belied 
 the reproof, " don t you know it is very wrong 
 to fight ? " 
 
 u No, I don t ! Not when a feller s spilin fer a 
 lickin th way he wuz ! " 
 
 " Well, it is quite wrong to fight in most 
 cases. Now come here and hold still while I sew 
 your collar where it s torn ! " And she whipped 
 
162 ZURY. 
 
 out her needle and thread and repaired the battle- 
 rents in her champion s armor, while he stood the 
 observed of all observers and the hero of the hour. 
 
 Yes it was, on the whole, a victory for law 
 and order, but Anne had none of the joy of 
 triumph. The day s experiences were dreadful : 
 altogether abhorrent to her sensitive soul. Rebel 
 lion, insult, ridicule, defiance, brutal violence. 
 Such sights, smells, and sounds ; such barbarism 
 in manners, dress, and person ; such seeming bad 
 ness of heart and ignorance of right views and 
 standards, she had never met, nor dreamed of. 
 How did she know but that Felser s friends had 
 a right to force him upon the school, behave him 
 self as he might? Was she mistress or slave? 
 Who could tell ? 
 
 A sudden sense of loathing for her new environ 
 ments, and a passionate longing to return to her 
 old ones, seized on her with overwhelming, stifling 
 force. She restrained her feelings with difficulty 
 till four o clock came, barely managed to dismiss 
 the young cubs with the pretense of a smile, and 
 then hastened to lock herself in and be alone once 
 more alone with her homesick misery. Boston, 
 dear Boston ! Why could she not fly there, over 
 hill and dale and lake and river, like a homing 
 pigeon ! At that moment she loved, in memory, 
 the very smell of its wharves, the mud of its gut 
 ters ! Better its poor-house hospital jail 
 an} 7 thing than all the wretched West ! 
 
 She cried as if her heart would break. She 
 rolled her bowed and aching head from side to side 
 
COMMON-LA W MARRIA GE. 163 
 
 on her arms crossed on the desk, and asked herself 
 in sobs, 
 
 " Oh, what have I done what have I done 
 that I should be brought down to this? Do I 
 deserve this fate? Dear Boston civilization 
 decency shall I ever see you again ? Or any of 
 you ? Oh home home home is there any 
 home in the wide world for poor me !" 
 
 When her paroxysm of homesickness had some 
 what spent itself, though her face was still all dis 
 torted with tears, shed and unshed, she heard a 
 knock at the door. There flashed across her a 
 wild wish that she had committed some heinous 
 crime in Boston, and that this was a summons to 
 return there and be tried for her life. Next fol 
 lowed the more rational thought that the knock 
 probably came from some scholar returning to get 
 a book or ask a question. 
 
 She opened the door : there stood Mr. Prouder ! 
 She was so glad to see his strong, friendly, smiling 
 face that she almost forgot to care for her appear 
 ance ; but it did not matter ; helplessness was 
 much more likely to appeal to Zury than good 
 looks. 
 
 " Haowdy, haowdy, Miss Sparrer. Why, bless 
 my soul V body ! Yer eyes looks like tew hoels 
 burnt in a blankit ! Ye be n a-cryin ? The 
 hain t be n a-lickin yew, hev the ? " 
 
 " Worse, if anything I " (Her sobs broke out 
 afresh at the bitter memory.) " They abused me, 
 and disobeyed me, and la-fa-la-laughed at me ! " 
 
 " Oh laws a massy ; don t ye let that faze ye, 
 
164 ZURY. 
 
 not a mite ! Larfed at ye, did the ? Wai, jest 
 yew larf back at em ! I 11 bet the wuz full as 
 ludickerous ez yew be mebbe more so least 
 ways in some things. Course some o yer high-up 
 scollops took daown offen th top shelf way back 
 pronouncin yer words so carefle, weariif yer 
 Sunday clo s a week days, V so f rth dooz make 
 most folks larf wunst in a while. But then 
 ye 11 git all over them p oooFarities arter a bit." 
 
 " Oh no-no-no ! " said she, shuddering at the 
 thought of ever growing to be like these animals. 
 
 " Oh yes ye will, tew ! Don t ye be discour- 
 idged ! I ve saw it lots o times! Ye 11 be all 
 right shortly. The use ter Lev a verse o po try 
 when I went t scule : 
 
 Scoldin don t hurt none, 
 Whippin don t last long, 
 Kill me you daresent. 
 
 Wai, naow, larfin don t hurt none, ner last long, 
 ner kill nobody. Come along; git right in th 
 wngin V I 11 tote ye home ; n ye kin tell me all 
 abaout it, a-goin\ Ye know ye got me t back 
 yer th meanest man in Spring Caounty t try 
 t git ahead of ! Ye 11 fergit all these yer leetle 
 teo-stubbin s in three shakes of a lamb s tail." 
 
 She felt better already, and after a few little 
 touches of brightening up she jumped into the 
 wagon, putting her hand in his and her foot 
 on the hub, the tire, the side, the seat, and in, 
 and they drove homeward. Znry listened with 
 sympathetic gravity and silence as she poured out 
 the story of her woeful experiences, encouraging 
 
CO MM ON-LA W MA RRIA GE. 165 
 
 her to go into all its details, driving slow so 
 as to give her ample time, and making no sign to 
 indicate whether he considered the day a catas 
 trophe, defeat her achievement, disgrace and con 
 tumely her future lot in life, or otherwise. His 
 reserve puzzled and frightened her. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Prouder, why don t you say some 
 thing ? " 
 
 " Hev ye got threw ? " 
 
 Why yes, I think so." 
 
 "Noth n furder?" 
 
 " Not a thing." 
 
 " Sure enough ? " 
 
 " Yes -yes -yes ! Don t ask me that again, 
 please ! " 
 
 Then he broke into laughter that made the tall 
 woods ring. 
 
 " Why, I did n t think you would laugh at me, 
 too ! And the ready kerchief sprang to her eyes 
 again. 
 
 " Who, me ? Why, I can t help a-larfin when I 
 see haow blind ye be ! Don t ye see we ve got 
 em ? It s all plain sailin from this on ! Ye ve 
 beat em aouter the r boots ! " 
 
 " Why how ? I think they ve beaten me." 
 
 " Don t ye fool yerself, not a cent s wuth ! 
 Ye re a reg lar Salem witch ! Ye ve took all 
 Deestrick Number Seven right daown greased 
 it, pinned its ears back, and swallered it hull ! " 
 
 u Why, of course John Felser s family and all 
 their friends will be set against me ! I shall think 
 I see an enemy every time I meet man, woman, 
 or child ! " 
 
166 ZURY. 
 
 " John Felser s fiddle-sticks ! He hain t got 
 no family. Lucky fer him, tew : ef he hed a 
 decent father he d git laced with a hickory saplin 
 till he could n t wiggle. Ef Sile hed n t a g in it 
 tew him, I d a done it m self ! Him t up n try 
 his tricks on yew ! A limb s he is ! " 
 
 " Oh, if he would only stay away ! But I sup 
 pose every one has equal rights in a public school." 
 
 " Not a bit of it ! That s th big holt ye ve 
 got on em : it s a free gift, n the scule board kin 
 bar aout sech as can t behave. N the 11 dew it 
 tew, naow the see t ye ve made th thing work. 
 Ye ve redeemed the deestrick. Yewr scule s 
 th fust one as hez gi n us a speck o hope fer a 
 coon s age. John Felser wuz th wust, but he 
 hed a heap o follerin till naow : n here ye be, 
 boss of em all ! " 
 
 " Well, I hi glad to hear such good news. If 
 I had known all I was undertaking, I should not 
 have ventured to make the experiment." 
 
 " Course ye would n t. Thet s why I kep 
 mum, n told th folks not t let on abaout it, 
 nuther ! " 
 
 " Do you really think it is all right? " 
 
 " Surely ! Like s not ye 11 find some o th big 
 gals thai- by seven in th morn n ; cleanin things 
 up fer ye, n puttin flowers on th stove, n yer 
 desk, n one thing another. By this time it s got 
 all over th ? deestrick haow ye tuck yer stan n 
 stuck right up tew it got the scholars all on yer 
 side but one, n got him licked like sixty, thaout 
 ever a-raisin yer han t strike, ner yer voice t 
 
COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE. 167 
 
 quar l. Oh, yew 11 dew ! I guessed s much 
 fust time I set eyes on ye." 
 
 " Well, I feel better ! Do you know, Mr. 
 Prouder, you ve saved me from failure again ? I 
 should have failed in getting the place if it had 
 not been for you ; and to-day, before I saw you, I 
 was ready to resolve never, never, never to enter 
 that school-house again ! " 
 
 He looked at her with a pleased smile so long 
 that she felt her face flushing and turned away. 
 Then he hurried his horses and drove home. 
 
 Prouder s prophecy turned out, of course, cor 
 rect, down to its minutest details the public 
 sentiment the brooms the flowers : blue gen 
 tians from the prairie and flaming tiger-lilies from 
 the woods. 
 
 On the first Saturday holiday Anne went to 
 Wayback " to look for letters." She had a charm 
 ing ride over on a slow and comfortable horse, 
 and found there Squire Brown, lawyer, postmas 
 ter, and justice of the peace. 
 
 " Haowdy, Miss Sparrer ! Wun t ye light? " 
 
 " Yes, thank you. I 11 sit down and rest a 
 while, and take a glass of water, please." 
 
 Then, after the usual commonplaces on weather, 
 health, et cetera, she said, 
 
 " You are one of the school board, I believe, 
 Squire." 
 
 " Yes, Miss Sparrer : n I m glad t hear ye 
 re a-gittin things in shape there. I expect ye 
 hed it hot fer a while, by what I hear ! But ye 
 
108 ZURY. 
 
 jest reached fer em V gethered em in ! Ye ve 
 got yer papers all fixed I expect ? " 
 
 " Well no : to tell you the truth I was so 
 taken aback at all those questions that I rebelled 
 against answering them. Birthplace age 
 I don t what all ! " 
 
 "Name, birthplace, sex, age, married or sin- 
 gle"- 
 
 " Yes ! there now ; the marriage laws of some 
 States are so different from those of others that a 
 man might call himself married when in fact ac 
 cording to the law of Illinois he is single ! " 
 
 "Oh, as t that, the laws here abaout marr in s 
 pootty simple." 
 
 " How do you mean simple ? " 
 
 " Ye jest come t me when ye wanter git mar- 
 r d V I 11 tell ye all ye need t know. N I jedge 
 it won t be long, nuther, he-he ! " 
 
 "When I want to marry? Don t all women 
 always want to marry ? I want to marry now 
 only I don t know any man in the world I would 
 have ! Tell me now when there is n t anybody ; 
 because if there ever should be anybody which 
 I don t expect I shall be too bashful ! " 
 
 " Oh, ye want t be forehanded, dew ye ? Wai : 
 any jestice o th peace, magistrate, or minister o 
 the gospel in charge of any ministerial charge 
 can marry ye by any form of words th t gives 
 evidence of present consent n futur intention on 
 both sides." 
 
 " Justice of the peace, magistrate, or clergy 
 man ! No one else ? " 
 
COMMON-LA W MA RRIA GE. 169 
 
 " No, nobody else. If anybody else pertends 
 t marry yer he kin be punished though even 
 then if ye live together as man V wife the mar- 
 r ge is good. The husband n wife ain t pun 
 ished only so fur s they torment one another, 
 s a matter of course." 
 
 "So that s the only kind of marriage recog 
 nized in Illinois, is it? " 
 
 " No, I can t say exactly that. Thar s what s 
 called a common - law marr ge. If a man n 
 woman, of lawfle age, n unmarried, says by pres 
 ent words that the then n there marry each 
 other fer good n all, not future words th t 
 they re ft-gain* t be man n wife, y understand, 
 n then the afterwards live together publicly as 
 sech, why, they re married, hard and fast." 
 
 " Oh, I see. There must be the words of mar 
 riage, and the living together, both to make that 
 kind of marriage, must there ? Either without 
 the other " 
 
 " Ain t no arthly accaount." 
 
 " Well, I will never be married by anybody 
 but a justice of the peace, Squire Brown ; and if 
 I have much influence in the matter, you shall be 
 the man." 
 
 " Thankee, thankee, Miss Sparrer. Which 
 man ? " 
 
 " Well, I won t say which certainly not till 
 I m asked." 
 
 All this gay talk was of course duly detailed to 
 Prouder, when he and Brown next met, as a new 
 illustration of the brilliancy of the wonderful 
 
170 ZURY. 
 
 young stranger, who was, by the way, a universal 
 and inexhaustible subject of talk. Prouder lis 
 tened with much interest, made no remarks, but 
 cogitated long about the matter. 
 
 As soon as Anne got back to the farm-house 
 she filled out the rest of the unfinished document, 
 :md at the first opportunity handed it to Zury. 
 
 " Not married, hey ? Well, at your age I 
 should n t a thought ye d a ben afraid t own it. 
 Y ain t hardly begun t be an ol maid yit ! " 
 
 Anne s talk with Semantha gave her a new 
 interest in Zury, and she studied him more than 
 ever. Still keeping in mind her innocent scheme 
 of making her home permanent with the Prouders 
 instead of transitory with unknown Toms, Dicks, 
 and Harrys, she took careful and constant heed 
 against all possible tendency, on her own part or 
 on his, to any intimacy other than such as might 
 arise between them from her position as his wife s 
 friend. This took more than a little care, for she 
 was quite a novelty to Zury. Not even the young 
 women whom he had seen in cities during his 
 business wanderings had ever seemed to him so 
 attractive, so interesting, so amusing. As to her 
 good looks, they doubtless had their effect on him, 
 though he was quite unconscious of it, having 
 never in his life thought of womanly beauty ex 
 cept as " a snare." 
 
 She maintained her untrammeled relations 
 with the family in another way, too. Thus: 
 John Endicott McVey took occasion on two Sun 
 day evenings to call on her, dressed in Boston 
 
COMMON-LA W MARRIA GE. 171 
 
 clothes, and using pure Boston-i-a-n language, and 
 she really made the most of him ; concealing the 
 fact that he struck her as very light and useless 
 timber " dozy" or " brashy " as Zury would 
 have characterized it. On the second evening he 
 proposed marriage, and she was good enough to 
 decline it, not as a glaringly absurd joke, but 
 merely as a proposition, reasonable from his point 
 of view, though quite out of the question from 
 hers. He was, after all, the most presentable 
 and available man in the neighborhood, and 
 she grew to like him for his pronunciation of 
 words, though the words were not worth pro 
 nouncing. 
 
 The school went on prosperously. The most 
 unruly boys became suddenly the teacher s most 
 loyal adherents. Silas was her " secular arm " to 
 quell the last remnant of rebellion, after which 
 consummation Anne had a fine chance to make 
 peace and inculcate order. One boy, inherently 
 vicious and dangerous to the delicacy of the girl- 
 scholars, was scared nearly out of his wits by a 
 word in his ear from the terrible Zury Prouder. 
 (Teachers of mixed schools should always be 
 women, so that the girls can have near them the 
 friendly ear and voice of one of their own sex.) 
 
 The first two weeks at the Prouder domicile 
 were about as Anne had expected, except that 
 she did not get quite so intimate with Mrs. 
 Prouder as she had hoped to be. Not quite the 
 hoped-for cordiality in receiving as well as in 
 rendering services was manifested by the poor, 
 
172 ZffRY. 
 
 sighing woman. When Anne had proposed read 
 ing aloud as an attention which might alleviate 
 the weariness of work in which she was not al 
 lowed to join, and a half-and-half consent was 
 obtained, she found that it was "a chapter" that 
 was both desired and expected. She knew, as 
 well as she knew her existence, that her society 
 and suggestive talk, in that dull, rich house, was 
 worth more than any luxury their money had 
 ever purchased them or ever could let alone 
 the imperceptible cost of her food and shelter. 
 
 So she listened with smiling confidence when 
 Zury opened the subject. 
 
 " Wai, Miss Sparrer ! Our tew weeks ends to 
 rn or rer ! " 
 
 " Why, so it does ! How the time has flown 
 by ! It seems only a day or two since I first 
 darkened your hospitable doors." 
 
 " I ve ben a-thinkin haow t range things t 
 suit yer best." 
 
 Now it s coming, thought she. 
 
 " N I guess I Ve fixed it abaout right fer all 
 hands." 
 
 She quietly composed her little speech of thanks 
 for an invitation to stay on indefinitely, accepting 
 on condition that she should be allowed to do her 
 share of the work. 
 
 " To-morrer I 11 take ye over t brother Brom- 
 well s. Ye know him pus nally a ready, n ye 11 
 find his folks all O. K. Right up-an -a-comin 
 all the time." 
 
 Would that ringing in her ears go on growing 
 
COMMON-LA W MA REIA GE. 173 
 
 worse till she fell forward ? There, now it was 
 getting better: but now would those tears per 
 sist and push clear out, or could she quell them 
 by swallowing rapidly ? No use ! There they 
 come. If they had not come, the other, the faint- 
 ness, would have prevailed. So it was as well 
 the least of two evils. 
 
 After all her efforts all her hopes ! She had 
 failed. She always failed. She always must 
 fail. Nobody loved her. Nobody ever did or 
 ever could. Of course not. She was a fool to 
 think otherwise even for a moment. 
 
 " Why Miss Sparrer be ye sick ? Don t 
 ye like what I Ve be n n gone n done ? Ye 
 don t bear no ill-will agin Bromwell, dew ye? 
 He meant all fer th best, n 11 be a good friend 
 t ye when he knows ye s well s we dew. Best 
 thing y kin dew to git the whole deestrick on yer 
 side is t go n board t every haouse in it." 
 
 Well! That was balm! But if he thought 
 so, why did he let her go ? Why did not he say, 
 " I ve plenty of everything except what you Ve 
 plenty of. Now just stay right on with my wife, 
 and the obligation will be mutual?" But as he 
 did not she must say something. 
 
 " Oh, don t mind my ways, Mr. Prouder ; I get 
 a little lonesome and homesick sometimes and 
 foolish that s all. But T get over it at once." 
 Whereupon her words were belied by a new flood 
 of tears and sobs. The tide swelled afresh and 
 ran over again and again, while Zury looked on 
 in wondering, half-comprehending pity and sym- 
 
174 ZURY. 
 
 pathy. He never could have imagined that the 
 love of such dull beings as Mary and Semantha 
 could be longed for by the brilliant city girl. So 
 little did he know of women s hearts! After 
 a puzzled silence he broke out : 
 
 " What an old dromedary I be ! Mebbe ye d 
 like t hev me go, n them come V talk t ye a 
 spell," and he started to bring the others. 
 
 44 Oh, no no ! Do you think they could have 
 heard my foolishness ? " 
 
 " No I reck n not they re both in the 
 kitchen " - and he listened " Semanthy she s 
 a-singin , so likely they could n t hear." 
 
 Anne listened, too, and easily recognized the 
 high, nasal treble of the minstrel, drawling her 
 one ditty ; the only poetry she knew except 
 Watts s hymns. 
 
 As Prouder said to his wife when, later, he* was 
 relating the circumstance of Anne s outburst : 
 
 " Doggone me ef I did n t think, one spell, a 
 haow she wuz sorry t leave us ! " 
 
 He privately dwelt on the subject a good deal. 
 In fact, if he had been a self-observant man he 
 would have noticed that his thoughts were very 
 much in the habit of dwelling upon Anne Spar 
 row. 
 
 Here is the cheerful song Semantha sang as a 
 lightener of toil ; or a pious exercise ; or as a trib 
 ute to poetry and music ; or anything else : 
 
 A story I will now relate. 
 
 T was of a gal named Polly Bates ; 
 
COMMON-LA W MARRIA GE. 1 75 
 
 She d dress up fine and curl her hair, 
 When others was ingaged in prayer. 
 
 She d go to balls, she d dance and play 
 In spite of all her friends could say : 
 " I 11 turn to God when I grow old 
 And then he will receive my soul." 
 
 One Friday morning she fell sick. 
 Her stubborn heart begun to prick. 
 She now was sorry she done wrong, 
 But had put off the day too long. 
 
 She called her father to her bed. 
 Her eyes was rolling in her head. 
 " Oh father, father, fare you well 
 While wretched Polly groans in hell. 
 
 " Oh mother, mother, you I leave. 
 For wretched Polly do not grieve. 
 As I am now you soon shall be. 
 Prepare for death and follow me." 
 
 Her face grew black, her hands grew cold. 
 Her spirit left its earthly mould. 
 Now all young friends a warning take, 
 And quit your sins for Polly s sake. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 HOW FARES THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER? 
 
 NEXT day, when Prouder was driving over to 
 Bromwell s with Anne and her trunk, she asked, 
 
 " Where do I go next, after brother Bromwell s, 
 Mr. Prouder?" 
 
 " Wai, brother Peddicomb, he llaows t begin 
 t kill in abaout tew weeks so thet 11 make a 
 month, t gether with Bromwell s; V then brother 
 Anstey, he thinks he 11 be baout ready t kill 
 ef he ain t quite ready, brother Peddicomb he 11 
 lend him some of his meat." 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Prouder, I can t bear it! " 
 
 "What pork?" 
 
 " Oh, no ; but this dreadful boarding round." 
 
 "Sho! Dew tell! I wanter know! Why, 
 most young sculemoms they likes it, n sez it s 
 like a reg lar raound o visits jest a reg lar wed- 
 din trip, only no husban ; n s they say all the 
 better on that account, but you n me knows t 
 sech talk s that fr m young gals s t be took by 
 contrairies." 
 
 " Oh, I wish I could live at the school-house." 
 
 " Wai, it s big enough, goodness knows. Mc- 
 Vey he d like t have ye come n board t th 
 tahv rn, I guess." 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 177 
 
 Anne laughed. 
 
 44 N go through a leetle ceremony fust off, t 
 simplify matters." 
 
 " That would be too long a contract on too short 
 notice. But now you are the great fixer of things 
 you fix things so I can live at the school-house." 
 
 This compliment put Zury on his mettle, and 
 he at once slowed up the team to give them more 
 
 time to cogitate. 
 
 44 Lessee-lessee fust thing is room ; nex thing 
 is furniture, nex thing is food, n nex thing is 
 company. I am a-needin a new p tition in th 
 barn." * 
 
 " I don t see how your needing the same thing 
 I do is going to help me, unless you get the par 
 tition and I come and steal it away some night." 
 
 44 Ha-ha ! yes, you d be a dreffle burglar t meet 
 on a dark night ! But my p tition d make abaout 
 three quarters of a scaow-load, n your stuff d 
 make th other quarter, so we c d git it pootty 
 cheap from daown river." (There was a delin 
 quent saw-miller there who owed him money.) 
 
 44 How cheap ? " 
 
 44 Wai, the p tition complete d cost abaout thir 
 teen dollars, all in." 
 
 44 Oh, I could n t stand that ! " 
 
 44 Wai, naow, look h yer ; ortent the deestrick 
 t have a room thar anyhaow, t keep records n 
 books n papers in, n t hold board meetin s in, 
 n sech like ? " 
 
 44 But that would raise your school-tax." 
 
 44 Never ye mind that. Ther s money in the 
 
178 ZURY. 
 
 treasury, V this d be construction, V c d come 
 aouter th fuud made by the sale of th scule- 
 section of land." (Zury wanted to save that saw 
 mill debt.) " Naow, ye re goin t stop with Brom- 
 well n Peddicomb ; n o man Anstey 11 be on 
 aour side anyhaow. Ef yew can t fetch them 
 other tew galoots raound in a month, y ain t the 
 gal I take ye fer ! " 
 
 " Oh, you flatter me ! Now, how about fur 
 niture ? " 
 
 " Wai, I ve got a leetle lot stored t Wayback 
 t I took on a chattle mortgidge from a feller t 
 tried t cl ar aout with it. I ll let ye have it at 
 half what it d cost ye." (So he did ; being twice 
 what it had cost him.) " Only by bad luck there s 
 two beds." 
 
 " Bad luck ? Good luck ! I think of providing 
 food and company at one blow. The big girls 
 can come and visit me week and week about, and 
 bring me food from their houses, the same as if I 
 were boarding around with them." 
 
 " That s business ! " 
 
 " But how about fuel?" 
 
 " What, firewood ? Oh, the s plenty of that 
 daown in this h yer wooden country. Several 
 pays their school-tax in firewood." 
 
 " Then Oh, dear me ! is it all right? Have 
 I a home?" And she proceeded to sing " Mid 
 pleasures and palaces " in her treble voice, and 
 the "charm from the skies" seemed to soar away 
 back to the skies it came from. When she had 
 done one stanza she whistled it all through as an 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 179 
 
 interlude before she sang the next. Could this 
 be the same girl who had cried herself half sick 
 the night before ? 
 
 44 Look aout, Miss Sparrer, 
 
 Whistlin gals, V crowin hens, 
 Oilers comes t some bad ends. " 
 
 "No, Mr. Prouder, you ve got it wrong, 
 Girls that whistle, V hens that crow, 
 Take their comfort as they go. " 
 
 44 He-he ! I never heered that before ! What I 
 have heered is, 
 
 Whistlin gals, V good fat sheep 
 Is the very best stock fer a farmer t keep. 
 
 An* I hev n t got none o them nuther, xcep the 
 sheep." 
 
 44 No! And it s too bad !" 
 44 1 wish I had one jest like yew ! " 
 44 1 d be a trifle old for you but still ! " 
 44 Not a mite tew old fer a darter. Ye re 
 younger n many a gal o half yer age ! Not tew 
 old fer a darter, ner yit tew young fer suth n 
 else, ef I wuz a single man ! " 
 
 44 Well, just please remember that you re not," 
 and she reddened under his gaze. 
 
 44 Wai ! H yer we be to brother Bromwell s. 
 Don t ferget ye ve got some lectioneerin t dew ! " 
 44 No danger." 
 
 We will skip Anne s stay with the Bromwells 
 and the Peddicombs. At each place, for various 
 reasons, she had more success than with the Proud- 
 ers. One reason was this, she did not try so hard: 
 she was more reserved ; listened more, and talked 
 
180 ZURY. 
 
 less ; in short, did not " slop over," as the expres 
 sive Western phrase is. Both these men were 
 farmers of the same grade as Zury Prouder ; not 
 as rich, but quite as comfortable, and possessing 
 a little more pretension to cultivation and en 
 lightened comfort. They enjoyed showing Anne 
 the difference between them and the Prouders. 
 
 Now behold her, singing and whistling " Home, 
 Sweet Home," in her own little board palace, par 
 titioned off within the walls of the school-house. 
 This was a happy habitation, in spite of some dis 
 advantages. She was compelled, of course, to leave 
 it often alone ; and not being an experienced hand 
 at " kiverin fire," she sometimes found the vestal 
 flame on her home altar extinguished on her return 
 to it. Then there was nothing to be done but run 
 all the way to the Ansteys for a burning brand. 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Anstey ! Please lend me a little fire." 
 
 " Surelye, if ye 11 fetch it back when ye re 
 done with it." 
 
 " Oh, I always pay my debts, with interest ; but 
 my creditors must come and ask for what they 
 want. I don t follow them about to get square 
 with them. You can come over and warm your 
 self by my fire sufficiently to pay for this when 
 ever you like." 
 
 So the gay girl would trip away with her burn 
 ing brand, waving and managing it to retain the 
 fire, and yet not let it creep up so far as to burn 
 her fingers, making a subject almost well worthy 
 to be painted if there had only been some artist 
 to observe it. But there was not. 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 181 
 
 Reekie Anstey was her first room-mate, as it 
 was to the Ansteys she was to have gone next. 
 And oh, such a wondering and adoring companion ! 
 The first of a long series of similar visitors. As 
 long as Anne kept up this residence did she have 
 one or other of the larger girls to sleep there, each 
 enjoying the privilege for two weeks at a time, 
 and vying with the others in the supplies brought 
 to their lady-mistress. None so dull as not to 
 appreciate the occasion. Then, for once in their 
 lives, did they learn how a lady conducts herself 
 at two important times in her day, when she 
 goes to bed, and when she gets up. Five occa 
 sions, perhaps, would be more accurate, for the 
 three meals were almost equally instructive. 
 
 For a long time were these visits looked for 
 ward to by the eager lasses, and for a longer 
 lifelong looked back upon. Teacher and scholar 
 had much freedom in the day-time, each visiting 
 and receiving visits at will. Only one thing was 
 exacted as an invariable rule, that Anne must 
 never for an instant, at home or abroad, asleep or 
 awake, be left alone between sunset and sunrise. 
 
 While the changed life was a novelty, Anne 
 enjoyed it greatly. The freedom was so perfect: 
 nature (under proper restrictions) so lovely ! 
 Above all, the children were so fond of her, and 
 her sense of usefulness so gratifying ! Almost 
 soul-satisfying ! The summer gave place to 
 autumn, and she taught her great girls, 
 
 " The melancholy days are come, the saddest of the year, 
 Of wailing winds and naked woods, and meadows brown and 
 sere. 
 
182 ZURY. 
 
 Heaped in the hollows of the grove the autumn leaves lie dead : 
 They rustle to the eddying gust and to the rabbit s tread." 
 
 Then, when (after the early frosts) fell the 
 sweet, lingering "Indian Summer," she taught 
 them, 
 
 " Arid now when comes the calm mild day, as still such days will 
 
 come, 
 
 To call the squirrel and the bee from out their winter home; 
 The south wind searches for the flowers whose fragrance late 
 
 he bore, 
 And sighs to find them in the wood and by the stream no 
 
 more." 
 
 Some of those children felt as if a window had 
 opened in heaven and they had received a new 
 revelation, where Poetry dawned upon them like a 
 planet sailing into the field of a telescope. 
 
 Even winter did not daunt her. The roar of a 
 black storm through the treetops was awful ; but 
 inside, the lamp burned bright. Zero sunshine 
 was pale as death, but she kept warmth and 
 cheer about her. The exhilarating quality of the 
 thin air was a constant tonic. Let us peep in on 
 a bitter cold morning scene. 
 
 "Why, Eureka!" (A yawn.) " You up al 
 ready?" (Another.) 
 
 u Well, yes, Miss Sparrow. It must be con 
 siderable past sun-up, only you can t see much 
 light owin to frost on the winder window I 
 mean. An the clock s froze up, an every thin ." 
 
 "Dear, dear! you ll freeze, too! What have 
 you on ? " 
 
 " Oh, I m all right ! I ve slipped on my shoes, 
 and got the comforter wropped raoun me." 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 183 
 
 " You poor girl ! Come into my bed and let 
 me slip on my things and make that fire. Did 
 it keep ? I covered it carefully ! " 
 
 " Oh yes, it s all right ; leastways the 1 s enough 
 t light up by, an th boys whittling fer kindlin 
 come in awful handy ! Thar, hear it ? " And 
 as she closed the stove door the fire began suck 
 ing the pure oxygen with a roar like a steam-fan. 
 
 " How is the water ? " 
 
 " Froze solid to the bottom of the pail ! But I 
 emptied all the pitchers an things last night, so 
 the s nothin busted. Oh dear ! I set the milk- 
 jug on the hearth, but yet it s froze too. But I 
 don t see as it *s cracked. I 11 jest leave it on the 
 hearth whar it 11 thor gradial. Thar ! " 
 
 " Now come right into my warm nest and let 
 me cuddle you ! " 
 
 " Oh no, Miss Sparrow ; I m too cold. I 11 go 
 back to my own bed. I d freeze you to death." 
 
 " Do as I tell you, my child ! Come here this 
 minute ! There snuggle up oh you are icy ! " 
 And then the stove (if it had n t been talking to 
 itself too loud to hear anything else) might have 
 listened to cooings and kissings between the loving 
 young women (clasped and interlaced into a long, 
 indistinguishable mass) that would have warmed 
 its glowing iron heart still further, if anything 
 could do so. 
 
 "Oh -what s that?" 
 
 " Massyful man alive it s the milk ! It must 
 have be n cracked after all ! " 
 
 " Well, tea is pretty good without milk." 
 
184 ZURY. 
 
 " But let me git up and wipe it up." 
 
 " No, you shan t go till it gets warm." 
 
 " But the burnt milk 11 srnell the house up fer 
 all day ! " 
 
 " Well, let it. It s a clean smell, any way." 
 More inarticulate endearments. 
 
 " Now, Miss Sparrow jest look at that stove ! 
 Red hot on the top, and side, and back, and a spot 
 in the pipe ! Lemme jest git up V shet the 
 damper, V set on the kittle ! " 
 
 The strong and perfect girl sprang from the 
 bed into the frosty air without a shudder : slipped 
 her ill-shaped shoes on her well-shaped feet, and 
 in her single airy garment, white, long, straight, 
 and clinging like the robes of Fra Angelico s an 
 gels, flew hither and yon on her well-known tasks. 
 Those feet would do for a sculptor s model. Go 
 ing barefoot, as a child, if not too long continued, 
 and on too severe tasks, gives to the foot a fine 
 set of curves, strong and lithe. Each toe grows 
 to maturity perfect and separate from its neigh 
 bors, having, at will, a life and motion of its own. 
 It is almost as different from more civilized toes 
 as a fresh grape is from a packed raisin. 
 
 The lost milk was soon dried up, and the enthu 
 siastic stove, when its supply of air was cut off, 
 squealed and complained like a pig driven from 
 its dinner. 
 
 Unhappily, the best part of isolation is the 
 beginning of it. Anne s grew tiresome, more 
 and more so, as the weeks and months dragged 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 185 
 
 slowly by. She made her own clothes ; she 
 washed, starched, and ironed for herself ; she did 
 fancy work ; she read and re-read every scrap of 
 printed matter she could get at ; she drew and 
 sketched a great number of scenes, which covered 
 the walls of her private domain, and even spread 
 out into the great school-room. She wrote a 
 good deal : in fact, it may be said in strict confi 
 dence that this book would never have been writ 
 ten but for the nucleus of material created by her 
 that winter. 
 
 She saved a little money (almost all she earned), 
 which Prouder kept for her, paying her ten per 
 cent, interest, while he lent it out at twenty. 
 
 She did not have as many visits as she would 
 have liked from the mothers of her scholars. It 
 is such a task to get through work, to get " slicked 
 up," to get away from home three or four miles, 
 and to get back and into working garb in time for 
 the quickly returning household cares, that coun 
 try wives are usually steady stay-at-homes. Be 
 sides, among her friends homes two were in some 
 confusion. Peddicomb had died, leaving his affairs 
 " kinder mixed." When his daughter Semantha 
 had married, her father had " set off " her portion 
 to her (one of his three quarter sections) ; her 
 " shiftless " husband had induced her to mortgage 
 it (to Prouder), and then departed to look for a 
 favorable investment for the proceeds. He prob 
 ably found it, for he never came back, and the 
 quarter section fell in to swell Provider s holdings ; 
 very nicely, too, as it " jined on " to the one set off 
 
186 ZURY. 
 
 to Mary, his own wife. As the reader has learned, 
 Semantha and her child now lived at the Provid 
 ers ; the third sister, Flora, still stayed at home 
 in the farm-house on the remaining " quarter," 
 managing it as well as she could. 
 
 Mary Prouder, Zury s wife, had departed early 
 in autumn on a visit to the Peddicomb ancestral 
 halls in Ohio in search of health and strength, 
 her portion of which blessings had dwindled to a 
 minimum. When Anne bade her good-by she 
 seemed, with her hollow cheeks, her prematurely 
 aged face, and her " Oh Lordy, Lordy ! " like the 
 rearguard of death or the vanguard of the resur 
 rection. The few letters which came, at first 
 from her own hand and later from the hands of 
 others, gave Zury but poor encouragement to 
 hope for her recovery. Already people (in the 
 meeting-house horse-shed, or while walking and 
 riding home, and on other gossipy occasions) 
 had begun to say, 
 
 " Would n t wonder ef Zury had a good sight 
 t git a-holt on t other quarter of th Peddicomb 
 place, thaout it a-costin him a cent, barrin th 
 jestice fee." 
 
 It was customary to have on February 22d a 
 school " Exhibition " with speeches, dialogues, and 
 so forth ; and Anne conceived the daring novelty 
 of " A Scene from New England History." The 
 scene was to be the marriage of Priscilla and 
 John Alden she to be the fair Puritan, and John 
 Endicott McVey to be the other chief performer. 
 Her deft fingers easily arranged the costume for 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 187 
 
 herself; and John (who had seen it enacted "at 
 home"), by the aid of an old artillery short-sword 
 (a relic of 1812), and some long, woolen stock 
 ings, managed a costume sufficiently unlike any 
 thing the West had ever seen (or the East, North, 
 or South either, for that matter) to bear a possi 
 ble resemblance to the actual original. If he 
 was not like John Alden, what was he like? 
 
 When all was arranged Anne was startled by 
 a serious obstacle, which her discreet old friend 
 Mrs. Anstey revealed to her. 
 
 " Ye dunno, I don t mistrust, thet foolish folks 
 is a-passin the r remarks abaout yer a-bein a-goin 
 t stan up with Johnny McVey in a mock-mar- 
 r ge, as ye might say. 1 
 
 " Oh pshaw ! McVey, indeed ! Marriages are 
 often displayed in theatres, and nobody in his 
 senses ever takes them to mean anything ! " 
 
 " Ya-as but then ye know th school-haouse 
 ain t no theayter ; n ef it wuz, perfessin Chris 
 tians, in course, would n t never go inter it, ner 
 nigh tew it, nuther. It s a meetin -haouse, a 
 haouse of God ; n marriages a many he.z be n 
 performed thar a ready. N ef yew n Johnny 
 wuz a-goin t marry, thar s whar ye d naytrally 
 be, n sayin th same words, tew." 
 
 Anne with difficulty repressed her disgust at 
 such childish folly. 
 
 " N then the s another thing : both on ye 
 bein single n marriageable the s them as sez ye 
 m ought find yerself marr d t Johnny, thaout 
 never rnistrustin sech a thing 1 " 
 
188 ZURY. 
 
 44 Heavens and earth ! Have I got to attend 
 to " but here anger was reinforced by discre 
 tion, and both conspired to reduce her to silence. 
 She bade Mrs. Anstey good-by with flaming 
 cheeks, brow, and temples ; not saying whether 
 she would be warned by these hints or riot. 
 
 Mrs. Anstey, who loved and respected the 
 lonely and heedless young stranger, was in a good 
 deal of perturbation lest she got herself in trouble 
 by her consciousness of rectitude and her obsti 
 nacy. So she communicated her fears to Zury 
 when next he passed her way. 
 
 Soon Anne saw Zury fastening his horse to one 
 of the " hitchin trees " in front of the school- 
 house, and she knew at a glance, by some kind of 
 instinct, that he had come on the subject of the 
 proposed "play-acting" scene, and hurried on 
 her armor, offensive and defensive, accordingly. 
 
 4 Howdy, Miss Sparrer. So ye ve tuk up with 
 Johnny s proposial, after all." 
 
 " I taken up John s proposal? Well! I have 
 heard that those most interested in a piece of 
 news were always the last to learn it; now I 
 know the saying is true." 
 
 44 Sho, sho ! No need t git wrathy abaout it ! 
 Johnny he s a pootty good feller, whut th is of 
 him, n plenty of him sech as t is." 
 
 44 Much or little, he s too much for me ; I thank 
 you all the same and the rest of my kind 
 friends in the community, likewise ! " 
 
 44 Thanks seems t be plenty with yew this ar- 
 ternoon." 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 189 
 
 " I have enough to pay all the debts I owe in 
 the world, but that is not saying much." Then 
 conscious that the sharp eyes of her that-week s- 
 companion were doubtless scanning her, closely, 
 from some coign of vantage, she insisted on 
 Zury s coming in, where there would be a safe 
 party of three instead of the notoriously perilous 
 party of two. Once inside, she and her girl 
 friend took pains to show Zury the little platform 
 built by the hands of her loyal boy-scholars in 
 preparation for the u Exhibition." 
 
 " Wha d ye llaow t show up? " 
 
 44 Oh, speeches and dialogues, and some sing- 
 ing." 
 
 " That all?" 
 
 " Yes, I guess so." 
 
 Then her companion made bold to add a word. 
 
 " Mr. Prouder, they ve about talked Miss Spar- 
 rer out of the best part of our show ! " And she 
 proceeded to expatiate upon the rare delight the 
 world was to lose in missing that representation 
 of the " Puritan wedding ; " even going so far as 
 to bring out the prim dress, which deft-fingered 
 Anne had devised with a high pointed hood, a 
 white muslin waist, a neckerchief and an apron. 
 
 " Hard lines, I dew say ! All that nice work 
 got t be throw d away ! But then, it d be bet 
 ter t throw away tew frocks like that than t 
 throw away yer standin in a God-fearin com 
 munity naow would n t it ? " 
 
 " Depends a little on whether the community a 
 right and I wrong, or vice versa." 
 
ISO ZURY. 
 
 "Not a mite! Not a blamed mite! More of 
 a loss ef ye re right th n ef ye re wrong ; jest s 
 it s more loss t lose a good shillin th n a bad 
 one." 
 
 " A woman ought n t to care for the esteem of 
 a community of perfect " 
 
 " Idgits, wuz ye goin t say ? Mebbe ye re 
 right abaout th esteem o fools ; but I pity yew 
 ef y ever have t live amongst em after ye ve 
 lost it ! " 
 
 She knew he had in his mind the "Univer- 
 salist" episode in his own past, and she began to 
 appreciate more than ever the despotic tyranny of 
 a lawless and unbridled u freedom " of opinion. 
 It was this same " freedom " that had doomed 
 her Quaker compatriots of only a few generations 
 ago to be " whipped from parish to parish at the 
 cart s tail." 
 
 " Oli, well, if they can stand it, I can." And 
 she tossed her head in contemptuous scorn. 
 
 " If you n Johnny wuz married, er even if 
 either of ye was in th married state already, 
 nobody d say a word ; but two single folks, of 
 course " 
 
 " Oh, bother ! Let us change the subject. 
 When did you hear from Mrs. Prouder?" 
 
 " Quite a while." 
 
 " How was she ? " 
 
 " Baout th same. Downey dunno s the said 
 whether she wuz bedfast er not. By the way, ef 
 I don t misremember she sent word I wuz t tell 
 ye haowdy fer her." 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 191 
 
 44 Did she really ? I m glad she was so kind 
 as to think of me ! Will you give her my love 
 when you write?" 
 
 " Sartin, sartin ; V 1 11 be a-writin agin n a 
 week er tew. Naow I must be a-joggin . Wish 
 ye good day ! Good day, Loviny." And he went 
 out ; but Lovina followed him for some private 
 words, and soon Anne heard herself called out to 
 where Zury sat on his horse ready to ride away. 
 
 " Miss Sparrow, Mr. Prouder says it would be 
 all right if you was to do the scene with him 
 instead of Mr. McVey." 
 
 " Oh, no ; I m off the notion altogether. I ve 
 begun to pick my dress to pieces already." 
 
 Zury s face darkened. 
 
 " O. K. Only ye better not speak of it, Loviny, 
 t nobody. Th might think it cur us th t Miss 
 Sparrer was hot fer it when it wuz a young feller 
 wuz in question, n cooled off s soon s th idee 
 wuz started t dew it with an old married man, 
 old enough t be her uncle." 
 
 His evident mortification was "nuts" to Anne, 
 and she laughed one of her merry laughs. 
 
 " Oh, you re none too old for the part. John 
 Alden was no chicken when he married Priscilla. 
 But I hate to give in to such foolish notions." 
 
 44 Oh, do, Miss Sparrow ! There, I got it all 
 fixed, and now you are the one to spoil it all ! " 
 And poor Lovina began to cry. Anne went out 
 and kissed her, and dried her eyes, saying, 
 
 44 Well, well ; there, there, my dear. Fix it any 
 way you like. What difference can it make to 
 
192 ZCJRY. 
 
 me, or anybody else, who is gifted with common 
 sense ! " 
 
 So it was all arranged. John Endicott McVey 
 unwillingly " took the bag t hold," as the boys 
 said, when it was announced that he was ousted 
 from his place as bridegroom and assigned the 
 subordinate one of Parson. 
 
 The great day approached. The programme 
 was arranged: songs by the school, songs by 
 Miss Sparrow, recitations by scholars, and three 
 scenes of " A Puritan Wedding." A list of these, 
 written in " large hand," on a foolscap sheet, was 
 the copy set by Miss Sparrow to the " first class 
 in writing" for some days prior to the momentous 
 one; and by effort, emulation, and comparison 
 a large number of available sheets were ready to 
 scatter about the seats on the exhibition evening. 
 Never was such a congress of merry sleighs, steam 
 ing horses, and jingling bells, laughing youths and 
 maidens, and gossiping men and women ; and 
 never such a crowd in the school- house as filled it 
 to the very window-spaces long before the time 
 for beginning the performance. 
 
 The curtain drawn aside, behold a really charm 
 ing bevy of healthy, smiling scholars, standing in 
 ranks ready to begin " The Star-spangled Banner." 
 
 To Anne s surprise and chagrin not a sound of 
 applause greeted the scene ! 
 
 But she gave the signal and led off, 
 
 " Oh say can you see by the dawn s early light 
 What so proudly we hailed at the twilight s last gleaming," 
 
 and the verses followed each other in due order, 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 193 
 
 in a fine volume of youthful voice. Still not a 
 sign of approval. And yet some signs of satisfac 
 tion seemed to shine in the faces of the audience. 
 
 Anne still hoped for better things, and stepped 
 out looking like a red-haired angel, as a scholar 
 mistakenly said to give them " The Mellow 
 Horn" in her finest style, with " Araby s Daugh 
 ter" reserved for an encore. 
 
 Encore ! Not a note of recognition for her, or 
 of approval of her song ! She bowed herself out 
 in some confusion, a degree of dismay approach 
 ing dangerously near to tears. She almost threw 
 herself into Zury s arms, crying, 
 
 " What does it mean ? " 
 
 " What dooz what mean ? " 
 
 " Why, don t you see ? They don t like it ! " 
 
 " Don t like it ! Bless yer heart, ye re away 
 off ef ye think so ! Like it ! Why the don t know 
 whether the re a-standin on the r heads er the r 
 heels, the re so tickled ! " 
 
 " Then why don t they applaud ? " 
 
 " Oh, clap V stomp d ye mean ? The ain t 
 a one on em as knows enough, I don t expect! " 
 
 " Oh, I can t go on this way ! I shall die if 
 everything falls flat like this ! " 
 
 " Wai, I 11 fix that all O. K." 
 
 He slipped out and had a short colloquy with 
 Peleg Thum, explaining to him that when the 
 folks liked anything they must " encore," that is 
 to say, clap and stamp. So Peleg got into a 
 group of congenial spirits, and after the curtain 
 fell on the next piece they "encored;" where- 
 
194 ZURY. 
 
 upon the whole silent audience turned toward the 
 group of innovators, wondering what that meant ! 
 Was it part of the show ? Peleg explained : 
 
 " That s applause. That s what the call 4 en- 
 corin clappin n stompin is." 
 
 The boys nearest to Peleg were the first to 
 catch the idea, and from them it spread like wild 
 fire. The novel joy of making a licensed noise in 
 public became so popular that it was soon difficult 
 to obtain silence in time for the next thing on the 
 programme. Again Peleg s aid was invoked, and 
 it was understood that when he raised his stick 
 and shouted, " Thar, thar, boys ! " quiet must be 
 restored by the strong hand if needful. 
 
 When Anne came on and sang " The Mistletoe 
 Bough " in her sweetest tones and clearest Eng 
 lish, the delight was so overwhelming that Peleg 
 himself forgot to stop " encoring " or to check 
 anybody else, and then she gave " Araby s Daugh 
 ter " as an encore. 
 
 The excitement flagged a little during the reci 
 tation of " Fitz James and Roderick Dhu " by Silas 
 Anstey, gestures like those of a lay-figure, and 
 voice like the sounds in a whispering gallery, 
 but expectation was strained to the utmost as the 
 finale, " The Puritan Marriage," fell due. 
 
 " Priscilla on her way to meeting " was a 
 shawled, hooded, and rnittened embodiment of 
 Puritanism. True, her kerchief was figured and 
 her apron cross-barred, but what of that? Her 
 Bible wrapped in a handkerchief was very puri 
 tanical. Her soliloquy pointed to the cruel sea at 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 195 
 
 the east of her, the more cruel savages on the west, 
 the dark woods all about her. And home, dear 
 England, so far, far away ! (Handkerchief.) But 
 had not the Christian his home wherever he could 
 set up faith s altar, as here at the meeting-house, 
 toward which her steps were tending ? And were 
 seas or savages frightful to any one who was com 
 passed about by the legions of heaven ? She 
 passed on to meeting, and the scene closed. 
 
 " Priscilla returning from meeting " was met by 
 John Alden (dreadfully like Zury Prouder), who 
 in honest, hearty words and manner (unfortunately 
 reminding you of Zury Prouder 1 s words and 
 manners) urged the claims of Captain Miles 
 Standish to the hand and heart of the fair Pris 
 cilla. She temporized she turned away she 
 frowned she smiled archly and suggestively 
 upon the impenetrable Alden. As to her heart, 
 it was otherwise engaged. As to her hand 
 she pulled off her mitten and gave it to the opaque 
 messenger, and desired that he give it to Captain 
 Standish, telling him, with her respectful duty, 
 that that was as near to the hand that it fitted as 
 he would ever come ! 
 
 Then when the swain was slowly and regret 
 fully departing she called after him, " Why dost 
 thou not ask for thyself, John ? " with a demure- 
 ness that ought to have brought down the house. 
 
 He approaches, he kneels and kisses her hand, 
 and the curtain falls amid thunders of applause. 
 
 " The marriage " was solemnized in due form. 
 McVey, with a quarter of a pound of flour in his 
 
196 ZURY. 
 
 long hair, with an immensely long gown (fash- 
 ioned by Anne out of black muslin), and long 
 bands of white paper, was solemn and stately ; a 
 little audience of favored scholars was appropri 
 ately bashful and giggling, and Anne, her hood 
 and shawl and mittens laid aside, was Priscilla 
 herself a. curly, blushing, smiling bride. 
 
 No one knew any just cause or impediment. 
 John Alden (in a Zury-esque manner) said to all 
 the minister s inquisitive queries u I will," "and 
 Priscilla in modest treble made the same reply to 
 similar questions. 
 
 After McVey had pronounced them man and 
 wife they turned to the little audience of four, 
 seated on the stage, and Priscilla in audible voice 
 asked them to wait there until she should return 
 with the bride cake. She disappeared, and came 
 back promptly with a huge tray piled high with 
 bits of cake, each wrapped in a bit of paper. She 
 paused and asked them if that would be enough : 
 whereat the outside audience laughed. The in 
 structed scholar answered loudly " No ! " which 
 awakened more merriment. Then she sent out 
 the minister, who presently came back with a 
 great pile of similar packages, and Priscilla 
 sweetly asked a second girl if that would satisfy 
 their feeble appetites. Again she was answered 
 " No ! " amid louder roars. So she sent out John 
 himself, who brought in a bushel-basket full of 
 little bundles, saying that that was all they could 
 have. After the scholars had taken the three re 
 ceptacles in charge, Anne stepped to the front and 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 197 
 
 said that for fear her bridesmaids might make 
 themselves sick, she would suggest that the audi 
 ence should share in the feast ; and each person as 
 he or she accepted a package must accept with it 
 her thanks for their kind attention. 
 
 The cake-bearers stepped forth, and the curtain 
 fell for the last time. The stamping and clap 
 ping rose to a roar, only quieted as each individual 
 received his little package, which occupied his 
 hands and his mind and stopped his " encoring." 
 
 Anne could not complain of the quality of the 
 thanks she received from such of her audience as 
 she had a chance to speak with that is, the old 
 folks. The young men, now as always, seemed 
 to consider her a person of a different sphere 
 from theirs. Little she cared, however, so long 
 as she could get the disorder cleared away and 
 rest her tired body in bed. The comments on 
 the homeward drive were many, and generally 
 enthusiastic. 
 
 " Tell ye what, fellers, Pele Thum llaows t he 
 s be n t shows in Springville whar the charged 
 tew shilliiT a head t come in, th t warn t no bet 
 ter n that wuz ! Way aout h yer, t th Way back 
 meetin - haouse ! " This was perhaps the most 
 wildly extravagant praise that was uttered, and 
 everybody who heard it repeated it to everybody 
 else as the acme of eulogy. At the same time, 
 some consistent old "hard-heads" either kept 
 silence or whispered to each other comments 
 wherein the ominous word " play-actin " bore a 
 large part. All the programmes were carried 
 
198 ZURY. 
 
 away, and probably some of them exist as "mo- 
 mentums" to this day in farm-houses in Spring 
 County. 
 
 And next day came the news that Zury s wife 
 had died a week before. 
 
 Now the air is full of buzzing gossip. " Never 
 c d be a clearer case of a jedgement on play-actin . 
 Th Lord s hand s in it, sure enough ! " 
 
 " I felt kind o wicked a-settin there V jest 
 a-lookin on ! Should n wonder a mite if the cuss 
 wuz t fall on th c munity ; leastways on all th t 
 did n t bear the r testimony agin it fr m the word 
 go!" 
 
 " Ye re mighty right tew! Mark my words ; 
 the 11 be more die th n jest poor Mary, innercent 
 s she wuz, n s lected s th instrument of th 
 Lord s vengeance ! " 
 
 " Yes sirree ! N it s pootty hard t think of a 
 perfessing Christian hurried into the Presence, n 
 all fer the doin s o them as ain t no perfessers as 
 nobody knows on ! D oughter to be a warnin t 
 all on us, specially the Prepared. We dun no 
 when we 11 be took, ner yet fer whose misdoin s ! " 
 
 " Guess th won t be nobody bold enough t try 
 it on agin, in th face o Providence." 
 
 " Yew bet the don t sech doin s git t be had 
 h yer agin, not in one while ! " (And there was no 
 one so bold. There was no more effort in the di 
 rection of that guilty and giddy gayety for many 
 a year.) 
 
 " Zury s in a pootty fix ! If sculemom only 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 199 
 
 knowed it, she c d jest take her grip-sack and march 
 up t his place, V open th door, V go in V 
 squat right daown, then V thar, fer keeps ! " 
 
 The men came to corresponding (though 
 slightly divergent) views : 
 
 " Zury he s be n n gone V played smart Aleck 
 fer wunst ! N sculemom tew ! He s got jest 
 s good a right t go in n out of her door s she 
 hez, t day." 
 
 " Yes, sir ! N ef it s bolted, t kick it in ; n 
 holler ; come along Anne Proauder, n git t 
 work. " 
 
 To say that Anne was not much agitated would 
 be untrue. Of course she heard but little of the 
 row : and that little was sifted through the loving 
 heart of Mrs. Anstey, so it was robbed of much of 
 its bitterness. But cruel thoughts haunted her pil 
 low and shortened her rest. This was a new State. 
 In Massachusetts she felt sure that no advantage 
 could be taken of her accidental predicament ; but 
 who could tell what might be the law and custom 
 in Illinois ? The idea was horrible ! She, Anne 
 Sparrow, in any way bound to that rustic, with 
 his sordid views, his ignorance, his grizzling tem 
 ples, and ammonia ! Oh no ; it could not be ! 
 But that any one could think of it for a moment! 
 
 It is harder to say what Zury thought and felt, 
 but it was much in the same line, until he had 
 time to get some trustworthy knowledge of the 
 law. There was Flora Peddicomb, with one hun 
 dred and sixty acres, well-fenced and well-built on, 
 and well-stocked, and well-placed as to three hun- 
 
200 ZURY. 
 
 dred and twenty acres already his, and joining it 
 on two sides. And there was Anne Sparrow, with 
 out a cent, and without the power to make or save 
 a cent on a farm and so smart and knowing 
 that he was afraid of her ! 
 
 So the two characters in the ill-starred "show" 
 were trembling with mutual terrors ; each afraid 
 the other would claim the right to make of the 
 twain one flesh. No more absurd situation has 
 been seen since the warlike Dowler and the chiv 
 alrous Winkle both fled from Bath to Bristol, each 
 bent on saving his life from the other. 
 
 Zury was the first to recover his equanimity. 
 He easily got competent legal advice (gratis) 
 which informed him that neither party could 
 make that farce into a marriage without the co 
 operation of the other. So after a season of re 
 served gravity which repelled gossip, and which 
 might be attributed to a decent respect for poor 
 Mary s memory, he fell into his usual business-like 
 manner afraid of nothing on earth. 
 
 He would have liked to impart his self-confi 
 dence to poor Anne, but she avoided him as if he 
 were an enemy. A few constrained words of 
 common civility, always in company with some 
 third person, and always concerning his dead wife, 
 were all she vouchsafed him ; she misinterpreted 
 his renewed friendliness as a claim for closer inti 
 macy ; he misinterpreted her hauteur as offended 
 feminine vanity. 
 
 She observed a coldness in the greetings of her 
 female acquaintances which hurt her greatly ; and 
 
THE TRANSPLANTED MAYFLOWER. 201 
 
 her school showed, for a time, diminished attend 
 ance, diminished interest, and diminished personal 
 respect, which hurt her more. During the day 
 light she managed to throw off much of this un 
 easiness, but with the darkness came the horror, 
 as of old. 
 
 Time is balm : gossip, even gossip, the immor 
 tal fiend, grows first wild with hunger, then torpid 
 with starvation when it is left absolutely without 
 food. Things settled back into much of their old 
 routine. For Znry, everlasting money-making. 
 For Anne, ceaseless shedding of light from her 
 little lamp of intelligence. For McVey, continual 
 renewals of his hopeless passion if so strong a 
 word can be applied to his feeble emotions, alter 
 nately growing faint with absence and beaming 
 in their full tepid warmth when a sight of Anne 
 again blessed his eyes. For the rest of our 
 friends, the ordinary dull current of life. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END AND HER 
 PEACE ALSO. 
 
 " OH Miss Sparrow ! My mother said Boston 
 must be pootty much of a place ef it turns out 
 such gals as yew be ! " 
 
 "Did she? Well, I m glad for dear old 
 Boston ! But you should say 4 as you are, not 
 4 as you be. What else did they say that was so 
 pleasant?" 
 
 " Oh, gran dad he llaowed Deestrick Number 
 Seven wuz a differ nt guess sort of a place sence 
 you come." 
 
 " That s nice ; I m glad he likes my work. But 
 DISTRICT does n t spell deeestrict. What 
 did anybody else say that would comfort me ? " 
 
 " Oh, the warn t nobody else thar but Bob V 
 Jim, V my cousin Bill Evans from cross river." 
 
 " What did they say ? " 
 
 " The never spoke a word." 
 
 Straws show which way the wind blows, uncon 
 scious that they are doing so. The particular 
 straw that indicated the direction of this partic 
 ular breeze had some perception of his task, for 
 after a moment he added : 
 
 " You know the young fellers hain t be n edi- 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 203 
 
 cated in the Sparrow Deestrick school. Districk 
 I would say." A general laugh ran through the 
 group at this sally. 
 
 " No, indeed ! Poor fellows, they don t know 
 what they ve missed by growing up too soon. 
 But then, if I have your love and your parents 
 appreciation, I don t care the least bit for the 
 opinion of anybody else on earth ! " 
 
 This might be called a fib perhaps even a 
 whopper. For where lives the woman who, look 
 ing about for evidences of her value in the world, 
 is not pained by a lack of vigorous masculinity in 
 them ? 
 
 Why should she be so different from other 
 women ? Why should nobody in the world love 
 her except her poor scholars and poorer John Mc- 
 Vey ? No one but herself knew that she had any 
 beauty such as it was. If she had been pale in 
 stead of rosy, spare instead of plump, blackhaired. 
 instead of blonde, eleven inches across the shoul 
 ders instead of fourteen, helpless and maudlin in 
 stead of strong and self-reliant, the dolts about 
 her would have called her a "ha-an s m lady." 
 
 But as it was, if the poor girl sent out any of 
 those womanly glances we know of, that say " does 
 he think me pretty ? " they simply recoiled upon 
 the sender returned like Noah s dove from the 
 waste, and without even an olive-branch. 
 
 Suppose they had admired her, she could hardly 
 have endured them. The young men of her age 
 seemed so much younger than she felt, with her 
 more varied experience and broader knowledge of 
 
204 ZURY. 
 
 the world. However, they did not admire her. 
 The girls who stayed with her were enthusiastic 
 in her praise, but the accounts they took home of 
 her and her ways displeased the others. 
 
 " Her n Johnny McVey is both tarred with 
 th same stick. Stuck up ? Stuck up ain t no 
 name fer them city ducks ! Nawth n aout h yer 
 ain t good enough fer em n them s poor s 
 jimpson-weed, tew ! " 
 
 This community presented the extraordinary 
 spectacle of a society without holidays and almost 
 without amusements. The old " husking-bees " 
 are unknown in the West, where corn is "shucked " 
 as it stands in the field, and only the bare ears 
 thrown into the wagon to be carried home. Socia 
 ble christenings, of course, there are none. A mar 
 riage is often merely a visit to the preacher or to 
 the justice. An afternoon call on a week-day finds 
 the house empty, save one or two busy women and 
 a few unattractive, unkempt, ill-mannered chil 
 dren ; and on Sunday social visiting is sacrilegious. 
 A "quilting" which Anne attended was ghastly 
 in its dullness. The younger women were proud 
 and bashful, and talked together in whispers. 
 She fairly talked herself out for the benefit of 
 the elders, with some success, too ; but after that 
 even a photograph-album would have been a relief ! 
 Tea, when it came, softened things a little, but -it 
 was too late. 
 
 Anne was more of a bohemian than what the 
 polite world would call a well-bred, well ordered 
 damsel. She only seemed " a perfect woman 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 205 
 
 nobly planned " by comparison with the very im 
 perfect women (however nobly planned, however 
 dutiful and devoted) about her. The desire for 
 some girlish or womanly joy became almost a 
 mania with her. She was tempted to encourage 
 McVey only he was too insignificant and al 
 ready inconveniently in love with her. She 
 burned for conquest ! Could she not devise some 
 innocent gratification of her vanity to ruffle her 
 sordid existence ? 
 
 Once in a certain week when her most tried and 
 trustworthy scholar was her companion she de 
 voted a whole evening to loading herself with all 
 her few simple adornments, a dotted muslin 
 with lace undersleeves, a little silver diadem that 
 had been her mother s, a gay belt, a pair of silk 
 mitts, long silk stockings that only needed a little 
 bit of darning, and dancing-shoes with narrow 
 strings crossing each other on the instep as was 
 the pretty fashion of those days. The whole out 
 fit was worth only an absurdly small sum, yet 
 when she got it on she looked radiant. By combin 
 ing her own little mirror with one the friend had 
 surreptitiously brought with her from home, and 
 lighting three tallow dips all at once, she could see 
 herself all over in about four chapters, a scene at 
 a time and continued in our next. She liked it. 
 
 The humble companion was gratifyingly explo 
 sive, but the Spring County clodhoppers, if they 
 could have peeped in upon the strange scene, 
 would have only jeered : 
 
 " Haow s that fer a brick-top ? Geeswax ! if 
 
206 Z17RY. 
 
 sculemom had any more freckles n what she s 
 got, wliar on arth d she put em ? Have t carry 
 raound a sheet o paper in her hand, the hull page 
 jam full o left over freckles ! " 
 
 Late in the spring there was to occur some 
 kind of respectable picnic a temperance cele 
 bration at a point not far from Wayback, on 
 the other side of the river. In Anne s rebellious 
 state of mind she was tempted to intimate to 
 McVey that he might have the honor of escort 
 ing her thither ; whereupon he began scheming 
 for the necessary leave of absence from the tav 
 ern. In vain he planned and twisted. As the tav 
 ern people wished to go, the drudge must stay 
 and mind shop. In this dilemma he mentioned 
 the matter to Prouder; and was met with one 
 of those moral aphorisms which served Zury in 
 such good stead on many occasions where a re 
 fusal was to be the answer to a request. 
 
 " Young man ! Yew keep yer business, an 
 yer business 11 keep yew ! " 
 
 " My business don t much more than keep me, 
 anyhow. About all I get s my board and lodging 
 and clothes." 
 
 " Well, sonny, that s all I git outer mine, ef 
 ye come t that." 
 
 " Expect she 11 be pretty considerable disap 
 pointed." 
 
 "Who?" 
 
 " Why, Miss Sparrow. (This rather sheep 
 ishly.) Did n t I mention she wanted to go?" 
 
 " Sho tew man ! Ye don t say ! Wai, we 11 
 see abaout it." 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 207 
 
 The quick mind of Zury was glad of the 
 chance this seemed to present for reestablish 
 ing his old safe, yet interesting and amusing, in 
 timacy with Anne ; so she was soon surprised by 
 a message from him, brought by McVey, to 
 the effect that they three would make the trip 
 to the picnic. Anne refused promptly and de 
 cidedly, and was in a manner compelled to ex 
 plain to John that since the contretemps about 
 the " Puritan Wedding," she had thought best to 
 keep clear of the widower because folks would 
 talk so ! 
 
 Crestfallen John could only go again to the 
 Dens ex machina with this discouraging report, 
 and Zury seized the opportunity to have an expla 
 nation with the school-ma am. 
 
 One day, after school hours, there came his well- 
 known " rap-rap-rap-rap " on the school-house 
 door the one more blow than the three cus 
 tomary ones, being an unconscious mark of the 
 more insistent and persistent nature of the rap 
 per. 
 
 Anne was alone, and with a quickened pulse 
 debated what she should do in view of this long- 
 feared renewal of Zury s visits. She thought 
 that he might conclude that she was absent, and 
 go off without the dreaded interview ; but, un 
 luckily, Zury had seen her through the window 
 and had no idea of being balked in his plans. 
 
 " Rap-rap-rap-rap-TLlP." 
 
 Then Anne laughed down her tremors (it be 
 ing broad daylight), and appeared at the door 
 
208 ZURY. 
 
 all in her pretty working dsJiabilt, with inky 
 finger, and hair tucked behind her ears. 
 
 " Good day, Mr. Prouder. I m sorry I can t 
 ask you in, but I am all alone. Eureka Anstey 
 is staying with me, but she has run home on an 
 errand." 
 
 " Oh, wal " stammered Zury, rather taken 
 aback. He had never encountered just this de 
 velopment of female prudery before. "I jest 
 called tew kinder pass the time o day." 
 
 " Well, please to call and pass the time of 
 some other day." And she was going to shut 
 the door. 
 
 "Oh, say Miss Sparrer ! Ye ain t no call t 
 be afeared o me ole Zury Praouder ! Course 
 it wuz a leetle orkard fer a while arter th kind 
 o play-actin comin accidental how it did V 
 when it did." 
 
 * I in not afraid of any man ! I m only afraid 
 of women and children afraid the women may 
 do me harm so that I can t do the children any 
 more good." 
 
 "Wal, thet s right thet s right, V like ye 
 tew. Th women did talk fer a while, but I soon 
 stopped it. I tol em what s the fact ; th t that 
 thar form o words don t vally no more n th 
 wind, thaout yew n me choose t make it so." 
 
 He paused. Anne paled slightly in fear of 
 what he might say next, and she hastened to " put 
 her foot down for good and all " on any such 
 idea. 
 
 " Then that settles it ! You can set their minds 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 209 
 
 at rest. Tell them that if you were the last man 
 left on earth I would n t marry you ! " Then, 
 ashamed of her rudeness, she added, with a slight 
 smile, " Nor you me if I were the last woman." 
 
 " Jesso, jesso, " said he ; and as she noted his 
 crestfallen aspect she was glad she had been so 
 decided ; although the fact was that his look did 
 not mean blasted hope, but only the mortification 
 the natural man must feel at being spurned by a 
 fair feminine foot, even though he had no thought 
 of kneeling thereat. A gay laugh would have 
 been his proper rejoinder, but he was too simple, 
 where women were concerned, to hide anything. 
 
 " I only went fer t say th t ef th wust come 
 tew th wust, we bed th remedy in aour own 
 hands." 
 
 "Well, we haven t. The remedy would be 
 worse than the disease." 
 
 " Wai, then thar we be ! Naow things bein 
 as the be, th best way t stop idle tongues a-wag- 
 gin is t go on s though no sech a thing ever got 
 inter aour heads. Ain t it ? " 
 
 She stood a while in her old attitude, and he 
 could observe her oval nails tapping her teeth, 
 all gleaming in the sunshine. (They were pretty 
 nails, save the one on the thumb, marred by the 
 "nibbing" of numberless quill pens.) The longer 
 she waited the more eager Zury grew for her 
 consent. 
 
 " Come right along. Ef the strike at yew, 
 the strike at me, tew. We 11 be in th same 
 box, yew V me. I m a man o my word, V I 
 tell ye I 11 stan by ye ! " 
 
210 ZURY. 
 
 Still she hesitated, while he, unaccustomed to 
 sue in vain, was almost driven beyond his patience 
 by her charms and her coyness. He even ven 
 tured to come nearer, while she edged gently 
 away. She was not at all disposed to marry him, 
 or any man ; nevertheless, the suggestion was 
 pleasant, and tended toward healing wounded 
 pride and vanity. " Am I afraid of him ? " she 
 asked herself. " No, indeed ! Shall I stay at 
 home like a born coward ? If I do I shall despise 
 myself forever after." Then she said aloud : 
 
 " I 11 go ! " 
 
 Zury rode off homeward in great good humor 
 with himself and the world. He just realized 
 how much he had been unconsciously missing the 
 brilliant Anne during the past weeks. 
 
 " Laws, haow I wish she owned the Peddicomb 
 Place ! Gee Rusalem ! I would n t care ef she 
 never milked a caow in her life. Jule kin dew th 
 milkin ." And his mind dwelt on her strange 
 ways and her flattering concession in yielding to 
 his persuasion. "But then that thar question 
 she faound it so hard t answer ! Marr d er sin 
 gle. Marr d er single." And he rode on with 
 darkened brow. In fact, he rode on past his own 
 place, clear over to the Peddicomb farm, and 
 feasted his eyes on the handsome property. He 
 did not see Flora Peddicomb, which was fortu 
 nate for Flora. 
 
 Before the picnic day arrived the Wayback 
 world heard, without surprise or alarm, that Zury 
 Prouder wanted a team to take him across the 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 211 
 
 river on the very afternoon set for that festivity 
 and a man to fetch it back in case he should con 
 clude to stay longer ; also, that John McVey was 
 to be the man, and that Miss Sparrow was to ac 
 company John to the picnic. 
 
 " Ye see, a feller s be n a-off rin me t pay my 
 carr ge-hire ef I d come over V look at s m pars- 
 ter he s got t lease V s m medder t cut er t sell 
 in th field, V I kin go a Saturday er never." 
 
 Now behold the trio in the carryall being fer 
 ried over the river McVey paying the ferriage 
 early on the eventful Saturday afternoon. Anne 
 was in her dotted muslin and all, and her eyes 
 and cheeks were beaming. She thought of the 
 coming triumph, and in her thorough content 
 ment kindly resolved that she would be most con 
 siderate to her crushed rivals, and not keep their 
 lovers from them longer than a very little while. 
 Then she took her slippers from her pocket and 
 crossed the strings over the back of her fair, 
 freckly hand to show Zury how they went. He 
 opined " sech things is vanity an a poor prepara 
 tion fer the Lord s day tomorry " but he kept 
 looking all the same. 
 
 Zury left his young friends near the picnic, and 
 drove on to see the leasable pasture and salable 
 meadow. 
 
 The picnic was held in a pretty grove, cleared 
 of underbrush, the platform for speakers and the 
 seats for hearers being in a leafy bower, built of 
 boughs and saplings suspended and strung from 
 tree to tree. All was gay and pretty, and Anne 
 
212 ZURY. 
 
 prepared herself for happiness and a little inno 
 cent triumph. 
 
 But, alas ! She was a swan among goslings. 
 She never put on her little low shoes at all, nor 
 her silver crescent. The other girls were not 
 Spring County girls from her side the river, but 
 all strangers to her. McVey knew nobody to in 
 troduce to her, even if he had had the pluck to do 
 it. Most of the women were in silks or solid 
 stuffs, red, green, and blue, and ugly, so that 
 her cherished dotted muslin looked well ri 
 diculous. She was the amusement of the whole 
 rude crowd. They would pass by where she and 
 McVey sat silent and abashed, and, before they 
 had got fairly away, burst out laughing. " The 
 freckles could n t find no more room on her face V 
 han s V so the broke out on her frock ! " This 
 went on until, taking the cue from each other, the 
 friends formed a regular procession of couples 
 past where our unhappy pair were seated ; then 
 when in desperation Anne seized John s arm and 
 joined in the walk they all sat down and left the 
 " show " to walk alone ! 
 
 Oh the agony of anger, mortification, disap 
 pointment compressed into that one afternoon ! 
 As a confessed felon in a prisoner s dock before a 
 gaping world, she could not have suffered more. 
 
 " John, do you want to marry me ? " 
 
 " I do, Miss Sparrow ; same as ever ! " 
 
 "Well, you shall!" 
 
 When Prouder the powerful came upon the 
 scene it was like a flash of light to her. Every- 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 213 
 
 body knew him, and either liked or feared him 
 usually both. He saw at a glance what had 
 taken place, and neglecting everybody else made 
 straight for her with an air of delighted surprise, 
 and she hailed him as a deliverer from torment. 
 
 "Wai, Miss Sparrer! Yew here? Wai, I 
 wanter know ! " 
 
 " What there is left of me, Mr. Prouder." 
 
 Then he sought out the managing committee 
 and leading men of the occasion. 
 
 " Wai ! T other side o th river s a-gittin 
 clean overslaughed by this side! Here, brother 
 Fordham, brother Lowe, ye must a managed yer 
 frolic pootty well t dror in sech high-up com- 
 p ny ! Llaow a Spring Caounty citizen t present 
 tew a Posey Caounty C mitty Miss Sparrer, from 
 Bosting, in th State o Massychusetts, at present 
 a-stayin temperary in Illinois. But remember he 
 don t present her fer keeps. Spring Caounty 
 claims her. She s only a loan t Posey. She 
 hain t be n a denizen o Spring long enough fer 
 me t call her Sister Sparrer yit, but mebbe we 11 
 be praoud t call her so some day, when some 
 Spring Caounty man calls her by his name before 
 Squire Braown h yer ! 
 
 " H yer, brother Stokes, Miss Sparrer, from 
 Bosting, in th State o Massychusetts : brother 
 Stokes, the Presidin Elder o the Feet-washing 
 Baptis d nom nation. Brother Stokes, yew make 
 Miss Sparrer acquainted raound a leetle whilst we 
 seek a snack of that nourishment fer th body, 
 thaout which th soul don t nourish wuth a cent." 
 
214 ZURY. 
 
 The tide was turned, and Anne was anything 
 but neglected for the rest of the day. Her face, 
 her voice, her good English, and her Boston pro 
 nunciation of it, seemed to make an impression 
 wherever she went. Still, it was the act of a 
 friend, forcing her into a kind of success entirely 
 among people much older than herself. It was 
 not a personal conquest with her own bow and 
 spear. It still remained a problem whether she 
 was or was not a woman to be sought for and 
 longed for like other girls. 
 
 She had one little bit of honey-sweet revenge. 
 She saw speaking to Elder Stokes s wife one of 
 the youths who had joined in the conspiracy to 
 torment her. Said she to the Elder (who had 
 remained near her, extremely attentive and con 
 spicuously impressed), 
 
 " How are the manners of young people in 
 Posey County ? " 
 
 "It is regrettable to observe, Miss Sparrow, 
 that the manners of the young in the frontier 
 caounties are not what they are in older settled 
 c munities further east. When I was to Bozry 
 Theological College, deportment was tort abaout 
 as strict as any other one branch. Consequently 
 I am the more competent of judging." 
 
 " That young man, speaking to Mrs. Stokes, for 
 instance ; what educational institution has had 
 the care of him ? " 
 
 "That, mom, is my son Joab, and as yet he is 
 without the benefit of collegiate education. Joab, 
 my son ! Step here a momint. I want to make 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 215 
 
 you acquainted with Miss Sparrer, from Bosting, 
 in the State of Massychusetts. One of the centres 
 of Learning and the Arts of our country. I may 
 say the centre." 
 
 Anne in the mean time looked very gravely and 
 sweetly at the blushing Joab, who advanced hold 
 ing out his fat, red hand. Then she turned to 
 Mr. Stokes without accepting or returning Joab s 
 salutation, and said, " Thank you. I did not 
 wish to be introduced ; " and walking the aston 
 ished Elder in the opposite direction, she added, 
 " What a pity it is that all young men cannot 
 go to Bozra College ! " Then she gayly changed 
 the subject to something quite different. McVey 
 told her afterward that Joab never got over it 
 as long as he lived, though he was never tired 
 of protesting, " I warn t no wuss ner any o the 
 rest ! " 
 
 As for Anne, she almost loved Prouder for his 
 strength and kindness. 
 
 When it was getting dusk and time to go home 
 Anne and McVey found Prouder, as usual, the 
 centre of a circle of interested men. He was dis 
 coursing freely, and at the same time carving his 
 initials and the date on an iron-wood stick which 
 he had cut from the underbrush near by, and laid 
 on his lap, protected by his well-known bandanna 
 handkerchief. His was such an active nature 
 that he always liked to be doing two things at 
 once. Talking did not alone fill his attention. 
 
 "Yes, mom. I m a-goin home same way s 
 yew be, and 11 be glad of good comp ny. Thar ! 
 
216 ZURY. 
 
 That stick 11 be a momentum, s they say, of this 
 h yer picnic ; fer which I, fer one, thank my 
 brethern and sistern of Posey, and shall remem 
 ber em in my prayers to the Throne." 
 
 When they got out on the road it was quite 
 dark. 
 
 "What s that?" 
 
 It was Anne s old foolish fear, that kept her 
 always on the qui vive at night, which now was 
 attracted by a long line of wavering flame on a 
 hillside away inland from their road. 
 
 " Pears like th grass is afire over there. Guess 
 we re all right. Let em aout a leetle, my son." 
 
 McVey hurried on his horses, but still the fire 
 seemed to be heading them off from the ferry, 
 their objective point. Every little while there 
 would be quite a large surge of blaze when the 
 flame caught the longer grass of a marsh, or came 
 across a brush heap or a dead tree- top in its path. 
 
 At length they met a fast -driven team that 
 came near running into theirs in its mad career, 
 making Anne cling to Zury in a sudden terror 
 she could not control. 
 
 " Ye can t git through ! Fences all afire ! We 
 had t drive fer our lives." 
 
 " Haow s th river bank?" 
 
 "Oh, that s all right afoot. Only ye can t 
 drive a waggin that a-way." 
 
 With tins the other team resumed its hurried 
 course to the rear. 
 
 "Sho tew man, but them fellers is good n 
 scare t ! I don t believe a word of it ! Still, s I 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 217 
 
 might be held responsible fer th team, yew tew 
 better drive back V stay over night, r n I 11 push 
 through afoot by th river bank ef I git druv offen 
 th road." 
 
 " How far is it to the ferry ? " 
 
 " Oh, not more n a mild in a bee-line ; but th 
 river makes a bend away from us h yer, n I may 
 have t go right smart of a ways raound." 
 
 " Oh, I cannot go back with Mr. McVey ! Let 
 me walk on with you ! " 
 
 " Wai, ef ye wanter walk I can t pervent ye. 
 Th highway s free tew all. But ef ye take my 
 advice ye 11 go back. Make up yer mind pootty 
 suddent, though, fer I m off." And he jumped 
 from the vehicle. 
 
 " Oh, I cannot go back. I 11 go with you ! " 
 
 So she sprang lightly to his side and prepared 
 for starting. He only paused to give some last 
 directions to McVey, and then joined her. They 
 walked on at too rapid a pace to do much talking, 
 and it was evident that Prouder was getting anx 
 ious as to the outcome. 
 
 At last the blazing fences made the road posi 
 tively impassable, and they left it, still keeping 
 as near it as the diagonal line of fire would per 
 mit. The sparks fell in showers ; poor Anne s 
 light muslin was ruined, and was a source of dan 
 ger beside. The smoke was sweet, pungent, sti 
 fling. Prouder made her take hold of one end 
 of his stick, while he kept hold of the other and 
 piloted the way. Soon he felt her drop the stick, 
 and, looking back, saw her fighting a fire in the 
 
218 ZURY. 
 
 skirt of her dress. He stepped back and smoth 
 ered it. 
 
 " We 11 head straight fer th river V git aout 
 o this, hit er miss." 
 
 So they turned their backs directly to the fire, 
 and soon got into a more tenable place where they 
 could see each other, as the fire s progress was slow, 
 there being no wind ; but the ground was terribly 
 rough, and the underbrush and tree-tops " down " 
 almost impenetrable. They arrived at a little 
 stream, and were forced to travel down its very 
 bed. Anne hesitated at this. 
 
 " Hist up yer petticoats ! Don t mind me ! " 
 
 " Oh dear ! Well, you go right on and don t 
 don t mind me. Just let me look out for my 
 self." Then, managing her skirts as well as she 
 could, she waded and stumbled forward. 
 
 " This h yer branch 11 take us right daown t 
 th coal-mine on th pint." 
 
 44 Then how about the ferry ? " 
 
 " Oh, that s past prayin fer, ontel th fire s 
 reached th river V burnt itself aout so s ye kin 
 pass over th burnt deestrick." 
 
 44 But where will we be when the fire reaches 
 the river ? Oh, dear ! " 
 
 44 We 11 be in th mouth o th coal-mine ef 
 so be Providence concludes t spare us ; n I sh 
 think he could s well s not. Leastways yew 11 
 be in th coal-mine." 
 
 "I ll be in the ? Where you are I ll 
 be!" 
 
 44 Wai, kin ye swim ? I think some o swim- 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 219 
 
 rain th river V raakin fer hum. Folks 11 be 
 scare t, smellin th fire V not seem on us back ; 
 V if I go on over, I kin tell em we re all O. K." 
 
 " No, I can t swim, but I can drown ! And I 
 will, too, before I 11 stay alone in any coal-mine. 
 Oh! oh! oh! oh!" (These were sobs that 
 seemed to wrench her heart out with their tu 
 multuous violence.) 
 
 " Wai, thar ! thar ! thar ! We 11 see ! Doan t 
 ee cry naow, there s a good daughty ! " 
 
 He turned and walked back to where she 
 stood, helpless with sobbing, her dropped skirts 
 swaying in the stream, and made her pick them 
 up again, and then put his strong arm around her 
 and helped and guided her as if she had been 
 a baby, as she in her heart felt that she was. 
 Strange beasts and reptiles seemed to be darting 
 past her, fleeing from the fire. She does not know 
 to this day whether they were real or imaginary. 
 
 " How much trouble I make you," she whispered. 
 
 At last they reached the coal-mine mouth, a 
 level drift in the river bluff. As they felt their 
 way in something rushed past them outward : no 
 doubt about it this time. Anne screamed and 
 clasped Zury around the neck. 
 
 " Fox, I guess" said he, coolly, so as to avoid 
 alarming her. 
 
 " Naow don t ye stir raound much, whilst I go 
 fer a light." 
 
 She scarcely dared to breathe, or to put out her 
 hand for steadiness, while he was gone. " Oh, 
 dear," she thought, "I m going to be fright- 
 
220 ZURY. 
 
 ened ! " and her skin began to erect itself in 
 points, her ears to ring, and her hair to bristle 
 audibly against the straw of her hat. The solid 
 earth was threatening to heave and roll, and nau 
 sea was not far off, when Zury reappeared with a 
 blazing brand he had snatched from the woods- 
 fire. To her surprise she perceived that she was 
 standing erect and firm, instead of waving and 
 tottering as she had supposed. What a vision of 
 life and comfort he appeared to her staring eyes ! 
 
 He took his brand and explored the floor and 
 sides of the drift for prior occupants. Nothing 
 serious came to view : either there was nothing 
 there, or whatever there was fled farther into the 
 tunnel. The little flame shed a flaring, fitful 
 light along the black, jagged walls of coal, some 
 six feet apart, which stretched away into the 
 solid hill, losing themselves in inky darkness, 
 where the light could penetrate no farther. 
 Anne trembled as her eyes strove in vain to fath 
 om the mysterious void, and she turned again to 
 the friendly form near by. 
 
 At one side of the passage there was a broad 
 shelf cut into the solid coal, whereon the mule- 
 drivers were wont to store their hay and grain. 
 (Their rough feeding-stable was by this time 
 blazing outside.) On the shelf there was some 
 hay and a lot of empty bags. 
 
 " Thar ! I swaow tew man ! Ef that ain t th 
 blamedest providentialest thing I ever come 
 acrost ! I in jest a-goin t be able t make ye as 
 comf table as Queen Victorey tew hum tew th 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 221 
 
 Taower o London, in three shakes of a lamb s 
 tail ! Thar ! I 11 spread this hay daown, so ! N 
 stuff some on *t inter a bag fer a piller, so ; n 
 spread my hank cher on it, so ; n then ye 11 lay 
 daown, so ; n I 11 pull off yer wet shoes n 
 stockin s s0, and so ; n wrap yer limbs up in my 
 coat, so ; so s t keep yer wet petticoats offen ye ! 
 Oh, law sakes alive. I ve got t git hum some- 
 haow ! " 
 
 " Sure as you leave me I 11 follow you into 
 that river and drown myself before your eyes ! 
 I d rather drown than go crazy ! You don t 
 know me ! I should be a lunatic in an hour af 
 ter I was left alone in this place ! A raving mad 
 woman for life ! " And she prepared to put into 
 execution her threat of following him to the 
 river. 
 
 " Wai, wal ! We 11 see, we 11 see. I ve got 
 t git s m stuff fer this h yer fire, anyhaow." 
 
 As he went out she divined, with the acuteness 
 of the insane, that he was not coming back. 
 She cast one frightened glance into the black 
 mine, then took the poor little slippers from her 
 pocket, slipped them on, scrambled off her shelf, 
 and followed him, even stepping over the line 
 of fire which he was building to bar ingress to 
 the mine by any beast or creeping thing. She 
 found him at his task, and never let him get a 
 yard away from her in his search for fuel ; fol 
 lowing him as a cat does a mouse, while her wet 
 skirts flapped about her stockingless ankles. 
 
 " Recklect I ve got lots o things t think of 
 n look aout fer." 
 
ZURY. 
 
 " And I am alone in the world quite alone 
 all alone!" 
 
 She felt and knew that he was watching his 
 chance to run off to the river. If he did, she 
 would go, too ! She would never be alone in that 
 black darkness never she would keep close 
 to him until the kind water should close over her 
 head like a coverlet and shut out the sight of it all. 
 In the days that followed she often wished that 
 such had been the outcome. 
 
 Perhaps when he saw her drowning he would 
 turn back, and she could clasp him so tightly 
 that she would not drown alone ! Sh6 remem 
 bered how he had been her strong and constant 
 friend and protector at every difficult step of her 
 life here. Why had she repelled his suggestion 
 of marriage ? He, so cheerful, so fearless, so 
 powerful in mind, body, estate, and position 
 why should he not be her husband her sword 
 and shield forever ? What was that other kind 
 of marriage Squire Brown told her of ? Common 
 law? 
 
 In her piteous plight she was suddenly seized 
 with the boldness, the cunning, and the reckless 
 ness of desperation. " Mr. Prouder," she began, 
 with a forced and sickly laugh, " if our mock- 
 wedding had been a real one, you would n t offer 
 to leave me here to die now would you?" 
 Her wide-eyed, pretended smile, that was more 
 like a grimace of terror, would have melted a 
 harder heart than Zury s, but he was looking 
 carefully away. 
 
ANNE S MONOTONY AT AN END. 223 
 
 "Ye don t llaow t let me go along hum, V 
 come back fer ye bright V early in th morn- 
 in ?" 
 
 " I WILL NOT." 
 
 She was Anne Sparrow, and dark night was 
 all around above, and below, at right and left, 
 before and behind her Zury was the only object 
 whereon her eyes could rest without a shudder. 
 Insanity gibed and gibbered at her from all else. 
 She took hold of his coat with both her hands, 
 bowed her head upon them, and again sobbed 
 aloud. 
 
 He took her in his arms and carried her over 
 the fire to her rude couch, and did not try again 
 to leave her. One of her slippers dropped from 
 the white foot, now stained and splashed, and 
 long afterward the mule-drivers cherished the 
 misshapen little foot-covering that fitted so many 
 strange prints in the soil near by. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 
 
 IN the first gray dawn Anne saw Prouder s 
 figure outlined against the light of day at the 
 mine-mouth. He put on his coat (which he had 
 again wrapped about her poor feet and ankles), 
 and threw fresh fuel on the fire, by which he pro 
 ceeded to poll out and restore to usefulness her 
 dried and stiffened shoes and stockings. She sat 
 up in her low niche, vainly trying to reduce her 
 clothes to some kind of order. Day had dawned, 
 and she no longer cared what became of him 
 or of herself. 
 
 There he was, in all his undisguised vulgarity. 
 Coarse and shabby, base and ignorant, egotistical 
 and boorish, glorying in qualities he ought to be 
 ashamed of ; possessed by sordid greed, and 
 ammonia! 
 
 He brought her her shoes and stockings and 
 silently gave them to her to put on. 
 
 " Miss Sparrer," he began, awkwardly ; " it 
 must be past four o clock I guess I 11 swim th 
 river naow V make fer hum." 
 
 He paused to see if she had any objection. 
 She made none, so he continued, 
 
 " Th woods-fire s burnt itself plum aout, so s 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 225 
 
 ye kin git t th road at th ferry er wherever ye 
 like V McVey he 11 pick ye up as he comes 
 by. Course ye 11 tell him I swum th river." 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " N ye hain t no call t tell him jest when I 
 swum it." 
 
 " No." 
 
 Then he walked a little way down the bank, 
 turned, and came back and picked up his carved 
 iron-wood stick. 
 
 " Bid ye good-day, Miss Sparrer." 
 
 He walked rapidly toward the river, and, find 
 ing a hollow log, thrust the cane into it out of 
 sight, and walked on without it. He reached the 
 river and began to cross, wading most of the way 
 over before he came to the channel, where it was 
 too deep to reach bottom. She remembered with 
 languid wonder that he had not even shaken 
 hands with her at parting. Then she saw him 
 begin to swim, and could see only his head as he 
 drifted down-stream. She asked herself if she 
 should care if it disappeared under the surface, 
 and felt doubtful of the answer. She even remem 
 bered to wonder if the saving of the ferriage was 
 not an equivalent to him for the discomfort of his 
 cold swim, and concluded that it probably was. 
 The head did not disappear ; she saw him emerge 
 on the opposite shore, take off his coat, wring out 
 the water, and put it on, then turn and wave his 
 hand to her, to which cool greeting she made no 
 response. 
 
 The way back to the wagon-road, over the black 
 
226 ZURY. 
 
 ushes of last night s fire, though it had seemed so 
 long in the smoky darkness, seemed absurdly short 
 now. When she reached the track (the fences 
 being all burned) she could scarcely believe it to 
 be the road she was looking for, and even pushed 
 across it and further away, but was recalled by 
 seeing McVey approach with the team. He 
 evidently hardly knew her. She was not young 
 enough to look well in desliabillS, and now her 
 bedraggled condition, her pale face and swelled 
 eyelids, and her changed expression, all combined 
 to make her look fully ten years older than she 
 looked yesterday. 
 
 Why Miss Sparrow ! The nation ! That 
 can never be you ! Where in the world did you 
 pass the night ? " 
 
 44 In the mouth of the coal-mine." 
 
 44 Heavens and earth ! Is that so ? And where s 
 where s Mr. Prouder ? " 
 
 44 He swam the river and went home." 
 
 44 Just fancy ? And left you all alone? " 
 
 "Yes left me all alone." 
 
 44 If that ain t like him, I ll give up. And 
 your gown is as good as gone up. You do look like 
 the last of pea-time ! " 
 
 He jumped down and helped her in, but it was 
 with a twinkle in his eye that reminded her of 
 the ridicule she had suffered from the picnic 
 fiends of yesterday; and her unspoken thought 
 was, 44 Idiot ! if it rids me of you, I don t care how 
 I look." The little feminine rage did her good. 
 She shrouded herself in the horse-blankets as well 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 227 
 
 as she could, and they crossed the ferry unno 
 ticed. 
 
 u Could you drive back to the school-house with 
 out going through Wayback ? " 
 
 " Sure-ly ! The woods-road s the shortest, if 
 you don t mind being shaken up some." 
 
 She did n t mind, and they soon arrived at the 
 school-house without meeting any one, much to 
 McVey s relief, in the present state of Anne s 
 personal appearance. Not that his inclination for 
 her was crushed, but then he was afraid somebody 
 would laugh at her and him. Thus he lost his 
 one precious chance of being lover-like and chival 
 rous, a chance he might have improved by treat 
 ing her as the dearest girl in the world just when 
 she felt as if she were the very cheapest. 
 
 So as they drew up to the school-house, he ven 
 tured, baldly and stupidly : 
 
 " When shall it be ? " 
 
 44 When shall what be?" 
 
 " Why, our marriage." 
 
 " Never ! " 
 
 " Are n t we engaged ? " 
 
 " No ! Go away ! I never want to see you 
 again or anybody!" And she went in and 
 slammed the door. Soon, however, she opened 
 it again, and seeing him still there, looking almost 
 idiotically downcast, she said : 
 
 "Oh, Mr. McVey" 
 
 He looked up. 
 
 " I thank you for your polite attention ! " She 
 essayed a smile rather a rueful effort. 
 
228 ZURY. 
 
 He brightened up at once. 
 
 44 The pleasure s mutual, Miss Sparrow," and 
 he drove off quite rehabilitated. 
 
 Oh, the relief of home even such a home as 
 that and of Sunday even such a Sunday as 
 that! She took off her dreadfully mussed gar 
 ments ; ran her hands into the silk stockings, 
 noticing the little mended places she had darned 
 so long ago was it possible that it was only 
 yesterday ? and after removing some of the traces 
 of disaster, she walked over to the kind Ansteys 
 for a cup of hot tea and some of the boiled eggs 
 which were now known to be her great staple of 
 food. The Ansteys had both seen and smelt the 
 smoke of the woods-fire, and Anstey had gone 
 betimes to the tavern for news. 
 
 " I faound Zury Praouder in th office t the tah- 
 vern ; he d clum in through th winder arter all 
 the folks hed gone t bed, V slep all night in a 
 cheer. He told me all abaout the fire, V him a 
 leavin yew in the maouth o the drift ; V I sez t 
 him, sez I, 4 Zury, ye d oughter stayed with her if 
 it cost yer a leg ; she s so dog-goned skeery in th 
 dark ; V s s he, Wai, she llaowed she wuz willin 
 fer t hev me, go n so I come. ! 
 
 " Yes ; I told him to come away." 
 
 " Wai, haow d ye git along all night ? " 
 
 " Oh ! Dreadfully ! " and she shuddered from 
 head to foot. 
 
 " Ah, yah ! Wha d I tell ye ? Ye warn t so 
 strong s ye thort ye wuz ! " 
 
 " No I was horribly weak ! What else did 
 he tell you ? " 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 229 
 
 " Wai, that s the heft on it. He got some 
 breakfast, V lit aout fer hum. Said McVey d 
 fetch ye over all right this mornin . N here ye 
 be! All s well t ends well! But he d orter a 
 stud by yer." 
 
 "Yes, he should have stood by me and he 
 would if I had insisted on it, I suppose." 
 
 " Don t ye wish ye hed ? " 
 
 " Oh, I m too tired an sick to care much 
 about anything, except to go to bed and sleep 
 forever ! " 
 
 " Sick, be ye ? Wai, naow, thar s that thar fits 
 med cine never ben used yit " 
 
 "No, thank you, Mrs. Anstey, I haven t got fits 
 yet. I ll just go home and get to bed. Good 
 bye!" And she departed. 
 
 She threw herself on her bed and hid her face 
 in her pillow. How long she cried she knew not, 
 but blessed sleep came at last. " Oh, if sleep 
 could only last forever ! " was her first waking 
 thought. 
 
 Late in the afternoon she was aroused by a 
 knock at her door. She asked who was there, and 
 recognized Prouder s voice in reply. She told him 
 to wait a moment : then first smoothed her hair 
 at her little mirror, and afterward took down the 
 school-bell rope from the nail where it usually 
 hung out of reach, and drew her chair near to it, 
 and at last let Zury come in. 
 
 She saw at once that he was very much dis 
 turbed in spirit. 
 
 " I jest ben acrost the river." 
 
230 ZURY. 
 
 She saw that he had also that he had swum 
 his horse and saved the ferriage. 
 
 " Yes : I llaowed I d jest go over n see haow 
 things wuz. Cur us enough I could n t find my 
 stick I left." 
 
 " Gone ! Could anybody passing have seen 
 it?" 
 
 "No, not possible. Couldn t a-found it thout 
 the d seen me put it thar." 
 
 " And if anybody did see you " 
 
 A long pause followed this suggestion. 
 
 "Yew see me put it thar." 
 
 " Yes, I saw you." 
 
 Zury looked at her keenly, She suddenly per 
 ceived that he was thinking of the possibility of 
 her using that mute witness as an ally to prove a 
 "common law marriage" against his will! The 
 blood rushed to her face and the fire to her eyes. 
 
 u What do you mean ? " She sprang to her feet 
 and glared as if she would have flown at him as 
 she would if her strength had been equal to her 
 anger. He to fear a marriage with her, and to 
 suspect her of plotting to force him into it. 
 
 " Sho, sho ! Thar, naow ! I did n t mean 
 nothV. Did n know but what ye monght a took 
 it t walk with, n thro wed it away soine ers." 
 
 She was slightly appeased, but still flushed and 
 panting. Then she sat down again, and said, 
 slowly, almost inaudibly : 
 
 " Well but, Mr. Prouder suppose anybody did 
 see you put it there perhaps " 
 
 " Jesso, jesso. If the did ! " 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED, 231 
 
 Another anxious silence followed this sugges 
 tion ; she torn with conflicting emotions. 
 
 " Wha"d ye llaow t dew?" 
 
 " Nothing." 
 
 44 NothV no time ? " 
 
 " No ; go back East, perhaps." 
 
 " Wai, naow ! " A great sigh of relief accom 
 panied this explanation, which showed the dis 
 gusted girl that he hoped to escape his share of 
 the responsibility. 
 
 " Of course I have your promise to help me all 
 through." 
 
 " Oh of course, of course ! " And he rubbed 
 his eyes and frowning brow in perplexed discom 
 fort. " Ye know scule s aout nex month." 
 
 " Yes, I know. Perhaps you may as well pay 
 me what money you owe me." 
 
 " Money ! " A gasp. 
 
 " Yes, the money I lent you, with the interest." 
 
 " Oh ! Tew be sure ! Might s well settle it 
 up right naow, if it wa n t Sunday." 
 
 " I guess its being Sunday won t hurt." 
 
 "Wai ef ye d come a leetle furder from the 
 winder in case anybody sh d see." 
 
 " Oh, I 11 stay here. You can go to the desk, 
 if you like. I can do the interest in my head." 
 
 "No! Sho! Kin ye, though?" (This with 
 a smile of returning comfort and admiration.) 
 " Wai, naow, sposin I wuz t pay ye fer this 
 quarter s well s the rest." 
 
 " Very well. " 
 
 " Mebby I 11 not git it in fer six weeks er more. 
 
232 ZURY. 
 
 So that 11 make us abaout squar on the int rest 
 matter, wun t it? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 "Why? Course ef ye dror money afore it s 
 due V I pay it aout afore I git it " 
 
 " Have you any school money on hand ? " 
 
 * Wai I hain t figgered up. I mought have 
 a leetle, n then agin I mought n t. But if I hev, 
 I ve a right t keep it n use it." 
 
 " Well, give me the other, and let this quarter 
 go for the present ; till I get back from the East." 
 
 " Oh, if ye re set on goin East sure enough " 
 (this with a long breath of relief and hope), " I 
 would n t trouble ye t come away back h yer jest 
 t git a little money." 
 
 44 Just as you like." She saw that he was 
 afraid of her still. 
 
 He calculated the interest, and after some discus 
 sion they agreed upon the amount, and he paid her. 
 
 " Naow would ye mind a-givin me a receipt for 
 all debts, dues n demands, claims n accaounts of 
 every name and natur?" 
 
 " Oh, I haven t the slightest objection." 
 
 She went to her desk and wrote a quittance 
 that even he could find no fault with. 
 
 " Naow we re good friends, ain t we ? " 
 
 44 Same as ever." 
 
 " Ye don t think hard o me f er nothin ? " 
 
 44 1 don t blame you for anything ! Not the 
 least little bit in the world! " 
 
 And the tears sprang to her eyes, and began 
 racing down her cheeks like mad before she could 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 233 
 
 even wipe them away. It was for herself that she 
 was heart-broken that she should have nobody 
 to blame. 
 
 The strong man was also quite moved. He 
 tried to dry her tears ; but this recalled her to her 
 self-restraint, and she froze toward him at once. 
 Finding that he had his arm on the back of her 
 chair, and observing indications of aggressive in 
 terest, she rose and grasped the bell-rope. The 
 bell gave a low warning clang at the touch. 
 
 " Wha what ye doin ? " 
 
 " Oh, I sometimes ring this, and Uncle Anstey 
 comes right over." 
 
 " Hum ha ! Wai, ye are as I said before ! 
 Wai ; I mus be a-goin ! Fare ye well, Miss 
 Sparrer, ef so be s I m not t see ye agin ; an it s 
 likely I wun t. I wish ye well ! " 
 
 And so without a hand-shake they parted, she 
 wishing she were dead. 
 
 Zury grew very downcast on his way home. 
 
 " Sakes alive ! What could n t she dew if she 
 had a mind ter ? Kin it be th t she s a reg lar 
 schemer? That s th idee I hed a-comin over 
 th t she d ben a-layin fer me all this time 
 mock^marr ge n all n we all fooled by her 
 fr m the word go. But she ain t I know that 
 if I know anythin . I d bet my life on her, even 
 arter all s said n done ! She s honest, square, 
 open, n above-board, so fur as her present inten 
 tions goes but then ! S posen she sh d change 
 her mind ! " 
 
 He fairly groaned and perspired as he thought 
 
234 ZURY. 
 
 of the possibilities. He felt as if the Peddicomb 
 farm belonged to him already, and some one was 
 trying to rob him of it ! To be sure, she proposed 
 to go away soon, and to hold her tongue mean 
 while. But suppose she did not do so! He had 
 lied as to the time when he crossed the river 
 appearances were all against him. 
 
 " Jes gimme a week, V I 11 fix that marr ge 
 question fer keeps ! I 11 marry Flory aout o 
 hand ! But mebbe she wun t gimme no week ! 
 Ner no twenty-four hours, nuther ! T would n t 
 take but an afferdavy t fix me fer life ! Mebbe 
 she s half way up t the squire s a ready ! Oh 
 Lordy, Lordy ! Why did n t I offer her money 
 a hundred dollars, er say fifty ! " 
 
 He even went so far as to turn his horse back 
 toward the school-house, but before he had gone 
 ten steps he bethought himself of the reason why 
 he had not offered her money : it was because she 
 was Anne Sparrow, and because of her look and 
 voice when she said, " What do you mean ? " Away 
 from her he had forgotten these things, but now 
 he once more saw her as in his secret heart he felt 
 that she was a woman above sordid schemes. 
 
 " Mebbe I kin help her along East thaout its 
 costin me nothin . Lessee, lessee haow kin 
 that be worked ? " And his mind ran off on this 
 less disquieting train of thought. 
 
 Next day John McVey came to see Anne. 
 (Tuesday was his regular day.) He observed her 
 melancholy with much sorrow and sympathy, and 
 did all he could to increase it. His was too 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 235 
 
 weak a nature to lead hers, just weak enough to 
 follow it like a spaniel. Instead of attacking the 
 enemy in blue, as Zury would have done, he at 
 once took sides with sadness, that being the 
 stronger of the combatants ; and in his visits dur 
 ing the trying days now ensuing he was such a 
 monument of woe that Anne felt almost gay by 
 comparison. She might have laughed at him if 
 she could have laughed at anything. John did 
 not again broach the subject of marriage. Still, 
 his silent constancy was far from being a discom 
 fort to the poor, feeble girl, whose weakness and 
 wretchedness only increased as the slow days 
 wore on. On Thursday Anne learned that Zury 
 and Flora Peddicomb were married. Zury had 
 effected his second nuptials in the same business 
 like fashion which had marked his first. Her 
 heart sank still lower in her breast as she lis 
 tened to the news. 
 
 By Sunday, Anne knew that she was again in 
 the hands of the Philistines. Somebody had seen 
 Zury leave the mine, had stolen his carved stick, 
 had told the story. Fully half the women in the 
 little congregation had no words and no eyes for 
 her ; while some, the Ansteys and a few others, 
 tried to make up by marked cordiality for the in 
 sulting distance of the rest. Vain effort! Put a 
 sensitive woman in a community with even one 
 hearty enemy, and the world is spoiled for her. 
 It s an omelet with one doubtful egg ! 
 
 Fast and furious through all this week raged 
 the factional warfare about the half-conscious, half- 
 
236 ZURY. 
 
 ignorant school-teacher. Her friends urged that 
 nothing was proven against her ; her enemies truly 
 said that nothing was proven in her favor. That 
 this latter charge was fatal, in a majority of minds, 
 is emblematic of the state of feeling in such com 
 munities. 
 
 " Let alone this last job ; what d we know 
 abaout her afore she come h yer? Wha"d she 
 come fer ? Who s she told whar she wuz V what 
 she wuz abaout afore she started ? Sh hain t told 
 me hez she told yew? If not, who in thunder 
 hez she said a word tew ? " 
 
 To this damning assault of raging, unsatisfied 
 curiosity, Zury on one occasion stoutly urged : 
 
 " Dunno s she d any cause t talk t me, ner 
 yew, ner any on us, abaout her own affairs. She s 
 arn t her pay honest, if ever a gal did ; V sh ain t 
 m lested nobody." 
 
 No answer was then and there given to this 
 plea, but glances were exchanged which said 
 plainly, though mutely, what was spoken out in 
 words as soon as the redoubtable Zury was ab 
 sent: "Least said by Zury Prouder jist naow, 
 th better!" 
 
 " Ya-as ! " " Yew bet." " Ye better b lieve 
 that s so ! " came from grinning and nodding 
 enemies. " N besides," added another, " mebbe 
 she s a Universalist ! " 
 
 " True fer yew, Gabe ! Sh hain t made no per- 
 fesh n s nobody knows on. Did n t fetch no dis 
 missal papers fVm no constituted minister o th 
 gospil, that she s ever hed the civility t xhibit 
 in this neck o woods ! 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 237 
 
 This capped the climax. This cast a pall of 
 " odium theologicum " over both Anne and Zury, 
 enfolding them together, and therefore adding a 
 double, triple zest to the joy of striking at both. 
 
 " What business s she in aour scule-haouse 
 outer school hours I wonder ! Who s let it t hei 
 fer a lodgin ; V who gits th rent ; n haow dooz 
 he c lect it?" 
 
 " Jesso, jesso, Gabe ! I llaow aour money paid 
 fer thet scule-haouse, n I llaow th ain t no one 
 man s ben auth rized t rent it aout not as 
 nobody knows on s far s heerd fr m, up t last 
 accaounts." 
 
 " Action o forcible entry n detainer d lie, I 
 reckon," suggested another man, who had himself 
 been ousted by Zury from a rented farm, under 
 the summary provisions of "the statute in that 
 case made and provided." 
 
 " No casion fer no action, I reck n. Leastways 
 no action at law." 
 
 " I fer one d vote fer jest a rippin aout all them 
 boards not techin no property o hern nuther ! " 
 
 The shrewd Zury, though he never knew any 
 thing but vague rumors concerning this confab, 
 saw plainly that his personal interests were almost 
 identical with Anne s in the whole matter, and he 
 had no difficulty in influencing his bride in the 
 same direction. She had all a bride s confidence 
 in her new husband. Probably she did not think 
 deeply enough to see that her own married hap 
 piness depended on Anne s good name ; all she 
 thought or cared was that Zury said it was all 
 
238 ZURY. 
 
 right, and that Anne had always been good to her, 
 and was now helpless and forlorn. 
 
 One afternoon Anne was startled at seeing 
 Flora at her door, on foot and alone. She opened 
 it and stood silent. 
 
 " Haowdy, haowdy, Miss Sparrer ! " 
 
 " Good afternoon, Mrs. Prouder. Will you 
 will you come in ? " 
 
 " Wai, yes, I guess I 11 stop a bit. Zury he s 
 druv on t Wayback on s m business, n llaows 
 t call fer me a-goin hum." 
 
 So she stepped in and sat down. A large, stout, 
 "humbly" creature : the flat figure of a man, the 
 face of an overgrown child, and the heart of a 
 woman a newly married woman, just called into 
 unhoped-for happiness. 
 
 " Be ye peart ? Ye don t look it. Look like 
 ye hed a fit o sickness sence I sor ye." 
 
 " No, I am far from well." 
 
 " What s ailin ye ? Ye dew look good n 
 sick ! " 
 
 " Oh, I don t know at all ! I can neither eat nor 
 sleep ; and I m tired day and night." The blood, 
 which had all left her face at the first sight of her 
 visitor, now came back in a flood. 
 
 " Dew tell ! I wanter know ! " said the other, 
 in a sympathetic voice. " Hain t ye tuk no physic 
 fer it ? The s a good doctor t Wayback naow, I 
 ve hearn tell." 
 
 " Oh, no. I never have a doctor, nor take 
 medicine, you know." 
 
 " Jesso, jesso ! It s a wonder ye ve got along 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 239 
 
 s well s ye hev ! I hope ye hev n t let these yer 
 foolish talkers hev no ffect on yer ! " 
 
 The poor sufferer could stand it no longer ; the 
 interview was so different from what she had 
 feared, the relief was so timely and so grateful, 
 that she burst into tears once more, and sobbed as 
 if her heart would break. The good-hearted Flora 
 brought her chair up close, and against Anne s 
 shuddering protests put her stout arms about her 
 and drew her head down on her shoulder ; patting 
 and comforting her like a baby. 
 
 But few words passed between them, and those 
 of little consequence. When Zury called for his 
 wife, the women parted with mutual expressions 
 of good-will. 
 
 44 Remember," said Flora, as she climbed awk 
 wardly into the wagon by means of the chair 
 Anne held for her, " ye promised t consult thet 
 thar new doctor, fust chance ye git ! " 
 
 " Oh, yes I ll consult him, to please you, 
 whether I take his physic or not." 
 
 44 Well I bid ye good-day, V God bless V 
 keep ye ! " 
 
 44 Thank you, thank you. Good-bye ! " And 
 they drove off. 
 
 44 Goin t consult the doctor, is she ? " said 
 Zury. 
 
 " Yes, she is ; n it s a God s marcy ef it ain t 
 tew late, tew ! Them ornery tattle-tales lies hez 
 brought her t death s door, n I dunno but whut 
 it s goin t be th last on her, poor thing ! " Then, 
 after a long pause, during which Zury kept an 
 
240 ZURY. 
 
 unwonted silence, " She can t seem t git no gal 
 t stop with her naow tho t ain t a month 
 sense the wuz all a-waitin fer their turn ! Th 
 ornery cowards ! Th ain t let t come no more, 
 so th ain t ! " 
 
 "B ain t they?" 
 
 " No, th ain t ! She s a-stayin t th Ansteys ! " 
 
 " Is, is she ? " 
 
 " Yes. N I jest begged n begged her t come 
 right up t our us, but she wuz stubborner n a 
 muel. She jest would w ." 
 
 " Would n t, would n t she ? What reason d 
 she give ? " 
 
 "None at all. She just put her foot daown t 
 she would n t." 
 
 "Hmm!" 
 
 Anne set her little domicile in order and pre 
 pared to go over to the Ansteys . Being afraid 
 either to leave her purse in the lonely school- 
 house, or to carry it with her through the lonely 
 woods, she had devised a hiding-place for it in a 
 hole, excavated by some kindly woodpecker of a 
 past season, in the tall stump of a dead tree at a 
 little distance from the door ; a nook wherein she 
 would pop it, as she passed, so deftly that even if 
 one had been walking by her side he would hardly 
 have observed that she moved her hand. And 
 there she always found it safe next morning. 
 Having done this, among her other accustomed 
 little ways, she walked on to the Ansteys , cogi 
 tating, with some restful relief, the visit she had 
 had from Flora. 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 241 
 
 At tea she was more talkative than she had 
 been of late, and even managed to " pick a bit," 
 as Anstey expressed it. She detailed Mrs. Proud- 
 er s visit with the warm gratification it deserved, 
 and added the information, which she knew would 
 please Mrs. Anstey, that she had promised to con 
 sult the doctor. 
 
 " Ah, yah ! I sh think it wuz time ! Ef it s 
 in time ! Yew jest mark my words : ef he 11 give 
 ye a sleepin paowder V a eatin paowder good 
 strong ones, no odds what the cost ye 11 sleep 
 fer tew days, n eat all the is aout, fust chance 
 ye git ! See ef ye don t. N don t ye ferget t 
 mention th fits med cine, tew. Mebbe he 11 tell 
 ye t take that tew. It s good med cine, I don t 
 misdoubt. Mus be ! Th dose ain t but three 
 drops ! " 
 
 Anne promised. Then she confessed to a sleep 
 iness that had been, alas, unusual of late in her 
 experience, and got to bed and to sleep " as early 
 as other folks." 
 
 A little later, when the old man was himself 
 ready to retire, he was startled by a bright light 
 over toward the school-house, that cast a red glow 
 on that part of the sky. 
 
 " Heavens n arth ! Be they a-doin on it? 
 Kin the be sech ornery heathens in this c munity ? 
 The be sure s yer born ! " 
 
 " Wai, what next ? Shall I call her ? No ! Do 
 no good. It s tew late t dew anythin . Oh 
 Lord ! Lord ! Hev mercy on us all on all but 
 them s hez done this thing let them feel thy 
 
242 ZURY. 
 
 wrath n thy burnin s they will in thy good 
 time! Amen!" 
 
 Meantime he was hurrying down the road in 
 the dim hope of snatching some shred or patch 
 of poor Anne s belongings from the hungry 
 flames. But before he had gone far he saw ad 
 vancing a straggling band of masked men on horse 
 back, who at the same time perceived him and drew 
 hastily together for consultation. Then one of 
 them called out in a voice obviously disguised : 
 
 " Halt there ! O man Anstey, ye jest git fer 
 home, quick s God 11 let ye. Ye can t dew no 
 good, n ye 11 come t harm ef ye stir a step fur- 
 der." 
 
 " I don t halt fer no murderin , burnin thieves; 
 not s long s I m on my way t save the prop ty 
 of a poor, friendless gal ! Yew kin jest add mur 
 der tew yer arson, soon s ye like." 
 
 " We don t want t harm ye, ef ye be th friend 
 o that thar scarlet woman o Babylon " 
 
 " Ye re a liar, Gabe Funk, n I know yer, n 
 I kin prove it on yer ! Ye ornery whelp ! Burn 
 the taown scule-haouse, would ye, ye ornery blag- 
 gard!" 
 
 The first speaker was now cowed and silent, 
 and even turned and galloped off in the contrary 
 direction, amid the jeering laughter of his com 
 panions. But another spoke in his stead : 
 
 44 We hain t burnt no scule-haouse, ner no 
 prop rty b longin t th gal. We jest smashed 
 aout s m boards th t didn t never hev no business 
 in the scule-haouse ; n we fixed em so th could 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 243 
 
 n t be put back nuther, thaout ye kin build a 
 p tition aouter ashes. N it s all done, V th 
 fire s aout, near abaout ; s ye kin see fer yerself, 
 ef ye only use yer old eyes ! " 
 
 44 Wai ef it s all over, wha d ye want ter 
 keep me away fr m it fer ? The cuss as shets 
 o man Anstey offen the public highway, a road 
 as he s put in his road-tax on same s the rest 
 why, he s got ter kill him fust, that s all ! " And 
 he resumed his walk as though they were not 
 there. They silently divided their rank and let 
 him pass. 
 
 At the school-house Anstey found things as the 
 rioters had said. They had carried the lumber to 
 a safe distance from the house before burning it, 
 and had even taken some care to shut and barri 
 cade the door to defend Anne s belongings all 
 safe inside, so far as the old man could judge. So 
 he went home to bed. 
 
 Next morning he broke the news to the family, 
 but waited till after breakfast to say anything 
 about it to Anne. 
 
 " The s ben a misdoin with aour scule-haouse, 
 Miss Sparrer, last night." 
 
 "What do you mean?" 
 
 44 Wai folks thought same s we dew : t ye 
 better stay t ol Anstey s. So th went V 
 busted up the new p tition all t flinders, so the 
 did, n burnt the stuff." 
 
 Anne sat white, rigid, silent. 
 
 44 The did n t tech a hand t noth n o yourn. 
 I see th light, arter ye wuz in bed n asleep, n I 
 
244 ZURY. 
 
 went over, V thar it wuz ; the p tition all carr d 
 aout n burnt, r n yer things all set aside fer ye, 
 n the door closed up agin same s the faound it." 
 
 Well what difference did it make to her? 
 What could it make ? 
 
 But oh ! It did make a difference ! To think 
 that a lot of people hated her and her ways, and 
 despised her well-meant efforts to be good to them 
 and make them like and respect her ! After all, 
 it did not add much to her knowledge of how 
 some of the community felt toward her. 
 
 "I see d em th ornery whelps! n the 
 wuz n t but six on em all told seven includin 
 one pup th t run away s quick s I tol him I 
 knowed him." 
 
 " Naow, Miss Sparrer," said Mrs. Anstey, " ye 
 mus n t go fer t llaow we m all heathens h yer 
 abaouts. T ain t so ; n I would n wonder if 
 these h yer ornery limbs o Satan wuz t find aout 
 the diff runce afore th week s aout." 
 
 " Doan t ye be a mite set back," added the old 
 man. " Ef ye take my dvice, ye 11 go right over 
 t the scule-haouse, n act so s nobody would n t 
 never guess the d ever ben a p tition thar. Keep 
 shady n see what turns up." 
 
 "Well, I will try," said the poor girl, and 
 started over toward her wrecked kingdom and des 
 ecrated throne. 
 
 On approaching the spot she observed a few 
 neighbors, brought over by sympathy or curios 
 ity. The former class remained, while the latter 
 silently withdrew as she approached. 
 
ANNE COMPROMISED AND PERSECUTED. 245 
 
 Her heart swelled and rose to her throat, but 
 she kept her eyes fixed on the ground until she 
 came near the door, then cast one glance around 
 and fell forward on the ground, insensible. 
 
 All hurried up, and lifted her to the doorstep, 
 where in a minute she revived and opened her 
 eyes piteously wandering at first, then gradu 
 ally focusing themselves on the faces about her. 
 She leaned forward as soon as she was able, and 
 separated the by-standers so she could look at the 
 heap of ashes and embers ; then sank back, cov 
 ered her eyes with her hands, and whispered 
 faintly : 
 
 44 My money ! It was hidden in that tree ! " 
 
 The marauders had piled their fire around the 
 dead stump, and that had burned with the rest. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 PANDORA S BOX, WITH HOPE AT THE VERY 
 BOTTOM. 
 
 THE first drop of balm came for poor Anne s 
 wounds when there arose a reactionary storm of 
 public indignation against the perpetrators of the 
 school-house outrage. Those zealots of the stake 
 and fagot had confidently expected to be greeted 
 by God-fearing citizens with approval, evidenced 
 by unusual nods and hand-grasps, accompanied 
 with winks and smiles. This is the frontier sub 
 stitute for trial and acquittal of " vigilance com 
 mittees," otherwise jocularly known as "neck 
 tie sociables," where public enemies are by 
 " lynch law " quietly put out of the way " be 
 tween two days." But here, man after man, fam 
 ily after family, made haste to disclaim part or 
 lot in the mean, sneaking deed which had robbed 
 a poor girl of her all. In vain the amazed con 
 spirators said to each other, " We did n never go 
 fer t dew that ! " They were even debarred the 
 pleasure of saying this to anybody except each 
 other, for it would have " give away " the fact 
 that the burning was their doing. 
 
 Already, as Anne wandered about her former 
 home, the signs of a revulsion of popular feeling 
 began to make themselves manifest. She had 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 247 
 
 forgotten that school was to " keep " that day, as 
 usual, until she saw an unaccustomed concourse of 
 scholars about her, such as reminded her of the 
 palmy days before her troubles began. She at 
 first thought that they were impelled by morbid 
 curiosity to look at a rare and exciting scene ; but 
 she soon observed indications of other and better 
 motives. Some of the mothers arrived with their 
 daughters, and one brought a basket of provisions, 
 with the simple explanation that she believed it 
 was her daughter s turn to stay the week ; ignor 
 ing the fact that it had been her turn some weeks 
 ago, and she had been one of the bitterest critics. 
 But Anne was too much disturbed to care for an 
 apology, and also not a little solaced by the con 
 cession, ungracious and imperfect as it was. 
 
 " Well," she said, " you see how things are. 
 The partition is gone " 
 
 " Hain t ye got no spare beddin t hang up jes 
 raoun yer tew beds, set clust t gether ? " She 
 had seen this expedient for privacy so often tried 
 that it seemed to her the simplest thing in the 
 world.^ 
 
 " Why, yes if I had any lines to hang up 
 some quilts." 
 
 " Oh, grape-vines is better n lines, n matter 
 haow many ye hed! Oh, brother Anstey ! Hi, 
 yew, boy ! Go tell Mr. Anstey t come h yer a 
 minute." 
 
 So Anstey was called away from his bootless 
 (and shoeless) quest among the embers for the 
 ashes of Anne s little store of bank-notes ; and 
 
248 ZURY. 
 
 between them arrangements were soon made 
 for stretching the necessary grape-vines across 
 where the partition had been. Anne and her 
 friends were to occupy the place again in spite of 
 of the black scheme to drive her from it. 
 
 Oh, if she could feel a little of her old strength 
 and courage ! Every mole-hill was now a moun 
 tain to her, every cobweb a thrall. As soon as 
 school was dismissed she really surrendered all 
 her old principles of skepticism and started for 
 the village to see the doctor; accepting a "lift" 
 from the first wagon that came along. 
 
 To her suprise Anne found the new physician 
 to be a person of education, principle, and dignity: 
 one of the class of men who have now so largely 
 taken the place of the old style quacks, pretenders, 
 self-promoted farriers, and such trash who had the 
 fields and the grave-yards to a large extent under 
 their grimy thumbs in the " early days." 
 
 He knew her by reputation, and knew the 
 cruel loss she had sustained only the night before, 
 so he quietly put aside the question of a fee when 
 she raised that matter, and begged her to go on 
 with her case. 
 
 Their conference was long, and, it may be sup 
 posed, painful. When it was over he looked very 
 grave, and she deathly. There is no milder 
 term to do justice to her appearance. 
 
 The same wagon that had brought her to Way- 
 back carried her home again. She had herself 
 set down at the Ansteys, to get a little bit of love 
 without it she thought she should die at once. 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 249 
 
 These were her most faithful friends and adher 
 ents. Eureka had grown to be a quite presentable 
 girl under Anne s effortless influence ; tall, grace 
 ful, large-eyed, and large-hearted. And such de 
 votion ! Her heart s blood was ready for her dear 
 teacher. The old man was devoted too, in his 
 rough way. 
 
 " Tears like that thar temp runce barbecue d 
 be the death on ye, arter all ! No wonder, crazy 
 s yew be in the dark, t be alone in a coal-mine all 
 night, mongst the snakes V lizards, an" 1 the world 
 a-burnin up aoutside ! Thut thar ornery Zury 
 Praouder he s got right smart t answer fer. But 
 yew keep a stiff upper lip n yer nose full o wind, 
 V ye 11 weather it yit. See f ye don t ! " 
 
 " Oh, yes ! I 11 get over it some day and 
 somehow." 
 
 Anne told of her having visited the new doctor, 
 and that he had not prescribed for her. 
 
 " Did n give ye no physic ? " almost screamed 
 Mrs. Anstey. " Wai, I don t think no gre t 
 shakes o him ! " 
 
 The old woman s estimation of Anne had always 
 been much interfered with by the latter s unchris 
 tian " viws " on physic. Medical heresy is so very 
 like to blasphemy. And now the new doctor was 
 turning out a heretic, too ! 
 
 " Ye see what yer no-docterin comes tew. Ef 
 ye d a let me docter ye up a bit! Naow the s 
 right smart o that fits med cine left more n 
 tew dozen doses, I reckon. I give some on it, 
 baout a teaspoonfle, t a hawg th t wuz a-ailin , 
 
250 ZURY. 
 
 but I could n t save her. She wuz dead in less 
 n a minute. Mebbe I gin her tew much mebbe 
 not enough. Mos likely it wuz tew late t dew 
 her any good. D orter tried it in time. Naow 
 would n t ye like t jest try it ? Ye can t tell 
 whether er no it ll knock yer complaint till ye 
 jest try it." 
 
 " No, thank you. I should be afraid to try 
 it. Or not exactly afraid " a sigh. " I ve 
 nothing to fear now, except living" Then 
 with a sudden fire : " Yes, you may give it to 
 me. Perhaps I 11 take it. Perhaps it 11 cure all 
 my troubles." 
 
 " Thar naow. It dooz me good t h yer ye talk 
 like a Christian arter all. Thar t is : ye 11 find 
 the d rections on the lay-bill three drops in a 
 spoonfle o water. Ye re right welcome tew it, 
 tew." 
 
 So Anne said good-by all round, kissing often 
 and long the weeping Eureka, and telling her, in 
 the hearing of them all, that if there was any 
 thing left at the school-house when she was gone 
 it was to be Eureka s. No, she could n t say just 
 what day she should go, after school closed, nor 
 when they would see her again. But some day 
 yes, of course in ample time to begin school 
 again in the fall if the directors wanted her. 
 The chorus of indignant protests at this doubt 
 brought only a wan smile to her wasted features. 
 
 " By the way, Mr. Anstey, have you seen Mr. 
 Prouder lately ? " 
 
 " Seen him yest d y ; hain t sor him to-day." 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 251 
 
 " Well, it does n t matter. Good-bye ! Good 
 bye ! " and she dragged her slow steps toward the 
 school-house, only to find that her proposed com 
 panion had got tired of being alone and had gone 
 home. So she was left to herself. She sat down 
 to think over the situation. What should she do ? 
 What could she do ? She held her hideous little 
 vial in her hand, studying the dirty label, thinking 
 thinking. Then she took the remains of her 
 poor dotted muslin and the one slipper, and made 
 of them a funeral pyre, ou which she burned up 
 certain old letters not her mother s and a 
 package wherein she had many newspaper-clip 
 pings ; all the book-notices and other things of 
 hers which had ever met the dubious honor of 
 print. She cried softly as they burned. 
 
 After this and a very few other lingering prep 
 arations for departure, she sat down out-of-doors 
 on a rude seat the boys had made for her by her 
 little flower-bed, and poured the whole contents 
 of the vial into her one tablespoon. 
 
 How grim appear the portals of death unless 
 approached through the long, dim antechamber 
 of hopeless and wasting disease, of vitiating dissi 
 pation, or of kindly, disengaging old age ! Let 
 those answer who have faced it in the prime and 
 flush of manhood. 
 
 She smelled of the dreadful dose incredibly 
 odious ! She touched it with the tip of her tongue ; 
 and that settled at least one question, for such a 
 shudder ran down her back and out through her 
 limbs to the very tips of her fingers and toes, that 
 
252 ZURY. 
 
 the nauseous drug all spilled out of the spoon on 
 the grass. 
 
 Anne rose and " took herself in hand." She 
 looked at the house, at the trees, at the sky, com 
 pressing her thin lips and clenching her slender 
 hands strenuously together. 
 
 " I am no suicide ! I am no murderess ! I am 
 a New England woman ! I owe life to the world* 
 and the world owes life to me. Both debts shall 
 be paid ! " 
 
 She went into the school-house, packed a few 
 things in a satchel, locked the door, and walked 
 all the way to Way back, where McVey had the 
 satisfaction of accommodating her with a room. 
 Seeing that he lingered pensively about the door 
 while she laid aside her bonnet and shawl, she 
 asked him to come in and be seated. 
 
 " Did you wish to see me ? " 
 
 " Well Miss Sparrow, you can guess all I ve 
 got to say. I ve been tellin you the story ever 
 since I met you, and suppose I shall keep on tellin 
 it right along." 
 
 " 1 should think you would have got over that 
 foolish feeling, now that I am such a wreck in 
 every way." 
 
 " Get over it ! Never ! " 
 
 " You do not know all." She hid her tired 
 eyes in her handkerchief, and shed a few more of 
 the hot tears to which they had grown so sadly 
 accustomed. " I may be a widow for all you know. 
 Or a divorced woman or a deceived, betrayed, 
 deserted girl. You know, I am sure, that I could 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 253 
 
 not have been deliberately and intentionally 
 bad. I don t see how any woman of common 
 sense could be that, let alone common principle." 
 
 " I don t ask any questions. I m so downhearted 
 at the idea of you East and me left here " and 
 he actually cried. 
 
 " A sickly, useless invalid would be enough to 
 discourage even a rich man and you are not 
 rich, I suppose." 
 
 " Well, no ; not to be called wealthy at present. 
 The trouble I have found to be the want of cap- 
 itle. If I only had capitle, I should no doubt 
 progress. When I started out, I had a little 
 capitle, from an aunt, but it was n t enough, and 
 when it was gone I could n t get any more ; and 
 there it was, you see ! Since then I ve cast about 
 in vain all for the want of capitle." 
 
 " Nor any income either, I presume? " 
 
 " In point of fact, none to speak of. I find that 
 parties who might be willin to furnish capitle are 
 invariably those who have none of their own, 
 while those who hold capitle to any great extent 
 are without exception un willin to part with it 
 even in cases where it is most needed, indispen 
 sable, I may say like my case for instance." 
 
 " To whom have you applied out here for assist 
 ance?" 
 
 " Well, I did approach Mr. Prouder on the 
 subject of capitle." 
 
 " Did he offer you any large sum ? " 
 
 " I can t say he did. He did n t seem to grasp 
 the subject. In fact I was somewhat disappointed, 
 
254 ZURY. 
 
 for when he first began to reply he put his hand 
 in his pocket ; and said he, Young man, I 11 give 
 you - and then keepin his hand in his pocket 
 he went on, 4 a piece of advice. If you want capitle 
 you slave for it and shave for it and save for it, 
 same as I did. Now this discouraged me a good 
 deal, seein his disinclination to entertain a broad 
 comprehension of my situation." 
 
 " You did not mention anything else ? " 
 
 " Well, no. Seein he did n t seem to grasp the 
 subject, I did n t get round to it ; though when I 
 commenced, my intention was to mention that we 
 were, so to speak, engaged to marry." 
 
 "Well, we are not. I am not well and you 
 are not rich, so that settles it. Now, I would like 
 to see Mr. Prouder whenever he happens to pass 
 this way." 
 
 It was not long before she learned that Zury 
 had been at the tavern and gone away again ; 
 when told that she wanted to see him, he had said 
 that he had not time to stay that day, and did not 
 
 J J " 
 
 know just when he should pass that way again. 
 
 Her courage still rose to the occasion. She 
 wrote Zury a polite note to the effect that she 
 would call at his house, if it would be out of the 
 way for him to come to Wayback ; or could he 
 conveniently be at the school-house on Saturday 
 afternoon ? If she did not find him there she 
 could walk on to the farm as well as not. 
 
 The days passed, Saturday came, and she walked 
 slowly to the school-house. Hearing the door, she 
 found Zury sitting in a quiet place near by. In- 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 255 
 
 stead of feeling stronger at the sight of his strength 
 she felt weaker ; a longing for his aid to her faint 
 ing steps seized upon her with irresistible force. 
 She must have it ! 
 
 " Howdy, Miss Sparrer ? Glad t see yer a 
 lookin so wha what s all this? Where n 
 the nation s the rest on ye gone tew ?" 
 
 She unlocked the door, and dragged herself 
 languidly to her old seat by the bell-rope, motion 
 ing him to a chair near by. He did not sit: he 
 clutched his hands tightly together behind him 
 and gazed at her with flushed face and wide-open 
 eyes. When the silence grew insupportable she 
 said in a piteous tone : 
 
 u I give up ! I ve given up forever ! " 
 
 " Sho, sho, naow ! That wun t never dew ! 
 Never in the world ! " 
 
 " A lonely girl, hated and hunted by people I 
 never harmed ; homeless, penniless, pointed at ; 
 almost ashamed to show my face ; and sick sick 
 sick to death s door ! Which way can I turn ? " 
 
 Zury would have liked to say, " Turn which 
 way ye min ter, fer all me." He had been able 
 to say so in times past, firmly ; and to hold to it, 
 too. But here he was amazed to find that he 
 could not. The words stuck in his throat. He 
 almost wanted, already, to talk the other way ! 
 
 " The next question is, being homeless and 
 penniless, am I friendless, too? " 
 
 "The so man Anstey." 
 
 "A pauper." 
 
 " The s Johnny McVey." 
 
256 ZURY. 
 
 " A helpless fool." A long pause. 
 
 " Then the s Zury Prouder " 
 
 " No pauper and no fool but may be no friend 
 either after all his promises and all that s 
 past!" The last words sadly reproachful. 
 
 Another silence followed, embarrassing to both, 
 but agonizing to Zury. 
 
 " I tell you one thing, and swear it, too if I 
 must die, it will be in a way that will startle this 
 community ! " 
 
 " Die, Miss Sparrer ! " 
 
 "I said so." 
 
 " Oh, Lord ! what kin I dew? Ye know folks 
 is couplin my name an yourn t gether a ready 
 V the 11 dew it more." 
 
 " Yes, we are both talked about, I hear. Now, 
 am I to die in despair, and you to live on as happy 
 and prosperous as ever ? Why don t they burn 
 you out and leave me alone ? Why do they attack 
 the defenseless ? " 
 
 " Way o the world, I s pose. /can t change it." 
 
 " You can t stir hand or foot for justice or 
 mercy?" A minute of silence. "Did you ever 
 promise to stand by me ? Are you a man or a 
 cowardly dog ? " 
 
 Zury repeated the question aloud; not as re 
 torting upon her, but as setting a problem before 
 himself. " Be I a man er a cowardly dog ? Is 
 Zury Praouder a man er a dog?" Another pause. 
 " Miss Sparrer, I Ve oilers j edged myself a man ; 
 naow we ll see we ll see we ll see," and he 
 sat long, staring at her and conning the problem. 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 257 
 
 "Wha d ye llaowt dew?" 
 
 "I don t know." 
 
 " Wha d ye llaow t say ? " 
 
 "The truth. Whether I live or die, the 
 truth." 
 
 " Ye s good s tol me wunst, a-settin in that 
 very cheer, that ye worn t a-goin t say noth n ." 
 
 tfc I never gave my word and if I had I 
 would n t keep it now since things have so 
 changed." 
 
 " Ye llaowed ye did n t blame me nary mite." 
 
 44 1 did n t and I don t blame you. Now whom 
 do you blame for all that s happened ? Me ? " 
 
 Silence. 
 
 " Maybe you are the meanest man that lives in 
 Spring County, or in the whole world, or ever 
 did live ! And yet somehow I can hardly 
 believe it." 
 
 " I be, I guess. But I ain t mean enough fer 
 that. Not quite mean enough fer that ! " 
 
 " Then, if I am no more to blame than you 
 are, must I bear all the trouble and say nothing ? 
 I, a helpless girl ? I guess not ! And what s 
 more, I know not ! " 
 
 " Haow 11 ye prove anythin ? " 
 
 " How will I prove what I say ? I will just 
 ask Zury Prouder if Anne Sparrow is a liar! 
 What will he answer ? " 
 
 After a pause she added, pleadingly, with some 
 thing nearer a smile than she had yet ventured 
 to try : " I shan t have to prove anything nor 
 charge anything. It won t come to that. You 
 
258 ZURY. 
 
 will stand by me, whatever happens ! " Still his 
 silence left her in doubt despairing doubt. She 
 repeated, very gently : " You 11 stand by me ! " 
 and slid softly to her knees and covered her face 
 with her hands. 
 
 " Miss Sparrer ! Ef ye think I won t stand by 
 ye, ye re wuss fooled than ye ever was afore in 
 yer life! Er ever will be! Yew hear me!" 
 (Taking her hands and raising her to her seat 
 again.) " Yew hear me ! Zury Praouder, the 
 me-anest man in Spring Caounty ; he s the man 
 11 dew that thing ef it takes th last critter he s 
 got onter th place ! " 
 
 As he said this, he listened to his own voice in 
 wonder almost in dismay. What was coming 
 over him ? But he did not retract, nor even for 
 an instant regret. 
 
 At last the sufferer could smile a little. A real 
 smile ; not one of those pretended ones of the 
 past weeks, which were sadder than tears to look 
 at. She gave him her hand so thin and white 
 that the light seemed to shine through everywhere 
 save where the blue veins obstructed it; and he 
 took it gently and held it a moment. He would 
 have kissed it, only he did not know how. 
 
 As he walked homeward, on his solitary way, 
 his heart felt warmer and softer than it had since 
 his children died. He wondered if he was the 
 same man or somebody else, and concluded that 
 a change had come over him of which he was 
 glad but might be sorry to-morrow. 
 
 If he was changed it was not very radically, 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 259 
 
 for he soon began planning and plotting how to 
 keep his word and do his manly duty without its 
 costing him anything ; a scheme in which he of 
 course succeeded, as we shall see hereafter. 
 
 And Anne ? Let her speak (to herself) for 
 herself : 
 
 " ff ow may he perform his promise : and then 
 may I never see his face again ! " 
 
 The new preacher, Elder Masten, a fresh 
 graduate from a theological seminary, but a "Son 
 of Thunder," and a man of large natural power, 
 on the Sunday following the burning, "im 
 proved the occasion " in a stinging sermon from 
 the text : " He that taketh the sword shall perish 
 by the sword." 
 
 Anne was not able to drag herself to church, 
 but it would have done her good to hear the ser 
 mon, and still more to hear the public comments 
 during the dispersion of the congregation. The 
 cruel murder of Lovejoy at Alton, by a pro-slavery 
 mob, was fresh in the minds of both pastor and 
 people. It barbed his shafts and prepared their 
 hearts. 
 
 The sword that is to say any violence, 
 whether with arms or with fire or any other ele 
 ment of destruction is excusable, justifiable, 
 praiseworthy, necessary; provided it is the All- 
 wise who wields it. And when it is the Provi 
 dentially ordained system of human government 
 which wields it, it is still God who destroys ; He 
 using the system as His agent to do His work. 
 
260 ZURY. 
 
 But when it is poor, weak, erring men who ap 
 peal to it, cloaking themselves with darkness, 
 and shielding themselves with silence and dis 
 guise, then are they playing they are God ! The 
 crawling worm lifts his blind and slimy head, and 
 says, " Vengeance is mine ; I will repay ! " 
 
 Beginning thus, Hasten inveighed for a full 
 hour, while women wept and men s eyes shone 
 with indignation, their hearts beating hard and 
 fast in the heat of the preacher s unstudied elo 
 quence. 
 
 After the sermon Masten announced that he 
 hoped for a full attendance at Wednesday evening 
 prayer meeting, when steps would be taken look 
 ing toward making good to sister Sparrow the loss 
 she had suffered. 
 
 The people crowded around the preacher as he 
 came out, shaking hands most cordially, and giv 
 ing their adhesion to his views. Then they sepa 
 rated by ones, twos, and threes, talking together 
 as they went. 
 
 " Gee Whillikins ! Did n t preacher give it 
 tew em right ! " 
 
 " Yew bet ! I wish t he had a-dwelt a leetle on 
 th 4 perish by the sword part of th tex ! " 
 
 "As haow?" 
 
 " Why, he mought a come t th conclusion th t 
 t was abaout time fer th perishin t begin ! T 
 would n take but a whisper fr m preacher t 
 wipe aout them fellers offen th face o th arth 
 leastways aouter th baound ries o Spring 
 CaountyJ " 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 261 
 
 This suggestion had a great run of popularity 
 until it reached Masten s ears, when he promptly 
 nipped it just in time. 
 
 " What! Preach against unlawful violence in 
 one breath and blow an avenging fire with the 
 next ? Set up myself for the Deity I who am 
 the poorest worm in the clod ? " 
 
 This killed the inchoate movement, and some 
 what abashed its leader, but he said : 
 
 " All th same, ef I wuz Gabe Funk I d insure 
 my barn." 
 
 " Yes, n ef I wuz th insurance comp ny I 
 would n t issue no policy ontew it ! " 
 
 Then the conversation turned on the projected 
 relief-meeting. 
 
 " I hain t got no money, but I 11 give a good 
 hawg." 
 
 "So 11 I." 
 
 " Me n my two sons 11 throw in a yearlin 
 calf." 
 
 " That s talkin ! Let s dew it up right. It 11 
 kinder take the cuss offen the taownship." 
 
 " Wonder haow much Zury Proauder 11 give ! " 
 
 " He d orter throw in a good jag o ready 
 money. But he wun t." 
 
 " Yew bet he wun t ! Bet ye he don t come t 
 th meetin at all ! " 
 
 They were wrong. Zury was there, with his 
 wife and Squire Brown. They found the 
 movement going on swimmingly. The most 
 threatening trouble was an embarrassment of 
 riches : for how was Anne to drive away a drove of 
 
262 ZURY. 
 
 hogs, a herd of calves, a flock of chickens, ducks, 
 and geese, and a load of "truck," with hardly 
 enough ready cash to feed them for a week ? 
 
 As soon as the meeting came to order, Mr. 
 Masten in the chair and Mr. McVey secretary, 
 Zury moved that a committee of three be ap 
 pointed by the chair to consider the matter which 
 had called them together, and report at the next 
 Wednesday evening meeting. 
 
 Murmurs of dissent arose on all sides. " Told 
 ye Zury he d squirm aouter it somehaow." 
 
 " Blame me ef that ain t jest like Zury ! It s 
 him t find a patent plan fer not a-givin nothin ." 
 
 Old Anstey got up first. 
 
 " I move that that motion don t pass. All s in 
 favior of it s not a-passin " here the Chair 
 called him to order, and reminded him that as 
 brother Prouder s motion was not yet seconded it 
 was not open for discussion. 
 
 "In order to open the subject for discussion," 
 said the politic Squire Brown, " and for no other 
 purpose, I second it." 
 
 " Then we 11 hear from brother Prouder in 
 support of his motion," said the chairman. 
 
 So Zury said : 
 
 " Mr. Chairman. If the s any man h yer or 
 elsewhar th t s more opposed t vi lence th n I be, 
 I dunno th man. N ef ther s a man h yer er 
 elsewhar th t s more disposed t stand by, and see 
 through, a pilgrim, n a stranger, n a sojourner, 
 th n I be, I dunno thet man nuther. Ef Miss 
 Sparrer wuz h yer, I sh d call on her freely t say 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 263 
 
 ef I ve shown myself her friend sence she come 
 in these h yer parts er otherwise." 
 
 Some pious smiles passed between the gossip- 
 ers at this unwary burst of confidence. 
 
 " But let s see who owes her all this money. 
 I 11 pay my sheer, every time. Who s li ble t 
 Miss Sparrer fer what wuz destroyed o hers last 
 week?" 
 
 Here more indignant murmurs burst forth, and 
 even found a mouthpiece. Brother Bromwell put 
 in his oar he who always felt so sore under 
 Prouder s dictation. 
 
 " Who owes it ? Why seven men t yew know 
 s well s I dew, Zury Praouder ! N then tew 
 yew know s well s I dew th t the can t nothin be 
 proved agin em ! N yew know s well s I dew 
 th t if ye c d prove fortyleven hunderd dollars 
 agin em ye could n c leck not forty cents aouter 
 th hull bilin on em, so ye couldn t ! " 
 
 Bromwell s last words were lost in a storm of 
 foot-stamping applause. (The Wayback public 
 had learned to applaud.) Encouraged by it he 
 went on. 
 
 " I move th t this h yer meetin don t want no 
 body t help it aout th t wants t try t help it by 
 a-henderin on it." 
 
 Here the chairman again made peace by re 
 minding the brother that there was one motion 
 before the meeting, and it would be soon enough 
 to consider another when that one should have 
 been voted on. Zury meanwhile kept his feet, 
 setting his face in the hard level lines that marked 
 the " bed-rock " of his brave nature. 
 
264 ZURY. 
 
 " Who said those seven men owed this money ? 
 Not me ! Them ornery whelps they ain t capable 
 of owin ner payin no more n any other haoun s 
 pup. Naow ef brother Omri Bromwell ain t sat 
 isfied with my thority, I 11 call on brother 
 Braown." 
 
 So the Squire arose and said that at brother 
 Prouder s request he had looked into the ques 
 tions of law involved in "this h yer burnin , 
 and finding that three or more persons had un 
 lawfully conspired together; and together with 
 force and arms had violently assaulted and in 
 jured the property of a person in the peace of the 
 county ; the offence amounted to a riot, and the 
 county was pecuniarily responsible to the injured 
 party. 
 
 This was a staggerer. But brother Bromwell 
 came again to the rescue. 
 
 " S posin the be a action agin the caounty fer 
 damages ; what s the good of sech a scheme fer t 
 help Miss Sparrer? It s jest a dodge t put her 
 off thaout her a-gittin nothin , ner any caliber 
 some folks t putt the r han s in the r hard-hearted 
 pockets." And he looked daggers at Prouder. 
 
 This brought Zury up again. 
 
 " Be I a man o my word ? " 
 
 No answer. 
 
 " Be I a man t keeps his promises?" 
 
 Then a voice came from a back seat, 
 
 " Oh yes on y ye don t never make none, not 
 afore witnesses." A burst of laughter greeted 
 this sally. 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 265 
 
 u I guess my promises 11 fetch s much in open 
 markit as his n th t spoke last." He paused for a 
 laugh, but none came. "Wai, I hev t propose 
 th t I ll advance th amount of Miss Sparrer s 
 claim, V look t Spring Caounty fer my pay ! " 
 And he sat down. 
 
 A moment s pause was required to take in the 
 full sense of this; then there came a round of 
 stamping in which all joined everybody, of all 
 shades and tones of feeling. Anne was to get her 
 money they were to save theirs in short, Zury 
 the Great bad triumphed once more. He was 
 made the committee to attend to it all. 
 
 This was the closing week of the school; so 
 the relief would come in good time. What joy it 
 was to the Ansteys to communicate the good news 
 to poor Anne ! 
 
 " Dunno what s come over Zury ! S pose he 
 knows which side his bread s buttered ontew ; 
 but then t pay out good money V buy in a 
 lawsuit thet ain t like Zury, not a mite." 
 Anne reddened in silence. " Naow, Miss Spar- 
 rer, I look t see ye gain a paound a day, at th 
 very least. Want ye fat enough t kill, n then 
 not kill ye that s th way t treat prize live 
 stock like yew be ! " 
 
 "I wish it could be so, Mrs. Anstey but it 
 cannot ; not in this climate. I must get away, 
 orMie on your hands." 
 
 " Wai, God speed ye ef so it must be ! Any- 
 haow, ye re fixed naow so ye kin go ; n thet s a 
 massy if ye got t go er die. Most on us in sech 
 
266 ZURY. 
 
 a case d a lied ter dew th other thing. Oh, ef 
 thet thar pertend docter d only a guv ye some 
 good strong physic ! Of all things I dew dispise, 
 it s a docter th t s afear d t give his own physic! 
 What s he fer, dooz he s pose ! Ah yah ! " 
 
 School had closed, and Anne s regular abiding 
 place now was at the tavern. The independence 
 and leisure suited her very well indeed. She could 
 go on with her recuperation very nicely, barring 
 two disquieting circumstances. The first was the 
 perpetual propinquity of John Endicott McVey 
 and Hopeless Passion, his Siamese twin. This 
 was not a severe trial ; he was constantly service 
 able and never intrusive. In fact, she grew gradu 
 ally to have quite a sisterly feeling of comfortable 
 reliance on his quiet devotion ; it was only that 
 her troublesome Puritan conscience revolted at ac 
 cepting so much and returning so little, either in 
 the way of present regard or future intention. 
 
 The other matter was more serious, being noth 
 ing less than the prosaic consideration of a grow 
 ing tavern-bill. Even this was soon relieved by 
 the strong aid of her usual ally, Zury Prouder. 
 
 Zury was not a visitor of hers, but one day on 
 coming down to dinner she saw him at the desk in 
 deep conversation with the innkeeper, the subject 
 being evidently a very anxious one for the latter. 
 The talk, now loud, now low, finally settled down 
 to an apparently amicable tenor, and at this point 
 she was called in. 
 
 " Miss Sparrer, one moment ef yew please. 
 
PANDORA S BOX. 267 
 
 Brother Thum h yer, he s unlucky enough t 
 a-give a mortgidge on this prop ty, n I m lucky 
 enough t hold th said mortgidge. I be n a-askin 
 him fer a consid able back int rust wal, so t 
 speak, right smart o money n he llaows he 
 Can t pay it not jest naow, ner can t tell when he 
 will be able so t dew." 
 
 Thum rubbed his anxious brow and nodded as 
 sent. 
 
 " Wai, t help him aout, it jest struck me th t 
 I m some beholden t yew, n yew some t him, 
 n goin t be more so, we hope : fer th longer ye 
 stay raound, th better this c munity 11 be suited, 
 be it weeks, months, er years " 
 
 Again Thum nodded this time with a smile. 
 
 " Wal t make a long story short he kin 
 charge your accaount t me, n yew n me kin fix 
 it up, if so be yew gree t aour plan." 
 
 Anne, in her " puzzlementary attitude," made 
 a rapid mental calculation how long her little 
 store of cash (when made good from county as 
 sets) would pay the modest weekly demands of 
 Mr. Thum. This consideration was cut short by 
 Zury. 
 
 " I don t llaow th t I ve got any right t pledge 
 th caounty money fer sich a purpose, brother 
 Thum. That must be a trust, t be handed over 
 in tire." 
 
 " Wal then brother Prouder what dooz 
 that leave me ? Ef th other funds dew and owin 
 by yew t Miss Sparrer give aout " 
 
 " Wal, brother Thum, that s my lookaout. 
 
268 ZURY, 
 
 Th caonnty fun s ain t th only thing I m a-ow- 
 in t Miss Sparrer, by right smart. When I tell 
 yew time s up n cash gi n aout, why then yew 
 kin aoust Miss Sparrer by any legle remedy th 
 law gives ye. But till I notify ye, in writin , ye 
 kin go on a-entertainin her, pervidin of course 
 ye re still a owin me, er my credit s good with 
 ye for th overplus." 
 
 " Oh wal, that 11 last over t kingdom come, I 
 guess." 
 
 " Then it rests with you, Miss Sparrer ! " 
 
 " I consent." 
 
 As Zury hurried off to mount his horse he 
 glanced back, but he did not meet any answering 
 look from Anne Sparrow. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 PASTORAL CARE FOB AN INTRACTABLE EWE- 
 LAMB. 
 
 To Anne, at the tavern, a visitor is announced. 
 " Miss Sparrow, I believe." 
 " Yes sir. Are you Mr. Masten ? " 
 " The same unworthy champion of a worthy 
 cause. How did you know me, may I inquire ? 
 You have not attended any of the services I have 
 held." 
 
 "I might retort, how do you know I have 
 not?" 
 
 44 Well, of course I look from my new pulpit 
 on a sea, or at least a lake, of unknown faces : 
 still, I should not have forgotten yours." 
 
 " Oh indeed ! " (A little pause, a little blush, 
 a little smile, a little of that vain movement of 
 the head called " bridling.") " Well, I too could 
 guess you were Mr. Masten without any miracle. 
 And I am glad to see you." 
 
 " I thank you. I hear you have been sick." 
 " Yes. Nothing short of that would have kept 
 me from your meetings ; especially since I learned 
 how much I ana indebted to you for the movement 
 which promises to relieve me from my worst 
 trouble almost my worst." 
 
270 ZURY. 
 
 " Oh, you do not owe me any thanks. I was 
 endeavoring to aid justice, which is the Lord s 
 cause, not yours." 
 
 " To be sure. I did not suppose " 
 
 " Of course I should have been glad to serve 
 you personally ; am glad now to find who it is 
 that I have been made the humble instrument in 
 setting right." 
 
 " Oh, I know well enough it would have made 
 no difference with you." 
 
 " God is no respecter of persons : how could His 
 professed servant be influenced by preference, 
 even when it was so natural as it is in this case ? " 
 And he looked at her with a directness that startled 
 her a little, awakening a forgotten feeling ; a mix 
 ture of gratification and reserve that kept her silent. 
 
 " I have of course heard much about you." 
 
 "Yes, I m afraid so." 
 
 Tears started from her heart, but before they 
 reached her eyes he went on. 
 
 " Oh, you need not fear ! Quite the contrary. 
 As the conversation has reached me, it was such as 
 made me think of you with thanks to God that He 
 should have bestowed such a gift on this people." 
 
 At this the tears made their way, but with 
 much of the bitterness filtered out on the road. 
 
 "And, since I have met you, I must try to be 
 glad that I spoke on your side before making 
 your acquaintance ; so that I need not suspect 
 myself of being moved to zeal by other than 
 godly impulses, by things of the earth, earthy." 
 
 Now she m ust rally him out of this sentimental 
 
AN INTRACTABLE EWE-LAMB. 271 
 
 vein. So she dried her eyes, and dragged up a 
 light smile from its long-used hiding-place. 
 
 " Oh, don t be alarmed as to that ! A little 
 better acquaintance will quite free your con 
 science from any suspicion of favoritism in my 
 direction. You ve probably been talking to the 
 Ansteys." 
 
 " Yes and the Prouders, and others." 
 
 " Well, that may have misled you ; but now 
 that you come to headquarters, all the false glory 
 will soon depart." 
 
 Not quite ready to keep up with her woman- 
 wit he reddened in silence, and she changed the 
 subject to things less personal. 
 
 " I hope you have learned to value the Ansteys 
 as I do." 
 
 " They seem to be the Lord s people : treas 
 ures hidden in measures of meal, not at once to 
 be known for the value they possess. We must 
 be cautious, I have learned, to avoid judging by 
 exteriors. Do you not find it so? " 
 
 " Well, I had seen so many false jewels in fine 
 settings in my life, before I met the Ansteys, that 
 I was quite prepared to find specimens of the re 
 verse. I have almost forgotten that they are not 
 the pink of elegance. Don t you think Eureka 
 very handsome ? " 
 
 " Since you mention it, I do recall that she is 
 well-favored for a for a native. She may grow 
 into a good-looking lady." 
 
 " Oh, I m sure you have not observed her 
 eyes ! They would be remarked anywhere ! 
 Don t fail to look at them." 
 
272 ZURY. 
 
 " I will make a memoranda, and surely do as 
 you sudgest." 
 
 " And as to cultivation little things, of no 
 great importance but yet sure of a certain appre 
 ciation in your eyes on account of your own su 
 perior education," she looked for a self-satisfied 
 smirk, and did not look in vain, " I wish you 
 would observe how much she has learned, even in 
 the few months I have been aiding her in my poor 
 way." 
 
 " 1 must allow, sister, that I had already found 
 my attention called to a general improvement 
 manifest in the lambs a kind Shepherd has given 
 into your holy keeping, especially in their verbiage, 
 which almost approaches your own." 
 
 Anne winced at " verbiage," but kept her face 
 straight, and went on. 
 
 " So much result, from so small a cause, shows 
 a capacity for cultivation which will lead her to 
 perfect ladylikeness under proper guidance. 
 Of course Mrs. Anstey has prescribed for you ? " 
 
 " Yes, truly ! I am armed against all known 
 diseases, and have only to await the assaults." 
 
 " But I hope that though nine old women can 
 prescribe for a clergyman, one cannot make him 
 take the dose." 
 
 " Well ! To be frank with yon, the only fear 
 I now cherish of any ailment is the uncertainty 
 how to parry Mrs. Anstey s good offices." 
 
 " Oh, do as I do. A laugh and a shake of the 
 head is a good shield if one could only always 
 have the laugh at command ! " 
 
AN INTRACTABLE EWE-LAMB. 273 
 
 " Perhaps the good lady would not forgive me 
 for my rebellious views as readily as she has for 
 given you for yours." 
 
 " More readily ! I have prepared the path for 
 you ! " 
 
 " Most true. You have been a pioneer of com 
 mon sense regarding medical experiments the 
 voice of one crying in the wilderness, if I may 
 quote holy writ without irreverence. Brother 
 Prouder says you regard doctors, even graduated 
 practitioners, as toll-gate keepers to the grave 
 yard." 
 
 " Aha ! That is his flowery garb for my sim 
 ple expressions. He is a good deal of a poet." 
 
 This was a staggerer for the simple-hearted 
 theological collegiate. The stony hardness of a 
 pioneer endowed with the graces of a poet ! The 
 discussion that followed as to what poetry is ; the 
 novel thought that rhyme and metre are mere 
 adjuncts and accessories; these suggestions were 
 to him like the opening of a window toward sun 
 rise. He listened spellbound ; and, in his lum 
 bering way, laid himself out to do his part and 
 appear well before the fair Bostonian. 
 
 His success was not all that might have been 
 desired. In the first place, besides his errors in 
 the misuse and overuse of language, the Boston 
 a was beyond his grasp. His a in "can t" was 
 just the same as his a in " can." Now McVey 
 could say, in the same breath, " can " and " cahn t," 
 without a moment s preparation, or any caution 
 to avoid the confusion of tongues which haunts 
 
274 ZURY. 
 
 some aspirants to this envied accomplishment. 
 As when they fall into the mongrel " haf- 
 pahst." 
 
 Then, too, his habit of thought and his notion 
 of reverent duty impelled the dragging in of fre 
 quent casual allusions to Deity, which were, to 
 Anne, whimsical absurdities a mixture of cant 
 and blasphemy. 
 
 But most of all she was held aloof from sym 
 pathy with his effort to cultivate their acquaint 
 ance into intimacy, by the fact that her troubles 
 and her illness seemed to have made her abso 
 lutely indifferent to the whole race of men. Her 
 thin features had taken on that touching hunted 
 look one sometimes sees in delicate animals. All 
 she cared for was to know how to keep the other 
 sex at a distance and how to get along without 
 them. It was still a problem a horrid puzzle, 
 especially in the dark night when she ought to 
 have been asleep instead of sobbing and shudder 
 ing on her lonely pillow. Oh if she could only 
 fly to a heaven peopled entirely with female an 
 gels ! 
 
 As to this new friend, whom a few weeks be 
 fore she might have hailed with enthusiasm and 
 counted among the most promising brightenings 
 in her dull lot, she now only wished to be well rid 
 of him. But this thought did not seriously dis 
 quiet her, for she said to herself, 
 
 " He is so religious I can cure him in short 
 order of any troublesome penchant he may enter 
 tain for me. All I shall have to do is to let him 
 
AN INTRACTABLE EWE-LAMB. 275 
 
 know what a heathen I am ! So that is off my 
 mind." 
 
 Therefore she gave her fancy full play, and 
 really enjoyed his call as the first intellectual priv 
 ilege worthy the name which she had met with 
 since she had left " home." 
 
 But Hasten was not so safe. This delightful 
 conversation was not to him a recalling of any 
 old and long-forgotten pleasure. It was a new ex 
 perience, the realization of dreams of what social 
 intercourse might be, which dreams had hitherto 
 never assumed more than a dim semblance of ac 
 tuality in his acquaintance with a humble home, 
 and the women and girls of a Western academy 
 town ; and the unlovely specimens he had met in 
 his new field of labor, simply, in his eyes, a 
 drove of lambs to be coaxed and driven into the 
 fold of the Good Shepherd ; not lovely and 
 charming human souls, like his new friend. 
 
 Toward the latter part of his call Anne noticed 
 a growing seriousness in his mood and a more con 
 stant gravitation toward holy writ. He evidently 
 had something on his mind. At last it came out. 
 
 " Sister Sparrow, will you accompany me to the 
 Throne of Grace ? " 
 
 She thought to herself, " Now is my time to put 
 up the bars," and after a moment s pause answered, 
 rather stiffly, 
 
 " You must pray when and where you please, 
 Mr. Masten, and permit me to do the same." 
 
 " Are not all times and places fitted for pray 
 
 ing? 
 
276 ZURY. 
 
 " Well, no ; not praying out aloud." 
 
 " Prayer is the food of the soul." 
 
 * My soul never eats between meals." 
 
 " Prayer is the Christian s breath of life." 
 
 44 Well, perhaps so ; but the healthiest breath 
 ing is inaudible." 
 
 Finding that his allegorical shafts recoiled upon 
 him, he cast about for some more direct appeal ; 
 but she headed him off. 
 
 44 1 suppose a woman can speak confidentially to 
 a minister the priest never betrays the secrets 
 of the confessional " 
 
 " You mean to ask if I. will keep what you say 
 to myself ? Most unquestionably ! " 
 
 44 Well, then, between ourselves, I m a heretic ! 
 
 44 A heretic ? " He gazed at her with amused 
 incredulity as if she had said, " I m a burglar." 
 
 44 Yes a despicable heretic! You know Bos 
 ton is deeply tainted with false doctrine, heresy, 
 and schism." 
 
 " I had surely heard that New England had, to 
 some extent, harbored unchristian views, rejecting 
 the plain teachings of the Bible and setting up the 
 folly of man against the wisdom of God. But ! 
 Do we gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles ? 
 Can such influences as I have observed among 
 your scholars come from a Uni " he checked 
 himself as if it were a word not to be ventured in 
 a lady s presence. 
 
 44 A Unitarian ? Oh, no, I don t call myself a 
 Unitarian I m afraid dear good Doctor Chan- 
 ning would n t own me ! But at any rate I do 
 
AN INTRACTABLE EWE-LAMB. 277 
 
 not, can not, and will not join, except pas 
 sively, in the customary forms of orthodox wor 
 ship." 
 
 " Well, I in glad you re not a Unitarian at 
 least ! But oh, my dear young Christian friend, 
 how I must wrestle in prayer, for you if not with 
 you ! Yours I perceive to be a logical mind ; I 
 must prepare for your use some of the considera 
 tions which cannot fail to bring any reasoning 
 being to the true faith ! Promise me to attend 
 divine service on Sabbath ! " 
 
 "I m afraid you 11 preach at me, and the peo 
 ple will find it out somehow ! " 
 
 " I will preach at Satan and all his works ; I 
 hope you re not Satan, in one of his most danger 
 ous disguises ; and I m sure you are not, for your 
 works are those of an angel of light." 
 
 "Well, now remember those works of mine 
 you make so much of will all be rubbed out like 
 a picture off a slate, if you in any way, by words, 
 looks, or actions, in the pulpit or out of it, let the 
 Wayback world know as much about me as I have 
 told you about myself. Or any inkling of it ! " 
 
 " Yes, indeed, my Miss Sparrow ! We learn 
 some cunning, even in a theological school, 
 some worldly wisdom, not going to the extent of 
 4 pious fraud, though you did call me a priest a 
 while ago ! " 
 
 " Did I ? Well, I take it back. Be as wise as 
 a serpent, as well as harmless as a dove, won t 
 you?" 
 
 " Surely, surely, Miss Sparrow ! Anything you 
 
278 ZURY. 
 
 give me Bible warrant for, you may command me 
 to do. New Testament warrant, I would say." 
 
 They parted with expressions of good-will, pious 
 on his side and hearty on both, although Anne 
 had grown a little tired of him. 
 
 The enthusiastic young shepherd, as he walked 
 rapidly away, kept saying to himself, " Oh, what 
 a brand to snatch from the burning ! " over and 
 over again ; and when he had got clear of the 
 town and into the silent woods, he dropped on his 
 knees and put up an earnest prayer for aid in this 
 sweet heaven-appointed task that had just opened 
 before him. 
 
 When he rose, brushed off his trousers, and 
 walked on, he grew voluble and eloquent in scath 
 ing denunciations of the errors of heterodoxy. He 
 cut and trimmed asstout hickory sapling to enable 
 him to gesticulate without appearing to himself 
 absurd. With it he swished off the heads of many 
 mullein-stalks, each personifying some monstrous 
 fallacy of heresy. " Salvation by works ! "(swisht !) 
 u Unity of the Godhead ! " (swisht !) " Denial of 
 verbal inspiration ! " (swisht !) " Subordination 
 of the Son ! " (swisht !) " Universal salvation ! " 
 (swisht!) 
 
 Here his stick encountered a hidden obstacle, 
 and broke at the point ; but he cut off the splin 
 tered end and went forward with shorter strokes, 
 not noticing the omen. 
 
 His next Sunday s sermon was half prepared 
 before he had traveled the first two miles ; and 
 when polemics became wearisome his thoughts 
 
AN INTRACTABLE EWE-LAMB. 279 
 
 strayed to pleasanter themes ; and pictures arose 
 of a fair and shining penitent, brought (by Divine 
 help) to glorious usefulness in a life rounding out 
 and completing his own. 
 
 Before he dismissed this alluring vision, it had 
 flown on so fast and so far as to portray Anne the 
 observed of all observers at Conference, and in 
 suring (even to a husband who was sure of it 
 already) the most rapid advance to the very top 
 of his profession. 
 
 On Sunday morning he gave out as his text for 
 the morning sermon, " My Father is greater than 
 I," and for the afternoon, u I and my Father are 
 one." He demonstrated with irrefutable reason 
 ing that the first had been said by the Earthly 
 Nature speaking of the Heavenly Nature : and 
 then he supplemented the argumentative by the 
 denunciatory ; shaking the most gory terrors over 
 the heads of such unnamed and almost unnamable 
 miscreants and blasphemers as might, in certain 
 far-away localities, dare to question the existence 
 of a Triune God. Shouts of " Glory ! " " A-a-a- 
 men ! " " Bless His name ! " and other wild cries 
 and groans arose on all sides, so as to drown the 
 speaker s voice at the close of certain sentences 
 full of blood-curdling sentiments regarding the 
 ultimate fate of these distant monsters of Iniquity. 
 Every heart in the crowded house was carried 
 along in the torrent of the preacher s eloquence 
 every heart but <*ne, a large one under a small 
 bodice, which only murmured " goose " in response 
 to him, and u geese" in protest against them. 
 
280 ZURY. 
 
 After " meeting " was over Hasten escaped 
 from the throng about him to ask Anne if he 
 might walk home with her, but she said as she 
 was still delicate she was going to accept a seat 
 in one of the wagons. He probably did not im 
 agine that she could see how his countenance fell 
 at this, but she could and did. He strode out 
 stoutly, however, and when the wagon she rode in 
 approached and passed him she could not help ob 
 serving how tall, and even handsome (in his way) 
 he looked, strong in body and mind, and (as she 
 added to herself) utterly unlovable. He looked 
 up for her bow, but her face was turned far away 
 on the other side, so he could only smile on her 
 companions. 
 
 She did not come out again for the afternoon 
 meeting, and the hearers marked a great falling 
 off in the preacher, scarcely a groan or shout 
 broke the oppressive coldness. 
 
 Masten could not let the week go by without a 
 visit at the tavern. If Anne had been in her own 
 room she would have excused herself, but it hap 
 pened that on that evening she was in the 
 " settin -room " with the innkeeper s family, so she 
 welcomed him with the rest. The woman of the 
 house wanted to withdraw, discreetly, to leave th^ 
 young folks together, but Anne managed to drag 
 her into the conversation and hold her there, vi et 
 armis : and when finally she insisted on tearing 
 herself away, behold, the unrtdy young woman 
 must needs retire also, to the preacher s manifest 
 discomfiture. 
 
AN INTRACTABLE EWE-LAMB. 281 
 
 Two visits by one marriageable man to one mar 
 riageable woman, plus one neighbor looking out 
 of window, amounts to a reported engagement in 
 any frontier town. So " preacher he s a sparkin 
 scule-rnom," was the news in Wayback instanter. 
 It did not affect anybody particularly, except poor 
 gentlemanly Johnny McVey, who presented to 
 the world, about these days, an effigy of despair. 
 As Tom Lackner, the storekeeper, said, " Johnny 
 looks like a stuck pig. He hain t cracked a smile 
 for a week." 
 
 Even Anne noticed John s melancholy, and said 
 to herself, " John is a faithful soul. That tire 
 some Masten, who knows everything and so much 
 more, he would never grow pale and thin for 
 me or any other woman." 
 
 If Masten did not pine, he at least showed 
 other signs of interest, the most marked was an 
 appeal for advice to Prouder. Zury listened to 
 him in grave silence, and after a minute s pause 
 said simply, 
 
 " Give it up." 
 
 44 Give it up ? Why give it up brother Proud 
 er ? She is the very person to aid me in doing 
 the Lord s work, here or elsewhere." 
 
 " Mebbe so. But give it up all the same." 
 
 "Would not such a union meet the views of 
 my flock?" 
 
 " Like enough." 
 
 " Then who is tfiere to object? " 
 
 " Wai, thar s Miss Sparrer fer one." 
 
 44 Oh ! " rather faintly, and much dismayed. 
 " Perhaps she can do better ? " 
 
282 ZURY. 
 
 " Perhaps or wuss." 
 
 "Do you think that, at the East, before she 
 came here " 
 
 " Mebbe so. She hain t never seemed to con 
 geal with none o the fellows West." To be con 
 genial he meant. 
 
 " Well, brother Prouder, I shall consider your 
 advice carefully prayerfully. I shall take it to 
 my closet. And I shall not decide hastily." 
 
 But at the same moment he had quite decided 
 to try his luck with the school-ina am herself be 
 fore he was a day older, if possible. Not caring 
 to assail the tavern again, he engaged the willing 
 services of Sister Anstey, found just when Anne 
 was to be at her house, and called there at that 
 time. 
 
 Anne knew he " meant business " the moment 
 she saw him, that they all "meant business" in 
 fact, that she was to be made Mrs. Masten, peace 
 ably if they could, forcibly if they must. The 
 sweet Eureka had evidently fallen in love with 
 the preacher as a husband for her darling precep 
 tress. Anne had scarcely patience to put up with 
 such perversity. What in the world she should 
 do, she did not yet know ; why would they persist 
 in intruding suggestions of things she could not 
 do? Vexation possessed her spirit, and her 
 flushed face and bent brows as she promptly ac 
 cepted Masten s escort for the walk to the village, 
 ought to have sealed his lips regarding the thing 
 he had to say. But they did not. As she said to 
 herself : " Such men have just as much tact as a 
 canal-mule." 
 
AN INTRACTABLE EWE-LAMB. 283 
 
 44 Miss Sparrow, I am a plain man, engaged in a 
 great work." (" Of course you must begin talk 
 ing about yourself ! ") " My education has been 
 the best which my surroundings could afford." 
 (" Pity you had n t learned common sense regard 
 ing women.") " My bodily health is perfect, I 
 am informed by physicians that my life will pro 
 bably be a long one." (" What a blessing ! ") 
 44 That is, if such be the Lord s will." (" Oh, if 
 it isn t, you ll die sooner, I suppose.") "The 
 life of a minister s wife no doubt has its trials 
 and tribulations." (" How different from other 
 women s lives ! ") 4t But they are sent by God." 
 (" You should n t swear ! ") " And he does not 
 leave the faithful without some compensations." 
 ("Donation parties, probably.") "I presume 
 you see the drift of my remarks ? " 
 
 44 1 might guess that you intended to ask my ad 
 vice about marriage. If I am right my counsel is 
 ready ; Eureka Anstey is a splendid girl, my fa 
 vorite pupil, an angel in mind and body, heart and 
 soul, and unquestioningly .orthodox by birth, 
 training, habit of thought, and conviction. I rec 
 ommend you by all means to lay siege to her 
 heart : slowly and carefully, so as not to offend her 
 by showing expectations she may have given you 
 no reason to entertain." 
 
 44 Ahem you catch the general drift of my 
 thought, but not its particular direction. Per 
 haps my verbiage was not clear." ( 44 Verbiage 
 again ! That settles it! ") "What I meant to 
 convey was, an invitation to you, sister Sparrow, 
 to become a minister s wife to be mine." 
 
284 ZURY. 
 
 " Now Mr. Hasten ! What can I say to you ? 
 I thought I had given you enough warning to 
 spare me the necessity of this. I told you, at the 
 outset, that I was not in sympathy with the most 
 important part of your life. Is your piety such a 
 shallow principle that you can forget it at a word, 
 ignore confessed heresy that must seem almost 
 blasphemy in your view ? " 
 
 " No, no, only error ! " 
 
 " Error indeed ! Your Calvin burned poor Ser- 
 vetus for such error ! And you ; the first sight of 
 a face a poor, pale, sad, freckly countenance 
 makes you ready to drop all question of faith and 
 principle ! " 
 
 " Oh, sister Sparrow ! Who was it who was 
 sent to call, not the righteous, but sinners to re 
 pentance ? There is more joy in heaven " 
 
 " There, there ; never mind that. You are not 
 sent to call sinners to repentance by marrying 
 them at least not this sinner! You orthodox 
 saints seem to think that we heterodox sinners 
 are only waiting for you to come along and tell 
 us the news to unfold your scheme of redemp 
 tion that we may subscribe to it. You are mis 
 taken we decline your views because we know 
 all about them and think they are foolish ! " 
 
 " But, sister, if we are wrong we are still safe ; 
 while if you are wrong, where are you in the last 
 great day?" 
 
 " Oh, don t try to bribe me into any belief by 
 showing its advantages ! " (He almost adored the 
 way she said " advahntages.") " I suppose your 
 
AN INTRACTABLE EWE-LAMB. 285 
 
 entire interest in me arises from your fear that I 
 am doomed to eternal torments." 
 
 She glanced up to see why he was silent ; then 
 down, startled by his humble look and words. 
 
 "No, Miss Sparrow; I feel that you will not 
 perish. Whether by a change of heart under 
 God s grace, or by some other gift of His infinite 
 benevolence, outside my narrow vision, I cannot 
 say ; but you will be saved. I shall meet you in 
 heaven if I am to attain thither by some merit 
 not my own. God grant it and amen ! I would 
 cast my lot with yours in this world and the 
 next. But I fear it is not to be ! " 
 
 Tears filled his eyes, and his face looked pa 
 thetically altered with its loss of complacency and 
 self-confidence. His unlovable good looks were 
 gone. 
 
 Anne said : " Oh I m so sorry sorry I was 
 rude ! " But a moment later she thought, " You 
 horrid man I You are going to make me cry, 
 when I would much rather be angry ! Why 
 could n t you all let me alone ? " And then she 
 did cry. 
 
 " Do your tears give me any reason to think 
 to hope that you may bring your mind to a 
 favorable answer to my proposal ? " 
 
 So he was a good fellow at heart. Might be 
 humble and loving, even under that sanctimonious 
 smile! Of what consequence were "verbiage" 
 and "a memoranda " after all? 
 
 " No, Mr. Masten. Now may I say something 
 which I know will spare me any further ques- 
 
286 ZURY. 
 
 tions and insure me your forgiveness and your 
 friendship ? " 
 
 " Alas, yes, Miss Sparrow ! I could refuse you 
 nothing just now." 
 
 " Well, then I am not free to listen to you" 
 
 A boy awakened much interest at home that 
 night by a remarkable tale. 
 
 "I guess schule-mom she xperienced religion 
 t day daown in th woods. I seed her n preacher 
 a-blubberin like sixty, a-walkin along th road. 
 I wuz a-plowin corn longside the fence, n I 
 heerd preacher a-blowin his nose like sixty, and I 
 peeked threw th fence, n thar the wuz, a-walkin 
 along, not a-sayin a word, and both a-blubberin 
 like sixty ! " 
 
 " Does look like she d be n convicted o sin, n 
 xperienced a hope, don t it ! " 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. 
 
 " 0-H-H-H, sister Anstey ! " 
 
 "Why, sister Praouder! Thet ain t never 
 yew, is it ! N Zury tew, I dew declare ! Wun t 
 ye light n strip ? " 
 
 " Thankee no. We wuz jest a-joggin t taown." 
 
 44 Haow s things aout on th parayra ? " 
 
 44 Oh, same old rut. Ye heerd haow th black 
 smith s wife she s pootty low ? " 
 
 44 Ya-as. I heerd. Haow dooz it look with 
 her ? " 
 
 44 Oh, bad enough. Physic don t seem t take 
 no holt on her. Blacksmith llaows t ef she lives 
 till th change o th moon she may git well, but 
 ef not, why he hain t much hope o her ever bein 
 any better." 
 
 44 Hev the tried slipp ry ellum peeled in th 
 dark o th moon ? " 
 
 44 Slipp ry ellum ! Why the ve had the new 
 doctor, V real store drugs ! They 9 d a pulled her 
 threw ef anythin could." 
 
 (We will spare the reader the lists of expedi 
 ents 4t they might have tried.") 
 
 44 Wai, sister Anstey ; them things might likely 
 a helped her some ef it had a be n th Lord s will; 
 
288 ZURY. 
 
 very likely I sh d say. But that s nuther h yer 
 ner thar. We re jest worms o th dust, h yer to 
 day V come agin t -morrer. We re all in th 
 han s o Him that s like a squirrel in th wall ; 
 He a-seein us all th time an we a-knowin noth n 
 abaout it. But hev ye heerd what the say naow 
 abaout sister Sparrer ? " 
 
 " S-h-h-h ! She s in the gardin with Reekie. 
 What dew th say naow ? " 
 
 "Why the say she gin preacher th mit- 
 tin." 
 
 "Wai I llaowed as much, jest from him 
 a-comin h yer t walk t Wayback with her, n 
 never a-showin up sence." 
 
 " Ye hain t as t her nothin ? " 
 
 "No. Nobody th t knows her s well s I dew 
 don dew much questionin on her. Glad enough 
 t hear her talk on her own hook thaout a-puttin 
 in my oar much. Wai, she s tew good fer him, 
 er any other man, fer that matter." 
 
 " Would ye mind a-hollerin tew her ? I d like 
 t kinder pass the time o day with her." 
 
 " Sure-lye ! O-H-H-H, Reekie ! Yew Reekie 
 Anstey ! Come h yer ! " 
 
 There was no answer. Anne, who had spied 
 the Prouders afar off, had artfully drawn Reekie 
 back into the dim recesses of the " woods-lot " to 
 avoid a meeting. But the energetic Mrs. Anstey 
 " re w ted em aout," as she expressed it, and they 
 came forward and greeted the travelers. 
 
 " Miss Sparrer, we re a-goin toward th tav 
 ern, n I thought ye might like a lift that fur." 
 
KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. 289 
 
 " Thank you, Mrs. Prouder, but I did not think 
 of going for a while yet." 
 
 " Wai, anyways sune ? I dunno s we re in 
 any gre t of a hurry." 
 
 "Oh, not for a long time. I shall be going 
 over about the time you are going back home." 
 
 "Wai t tell th fact, I did hev a leetle 
 matter I wanted t speak with ye abaout." 
 
 u Oh, very well, then I ll go, of course. 
 Good-by, Reekie, we 11 settle that to-morrow." 
 
 "Settle what?" said simple-hearted Reekie. 
 
 " Why, don t you know ? That matter I was 
 going to talk over with you if I had stayed lon 
 ger." A mysterious nod and frown failed to in 
 timate to the unsophisticated younger woman that 
 Anne wished to fabricate a plausible explanation 
 of her first refusal of the Prouder s invitation. 
 
 "Naow, Miss Sparrer, Zury he llaows ye 
 would n t jest nat rally come up V squat daown 
 with us ; but I tell him ye can t most oilers tell 
 what ye kin least expeck abaout a young gal, not 
 till ye ask her, n not oilers then." 
 
 Anne shook her head in firm, silent negative. 
 Mrs. Prouder was about to enlarge on the abun 
 dance of room and food on the farm, when her 
 husband interrupted her. 
 
 " See h yer, Flor. D ye wanter bring me up t 
 th poorhaouse ? " 
 
 "\Val not right off, Zury ! Th spare cham 
 ber s idle n useless, n as fer feed, the s more 
 give t th dawg every day th n th little she d 
 eat. N ol Shep he d orter be killed anyhaow ! " 
 
290 ZURY. 
 
 " Oh sho ! Spare chamber h yer n dawg thar ! 
 It s money I m a - lookin at ! Thar s Thum 
 a-owin me a-owin me wal, no odds haow 
 much ; an th debt a-growin bigger every day 
 more ner Miss Sparrer s keep 11 come tew ; n no 
 arthly chance o me ever a-gittin it aouter him in 
 cash. An him n me s fixed it up t charge up 
 folkses bills th t I send thar n let em run on th 
 accaount ; n naow h yer comes yew, persuadin 
 away th customers thet s a eatin aout th debt ! 
 It raily ain t right, Flory, agin yer own hus 
 band, tew ! " 
 
 "Naow Zury ! Ye know I didn t go fer t 
 dew noth n agin ye ! But could n t we have her 
 t aour us, n charge it up agin my farm some- 
 haow?" 
 
 " No, we jest could n t ! Chargin yew, by me, 
 s jest takin money aouter one pocket n puttin 
 it in another ; whereas naow it don t cost me a 
 blame cent ! " 
 
 " Jest like Zury ! Grippin n gripin t th last, 
 same s ever ! " Such was Mrs. Prouder s half ad 
 miring, half regretful thought ; and sucli was the 
 outspoken opinion of the neighbors when, in due 
 course of time, they heard of the transaction. 
 Anne s face was stonily grave, but her heart 
 smiled a little. 
 
 After a pause Mrs. Prouder broke the silence 
 again. 
 
 " Miss Sparrer, the dew say ye gin the mittin 
 t preacher." 
 
 " Does Mr. Masten say so ? " 
 
KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. 291 
 
 " He hain t said yes ner no, so fur s I Ve heerd. 
 He hain t denied it, ner he hain t no cause t aout 
 with it his face tells it plain enough." And 
 the good woman laughed heartily, as if it were a 
 fine joke at Masten s expense. 
 
 44 1 m not fit to be his wife or any man s 
 wife." Her voice sounded to Zury hollow and 
 strange. 
 
 44 Oh, ye re a-gittin all O. K. I kin see ye 
 a-gainin right along." 
 
 " Dunno s I blame any gal fer not marryin a 
 preacher," said Zury. " Got t be stuck up all 
 yer life, n nothin t be stuck up on ! T ain t as 
 though a preacher hed a farm, or even a good 
 trade blacksmithin or sech like. But no, it s 
 talk, talk, talk, fust in one place an then in an 
 other, a-suitin folks or not a-suitin em ; jest like 
 a-sayin t everybody, d ye like me ? Then give 
 me a shillin ! Naow a farmer, ef folks don t 
 want his truck he kin eat it himself; but a 
 preacher, er a lawyer, er a docter, their truck ain t 
 no caount unless it s took they can t live on 
 it!" 
 
 44 Eureka Anstey would make the best wife in 
 the world for Mr. Hasten. " 
 
 44 Oh, Reekie, she s all right fer some farmer s 
 boy. But the s a slew o little Anstey s, n th 
 farm mortgidged up t th handle a ready. Th 
 haouse ain t none tew large, nuther, though I 
 s pose the could make another bed-place up gar 
 ret by a-hangin up comforters n sich. Naow 
 preacher he d orter marry some gal thet her 
 
292 ZURY. 
 
 father could set her off a leetle of a farm er 
 anyways a haouse-lot V a woods-lot, V some 
 parster V medder." 
 
 " That is true, and that would be a good reason 
 for my not marrying Mr. Hasten." 
 
 " Oh, yer school teachin d help some," said 
 Flora, till th babies begun t come V after 
 wards, between whiles, ef ye warn t blest with 
 many." 
 
 " What a vista ! " thought Anne. 
 
 " Miss Sparrer," said Zury, " Johnny McVey 
 is dead gone on yew. As the say, his eyes is 
 sot. " 
 
 " Naow Zury, ye know ye allers llaowed, yer- 
 self, haow t Johnny wuz weak in th upper 
 story." 
 
 "Wai yes, in a way. I dew guess t 
 Johnny d weigh more ef his head wuz cut off, 
 but mebbe he d make all the better o man on 
 that accaount ! " 
 
 " A husband ? Oh, I don t want any husband ! " 
 
 " Not want any husband ! " and Flora looked at 
 her newly won lord and master in wonder that 
 any woman could talk so. 
 
 " Oh, that s only her way. She 11 want one bad 
 enough when she comes to think it over. Some 
 folks never dooz wind up the clock till it runs 
 daown." 
 
 " Johnny ain t much t brag on, sure enough, 
 but he s a heap sight better n none. Besides, 
 the don t seem to none o th other fellers took a 
 shine t ye, xcep McVey and preacher." 
 
KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. 293 
 
 This brought plainly before Anne s mind the 
 fact that any of " the other fellows " would be far 
 more objectionable than gentlemanly Johnny. 
 
 " But of course," she said, with a gleam of hope, 
 " he would n t want me now ! " 
 
 " Wouldn t he jest? Ye don t half know John 
 ny nor other men, nuther ! When a man s eyes 
 is sot, he don t care ef a woman wuz to turn aout 
 Apollyun ! " This word Zury added after a 
 vain effort to remember any female devil : there 
 being none in fiction. 
 
 " Johnny hain t a cent in the world ! " objected 
 Flora. 
 
 " Oh, I ve thought of that, tew. Yew leave 
 that t me," said Zury. " Polander Brothers, whar 
 I buy my supplies wholesale, in Springville, want 
 jest sech a man. I told em so, V they did n t 
 deny it. It 11 come handy, tew, fer me t have a 
 man o my own, right thar t headquarters whar 
 my stuff comes from." 
 
 A little silence followed this, broken by Flora. 
 
 " Why ! I declare t man if she ain t a cryin ! 
 Be ye sick, Miss Sparrer? Thar, put yer head 
 daown on my shoulder, so. Never mind yer hat ; 
 let it lay thar in th bottom o th wagin. I 11 
 pick it up afterw ds ; V I 11 dew up yer hair agin, 
 tew! Thar, thar, thar! Dear heart! Don t, 
 don t sob so ! Ye 11 jerk yer insides aout ! Jest 
 come up V live with us, n be a darter t me ; V 
 don t never marry nobody till ye have a min ter." 
 
 A shuddering negative was all the reply the 
 kind creature could extort. 
 
294 ZURY. 
 
 Zury s horses needed a great deal of attention ; 
 and the sun in his eyes seemed to trouble him, too. 
 That night after supper he disappeared. The 
 tenants on the Peddicomb farm were surprised to 
 see him stalking, silent and alone, all about the 
 place. He wandered over the whole quarter, half 
 a mile square, with good fences and cross-fences ; 
 a grove of young black walnuts, an orchard only 
 second to his old one, barns and house better than 
 his, and bursting granary and corn-cribs, and 
 stacks of hay in ranks ; and fat live-stock here 
 and there and everywhere. 
 
 Well, it was a nice farm. 
 
 And there was the poor girl at the tavern, her 
 swelled eyes buried in her tear-dampened pillow. 
 
 The more Anne thought, the more she felt that 
 her future was being shaped by a relentless fate 
 outside of the scope of her feeble powers. Was 
 the horizon opening out, or was it closing in ? 
 Her life had had a world of dreams ; some very 
 bright. She was to have been a writer; she was 
 to have been the priestess of a coming revelation : 
 even as late as her westward journey she was to 
 have become a little queen among the rough people 
 she was to meet in the wilds. Now, what was she 
 to be after all her little attainments and fond hopes 
 of greater ? " Poor Mrs. John McVey ! " 
 
 On the other hand, in her times of depression, 
 she could no longer rush willfully headlong to the 
 lowest depths, and grovel there ; for unless Mc 
 Vey should desert her now, a life of usefulness 
 and respectability was within her reach. 
 
KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. 295 
 
 But would John marry her, after all, when it 
 came to the point ? It did not seem possible ! In 
 the still watches of a wakeful night, during which, 
 after her usual fashion, she seemed to herself to 
 shrink into helpless insignificance while the world, 
 fate, and circumstances all became hideous mon 
 sters clawing at her ; she concluded that she had 
 only to take a step toward him to meet a con 
 temptuous repulse. 
 
 Morning brought more courage and confidence ; 
 also more toleration of the thought that she might 
 gain a little rest and comfort and sustenance by 
 marrying poor faithful John. As the heroine in 
 Hardy s strange novel, u Two on a Tower," says 
 to her brother, Anybody even a tinker." 
 
 She certainly was not " in love " with John ; 
 but neither was she with any other man. He 
 was more nearly sympathetic with her, at that 
 moment, than any other person in that part of the 
 world ; more like her in education, language, habit 
 of thought and feeling, than anybody of either sex 
 whom she had met since she left New England. 
 And then, too, his spaniel-like devotion had be 
 come the source of a kind of comfort to her under 
 existing circumstances. 
 
 She had one more " bad quarter of an hour." 
 It was when the thought struck her that she, the 
 victim, ought to adorn herself for the sacrifice ! 
 
 B ut she succumbed to the inevitable. She feared 
 that Prouder would interfere again, in his master 
 ful fashion, and in that way make her appear to 
 herself acting under his influence or compulsion. 
 
296 ZURY. 
 
 So one Sunday morning, with shame and misgiv 
 ing she dressed herself a little more carefully than 
 usual, and invited John to be her escort to church 
 the first time she had ever done him that honor. 
 On the way she talked long, seriously, and doubt 
 less fully with John. 
 
 The good fellow only tried to eat his humble 
 pie as proudly as possible. 
 
 " Of course, it s proper to let the past be past. 
 And then, as to the future " He paused. 
 
 "I am not putting myself up at^uction, nor 
 offering inducements to strike a bar^in ! " 
 
 " Well, supposin I was to make a proposi 
 tion " Another pause. 
 
 " I shall not consider any supposed case. If 
 you have any proposition to make, uncondition 
 ally, make it ; if not, let us drop the subject." 
 
 Johnny looked at her with dumb and unspeak 
 able admiration. He thought to himself, "She s 
 more of a man, if anything, than Zury Prouder 
 himself ! " The force of language could no further 
 go than this. 
 
 Anne made as if to terminate the interview, 
 and John was panic-stricken. 
 
 " You are as blameless as a woman can be, and 
 I propose to marry you." 
 
 She waited to see if there were to be any con 
 ditions. None came, happily for all concerned. 
 
 " Then I accept you, and will make you a true, 
 honest, and faithful wife, as long as we both shall 
 live." She gave him her hand and turned away 
 her face, in trembling expectation that he would 
 
KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. 297 
 
 take some instant, advantage of her surrender. 
 But he only shook hands as on a bargain struck. 
 And then and thenceforth she remained as to him 
 as completely mistress of herself as this auspicious 
 beginning presaged. 
 
 What a relief ! None the less for the knowl 
 edge that her future husband had only hesitated 
 for appearance sake that he had never for a 
 moment wavered in his absorbing wish to marry 
 her to tie his weak nature to her stronger one 
 by a sustaining bond. After all, as a man was only 
 a necessary appendage, the lighter the appendage 
 the slighter the personal sacrifice. And if the 
 chief question to be considered was " which is to 
 be head of the house ? " she almost smiled as 
 she propounded this simplest of problems, as be 
 tween her and John Endicott McVey. 
 
 After " meeting " she, to avoid tiresome talk 
 ers, concluded to. walk home ; the way was a 
 little long, and she took the arm of her affianced. 
 He was very strong though so slender, and she 
 had a perceptible satisfaction in leaning on him. 
 
 " Oh John" the first time she had ever called 
 him so "make a home for me, quickly, and take 
 me to it ! " 
 
 " Well, after dinner I 11 step over to " 
 
 " No ! never mind telling me where you go, or 
 whom you see, or what he says. Just do the best 
 you can ; at once" This was not said impera 
 tively, only urgently and pathetically. " I long 
 for some place that is n t here, and some time that 
 is n t now." 
 
298 ZURY. 
 
 That very evening John called, full of plans. 
 Mr. Prouder was to let them have a wagon, horses, 
 and harness, to take them to Springville, and be 
 sold or kept for use as they might elect ; he charg 
 ing the value of the outfit to the fund he should 
 recover from the county on account of the riotous 
 destruction. Whatever room was left in the ve 
 hicle he was to fill with household supplies from 
 the farm, charging them to the same account. 
 The balance he was to pay in money. Then he 
 was to accompany them to Springville and install 
 John in his employment as bookkeeper for Polan- 
 der Brothers. 
 
 All well except the last clause. Mr. Prouder 
 must not accompany them to Springville not 
 on any account. In fact, they would not do any 
 thing until John s position was assured. No ; 
 Anne would not see Mr. Prouder about it herself ; 
 she would rather depend entirely on John. She 
 felt such reliance on his prudence and ability ! 
 
 Well, then, John and Zury were to go to 
 Springville at once and get to work, and then 
 Zury would come back and bring Anne on and all 
 her things attend to everything for her. The 
 marriage to take place at Springville. 
 
 All satisfactory except having Mr. Prouder 
 troubled about Anne and her things. He and 
 John might go to Springville as suggested ; and 
 then as soon as possible the sooner the better 
 John could get leave of absence and come for her 
 and marry her ; and then they two could drive to 
 Springville alone, for a wedding trip ! She was 
 
KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. 299 
 
 sure John would not like to have his wife run 
 after him all over the country ! Otherwise John 
 had arranged everything beautifully ! No ; she 
 would not interfere herself. John must do it all. 
 Only make haste ! 
 
 So said so done. Anticipating a little, we may 
 say here that all John s plans were carried out 
 to the letter; and, while this arrangement was 
 very advantageous to Anne and her husband, it 
 turned out very much so to Zury Prouder too. 
 The prices he charged were good, the money bal 
 ance was small, and the county finally paid for 
 everything, principal and interest. 
 
 " The dew llaow t Miss Sparrer she s tuck up 
 with Johnny McVey arter all said n done ! " 
 
 It was old Anstey who imparted this momen 
 tous intelligence to the astounded world con 
 sisting of Mrs. Anstey and the family. 
 
 " Oh, father ! Not really ! " 
 
 "Wai I met Zury Prouder, n he wuz jest 
 plum full on it ! He llaowed he d taxed Johnny 
 with it n Johnny he never denied it ; n I axed 
 Zury what on th footstule the llaowed t live 
 on, n he llaowed the wuz a-goin t Springville, 
 whar Johnny he s gotten a place a-clerkin in a 
 store." 
 
 " Don t ye know what s done it what s made 
 her take up with Johnny?" asked Mrs. Anstey. 
 " Nothin in God s world but larnin ! Ef Johnny 
 d a be n ign rnt, low-daown trash like yew, Bijah 
 Anstey, she would n t a never a looked at him ! 
 
300 ZURY. 
 
 No, ner his shadder ! not ef he d a-liad a hunderd 
 dollars in gold ! " 
 
 " A hunderd dollars is right smart o money ! " 
 
 " I don t c yar ! Larnin s wuth more ner a 
 hunderd dollars. Right smart more." Of course 
 Mrs. Anstey spoke under great excitement. 
 " N yit I can t never git none on ye t read yer 
 book ceptin Reekie. I ve a notion t cut a good 
 gad apiece fer ye all raound, n mark yer names 
 on em, n jest wear em aout on ye so I will, t 
 see ef I can t git ye t ten t yer larnin when 
 scule opens agin." 
 
 "Oh sho!" retorted Bijah. "Preacher he s 
 got larnin , tew, n yit she upped n mittened 
 him. It wuz jest cause he couldn t talk like 
 Johnny, n say 4 Boys ye caw n t fawncy th ad- 
 vawntages of educat-i-o-n like Johnny use ter." 
 
 " BIJAH ! " cried Eureka. And she came at 
 him as if she had been six feet high, with eyes blaz 
 ing as if they would have set fire to his hair. He 
 darted out of the door, then paused to call in 
 through the window, 
 
 " Oh, Reek, yew hain t no call t beller. She s 
 left preacher fer yew." 
 
 Now she did "go for " Bijah. Around the 
 house, through the garden, over the fence, and 
 down the road, the strong youth, impeded by 
 laughing, had all he could do to keep out of her 
 reach. And when as a parting shot she threw a 
 " chunk " after his flying figure, it almost struck 
 Mr. Masten, coming to call for the first time since 
 he had escorted Anne from there as has been told. 
 
KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. 301 
 
 Yes, he did catch a glimpse of her eyes, before 
 she turned and flew toward home. Who could 
 could help it ? They took up some space in the 
 horizon, and possibly paled the sunshine a little. 
 
 Eureka in her Sunday-go-to-meeting best vis 
 ited Anne, and her glowing account put the mat 
 ter beyond doubt. Miss Sparrow looked almost 
 as hearty as ever. Johnny had gone to Spring- 
 ville and begun clerking for Polander Brothers, 
 and his salary, wonderful to relate, was fifty dol 
 lars a month ! Such is the power of education. 
 
 Johnny was coming back some day next week 
 exact day uncertain and the following morn 
 ing Squire Brown was to marry them, and they d 
 get started for Spring ville as soon after sun-up as 
 might be. 
 
 "No party?" roared Bijah. "Then we ll 
 give them one, fust chance we git. A good one, 
 tew. Chivaree ain t no name fer it. Whar s my 
 tin horn? Whar s th ole tin milk-pail with a 
 stone in it? Whar s th ole shot-gun V th paow- 
 der-horn ? " 
 
 " Wai, sonny, I guess I 11 keep th shot-gun n 
 th paowder-horn. I may need em. With that 
 shot-gun n a couple o han f Is o rock salt, I 
 guess I mought take a hand in that thar chivaree 
 that 11 s prise ye some. N ef rock salt won t 
 give ye yer belly full o fun, I 11 have a small 
 charge er tew o bird-shot th t 11 make ye sing 
 laouder n make right smart more noise th n all 
 yer tin horns." 
 
 Eureka did not tell how much of her talk with 
 
302 ZURY. 
 
 Anne ran upon the subject of the Reverend Mr. 
 Hasten. But then, so did her talk with Mr. 
 Masten run upon the subject of Anne Sparrow. 
 So that could n t cut any figure, now could it ? 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A NOVELTY IN NOVEL WEDDING-TRIPS. 
 
 A WEDDING and a bridal trip. What an oppor 
 tunity for the romancer ! How easy to enchain 
 all readers, of any age, sex, color, or previous con 
 dition of servitude ! No need to be graphic, witty, 
 picturesque in order to be interesting, the mere 
 theme does it all. No need to condense; the more 
 diffuse, minute, circumstantial, familiar, and confi 
 dential, the better, with such events to tell about. 
 
 Now this was not exactly that kind of marriage 
 and wedding tour. Yet it was better than none, 
 and Anne was not unhappy. They talked about 
 Boston, where they had a very few common ac 
 quaintances notably the State House and Beacon 
 Street and this made a certain sympathy, of 
 course. They talked of Wayback with an out 
 side view of its peculiar characteristics such as 
 no one else in that part of the world was qualified 
 to take. This made more sympathy. Then when 
 toward the end of the long ten hours drive, Anne 
 grew very tired, and she clasped her hands on his 
 shoulder and rested her head on them, it was with 
 quite an affectionate feeling, certainly not wifely, 
 scarcely sisterly, more, as she laughingly told 
 him, as if she were his aunt. He did not object, 
 
304 ZURY. 
 
 he laughed too, and promised that if she would be 
 an aunt to him he would reciprocate by being an 
 uncle to her, and all went merry as a bell of 
 some kind not yet named. 
 
 When they began their residence in Spring- 
 ville, John was for keeping the horses, selling the 
 wagon, and buying a carriage for their own use. 
 Of course they were not always going to live on 
 fifty dollars a month ! He had vague expecta 
 tions of additional income from sources to be 
 opened to him by outside aid "capitle"to be 
 obtained. 
 
 But here he was firmly " sat down on," and the 
 whole outfit promptly sold to reinforce the family 
 exchequer. These avails, and Anne s other be 
 longings, went far toward preparing for her (them 
 we mean) a cottage where she (that is, they) 
 started to keep house, and very nicely too. Mc- 
 Vey accepted his improved fate without a mur 
 mur, avoiding all reference to any part of the 
 past which Anne preferred to drop out of sight. 
 
 At the " let out " of the Wayback meeting on 
 a Sunday soon after this, gossip ran thus : 
 
 44 What s the matter o Zury Proauder ? He 
 ain t opened his lips fer a coon s age ! " 
 
 44 N more he hain t ! Wai, naow ; what s up ? 
 Some misch f in Zury s head you bet ! He ain t 
 a-makin no big deal s I know on." 
 
 44 Not s I know on nuther. Ef the s a hen on I 
 hain t hearn a word of it." 
 
 44 A settin hen don t cackle. I bet ye hear on 
 t when she hatches." 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 305 
 
 44 1 b lieve ye ! Zury s long head don t work 
 fer the fun of it." 
 
 44 No man th t knows him as I dew won t buy 
 ner sell with him when he s the way he is naow." 
 
 44 Ef my own mother n law wuz a dickerin 
 with him now, I d caounsel her t back aout." 
 
 Then another speaker volunteered an explana 
 tion of the phenomenon in question, which turned 
 speculation into a new channel, and carried con 
 viction to the minds of all. 
 
 44 Oh yew smarties ! Don t ye guess what s 
 the matter o Zury ? Ye dunno n more n a last 
 year s bird s nest ! Reckon ye ve forgot the We ns- 
 d y meetin baout the school-haouse fire! Don t 
 ye reckleck haow Zury wuz kinder druv t gree 
 t settle that bill n look t the caounty for his 
 pay?" 
 
 44 Jesso, jesso, Tom ! Ye re right ! N naow 
 he s aout his money n schemin haow t git it 
 back." 
 
 44 Mebbe so mebbe so. Wai, ef so be Zury s 
 after Spring Caounty, Spring Caounty d better 
 be a-hustlin n a perparin to be picked up n 
 car Yd off." 
 
 44 Right ye are, pard ! We uns better git all 
 aour farms spiked daown tight, er Zury 11 hev em 
 rolled up n sold at sheriff sale, t pay his claim." 
 
 But all the gibing wiseacres were wrong. Zury 
 did n t himself know what was the matter with 
 him, but he did know that it was not any anxiety 
 about his claim for indemnity in the fire matter. 
 On the contrary, the chief consolation he found 
 
306 ZURY. 
 
 in his glum and sulky state was the thought of 
 having helped poor Anne out of her sorest straits. 
 Every little aid he had ever rendered her he rolled 
 as a sweet morsel under his tongue, and her gentle 
 looks and tones of thanks haunted his memory, 
 scanty as they had been. 
 
 A few months after the McVeys were settled, 
 Prouder visited Springville on business. All the 
 long way there his mind dwelt on the coming 
 meeting with them, but a disappointment was in 
 store for him. Anne met him at her door, her 
 sewing in her hands, and greeted him kindly, but 
 did not ask him in. She was really sorry to an 
 noy and disappoint him, but she could not help it. 
 If he would come with John at night she would be 
 glad to see him, but just now she was too busy. 
 
 He did not come, which made her glad and 
 sorry together. He would have amused her, but 
 she would have felt it rather awkward. As for 
 Zury, he made his way back home in a very 
 thoughtful frame of mind. His answers to the 
 numerous questions put to him about Anne were 
 reasonably profuse and circumstantial, but quite 
 general ; he did not tell that she had coolly dis 
 missed him with as few words as civility would 
 allow. Fortunately Anne s front door opened 
 into the main living-room, so that he was pre 
 pared to give a highly satisfactory account of her 
 surroundings and to say that she looked remark 
 ably well. 
 
 When John came home at night he said, 
 
 "Zury Prouder s been at the store most all 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 307 
 
 day, and this afternoon I showed him the way out 
 here." 
 
 " Yes he called." 
 
 " Did he stay long ? " 
 
 " No he did n t come in." 
 
 " Not come in ! The nati-o-n ! " 
 
 "I did not ask him in." 
 
 John was rather dumbfounded at this. After a 
 pause he resumed, 
 
 " Well, we re considerable obliged to Mr. 
 Prouder." 
 
 " Yes all we are ever going to be." 
 
 44 Did he say anything about capitle." 
 
 " Of course not ! " 
 
 Poor John was evidently quite disconcerted. 
 Without sacrificing either himself or his wife, he 
 would have liked to receive capitle from Zury, 
 because capitle was what he had really needed 
 all his life, and he saw no reason why he should 
 not have it. Other men had capitle, and it 
 seemed to do them all good. They liked capitle ; 
 so should he. 
 
 He secretly determined to broach the interest 
 ing subject of capitle to Zury again, the first time 
 he found a good opportunity. 
 
 In this cottage Anne McVey s twin babies were 
 born. She named them Philip and Margaret, her 
 two favorite names, long prepared for use as al 
 ternatives and now, happily, both made available. 
 Never, from their natal hour, were her " twin- 
 nies" aught but comforts and blessings to her. 
 
308 ZURY. 
 
 Before they were a month old she found, to her 
 surprise, that darkness had lost its terrors. She 
 could " put her feet to the unseen floor " at any 
 moment, in their service Nature had become 
 her friend, her sister in motherhood, instead of an 
 alien and an enemy. Time passed, and she 
 learned that Mrs. Prouder s motherly hopes were 
 disappointed. Flora s experience was much the 
 same as had been that of her sister Mary, only 
 her baby had lived but a few hours instead of 
 months. Anne s heart went out in pity and sym 
 pathy to the bereaved parents, and she sighed to 
 think of that great, rich, childless household. 
 
 On a certain summer afternoon, when her lit 
 tle darlings were old enough to creep about, she 
 sat sewing in the shade of the cottage while they 
 played in the grass at her feet. She heard the 
 gate open, and in walked Zury Prouder. 
 
 " God bless n presarve all here! Mis Spar- 
 rer McVey, I should say I don t s pose ye 11 
 object t my comin as fur as this ? " 
 
 She could not. He was there already. And if 
 she had had an enemy in the world, and he were 
 that enemy, still she could not have the heart to 
 refuse him a sight of those treasures ! What 
 crime could any one be guilty of, that would 
 merit such a punishment ? 
 
 Zury sat down on the ground and watched the 
 little ones long and in silence. The boy would 
 creep up fearlessly, and climb with his fat hands 
 on Zury s knees, but the girl kept close to her 
 mother. Zury took up the little fellow and let 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 309 
 
 him pull his hair, while he admired the sturdy 
 limbs of the perfect child. 
 
 " Be ye happy with yer childern ? " 
 
 "I ask nothing from heaven or earth except 
 prosperity for my boy and girl." 
 
 " Looks like a little heaven here below ! " 
 
 Zury scarcely ever in his life passed an hour, 
 in company, so silently as this. And Anne sat 
 there and dreamed out a future for her children. 
 Why should not this rich man make them rich, 
 when they grew older and needed money to se 
 cure for them a place in the world such as she 
 could not give them ? It did not seem wrong and 
 inhuman to her to wish that an old man should 
 die just in the very nick of time to benefit them. 
 So one-sided is the heart and conscience of the 
 natural mother ! She would joyfully sacrifice her 
 own life for them, if need be, why not be 
 equally willing that Zury should die in the same 
 good cause ? 
 
 " Be ye fixed t suit ye h yer ? " She looked 
 up quickly, and did not reply. 
 
 " I mean t say, ef the s anythin I kin dew 
 anythin more t make up fer any trouble ye ve 
 had " An awkward pause. 
 
 44 When I want anything from you I 11 ask you 
 for it. And if I owe you anything I beg you 11 
 send the bill ! " And her brows met over angry 
 eyes. 
 
 " Ain t ye pootty hard on me ? " he asked, 
 " lonesome as I be ! Ye ve got yer babes, V I 
 hain t got nothin ceptin money ! An not 
 
310 ZURY. 
 
 much o that, come t think." He turned again 
 to playing with the boy. She felt a touch of pity, 
 and was sorry for her bitterness. 
 
 McVey came home while they were all thus 
 engaged. He was delighted to see Mr. Prouder, 
 and urged him to stay to tea. He accepted as 
 soon as Anne added her invitation, and she left 
 her precious charges to them while she prepared 
 the meal. In the evening, McVey walked with 
 Prouder to his hotel. When he got back Anne 
 asked him what they had talked about. John 
 hemmed and hawed, but made a very poor show 
 ing of the conversation. 
 
 As Anne composed herself to sleep, a baby on 
 each side as was her wont, she said to herself : 
 
 " Well, small danger of Mr. Prouder s wasting 
 the children s fortunes in capitle on poor John. 
 But then John s asking him to do so is rather 
 mortifying. On the other hand, let him do it ! 
 It will keep Prouder from any very frequent vis- 
 itings, which would be intolerable." And so did 
 things settle themselves down. Prouder s visits 
 to Springville were not frequent, and his calls at 
 the McVey cottage were equally irregular and 
 not brilliantly agreeable ; Anne refusing to see 
 him when her husband was not present, and John 
 making himself a bore when he was. Besides, as 
 the years passed, the children were no longer quite 
 so entrancingly interesting. Phil and Meg were 
 like other children when they first came, mi 
 raculous phenomena ; when they grew up, inter 
 esting individuals ; but between whiles nothing 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 311 
 
 more than ordinary specimens of the young of 
 their race : the boy often good, the girl never any 
 thing else. 
 
 When they were a few years older, however, 
 something occurred which showed that Zury was 
 aware of their existence. On a certain day, Anne 
 while at the store, attending to some of John s 
 work (as she often had to do now when he fell 
 behind), was called to the door to see a friend. 
 There, in Zury s wagon which bad brought her 
 all the way from Wayback, sat Mrs. Prouder, 
 unmistakable, though she now looked a little 
 like two Flora Peddicombs rolled into one. 
 
 " Well, Mrs. Prouder ! " 
 
 " Wai, Mis McVey ! " (These greetings were 
 given in an affectionately pathetic tone, beginning 
 high and dropping suddenly at the closing word 
 as if to say, "I ve waited long for this reunion, 
 but now it s come and I m consoled for all.") 
 
 " Bless yer heart ! Ye re a-lookin peart." 
 
 " I m always well. How well you look ! " 
 
 " Ya-as. What there is of me, V plenty of me 
 sech as it is. Johnny well ? " 
 
 " Very well. He s gone down the river on a 
 fishing expedition." 
 
 " Did yer twins both live ? I heerd ye hed 
 twins." 
 
 Did her babies live ! What a horrid question ! 
 u Oh, yes certainly. They are both alive and 
 well." 
 
 " Boy V gal, hey ? Lessee, haow old be the* ? " 
 
 " They are about five." 
 
312 ZURY. 
 
 " Oh, it s six years this summer since ye lef 
 Wayback, ain t it ? I often thought I d knit em 
 s m mittins sometime, ef I only knowed the r 
 birthday." 
 
 " Oh, Christmas is our great day. Six years 
 how time flies, does n t it! My heart did bleed 
 for you when I heard of your disappointment, 
 your bereavement." 
 
 " Thar, thar, tliar ! " And the poor creature 
 sniffled excessively in the delay of searching for 
 her handkerchief, a delay which obviated any- 
 absolute necessity for its use. 
 
 * Never had no more, hey ? " 
 
 " Never any more." 
 
 " Ye 11 scuse my not a-gittin aout, wun t ye ? 
 I don t never llaow t git in n aout o wagin 
 more n wunst a day, an me n Zury we llaowed 
 t drive raoun n see ye shortly." 
 
 " How nice ! I 11 hurry home and get ready 
 for you." 
 
 The visit was pathetic. Zury walked about 
 the little garden, while poor Flora went in and 
 gazed tearfully at the children. They, with the 
 unconscious cruelty of the savage in our nature, 
 disliked and feared her. They clung obstinately 
 to their mother, and Phil pointed at Flora and 
 said in a loud voice, 
 
 " What makes her cry so ? " 
 
 " Because she has n t any little boy and girl, my 
 son." 
 
 " Oh, is that all I " Then, after a pause, " I 
 thought she had a great big stomercake." 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 313 
 
 " Margaret," Anne whispered, " Mrs. Prouder 
 had a little girl once, but it died." 
 
 "Died? What is died?" 
 
 " Died, you know, and was buried like your 
 little bird, don t you remember ? Now don t you 
 think you could go over and comfort her a 
 little ? " 
 
 Thereupon the dutiful little soul, sorely against 
 her will, stepped snail-like toward the large, repul-. 
 sive visitor, her progress being at about the rate 
 of one carpet-figure a minute. When she reached 
 her, Mrs. Prouder took her on her knees, what 
 there was of them available, and cried so much 
 harder than ever that the child soon got down 
 and retreated to her mother, fairly bawling, with 
 knuckles buried in both eyes. 
 
 " Never mind, Mrs. Prouder. (There, there, 
 my dear little girl !) They 11 come around in 
 time to loving you as their mother does. (Now 
 Margaret, that s enough. You must be quiet. 
 There mother is holding you tight. Don t you 
 both want to go out in the garden and see Mr. 
 Prouder?) " 
 
 Phil escaped with a rush, but Margaret was far 
 from flying present evils by rushing to others 
 that she knew not of. 
 
 By turning Mrs. Prouder s thoughts to Way- 
 back matters, Anne soon managed to dry up the 
 geyser of grief and regret. 
 
 u Preacher V Reekie Anstey upped V mar r d 
 right away after yew left. Th ol folks llaowed 
 the both hed t talk abaout yew s much t the hed 
 
314 ZURY. 
 
 t marry t git time fer it all. Then the tuk th scule 
 t gether, n run it on yer own lines. Reekie she 
 knaowed haow, n the run it splendid. Deestrick 
 Number Seven s got t be knaowed all over the 
 caounty, n other caounties tew. Got t be so s 
 the hed t set a day fer visitors : so many scule- 
 boards wanted t come n see it, it interfered." 
 
 " Oh, dear ! Now you make me cry. I have 
 n t lived in vain, after all, have I ? " 
 
 " In vain ? Lived in vain ? Not by right 
 smart, I tell ye! Wai, s I wuz a-saying, the 
 kep th school till the babies begun to come, n 
 the r fust bein a gal, the called it Anne McVey 
 Masten, as of course ye ve heer d. N then con- 
 f r nce took a-holt o Masten, n give him a big 
 lift. N so we lost em, wuss luck ! " 
 
 Now Zury looked in. 
 
 " Mis McVey, me n Phil s fixed it up t take 
 a leetle ride in th wagin, n bait th team at the 
 tavern, n git a bite thar ourselves, n then come 
 back fer Flory, ef ye kin give her what leetle her 
 stomick requires twixt naow n night." 
 
 Anne was about to say no, suddenly and decid 
 edly. But Phil s dancing eyes and eager words 
 prevailed. 
 
 44 My little boy has never eaten a meal away 
 from his mother in his life." 
 
 " I wanter go in the wagin." 
 
 44 Why could n t you take a little ride and come 
 back here before you go to the stable ? " 
 
 44 I wanter go in the stable." 
 
 44 Or you might take the team to the stable and 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 315 
 
 then come back here for dinner instead of to the 
 tavern." 
 
 " I wanter go in the tavern." 
 
 " Ye see, Mis McVey, Phil s made up his mind 
 it s time fer him t begin t see the world." 
 
 " I wanter see the world." 
 
 There was no resisting this. So off they went 
 two happy beings, it is hard to say which the 
 happier. 
 
 " Remember,", said Anne in kissing her boy 
 good-bye. " Nothing but meat and vegetables 
 and bread. No tea or coffee." 
 
 "I wanter drink tea an coffee." 
 
 But here Anne drew the line. The wild license 
 of this orgie must stop short of tea and coffee. 
 
 Flora s admiration of Anne s pretty household 
 adornments utterly simple and entirely home 
 made as they were was gratifying. Said 
 Flora, 
 
 " Thet s what it is t live intew a city." 
 
 Anne was tempted to tell and teach the rustic 
 that all this and much more was possible in her 
 own ugly home, but as no instruction was asked, 
 she saw that it would be bad manners to intrude 
 even good taste and good sense on her guest. She 
 had not lived at the West all these years in vain. 
 
 Next morning Mrs. Prouder called alone, while 
 Anne was away at the store as usual. The visitor 
 stayed long, and as the little maid-of- all- work in 
 dignantly reported, " she jest hung over them 
 childern like the wuz hern ! " She was still there 
 when Anne returned and they made their simple 
 
316 ZURY. 
 
 noon meal all together. Then Mrs. Prouder 
 spoke. 
 
 " Ye know, Mis McVey, we re pootty lonesome 
 to our us ; got tew much of mos everythin but 
 childern. Naow h yer, I reckon its jest t other 
 way with yew, though ye dew look so luxur ous." 
 
 " Oh, we have enough of all we need, and none 
 too many children." She looked fondly at her 
 cherubs. 
 
 "Wai, naow, Zury n me we. llaowed s haow 
 mebbe ye d be willin t spare th boy." 
 
 The mischief was out. It seemed to Anne as 
 if they spoke of Phil as one of a litter. 
 
 "MY PHILIP!" She almost screamed her 
 reply, and seizing the youth with a force and vigor 
 which called forth vociferous protest, she glared 
 over his red curls at the enemy, like a lioness at 
 bay, guarding her cubs. 
 
 " Oh, wal, of course ef ye don t like the idee, 
 when ye come t think on it I jist mentioned it 
 to Zury last night, n he seemed t kinder fall in 
 with it." And soon afterward she took leave, 
 vainly endeavoring to make the parting affec 
 tionate. 
 
 In the afternoon Prouder called, and begged for 
 a little talk "on business." She received him, 
 but there was danger in her eye. 
 
 " Did you bring your wife here to steal my 
 child? Did you lay out that fine plan, so that 
 she would think it was her own idea, when you 
 had plotted it all beforehand ? " 
 
 " One thing at a time ! Is it stealing a boy for 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 317 
 
 Zury Prouder t adopt him n make him his 
 heir?" 
 
 " Yes it is ! Money could not pay me for part 
 ing with him, and money could not pay him for 
 parting with me! Do you think I want him to 
 be the meanest man in Spring County ? Or that 
 my son would want to be ? No, not if he owned 
 the county ! " 
 
 Zury was deeply offended. Never in his life 
 had he received such an awful blow between the 
 eyes. His face burned as if it had been lashed 
 with a rawhide held in a woman s hand and 
 that hand Anne Sparrow s! He walked off in 
 grim silence. 
 
 "Dooz she think she kin bully Zury Praouder? 
 Thet he s in her paower n can t say a word? 
 Thet he never done a hand s turn for her, V her 
 triflin husban n her red-headed brats. We ll 
 see ! we 11 see ! Meanest man in Spring Caounty, 
 eh ? Throws that at me, s though I had n t said 
 it more times than anybody else ! Me-eatiest ma-an 
 in Spring Caounty ! " 
 
 He repeated it many times, but it seemed to 
 have lost its old soul-satisfying ring. His steps 
 were directed at once to the wholesale house, with 
 an intent most perilous to the future prosperity of 
 the McVey household. There he found nobody 
 save some underlings, the partners having gone 
 home. So he was forced to suspend his vengeance 
 till morning. 
 
 He told his wife of the result of his mission. 
 She said, 
 
318 ZURY. 
 
 " Wai, poor creetur, I don t wonder ! What d 
 buy one on em ef the wuz mine?" 
 
 In the evening Zury walked out, and quietly 
 bent his steps toward the McVey cottage for 
 what purpose he did not know ; perhaps to nurse 
 his wrath and keep it warm. He leaned on the 
 little picket fence, nicely whitewashed. Thought 
 he, 
 
 " That doggoned ornery trifling McVey never 
 whitewashed that fence, ner that house ; ner 
 planted them posey-beds longside the walk ; ner 
 handworked them curtings the lamp shines 
 through so peart ; ner thrummed that foot-mat 
 that lays in front o the door ; ner fixed up that 
 low swing that hangs clust t the laylock bush ! " 
 
 But then, neither had McVey insulted him. 
 He would n t have dared, even if Zury had given 
 him cause ! 
 
 Next morning he walked with dogged steps to 
 the store, and sought out the proprietors. 
 
 " Haow dooz McVey do ? " 
 
 " Oh he don t mount t shucks ! Hain t got 
 no grip no git up V git, tew him ! " 
 
 " Baout s leave ship him s not naow, would n t 
 ye?" 
 
 " Why s fur s he s consarned, tain t noth n 
 but your recommend that s kep him on s long 
 as we hev kep him. But his wife that s another 
 story. She s a gray hoss of another color." 
 
 "Wai, what of her? " 
 
 " She s wuth her money every day. Right up V 
 a-comin ! Wuth a hull bilin o his kind o stock." 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 819 
 
 "Wha dye pay em?" 
 
 "Fifty a month." 
 
 " That ain t no pay fer em ! 
 
 " Plenty fer Johnny." 
 
 " But ye seem t have him n her both more 
 o her ner o him." 
 
 " Wai, it s all they ve asked." 
 
 " Cal ltite t keep em on don t ye ? " 
 
 " Wai, that s owin t haow the cat jumps." 
 
 " I wuz a-goin t say, ye ve done fair by me ; 
 n s long s ye sell s low s anybody else will 
 er lower I m willin t give ye fust chance at my 
 trade." 
 
 " Oh well, we don t cal late t bounce Johnny 
 yet a while." 
 
 " Haow bout sixty a month fer Johnny ? " 
 
 " We 11 hev a talk with Mrs. McVey in the 
 mornin ." 
 
 "But not ef the ten dollars a month s a-goin 
 t be tacked onter ray bills ! " 
 
 " Trust yew fer that ! It would n t work on a 
 close buyer such s yew be, not fer a half an hour, 
 before it d be knocked galley-west ! " 
 
 " Well, I try t hold my own. Ye know I m 
 the" 
 
 He did n t finish the sentence, for some reason or 
 other. But his vengeance had all " petered out." 
 
 It was with a pale face, round eyes, expanded 
 nostrils, and tightly drawn lips that Anne, in the 
 morning, learned that both of the partners wished 
 to have a little talk with her on business. Could 
 such meanness live as would lead Zury to strike a 
 
320 ZURY. 
 
 blow at her and her babies ? The ringing in her 
 ears was growing perilously loud she must sit 
 down and bear whatever might befall. 
 
 Then when the interview was over, the dizzy 
 ringing was cured ; only tears, happy tears, re 
 mained to be struggled with. Ten dollars more a 
 month ! One hundred and twenty dollars more a 
 year! Affluence! Meanwhile the Prouders were 
 well on their way toward Wayback. 
 
 But Zury called no more at the cottage. The 
 sting remained, though no vengeance was taken 
 perhaps all the more for that reason. On the 
 other hand, he had one more sweet morsel to roll 
 under his tongue when he felt blue, as even he 
 often did now. He had forgiven her something ! 
 He had rendered her good for evil ! 
 
 John Endicott McVey has begun to slip out 
 of this story. It takes a muscular grasp to hold 
 his still handsome head above the waters of ob 
 livion. Lacking the solid qualities which thrive 
 upon hardship, he weakened under training. He 
 kept his drawl, but lost his good English. He 
 looked shabby, though spending more on his 
 clothes than men about him who looked well. He 
 might have earned a partnership but not by 
 being the last to come to the store and the first to 
 hurry away. 
 
 For a year or two or three he kept up a fair 
 show of service ; then his laziness allowed the ac 
 counts to get into arrears, and he used to bring 
 home the books for Anne to work at, write 
 them up and take off trial balances. It was 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 321 
 
 mere child s play to her, and she fell into doing 
 more and more of it, at home and at the ware 
 house. 
 
 Anne was patient and tolerant with her hus 
 band ; but when she found that he was surrepti 
 tiously chewing tobacco she u drew the line." It 
 was the last straw ; and happened to show which 
 way the wind blew too. Was her son to grow up 
 such a man ? What right had John McVey to be 
 a disadvantage to her children ? 
 
 John would go off " down river " for days to 
 gether, and come home with the ague, ruined 
 clothes, and forty cents worth of fish, of which 
 he was quite proud, although the biggest had 
 always got away. He bought a patent right, 
 spending a whole month s wages in the purchase 
 and a whole month s time in hunting for " capi- 
 tle " to get up the necessary machinery. In this 
 pursuit he had visited Zury Prouder on his farm. 
 
 " Did you see Mr. Prouder, John ? " 
 
 "Yes. I saw him." 
 
 " What did he say ? " 
 
 " Oh, he did n t seem to grasp the subject at 
 all. Said it looked to him like the Dutchman s 
 grist-mill a first-rate grist-mill O. K. and 
 A 1 in every particular, was n t a better grist 
 mill in the whole state, only it would n t 
 work." 
 
 " Nothing else ? " 
 
 " Well, .he called it a * perpettial motion, and 
 well, he did n t grasp the subject at all." 
 
 " How did Mrs. Prouder look ? " 
 
322 ZURY. 
 
 "As if she weighed from a quarter to half a 
 ton." 
 
 " Did Mr. Prouder ask any questions ? " 
 " Yes. He inquired if the patent had ever been 
 tried. I told him no, and that he couldn t tell 
 whether it would be profitable or not until he 
 tried it. He said he could n t try it until he could 
 tell whether it would be profitable or not. And 
 so I gave him up, and came away." 
 
 John s report of Zury s remarks was imperfect, 
 to say the least. More fully rendered, they would 
 read thus : 
 
 " Sonny, if ye kin git enough perpettial motion 
 inter yer legs t take ye back to Springville, n 
 then sufficient perpettial motion aouter yer head 
 t let ye keep yer eye tight open on yer work in 
 th store, ye may possibly accumle-ate enough 
 capitle t keep yer fam ly till next blackberry 
 harvest if ye have luck." 
 
 John continued : 
 
 " He gave me a letter to a party who resides 
 down river a piece, who owes him a horse ; and he 
 told me that if that party would give me the horse, 
 I might have it and give Zury my note for a hun 
 dred dollars and pay it out of my wages at the 
 store." 
 
 " Of course you declined." 
 
 " Well not yet. There s a party going to 
 start for California next week, and if I had that 
 horse I could get to go along." 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 323 
 
 Anne started almost a guilty start at the 
 thought that filled her heart and brought a flush 
 to her face. 
 
 " How would that strike you ? " he added. 
 
 " Of course if you thought it would be ad 
 vantageous " 
 
 " Well, everybody seems to be going." 
 
 So John went to California. Anne made the 
 greatest efforts to provide her husband with his 
 outfit. Few travelers started so well supplied 
 with clothing and all the comforts a woman s hand 
 can prepare. She dispatched him on his long, 
 blind journey with a feeling of relief that made 
 her reproach herself as a heartless woman. But 
 then, was he not a drag and an increasing dis 
 advantage to her children? A positive peril to 
 their future. And was not this a justification for 
 anything any hardening of her heart ? 
 
 John got the horse and the passage to the new 
 El Dorado. Prouder got his note for a hundred 
 dollars, and later got the money with interest. 
 California got John, and John got the cholera. 
 Nobody mourned for him except little Margaret 
 the gentlest soul that ever put on childish form 
 who wept to see that nobody else did. Years 
 passed, during which even she grew out of all 
 memory of poor " gentlemanly Johnny." 
 
 Anne s health and her children s being excel 
 lent, she had no trouble in maintaining the family 
 in comfort. Clothes cost little, food less, and 
 education (public school) nothing. Phil had a 
 genius for mathematics and was what is called a 
 
824 ZURY. 
 
 " natural mechanic." Margaret had a genius for 
 faithful work at whatever her hand found to do. 
 
 Before Phil was ten years old he knew by heart 
 all the mills within reach: the old breast-wheel 
 grist-mill and the new overshot grist-mill, and the 
 undershot saw-mill with its mechanical expedients, 
 so few and simple, yet so ingenious and effectual. 
 Then, when a railroad was built to Springville 
 (which was before one came to Chicago), what 
 rapturous delight encircled like a halo the first 
 locomotive ! He was the very earliest apprentice 
 in the machine-shop, and days of labor between 
 nights of study were his regular experience for 
 years together. 
 
 During all Anne s Springville life and service 
 for Polander Brothers, Zury was a frequent visitor 
 at the warehouse, but never at the cottage after 
 his disastrous castigation at her hands. At just 
 about regular intervals he found it convenient to 
 visit his merchants, and he always spent some time 
 leaning on the railing that barred her from the out 
 side world, and talking with her about the children 
 and about Wayback matters. His unassuming, 
 persistent cordiality won upon her. She grew to 
 expect him, to rely on his cheery voice and strong 
 nature as a part of her life. She flushed with 
 pleasure when he came ; she greeted him with her 
 well-remembered smile ; she pressed his hand with 
 her soft, inky fingers at meeting and parting ; and 
 if he stayed away longer than usual she wondered 
 at it and let him know, next time she saw him, 
 that she had done so. 
 
A NOVELTY IN WEDDING TRIPS. 325 
 
 So constant and so deeply crafty is mother-love! 
 Have you never seen a mother-bird try by simple 
 strategy to protect her nestlings ? I have. She 
 spreads one wing and drags it on the ground as if 
 she were wounded and almost ready to be caught; 
 and only when she has tolled you far away from 
 their hiding-place does she mount gayly to a tree- 
 top and wait until you have given up your sup 
 posed inimical designs. 
 
 This summing up has taken us some years 
 ahead of our story. Let us go back for an in 
 cident that occurred when the twins were enter 
 ing their teens. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 
 
 44 HAOWDY, haowdy Mis Sparrer McVey I 
 
 should say." 
 
 44 Good morning, Mr. Prouder. Glad to see 
 you ! How is your wife ? " 
 
 "Middlin , middlin , I thankee. Yer babes 
 peart ? " 
 
 "Yes, they re well not exactly babes any 
 longer." 
 
 44 No, I expect not. Time flies. Ain t it amaz- 
 in haow it buzzes ? Th days use ter tarry like 
 a meetin -haouse clock ; naow they spin raound 
 like a buzz-saw." 
 
 44 That s very fine ! Mr. Prouder, you were cut 
 out for an orator." 
 
 44 Oh, naow let up on me, V quit yer foolin ! " 
 said Zury, though he was pleased, and showed it. 
 44 But by th way, some fellers that s got some kind 
 of a grutch agin me, I expect, tho I dunno s 
 I ever harmed em nuther dunno s I did V 
 dunno as I did, they ve pitched on me t run 
 fer the legislatur ." 
 
 44 Capital ! You 11 make a good legislator ! " 
 
 " Bless yer simple soul ! Make one ? Not ef 
 they know it! They look t be beat in the 
 
ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 327 
 
 race, and that s why the pitch on me ! Th dees- 
 trick s agin aour side ; n besides, this h yer free 
 bankin question 11 kill us. Th fellers on th 
 other side is all fer it, n of course we re agin 
 it." 
 
 " Oh, I see ! Want to get you killed off to 
 make room for somebody else." 
 
 " Eggzackly ! An pay fer the rope t hang me, 
 tew! Reg lar turkey shoot, n me th turkey, 
 tied t a stick at th lonesome end o th shootin - 
 range." 
 
 " What do you say to that ? " 
 
 " Wai, I hain t said aye, yes ner no tew it yit." 
 Then sinking his voice slightly, so as to make his 
 words indistinguishable (though not inaudible) to 
 the people about in the warehouse, " Ef I hed 
 your brains, and my body, tew, I d turn the ta 
 bles on them smart Alecks ! " 
 
 " My brains ? Have them knocked out instead 
 of yours?" 
 
 " Nary time ! Use em ! I d make them fel 
 lers see stars ! " 
 
 " How do you mean ? " 
 
 " Carry the deestrick in spite of em ! Farm 
 ers ain t no fools. They 11 listen tew reason." 
 
 " They d never listen to me ! " she said, with a 
 sigh. " I ve tried them once, with all the brains 
 and all the arts I had and they drove me away ! " 
 The tears filled her eyes at the recollection of 
 her mortifications. 
 
 " What ! Them fellers that was intew the 
 burnin ? Nary a one on em left abaout th dig- 
 
328 ZURY. 
 
 gin s ! Don t ye charge Wayback Deestrick with 
 that thai* jawb ! Why they jest could n t stay 
 raound ! The place got tew hot fer em hot 
 ter n ever that dry tree got th t your money was 
 hid intew! The ain t no trace left on em, no 
 more n the wuz o them bank-bills." 
 
 " Well. I ra glad they are gone. But it 
 was n t they alone. All the people, women and 
 men, gave me the cold shoulder ; all except my 
 dear scholars ! " 
 
 " Thar it is agin ! Yer scholars naow is jest 
 a-gittin along up n a-comin rulin th hull 
 neighborhood, on yer own lines." 
 
 " Indeed? Well, I hope they won t follow in 
 all my ways." Then hastily : " But it makes no 
 difference I am not you and you are not I." 
 
 " No ! Wuss luck ! Ef I wuz, I d knock 
 things galley-west ! I d rare right up on my hind 
 legs n paw the air! I d range through that 
 neck o woods head n tail up, like a blaze-faced 
 bull in th corn ! " 
 
 " Now," said she, purposely raising her voice, 
 " tell me about the Way backers all of them." 
 
 " Oh, they re all O. K. Don t ye want t ride 
 over n ^e em ? " 
 
 " I should like it of all things, of course. We 
 always want what we can t get." 
 
 " Can t git t go t Wayback ? Why not, I d 
 like t know ? My team s pootty stout, n I kin 
 spare em an extra ear o corn apiece t make up 
 fer your weight in th wagin." 
 
 " Oh, the team s all right and the wagon, 
 
ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 329 
 
 and the driver. But the passenger can t go all 
 the same." 
 
 "Why not?" he persisted. 
 
 " Well, for one thing, my daily toil for daily 
 bread." 
 
 " Oh, I 11 fix that all right ! " And he strode 
 away to speak to the storekeeper, unheeding 
 Anne s urgent and repeated calls to refrain from 
 doing so. In a few minutes he returned with one 
 of her employers, only too anxious to comply 
 with the request of their powerful customer. 
 
 " Now why did you take all that useless trouble, 
 Mr. Prouder ? Because I cannot go, and that is 
 the end of the matter." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " Well I have my children to care for." 
 
 " Fetch em along ! Hog V hominy s plenty 
 yet onter the Praouder farm." 
 
 Anne only shook her head and turning her 
 back on him, resumed her book-keeping. Pretty 
 soon the headstrong, petty tyrant, unused to fail 
 ure, came back and renewed the attack. 
 
 " What else ye got on yer mind, besides yer 
 business V yer childern ? " 
 
 44 Myself." 
 
 "Yerself?" 
 
 " Yes. You take precious good care of your 
 self : I take pretty good care of myself. Not al 
 ways, but generally." 
 
 This seemed to puzzle him, and he went off to 
 think it over. In the coarse and unconventional, 
 though moral atmosphere wherein he had been 
 
330 ZURY. 
 
 brought up, such feminine exclusiveness had never 
 come under his notice (except in Anne), and he 
 did not yet quite recognize it when he saw it. In 
 his bewilderment he sought counsel from one of 
 the storekeepers. 
 
 " Oh, yes you bet she takes care of herself ! 
 She ain t no slouch! Many s the feller t would 
 a liked t took th ha-ansome widder aout sleigh- 
 ridin or buggy-ridin , but no sirree ! Nary a one 
 on em ! Not even him." (Indicating his junior 
 partner.) 
 
 "Wai, I should think not!" said Zury, with 
 jealous though illogical heat. 
 
 He rnused long and silently. After an hour or 
 so he once more approached the subject, but in a 
 roundabout way. 
 
 " Mis Praouder she llaowed t come t Spring- 
 ville with me, shortly." 
 
 " Did she? Well, I shall be glad to see her." 
 
 " Would her bein along make any difference 
 abaout yer a-goin home with us ? " 
 
 " Being along ? No." 
 
 " I did n t know but what on her invite " 
 
 " Well, I 11 wait till she asks me, at any rate." 
 
 Anne thought it extremely improbable that Mrs. 
 Prouder would ever join Zury in asking her to 
 Wayback. " I m sure I should n t, in her place," 
 she said to herself. 
 
 But she reckoned without her hostess. In a 
 week the large, fat, homely face of that dull per 
 son appeared at the store, as fully bent on having 
 Anne make her a visit as Zury himself was, allow- 
 
ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 331 
 
 ing a " personal equation " for the difference in 
 their two most dissimilar natures. Anne accepted 
 the invitation, for herself and her children ; but 
 later her heart misgave her regarding the little 
 ones. Margaret was all right, but she looked 
 sharply at Phil, as with a stranger s eyes, and 
 decided not to present him to the Wayback pub 
 lic. He was better in the machine-shop. (He 
 had never seen Zury since he could remember.) 
 
 As to Margaret s going, she would leave that 
 to Margaret. Now that devoted young person 
 took the idea that she might be useful to her 
 mother and the world by doing some of her moth 
 er s work at the warehouse. She could practice 
 what book-keeping she already knew and learn the 
 rest ; and mamma, when she returned, would find 
 but little accumulated work awaiting her. Phil, 
 with his mathematical mind, could help her in the 
 evenings. But the plan must be kept a dead 
 secret, for if her mother found it out she would 
 insist on Meg s going. 
 
 " Well, mother, the girls are just going into 
 algebra ; unless you really need me very much, I 
 think I 11 just, naturally, stay at home." 
 
 Her mother regarded her suspiciously. She 
 was much disposed to imagine some nefarious 
 scheme of self-sacrifice on the part of that artful 
 creature Meg. For wily craftiness in that line, 
 she certainly was " the beater." At any rate, per 
 fidy prevailed this time. Anne fell into the trap 
 and left Meg at home ; and oh, the inky fingers 
 and corrugated brows that adorned the dear young 
 toiler during the ensuing fortnight ! 
 
332 ZURY. 
 
 The simpler first steps, such as she had already 
 learned under her mother s tuition, she went 
 through trippingly every afternoon. Then, the 
 more occult classifications and postings, she 
 achieved at home in the evenings, with Phil s 
 guidance and assistance. 
 
 One evening, after hours of application, ending 
 with the unraveling of a tangle one of those 
 compensations that make book-keeping so fasci 
 nating Meg said, 
 
 " Oh, Phil ! Suppose we could manage a trial- 
 balance at the end of the month ! " 
 
 " Meg, you ll come down with a brain -fever, 
 first you know. That would be a trial without any 
 balance." 
 
 "Stuff! your face is redder than mine, this 
 minute." 
 
 " No stuff about it ! Your forehead is hot ; and 
 that indicates brain-fever." (Kissing her.) 
 
 " But your nose is cold, and that indicates a 
 healthy dog. We will get off a trial-balance ! 
 Mother always had hers ready on the first of every 
 month ; we can surely make it by the second. 
 Then we can send it to her by mail." 
 
 " And pay twenty-four cents postage? Then 
 she 11 knoiv we both have brain-fever, or something 
 dreadful ! " 
 
 " Well, we 11 see about surprising her with it. 
 Better not cross that bridge till we get to it." 
 
 Meanwhile Anne sped finely with her "outing." 
 The journey over was pleasant. They took along 
 a basket of luncheon prepared by Anne s careful 
 
ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 333 
 
 hands, and stopped to bait the team and refresh 
 themselves in a charming shady nook on the banks 
 of a prairie creek. 
 
 Zury talked politics from time to time, and 
 showed plainly in his quiet, shrewd remarks, that 
 he really cherished some " views " outside of party 
 fealty. 
 
 " Them fellers that thinks the world would be 
 twice t as rich if th wuz twice t as much money ; 
 the always remind me of the calf that would n t 
 eat his pail o milk onlest the wuz a pail o water 
 put with it. Money ! The dunno what the re 
 a-talkin abaout ! The truck they d like t flood 
 the kedntry with would n t be no money, no more 
 n nothin in the world ! " 
 
 " Now, Mr. Prouder, all you need is to say those 
 same things on the stump, to be the best public 
 speaker I ever heard." 
 
 " Oh, the would n t amaount t nothin ; not th 
 way I put em. My speech d last abaout six 
 minutes by th watch. The folks d be all a sayin, 
 * What be we h yer fer? Come all this way n not 
 got more n half unhitched afore its time t hitch 
 up agin ; cause the speaker s feed-bag s run aout ! 
 Zury better hire somebody t dew his talkin if he s 
 so short-winded ! Ye see the come a long way, 
 most on em ; give up a half-a-day s corn-plaowin 
 tew ; n the want not less n an haour n a half 
 afore the feel t got ther money back. But then 
 what the r aly like is t have two fellers git t getlier 
 n discuss : fuss feller an haour, seck n feller an 
 haour n a half, n then the fuss feller a half an 
 
334 ZURY. 
 
 haour t reply ! That suits em up t th handle ! 
 What with two er three exti y, cross, back-firm s, 
 n a few volunteer speeches from aoutsiders, n a 
 vote o thanks t tb jint c mitty tb t gits up the 
 hull thing, a long summer afternoon gits knocked 
 endways n the fellers go hum feelin the Ve bed 
 a free show n noth n shorter ! Why tbe r minds 
 runs on what wuz said that day clear on t lection 
 mebbe longer ; mebbe long s the live ! " 
 
 "It looks as though they cared more for quan 
 tity than quality. Now I d like better to hear 
 the first man to say black s white, and the second 
 man to say white s black, and then run home and 
 tend my children." (Anne gave a little sigh as 
 she named her deserted treasures.) " And then I 
 should think it all over and conclude that black 
 and white both were about gray after all ! " 
 
 " Ha-ha ! That s pootty near the upshot on 
 it, by n large. But that kind o fodder d never 
 do in the world fer that kind o cattle. Don t ye 
 know what happens ef ye feed a mule all corn ? " 
 
 " I don t know. I never was a mule since I can 
 remember." i 
 
 " Ye allers wuz a hull team, n a boss t spare ! 
 But not a mule mebbe a little bit muley some 
 times. Naow the fact is, a mule, er a boss either, 
 ef he s got all the corn he wants, n noth n else; 
 why he 11 eat up his beddin , V his gears, n his 
 mate s mane n tail, n his feed-box, n th hull 
 stable, n the groun he stan s on, but what he 11 
 git suth n intew him t die-lute his cor^i n fill up 
 his innards." 
 
ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 335 
 
 u Poor beast ! " 
 
 " Poor beast ! Ye d think so ef ye heerd him 
 holler n beg when he s hay -hungry like that." 
 
 44 I d put green spectacles on him and give him 
 shavings." 
 
 "He d eat em fast enough! N the specta 
 cles tew, soon s he could wipe em off with his 
 hind huffs ! Wai, folks is the same way. If ye 
 feed em tew rich they can t die-gest it thaout 
 mixin in a heap o fillin -up-stuff. Lucky fer the 
 preachers, ain t it ! Great Scott ! If the didn t 
 give Christians some pootty pore spiritual food 
 the r fahm lies d have pootty pore pickin s in 
 temp rals ! " 
 
 44 Naow Zury ! " 
 
 44 Oh, I ain t sayin a word agin the preachers, 
 wife. They give what the ve got, n what s 
 wanted, tew. Same s I dew t my mules." 
 
 44 Lucky for us women, too, Mr. Prouder. Sup 
 pose nobody would listen to us except when we 
 had something to say ! " 
 
 44 Wai yes in a way." 
 
 44 Come to th^nk, when we are tired of sensible 
 talk we re very like the mules we turn to our 
 gears, quite naturally." 
 
 44 Good agin ! Gears ! To be sure ! Gnaw n 
 nibble at yer mates some, tew, I guess ! " 
 
 "Naow Zury!" 
 
 44 Oh, I ain t a-sayin nuth n agin the women, 
 nuther. Salt o th yearth. Thaout them we 
 men d ali be gomorrahed in fire n brimstun 
 er desarve t be. But the dew furnish plenty o 
 
336 ZURY. 
 
 talk. Shavin s V sawdust enough t average 
 daown a good deal o hard sense. The re so 
 built by th A 11 wise, in His inscrutable ways n 
 past findin aout, th t the ve got ter talk er go 
 crazy. Put a woman in a lonesone spot n she 11 
 jes barely save her life by a-talkin to herself, a 
 steady stream. Many s the time I ve come up 
 quiet tew a aout-lyin farm-house, n thought th 
 wuz a taown-meetin er suth n a-goin on inside ; 
 n come ter fin aout t warn t noth n but th ole 
 woman a-discoursin tew herself ! " 
 
 "Naow Zury !" 
 
 " Fact, wife ! Plaow else d the peddlers live ? 
 Ef it warn t fer the lonesome houses they d starve 
 t death. Think the peddlers dew the talkin ? 
 No sirree ! All they hev t dew is t listen say 
 half an haour, n then make as ef they wuz a-goin , 
 n the woman 11 buy, er sell, er trade suthin t 
 keep em on a while longer. It s talk n sell 
 some mantel ornaments; n talk n buy some 
 goose-featehrs ; n talk n sell a paper o pins ; n 
 talk n trade some tin pans fer a jar o honey 
 ontel it s time t blow the dinner-horn." 
 
 When the wagon was again on the road and 
 jogging merrily along, Zury cautiously and awk 
 wardly got back to the deep thoughts he had evi 
 dently been harboring for weeks. 
 
 " Speakin o women, n mule-feed, n one thing 
 another; me n Flory h yer s be n a-talkin abaout 
 this speech-makin job." And he looked anx 
 iously at Flora for confirmation. 
 
 " Ya-as. I was a-tellin Zury s haow t would n 
 
ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 337 
 
 be no trick at all fer yew t work up a good dis 
 course with yer book-larnin V all ; V so " 
 She paused as in a quagmire. 
 
 "Long V short of it is I know what to say, 
 but dunno haow to say it. Yew tell me haow t 
 say what I Ve got in my head, V I 11 be in the 
 legislatur next winter." And he turned to his 
 horses and began, in his embarrassment, to whis 
 tle a succession of tuneless notes, as if he had com 
 pleted his task and had no further interest in it. 
 
 "I to write a speech and Mr. Prouder to com 
 mit it to memory ? I couldn t write it ; he could 
 n t learn it ; and it would be a dead failure if we 
 could." Zury seemed not to hear and kept on 
 whistling. " His own plain talk is the best speech 
 that could be made on the matters ; and if people 
 don t like it, that s their own foolishness." More 
 whistling. " I can fancy his thoughts and images 
 used by some practiced speakers I ve heard, and 
 being very effective." 
 
 Then, finding that she was drifting rather in 
 his direction, she held her peace. Zury got tired 
 of whistling (as even the very worst of whistlers 
 will in time), and a thoughtful silence fell upon 
 the trio. Then Zury began talking politics again. 
 
 " This h yer nigger question s li ble t come up, 
 tew. We re jest on the divide h yer, betwixt th 
 northern and southern viws. Th hottest talkers 
 on one side is fer lettin slavery spread ; V on th 
 other side fer bolishin on it altogether ; n the 
 the coolest hands is fer keepin on it where it is 
 a ready. I don t hardly know what t say. Jule 
 
338 ZURY. 
 
 he s a likely nigger ; but yet he ain t no more fit 
 fer an American citizen n a voter, th n a ring- 
 tailed possum with one eye. Ye 11 hear fellers 
 that s ben daown South llaow t th niggers is the 
 happiest critters on top o God s green arth ; n 
 the wust luck t kin happen tew em Avould be t 
 be sot free. Wai, then, that settles it all we 
 got t dew is t bolish the fugitive slave law ; let 
 em come up n larn the fax ; n then keep the 
 bars daown fer em t git back t all the blessin s 
 o civilization n sugar-plantin , jest as quick s 
 Goddlemity 11 let em. Wun t they hurry South ! 
 Wun t they come a-runnin back t the r masters ! 
 Oh, yes yew bet! " 
 
 " Slavery ! Does anybody defend negro slavery? 
 Every man who owns a slave is a robber! I don t 
 see how any man or woman can sleep or wake 
 in peace who traffics in human bodies and souls ! 
 Ugh ! If I were a slave I know my master would 
 n t enjoy life very much or very long ! " 
 
 "No," said he, looking back at her, "you d 
 never make a very comf table chattle ! But s posin 
 y owned a lot on em, haow then ? " 
 
 " Why I d set them free, of course ! I thought 
 everybody knew that that is the proper thing to 
 do!" 
 
 " Wai, thet s Massy chu setts all over ! Yew 
 step daown South n ye may happen t find some 
 perfessin Christians ministers o th gospel n 
 others th t ain t quite perpared t agree with ye. 
 In fact, ye need n t go so fur, n ye need n t go 
 Saouth nuther. Ye ve seen em, n shook han s 
 
ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 339 
 
 with em tew. That thar brother Stokes, Pre- 
 sidin Elder o the feet-washin Baptists he s a 
 bright V a shinin light fer the Scripter author 
 ity fer slavery. He 11 preach ye a sermon from 
 Cursed be Canaan, thet 11 prove it t be one o 
 God s holy ordinances ; jest s clear s riginal sin, 
 lection, V predestination, V just fication by 
 faith." 
 
 " Faugh ! I d like to give brother Stokes a 
 piece of my mind." 
 
 " I don t doubt bat you could spare enough to 
 double his n never miss it." After driving on 
 in silence for a while he added, 
 
 " I guess them slave-holders better sing small ef 
 they know when the re well off. Ef they try t 
 run things tew much, they re liable t find they ve 
 bit off more n they kin chaw. But then, of course, 
 I ain t no abolitionist. I don t believe in mixin 
 up blacks and whites till ye can t tell em apart 
 marryin t gether n all that let blacks be black 
 n whites be white ; n each keep t his own race, 
 says I." 
 
 " Mixing up ? Who talks of mixing the races ? 
 Not the Abolitionists, so far as I know ! And who 
 is doing it without talking about it ? The slave 
 holders ! In a few generations there won t be a 
 full-blooded negro left in slavery ! " 
 
 " Jesso, jesso ! Ye ve hit it right, sure enough! 
 Thet thar idee is am nition fer me, when the 
 question comes up ! " 
 
 The drive and the shadows grew long. Some 
 times for miles the road led through open prairie 
 
340 ZURY. 
 
 wide open "out of sight of land" as the ex 
 pression is, describing the spaces (then plenty, 
 now rare), where naught but land was visible in 
 any direction ; no tree, fence, hill, nor house to 
 break the prairie horizon on the north, south, east, 
 or west. At this present writing, almost every 
 farmer has a plot of growing black-walnut or some 
 other valuable tree ; or at least an orchard. Since 
 the prairie fires have been checked by the circum 
 scription of human influences, these trees do very 
 well in places where, as late as u the forties," the 
 undulating surface was as naked as the heaving 
 ocean, or the blowy, moving desert of sand. 
 
 In one of these stretches, Zury asked Anne for 
 a song, and once more had the pleasure of hearing 
 " Home, Sweet Home," in her best treble. Then 
 she gave them " Araby s Daughter," and the 
 " Mistletoe Bough," which last touched their 
 hearts almost to the melting point though they 
 were Western pioneer settlers. After these, Anne 
 asked Mrs. Prouder to sing ; and she, nothing 
 loath, struck up, 
 
 " Hark, from the tombs a doleful saound ! 
 
 Mine ears attend the cry. 
 Ye living men, come view the graound, 
 Where ye must shortly lie." 
 
 Each note she approached from several tones 
 below, reaching it with a kind of gouging curve 
 of sound, typified in nature s voice by the festive 
 bull-frog, what time the full moon rises over the 
 lonely marsh-lake. 
 
 Then fell a long silence, broken only by an 
 
ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE. 841 
 
 occasional creak of wagon or click of harness. 
 Then the lights of Wayback, then a stretch of 
 bottom-land and woods familiar to Anne s memory 
 Anstey s house and the school-house passed in 
 silence then home ; tired, hungry and very ready 
 for supper and a dreamless sleep. 
 \ As they said good-night, Zury called after 
 Anne, 
 
 " By the by, I m a waitin all these years fer 
 the nub of that thar wall-paper story ! " 
 
 " Goodness ! What a dreadful memory you 
 have ! Well, I 11 write it out for you some time." 
 
 " Wai, jest please reckleck th t some time don t 
 mean all etarnity ! " 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 ELECTIONEERING. 
 
 When morning showed the Prouder homestead 
 it looked so utterly unchanged that Anne could 
 not realize that so many years had passed since 
 she saw it last. The same ugliness grown a little 
 uglier, shabbiness a little shabbier, apple-trees a 
 good deal larger, barns a good deal more numer 
 ous, the old log house still standing, though al 
 most audibly begging to be killed and buried as 
 they say aged savages do. It was all a large 
 busy, prosperous, childless, pleasureless, laughter- 
 less desert. 
 
 Anne met with as much of an ovation as can 
 ever be extorted from the undemonstrative fron 
 tier folk. Smiles, kisses (from her old scholars), 
 tears even, here and there from women whom she 
 had " boarded round " with or otherwise become 
 better known to. These had already grown to be 
 old in the rapid wear and tear of farm work, un 
 wholesome nourishment, tooth-pulling, and medi 
 cation. Poor old Mrs. Anstey was quite a wreck, 
 but as faithful to her nostrums and as loving to 
 Anne and as talkative to everybody as ever. 
 
 " Ya-as, Reekie she s mar rd V gone, n 
 dewin splendid. As fer me I can t say but I 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 343 
 
 ain t no better, not t say better, though I am a 
 tryin a pain-killer, V a sass p riller, n a colly- 
 gog. Looks s though some on em d oughter help 
 me. Lucky the boys ain t had noth n much the 
 matter on em lately, fer ef the hed the d a died 
 sure, cause hearin yew talk agin physic sot em 
 agin it wonderfle. I xpect I d give em enough 
 before t keep em well so fur, but I look t see 
 em break daown any minute quick s th ole 
 healin paower gits clean wore aout by time." 
 
 " Maybe it is as I always said better health 
 without physic than with it." 
 
 " Ah, yah! Looks likely don t it? Think th 
 Lord d a sent all them good paowerfle drugs ef 
 the r hed n t a-ben no use fer em ? Doctors tew ! 
 Think they go t colleges n read mons s big books 
 (so I ve heerd - big s a half-bushel measure) n 
 all t larn th t the dunno noth n when the git 
 threw?" 
 
 " They say the older and wiser a doctor gets, 
 the less physic he gives." 
 
 " Ah, yah ! Ef one on em wuz t come h yer 
 n not perscribe no physic fer me, I d send him 
 a spinnin daown the road. Yes I would. N 
 mighty quick tew. No matter ef he wuz s old s 
 Methusalem n s wise s Solomon. I want suth n 
 I kin feel right threw me, minute I take it." 
 
 In some respects the region had grown a little. 
 Many of Anne s old scholars had homes of their 
 own, and kept up some neighborhood cordiality of 
 tea-parties, picnics, quilting-bees, and such like 
 mild gayeties which had been almost unknown in 
 
344 ZURY. 
 
 their own childhood. Scarcely a day passed without 
 an invitation to Anne and her hosts, calling them 
 to some such entertainment. Her visit was made 
 the occasion of an outburst of dissipation such as 
 Wayback had hitherto never witnessed. Zury, 
 too, had turned over a new leaf went everywhere 
 with his wife and her friend ; talked with every 
 body ; laughed, joked, learned to listen even when 
 he differed, to argue where he was well-informed 
 and his opponent ignorant, to greet civilly when 
 he despised, to affect interest in affairs of others, 
 to remember one day what his interlocutor had 
 said on some other day, to give promises on con 
 ditions which could never become realities, to 
 withhold promises where the conditions were 
 likely to come to pass, in short to electioneer. 
 
 Each night, when they got back to the home 
 stead, they had a long talk on " the situation " 
 though that expression had not then been trans 
 planted to the vernacular. Anne found herself 
 insensibly, and not unwillingly, drawn into the 
 task Zury had laid out for her putting his ideas 
 into shape for use " on the stump." 
 
 The great trouble was, to dilute them suffi 
 ciently for the coarse mental digestions of his pro 
 spective audiences. No orator ever sought for 
 brevity more earnestly than these schemers did for 
 diffuseness. How to fill the necessary hour or 
 two of a country afternoon mass-meeting was the 
 problem to be solved. 
 
 After " the hands " had gone to bed, the three 
 Zury and his two faithful auditors would 
 have a little meeting all to themselves. 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 345 
 
 " Now Mr. Prouder, look at the clock. Just 
 eight, you see. Get to work, convince us two 
 women that black is white, and don t let us hear 
 you dare to be silent for the next thirty minutes 
 by that clock, or we 11 go home and vote against 
 you." 
 
 Then Zury would begin, drawl and dawdle 
 as much as he could (repetitions were barred), 
 and tell every illustrative story as diffusely as was 
 possible to his practical mind, and then after 
 reaching and saying by rote the prepared perora 
 tion, would look up at the clock. Alas ! Only 
 twenty minutes after eight ! 
 
 Then it would be Anne s turn again. With 
 much raillery and good-natured ridicule, she 
 would take up his theme, give all his words, to 
 gether with as many more, throw in personal hits 
 which had perhaps been suggested by the day s 
 conversations outside, and by the time she had dis 
 patched the subject nine o clock and bed-time had 
 come. 
 
 Next evening Zury, an apt scholar, would take 
 the laboring oar again, and before many lessons 
 he managed to fill an hour very comfortably. 
 
 One of their excursions was over across the 
 river to the neighboring county of Posey where a 
 meeting of the other party was to be held. Zury 
 did not tell Anne that it was on the picnic ground 
 of so many years before, and she was somewhat 
 disconcerted to find herself traveling the same old 
 road, remembering the woods-fire and the walk of 
 terror to the coal-mine on the river-bank. Neither 
 
346 ZURY. 
 
 of them alluded to it in any manner, and Anne s 
 embarrassment passed off unnoticed. 
 
 The meeting was well attended, and many loud 
 jokes were passed upon Zury, regarding his pres 
 ent incursion into the enemy s camp. Did he ex 
 pect to steal their thunder? Or lose his own 
 scalp? 
 
 " Neither one ner t other, my friends. Jes 
 thought I d drop over my wife wanted t hev 
 a ride n Mis McVey h yer Didn t know 
 but what I mought larn suth n : mought git con- 
 varted, n vote agin myself come lection-day ! " 
 
 The pro-slavery, pro-shinplaster harangue of 
 brother Stokes displayed a folly, an ignorance, a 
 bigotry, a wrong-headedness, that set Anne s teeth 
 on edge, and made her want to arise and protest, 
 then and there, against its horrible teachings. 
 At this day of freedom, of sound currency, of po 
 litical virtue, at least in professions, one of the 
 political diatribes of 184- could scarcely be be 
 lieved to have been seriously uttered. 
 
 The experience was, however, a very valuable 
 one for our practicing political debaters. At home, 
 that night, they tore the unconscious Elder Stokes 
 to tatters and swept the ground with his remains. 
 So voluble was Zury in his scorn and indignation 
 that he scarcely needed any prompting, and nine 
 o clock came almost before they began to be at a 
 loss for ammunition with which to carry on their 
 sham battle. 
 
 The crucial test was fast approaching. Zury s 
 first mass-meeting was set for a Saturday after- 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 347 
 
 noon the last of Anne s stay. It was called to 
 meet at the school-house, with the modest view of 
 not appearing to expect more than a room full to 
 be present. But, by a strange coincidence, one of 
 Zury s wagons, loaded with good apples, happened 
 to break down just in front of the adjoining 
 cleared field ; and there it was when the crowd 
 began to gather. Lucky, too ; for the school- 
 house overflowed before a third of the hearers ar 
 rived, and then what more appropriate than that 
 the orator should speak from his own wagon-bot 
 tom ? 
 
 " Kivered with apples ? So t is ! But, friends, 
 if it stays so very long, after you Ve come h yer 
 by my invite n I want room t stan up n talk t 
 ye in why, thet s yewr lookaout n not mine." 
 
 Then followed a good-natured scramble, a 
 munching of fruit, a filling of pockets and a 
 general warming up of the cockles of the heart. 
 Folks are never so hearty as when they eat to 
 gether. How the boys did distribute those ap 
 ples ! And the girls ! They estimated their store 
 somewhat in the same light that " society girls " 
 do their cotillon favors after a ball, and every 
 mother carried home some for her little ones. 
 
 On the way over Anne had been coaching Zury 
 as to his start, knowing that once fairly under 
 way he would gather force and do well. So she 
 had devised a phrase or two that would sound 
 half-way familiar and half-way new just what 
 sluggish hearers like and break the ice for his 
 further strokes. 
 
348 ZURY. 
 
 "Friends and fellow -citizens! When in the 
 course of human events it becomes necessary for 
 one man to offer himself to his fellow-men, as a 
 candidate asking for their votes, a decent respect 
 for the opinions of mankind requires that he 
 should give them such reasons for granting his re 
 quest as he may be able to present, be those rea 
 sons good or bad." 
 
 This sentence was so well turned, so formal, so 
 respectful, so far from the free-and-easy patroniz 
 ing kind of talk the hearers had expected, that 
 they were taken with a pleased surprise, and even 
 at that early stage, gave him a cheer a most 
 effective fillip to the doubting heart of this tyro 
 in oratory. The phrases were shrewdly adapted 
 to taking the simple hearers captive, for they as 
 sumed a gravit} 7 " and reasonable discrimination in 
 the audience. No more fatal mistake could Zury 
 have made than to underestimate his public and 
 let them perceive that he did so. 
 
 Later, however, he fell into more familiar and 
 jocular strains of thought and speech. Said he, 
 
 " These h yer money-cooks, they dunno whut 
 they re a-talkin abaout. Money ! They dunno 
 whut the word means ! Banks can t print paper 
 and make it inter money it s only a promise t 
 pay money, arter all, V sposen y hev a pocket- 
 full on it V th bank can t or wun t redeem it, 
 wun t perform its promise, whar be ye ? Farm 
 er s Bank o Milksick Centre, Fever Caounty 
 prints a wagin-bed-full o bills V calls em money ; 
 yew farmers go t th bank Farmer s Bank, ye 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 349 
 
 know ye go t git some o th money ; th bank 
 cashier store-clo se n stan -up collar, straps on 
 his pants n lard on his har sez he, 4 Yes, sut- 
 t nly. Jes morgidge yer farm n ye shell hev 
 yer money. Yew smart Aleck out with yer mor 
 gidge hand it over and git yer money. Cashier 
 trades yer mortgidge to some Eastern shark er 
 other fer real money (hard chink) t move t Noo 
 York with. Ye re orfle rich with yer money till 
 ye come t pay the shark yer morgidge interest, n 
 find he wun t take Milksick money ! Oh, yes 
 he 11 take it as the Missippi woodyard man 
 told the steamboat cap n he d take some o th 
 same kind o stuff in pay fer wood cord fer 
 cord ! 
 
 " Why, I tell ye, feller-citizens, things would 
 sune come to jes sich a pass as t wuz in Michigan 
 in 1838, when a Massychusetts caounterfeit one 
 dollar bill wuz worth more than a ginuyne Mich 
 igan ten ! " (Loud applause and laughter.) " N 
 s posin ye go daown to t Milksick Centre with a* 
 boot-leg full o the money th t come fr m thar 
 what then ? The 5 won t take it fer yer hoss-bait ! 
 Bank s closed. Ye can t even git a Fever Caounty 
 jury t give ye judgment agin a Fever Caounty 
 Bank ! What dew ye git fer yer trouble ? The 
 agur ! Traded off a good morgidge on a good farm 
 fer a fuss class fever n agur ! 
 
 "No sirree ! Them bills ain t money no more 
 n pig s tail s my elbow ! Money s a thing that 
 can t be manufactured by a sharp in an office 
 its suth n th t s got t be dug aouter the graoun 
 
350 ZURY. 
 
 V then traded off fer suth n th t s growed a-top 
 o graoun : corn, hawgs, wool, suth n r other 
 th t takes labor. All other kinds o money s jes a 
 scheme t git aour hard-arn t prodooce fer nothV ! 
 Talk abaout the kedntry need n more sucklatin 
 medium ! S posin the hed more, say tew dollars 
 fer one, haow long d that dew em ? Any place 
 on the hill 11 dew t start that stone a-rollin but 
 no place 11 dew t stop it when its started except 
 the ditch at the bottom ! " 
 
 Here occurred an interruption one of these 
 occurrences that threaten disaster to the unready 
 orator, but which are turned by the ready one to 
 double account. 
 
 " Say, Zury ; when I as t ye last week t lend 
 me forty dollars, ye llaowed money wuz tew sca ce 
 jest naow. Mebbe if ye d a hed yer pocket full 
 o shinplasters I mought a hed better luck." 
 
 " Yew, Joe Felser ! Ye re mighty right abaout 
 that ! Friends, can t ye see whut Joe Felser wants 
 m lot more bank-bills printed fer? I 11 tell ye ! 
 He wants bank-bills t be so plenty th t a feller d 
 druther hev Joe Felser s promissory note fer forty 
 dollars th n t hev forty dollars in bank-bills ! 
 Wun t bank bills hev t be pootty plenty V pootty 
 cheap afore we see thet day ? Cheap n nasty 
 cheap n nasty 11 be the bank bills we don t vally 
 higher ner whut thet comes tew." (This rude 
 personality tickled the rustic crowd more than it 
 deserved by virtue of its wit.) 
 
 " The minute ye go t increasin paper n callin 
 it money, then it begins t go daown hill : prices 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 351 
 
 goes a kitin , n pootty sune the cry is fer more 
 paper ; coz it takes more at high prices than at low 
 prices t dew th same work. Thet s whut s called 
 inflation. Nex thing is, more yet. N so on, 
 till ye 11 hev t tote a basket t pack yer money 
 t mill, n a gourd 11 fetch back all the flour it ll 
 buy ! " (More laughter.) 
 
 " Why, friends, ye re some on ye farmer s boys, 
 n the rest on ye hev ben er gals, one er t other, 
 fer I dress my remarks to the ladies present as 
 well as the rest. Wai, did n t ye never wean a 
 calf by hand? I did, n many a one. Daown in 
 Pennsylvany, whar I come from, we could n t 
 afford t let caows run with th calves. I useter 
 go aout a milkin early o frost} mornin s, afore 
 sun-up, n scare up th caows easy like, so they 
 would n move away so but whut I could milk, 
 stickin my cold toes down in the warm place 
 they d laid in. Then I d mix s m meal in n 
 feed the calves. Six quarts o milk fer a starter, 
 is a square meal fer a calf. Naow, s posen some 
 calf is such a dod-gasted foul of a calf that he 
 turns 4 inflationist that is a paper-money calf. 
 Fust thing ye know he wants six quarts o water 
 with his six quarts o milk. Down goes twelve 
 quarts o th inflated milk. Still he baa s fer 
 more, so yew double it again n daown goes twenty- 
 four quarts o skyblue mixtur . Same time don t 
 ye see he don t git a drop more milk than he did 
 at the start ? But naow the s no stoppin on him, 
 he cries again for more currency ; n pootty sune 
 he s got t git raound a bar l full o water t dygest 
 
352 ZURY. 
 
 his six quarts o milk ! Whut s the upshot ? Why 
 that thar calf s got t BUST. N so must any 
 calf er any c nmnity th t sets abaout die-lutin 
 good milk with poor water, er good cash with poor 
 paper." l 
 
 Laughter loud and long followed this homely 
 illustration, and Zury had time to refresh himself 
 and gather new strength for new triumphs. 
 
 Passing over his talk on some local themes 
 which would mean nothing to us, we will try to 
 give an idea of what he had to say about the 
 " Nigger question." He had associated so much 
 with Jule in the early days that he could give a 
 fairly graphic imitation of negro dialect and pro 
 nunciation, the latter seeming to be the product 
 of soft flabby organs too large to be comfortably 
 managed and used in the mouth that contains 
 them. 
 
 "Makes me laugh t hear brother Stokes blow 
 abaout the niggers bein a heap better oft in slavery 
 th n what they would be ef th wuz free ! Re 
 minds me of a talk our darkey Jule hed with one 
 o them postles preachiri the gospil o slavery fer 
 the good of the nigger. H yers abaout the way 
 the talk run : 
 
 " Wha* d ye run away fer, Jule ? Did n ye 
 have a kind marster ? 
 
 " 4 Oh, yes, baus ; ole marse wuz kin nuff, I 
 speck. 
 
 " 4 Did n ye hev enough t eat ? 
 
 1 This illustration is adapted from a stump speech of Repre 
 sentative Horr, of Michigan. 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 353 
 
 " Oh, yes, bans ; s peck we uns bed all t wuz 
 goo fer us. 
 
 " 4 Medicine when ye wuz sick ? 
 
 " Oh, yes, bans ; plantation docter oilers raoun 
 when we wuz off de wuhk. 
 
 " 4 Clo s all furnished free ? 
 
 " 4 Yah-yah ! Din take much clo se in de cott n 
 fieF in de sunshine ! 
 
 " Liberty-day now V then ? 
 
 " * Oh, yes, baus ; when da wahu t nuffin t do, 
 din do nuffin . 
 
 " Then whut V th nation d ye run away fer? 
 All them blessin s is a heap sight more n most of 
 us fellers gits up h yar. 
 
 " 4 Yah-yah-yah ! Tell ye w ut t is baus, ef de 
 place suits ye, 1 guess it s open yit ! I 11 gib ye 
 de d rection ; ye kin pile right daown dar ! : 
 
 This was another story that " went to the spot " 
 with those workers in glorious freedom, Western 
 pioneers whose muscles were driven to the verge 
 of desperation, but whose minds were free from 
 any suggestion of control. The sea of faces before 
 Zury was now illumined all over by the welcome 
 whitecaps of broad grins. 
 
 " Dew I hear anybody askin me, 4 Zury, be 
 yew an abolitionist? Would ye like yer darter 
 t marry a nigger? Ef I don t hear this old cir 
 cus conundrum, it s jest coz the ain t no Posey 
 Caounty politicians in hearin ! Over t Posey, 
 th other day, whar I wuz, ye could n throw a 
 stone thaout hittin half-a-dozen fellers askin jest 
 that rebus offen somebody. My answer s oilers 
 
354 ZURY. 
 
 ready to sech questions. I say I want every race 
 t keep t itself n work aout its own salvation 
 best way it kin. Tbet s why I don t want no 
 extension of the blessin s o slavery intew Illenoy. 
 Talk of malgymation ! Whar dooz it flourish ? 
 Mongst th abolitionists, er mongst the slave 
 holders ? I hain t heerd o Jule s malgymatin t 
 no gre t xtent sence I fetched him up h yer, goin 
 on twenty years ago ! N ef he hed, I guess I d 
 a ben likely t a-hearn tell on it ! Same time, 
 daown whar he come fr m, marsters n slaves is 
 pootty near all of a color a ready, n git-tin more 
 so right along ! Why, th State o Kentucky s 
 plum full o bleached darkey babies, so white ye 
 can t tell t other fr m which ! " 
 
 More laughter greeted this sally, and when it 
 had died away Zury proceeded to the combination 
 of his various branches of talk into one edifice. 
 
 " Naow, friends, I ve paid my respecks to the 
 various loonatics the is a doin business in the 
 p liticle market ; n I want t see you n me n 
 all aour kind ockepy a stan whar we kin look 
 daown on th hull caboodle on em. H yer s th 
 way it is the Demycrats kin beat th Whigs, 
 n th Free-bankers kin beat th Demycrats, n 
 th Whigs kin beat th Free-bankers. This oilers 
 reminds me of our ol hen-haouse tew hum. 
 
 " Ye see th black hen she c d whip th white 
 hen ; n th white, she c d whip th ol speckled 
 hen ; n th ol speckle, she c d whip th black. 
 Wai, ye know it s th natur o hens t want ter 
 roost near th ol rewster. (I m naow speakin 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 355 
 
 only of two-legged hens.) So when th oF rewster 
 he d fly up on tew th perch, come sundaown, 
 mebbe th black she d up V set daown next him, 
 V stay thar ontel th speckle upped V drove 
 her daown flippity-flop. Thet wuz all right ontel 
 th white she M go fer th speckle V aoust her, 
 hoss, foot, V dragoons, n set in th seat of honor 
 herself, ready t 1 be druv off a whoopin n a 
 squawkin by th black. N so the d keep it 
 up f m sundaown clean on to dark night; ontel 
 th ole rewster he d git tired of it, n rare right 
 up on his hin legs n put a stop tew it knock 
 em all off f m th perch pick aout fer his 
 neighbor a pullet th t warn t neither th white 
 ner th black ner th speckle, give her the ch ice 
 location, n reach over her with a smart clip at 
 th fust one that tried t raise a disturbance. 
 Naow s posen we call th white th Whigs, n th 
 black th Demycrats, n the speckle th Free-bank 
 ers who s th oV rewster ? Yew be, my friends ; 
 the thoughtful voters, the free n independent 
 fanners of th State n th Nation ! Yew 11 stop 
 ther squawkin n ther squabblin jes s sune s ye 
 git a good ready. Wanter know when that ll be? 
 Next Lection Day ! Then ye 11 whoop em up ! 
 Daown the go Black, White, n Speckle, n 
 ther master th people will have peace at 
 last ! " 
 
 After the roar which greeted this had subsided 
 Zury returned to the more dignified, measured, 
 respectful strain, and finally he gave the prepared 
 peroration in a high, serious tone, without gesture 
 
356 ZURY. 
 
 or smile, gazing far away above the heads of his 
 hearers, who listened in breathless silence. He 
 only brought his look down to their eager faces 
 as he gave them thanks for their attention and 
 bade them farewell. 
 
 The speaker seemed dazed by the storm of 
 cheers that followed. He sat on the wagon-board, 
 with his eyes closed, his head on his hand and 
 bowed upon his breast. Then the enthusiasts in 
 sisted and persisted until they could get hold of 
 his hands ; some on one side and some on the 
 other, and shake them to a degree that finally 
 broke his re very into a cheerful laugh. 
 
 " Heavens n arth, Zury ! Where ye be n a 
 hidin yer light all these years ! Why ain t ye 
 Guv nor of Illinoy ? " 
 
 " Yes; er President of the United States?" 
 
 " Oh, I ain t noth n but a poor ign r nt farmer, 
 pards. It s th fax thet s strong t ain t me, ner 
 th way I putt em." Then his eyes sought for 
 Anne as the true source of his success ; but she had 
 prudently withdrawn somewhat in fact, her own 
 feelings were somewhat excited and overwrought 
 by hearing her words used in public, and the public 
 so moved by them. She had exacted a promise 
 from Mrs. Prouder that no sign or hint should get 
 abroad that she had even known what Prouder 
 was going to say. Zury did not need to be urged 
 in this direction, but it would have been just like 
 his simple wife to tell the whole story. 
 
 They drove homeward through the cooling airs 
 of evening, and as they passed the gay groups 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 357 
 
 they were greeted from all sides. " We ve got 
 em, Zury!" " Hurrah fer th Wayback candi 
 date!" "That calf s busted a ready, Zury!" 
 " We 11 knock them ol squawkers all offen th 
 perch come lection." 
 
 Beside the two women he brought over, Zury 
 carried back as many of the folks going his way 
 as his wagon would hold, so there was no chance 
 for any exchange of private views ; and in the 
 evening, when Zury hoped to have it all over in a 
 long talk with Anne, she was conveniently tired 
 and went to her room almost immediately after 
 supper. She had an instinctive repugnance to 
 thanks and explanations. When the next even 
 ing arrived, she had no longer any practicable 
 excuse for not having the customary sitting-room 
 conference, but then time had calmed the too 
 effusive feelings that followed the stunning success 
 of the meeting, and all was plain sailing. 
 
 " Wai, Mis McVey, Zury n me we ve be n 
 a thin kin whut on th yarth we kin dew t pay ye 
 up fer th help ye ve be n tew him." 
 
 " Help, Mrs. Prouder ? Pay ? Why, that s all 
 nonsense ! When I want anything you 11 know 
 it, I assure you. Till then I hope you won t 
 think of any such foolishness." 
 
 " Wai, ye know I ain t no scholard, ner much 
 of a c rackter anyhaow ; but Zury, he llaows the 
 speech wuz yourn, n not his n, n it s yew t d 
 oughter go t th legislator ef anybody I " 
 
 " I m not a candidate, I thank you ! The speech 
 was his speech, and his alone. It s just as sen- 
 
358 ZURY. 
 
 sible to call it mine as it would be to say that a 
 man built a house when he only whitewashed it." 
 
 " Whitewash !" cried Zury. "Whitewash? 
 Why, I did n dew no more n dig th cellar V 
 lay th faoundation ! Yew built th haouse n 
 furnished it ! N it s me th t s goin t live intew 
 it ef I git votes enough. So yew n me ain t 
 square, not by no means." 
 
 "Well, if I have done any good, I ve just 
 done it to the country in the only "way a woman 
 can do it or ought to wish to do it, according to 
 my present way of thinking by influencing a 
 man s election or his actions after he s elected. 
 Nobody can ever pay me for that any more than 
 a man can pay you for your actions in the legis 
 lature after you get there, as I hope you will." 
 
 " Looks pootty like it, by what I ve heerd 
 talked raound to-day. Big meetin aout t Dan- 
 field nex We nsd y, V nother some rs else the 
 Sat d y arter." 
 
 " Heavens and earth.! Have you to get up all 
 those speeches ? " 
 
 " All those speeches ! Bless yer simple soul, 
 d ye s pose the want any diff rent speech f m 
 what I give em t th scule-haouse ? Not a bit on 
 it ! The would n t hev no other, not at no price ! 
 S posen I hed another, jest s good n better; the 
 would n never stan it ! The d be a hollerin n 
 yellin all over th place, Give us the busted calf, 
 Zury ! Oh, Zury ! Haow baout them three 
 hens ! Tell us baout them nigger babies, Zury 
 can t let ye often th nigger babies ! 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 359 
 
 " Why, will there be a fresh lot of people to 
 relish the old stories they ve heard about ? " 
 
 " Partly a fresh lot mainly th same old fel 
 lers, though. But the re like th chil n n the r 
 mothers : the babes oilers wants t hear th same 
 old stories, told in th same ol words. So does th 
 common run o folks. Yew notice what jokes takes 
 best in a craowd. Th ones the laugh at most 
 is th ones the ve be n most useter laughin at." 
 
 So by cleverly turning the subject Anne had 
 escaped the matter of thanks and " pay," as poor, 
 awkward Mrs. Prouder rudely phrased it. Zury s 
 ambitious soul was easily floated away from shal 
 lows of the past on the waves of the imaginary 
 future. 
 
 But in at least one house the subject was more 
 fully treated. It disturbed the privacy of the An- 
 stey connubial chamber. 
 
 " Anstey oh, Anstey be ye asleep ? " 
 
 " Jest a sugarin off. What s up ? " 
 
 "Why, don t ye know what s th matter with 
 Zury Praouder ? " 
 
 44 Zury ? Why, he s jest struck his gait. Fust 
 chance he s hed t show what s in him. /seen it 
 all along. Could n t tell me noth n abaout Zury 
 Praouder I Ain t noth n Zury can t dew ! N 
 oilers could. N I knowd it all fer this last 
 coon s age ! " 
 
 " Oh, yew sho ! Ye ol fool ! Ye re oilers a 
 knowin lots, fer a coon s age, arter it s all come 
 aout, specially ef it ain t so, arter all." 
 
 44 Ain t so? Zury not a hull team n a hoss t 
 spare n a " 
 
360 ZURY. 
 
 " Zury here, V Zury there ; what s that got t 
 dew with his speech ? " 
 
 " Why, I m a tellin ye, he s jest th man t 
 make jest sech a speech, n I oilers knowd it, n 
 so on." 
 
 " Yes, n I m a tellin yew ye re an ol fool, n 
 blinder n a bat, besides. Zury s speech ! Pickled 
 eel s toes ! Anne Sparrer McVey s speech is what 
 I llaow ! " 
 
 " Sho t man ! D ye b lieve it ? " 
 
 " B lieve it ? Don t hev t b lieve it, I know 
 it ! Tell me ! Yah, yah ! I wondered whut wuz 
 up when she come daown h yer n went t drivin 
 abaout with them Praouders, lookin all over th 
 lay o th land n not a-sayin nothin , all s in 
 nocent s a pig in a garding." 
 
 " Wai, he-he ! OF woman ! Yew hev got a 
 head outer ye. It s nex thing t Zury s own 
 head n I know it. Knowd it fer a coon s age ! 
 Dunno but ye re right, dimno but ye be. 
 Never d a thought it, though. Never mistrusted 
 a blame thing." 
 
 " Mistrusted nothin ! Course ye did n t, ner 
 none o th rest o th folks. The d never notice 
 ner mistrust nothV, not ef the wuz t meet a 
 wagin-load o brass monkeys with the r tails burnt 
 off. I keep my eyes open, thet s all; n / tell 
 yew them idees n them words wuz all Anne 
 Sparrer McVey s idees n words. Zury Praouder 
 couldn t never hatch aout no sech a brood s thet, 
 smart s he thinks himself, n many s th farms as 
 he s got, n morgidges on other folkses farms." 
 
ELECTIONEERING. 361 
 
 " Wai, is he t ride inter th legislatur on her 
 wagin ? Haow on th yarth kin you n me let 
 folks know who actially made the speech, fixed 
 th way we be, in regard o Zury, V th mor- 
 gidge behind ? " 
 
 " Oh, we hain t on call t interfere. I speck 
 she wants him t git in ; so ef we wuz t upset his 
 tater-cart, we d be a runnin agin her ; n we 
 ain t on runnin agin her, I reckon." 
 
 44 No sirree ! Ef she says so, it s all th more 
 reason t putt him in. N we kin dew it, tew. 
 But he d oughter pay her well fer rnakin up thet 
 speech fer him, ef so be she did make it up." 
 
 " Ef she did ? Don t I tell ye the ain t no 
 mistake abaout it ? But yer mighty right abaout 
 him d oughter payin her well fer it." 
 
 " D oughter give her a good five dollars fer it, 
 say I." 
 
 " Yes, ye better believe it. Five dollars in gold, 
 tew!" 
 
 And with this munificent vision of golden guer 
 don for their beloved Anne, the old couple sank 
 into rosy slumber. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 HOME AGAIN. ZURY DEFEATED, THOUGH 
 VICTORIOUS. 
 
 " Now, Mrs. Prouder, I have bad a delightful 
 visit, and I must be thinking of getting home to 
 my children and my work." 
 
 "Wai, ye re welcome t stay jest s long s 
 ye re a min ter." 
 
 " Yes, I know. You ve been kindness itself. 
 But all things come to an end, and so must my 
 visit. When can you spare time for a drive to 
 Springville?" 
 
 " Wai, I warn t cal latin t go t Springville 
 agin right away naow. Zury he llaowed t take 
 ye over any day ye like." 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Prouder. I see yes, of course," 
 Anne answered rather hesitatingly. " But I was 
 hoping for the pleasure of your company." 
 
 " Wai, I d like t obleege ye, but I don t hardly 
 see haow I kin git away agin right off. Zury 
 he s got ter be in Danfield come We nsd y, V 
 we llaowed it might suit ye t make it so s he c d 
 take yew on t Springville th same trip, ef that 
 d suit ye, d reckly arter th meetin ." 
 
 This would n t suit Anne at all. But how to 
 make that great dull creature understand that 
 
DEFEATED, THOUGH VICTORIOUS. 363 
 
 under no circumstances would she travel for a day 
 or more alone with Zury Prouder, including at 
 tendance at the Danfield meeting? And how to 
 get home in any other way ? Here was a di 
 lemma she had never contemplated: a puzzling 
 almost distressing predicament. Her still smooth 
 forehead took on an unaccustomed cloud, and her 
 old teeth-tapping trick evidenced her puzzled 
 condition. 
 
 Why was the Prouders plan out of the ques 
 tion ? She would enjoy the repetition of her ex 
 perience at the Wayback meeting. There was 
 an intoxicating delight in hearing her best words 
 uttered in Zury s strong voice and masterful man 
 ner; in observing the listening crowd hang in 
 rapt silence on their utterance, and then burst 
 into laughter and wild applause at every oppor 
 tunity. It was a perfect and unaccustomed treat 
 that made her heart beat fast, her breath come 
 full and quick, her cheeks glow, and her eyes 
 shine with the new joy of oratory (albeit second 
 hand), and with sympathy in the delight of Zury s 
 hearers her hearers. 
 
 And then Zury s company without doubt it 
 was more interesting to her than that of anybody 
 else in the world except her children. Many as 
 sociations of various kinds gave him a great place 
 in her Western life ; and besides, she shared with 
 the rest of his friends the feeling of interest and 
 amused respect which his fresh and vigorous orig 
 inality inspired. 
 
 No hour no morning no day could be 
 
364 ZURY. 
 
 more attractive than one spent in his society, lis 
 tening to his talk, always the same, yet without 
 sameness; often wrong, otten absurd, often affected 
 in its piety or cynicism, often false, to draw out 
 his interlocutor, but never dull. She felt when 
 with him that she was at her best, and that he 
 was fully as much pleased to hear her ideas as 
 she was to hear his. It was always a game of 
 battledore between them, except when there came 
 a silence, which, after all, was scarcely less inter 
 esting. This plan of his, for a long drive with 
 her (as she smiled to perceive), was in view of 
 these pleasant relations, and would have had all 
 these charms to the full. 
 
 So she could not think of permitting it. 
 
 In the evening Zury tried to rally her out of 
 her determination to hasten home. 
 
 44 Naow, Mis McVey what makes ye in sech 
 an all-fired hurry ? Can t ye put up with com 
 mon folkses livin no longer ? Course it s pootty 
 poor pickin s not t be called fash nable s I 
 know on but then we might kill a hawg er 
 suth n ef that d be any object ! " 
 
 " Oh, dear," answered Anne with one of her 
 merry laughs. " One reason I must go home is 
 my fear of getting fat and lazy with idleness and 
 feasting ! " 
 
 44 Oh, we kin fix that all right, tew ! Set ye t 
 white washin th fence, er droppin corn as fast as 
 two men kin kiver it, n then ferget all abaout 
 dinner jest braouse raound instead o feedin 
 reg lar. Guess ye won t fatten t trouble ye 
 much." 
 
DEFEATED, THOUGH VICTORIOUS. 365 
 
 44 Still, I should n t be altogether happy. Two 
 anchors hold me to Springville ; and you know 
 the longer the cable you have out the stronger 
 your anchor holds." 
 
 " Oh ! Them troublesome twins ! Could n t 
 ye git em dopted aout sorne ers ? " 
 
 u Now, Mr. Prouder, it s plain you never were 
 the mother of two lovely children ! " 
 
 44 Wai, not sence I kin remember. But what 
 of it ? They re weaned, I understand." 
 
 " Another thing : you never were book-keeper 
 in a general supply store you absent, and your 
 work running behind! This very day, being the 
 end of the month, there ought to be two hundred 
 monthly statements of account all headed and 
 started, and a trial balance nearly ready so as to 
 be handed in to-morrow or the day after ! " 
 
 44 Sho tew man ! " exclaimed Zury, who had all 
 the ordinary layman s awe of the supposed mys 
 teries of book-keeping. <4 Be yew up t all them 
 things? No wonder ye kin make p litickle 
 speeches ! Er do any other yarthly thing ye set 
 yer hand tew ! Should n wonder ef ye c d keep 
 a hotel ! " 
 
 44 Of course I could ! How do you s pose I get 
 along ? Do you think I ve been begging my 
 house-rent, and fuel, and food, and clothing, and 
 schooling, for my darlings? This is the hard and 
 callous hand of toil ? " And she brandished a 
 hand still fine, plump, white, and dimpled. Her 
 one surviving vanity was her hands ; her children 
 would not let it fade away. 
 
366 ZUR Y. 
 
 " Thar s a hand t make a white-wash-brush 
 turn pale ! Wai, ef ye must go, ye must, thet s 
 all. I ve got a little business up in th north end 
 o th caounty to-morrer be back a Tuesday 
 take ye over t th Danfield meetin a We nsd y 
 ef that ll suit ye, n git on t Springville nex 
 day." 
 
 " Well, we 11 see, we 11 see," said Anne mus 
 ingly. " I hope for a letter to-morrow, that may 
 let me know more about things at home." 
 
 Next day, Monday, after Zury had gone, his 
 wife drove over to Wayback with Anne. She 
 found the letter, sure enough ; a formidable docu 
 ment that almost took her breath away, until she 
 opened it. There it was in her dear girl s un 
 formed though neat handwriting a trial-balance 
 sheet for the month just closed! She couldn t 
 believe her eyes. (Perhaps that was the reason they 
 filled with tears.) Long rows of toilsome figures, 
 the remains of some of Phil s bolder pencil-marks 
 where he had helped Meg with the additions ; and 
 all complete and perfect without even a word of 
 explanation ! Her dear twinnies hers alone 
 so bright, so good, and so devoted ! Why did she 
 ever leave them ! What other dreams of happi 
 ness could she ever, ever harbor except to be al 
 ways with them ? The " mother hunger " arose in 
 her heart in such a flood that it seemed as if she 
 should drown in it. 
 
 She asked the postmaster about getting to 
 Springville by stage, but learned that " the hack," 
 as he called it, did not come nearer than Dan- 
 
DEFEATED, THOUGH VICTORIOUS. 367 
 
 field. There it turned back, and the mail came 
 the rest of the way on horseback. 
 
 Mrs. Prouder glanced with wonder at the array 
 of words and figures in Meg s letter, and from 
 them to Anne s tearful eyes. Her dull idea of 
 tears was that they were the mark of grief. 
 
 " I m afeared ye ve mebbe got bad news ! " 
 
 " Bad ? Oh, no ! Not at all, but quite the con 
 trary." She was about to explain the book-keep 
 ing miracle when she bethought herself that this 
 unknown mystery might furnish her the needed 
 excuse for getting home before Zury s return. 
 
 " The news is not to be called bad at all, except 
 that I must get over to Danfield to-morrow, and 
 go from there to Springville by stage." 
 
 " Oh lauk ! Be all them figgers wrong ? Hev 
 ye got t go n write em all over again right ? " 
 
 " Well, I can t be quite sure until I get there. 
 Then I 11 write you. Now how can I get to Dan- 
 field best and quickest ? " 
 
 Of course this was soon and simply arranged. 
 Mrs. Prouder was delighted to have Anne s bright 
 spirit all to herself through a long drive, during 
 which she could exhaust and deplete it, as dull 
 ness does pull down brightness whenever it gets it 
 in its power. Anne got away next day and reached 
 home without accident; but what a blank look 
 came over Zury s face when he found that she had 
 gone ! Seldom had the wife seen him so " savage " 
 as he was for some days afterwards. And in her 
 flabby way she wondered what was the matter. 
 The wild idea of a woman s becoming necessary to 
 
368 ZURY. 
 
 the happiness of a man who is not her husband 
 was so far beyond her scope of vision that she 
 could not have grasped it even if some one had 
 tried to communicate it to her. It would have 
 been to her like a French riddle to an American 
 reader : he cannot guess it, even when he knows 
 the answer. 
 
 How would Anne have liked it had she also 
 seen Zury s suppressed fury at his disappoint 
 ment? Of course it would have confirmed her as 
 to the wisdom and propriety of inflicting it upon 
 him. But perchance there would have been a 
 drop of consolation in it. Women are not much 
 offended by men s insolent ways in insisting on 
 enjoying their society. Indifference to it is more 
 galling. And then, as we know, Anne had not 
 had her fair share of masculine attention. 
 
 When Anne reached her cottage there was a 
 wild scene, and it was some minutes before she 
 and Meg could be disentangled from each other 
 and got far enough apart for articulate and intel 
 ligible speech. 
 
 Then all was told and retold on both sides 
 the son and daughter proud of the mother s ora 
 torical achievement, and the mother proud of her 
 daughter s courage, industry, ability, and devotion ; 
 also of Phil s ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto; only great 
 doings were the natural phenomena of the boy s 
 life. After a day or two of excited narration, 
 things settled back into their wonted routine, 
 and it seemed as if Anne never had been away, 
 never constructed a speech, nor heard one ; in 
 
DEFEATED, THOUGH VICTORIOUS. 369 
 
 short, as if her later Wayback experiences were 
 years and years old, along with her original ones. 
 
 When next Zury visited the store, Anne caught 
 sight of his stalwart shoulders from a distance, 
 and beamed with pleasurable anticipations of 
 their meeting and the customary words, more full 
 and interesting even than usual. But alas ! She 
 soon began to see that the great man was in high 
 dudgeon at her escape and avoidance of him, and 
 meant her to see it very plainly. He never came 
 near her ! Anger and disappointment were her 
 portion all day, but perhaps he would come to 
 the cottage in the evening. He did not. Per 
 haps he would remain, or would leave at the 
 store some token of his appreciation of her ser 
 vices. How and in what words should she decline 
 any k - pay," as poor Mrs. Prouder had phrased it? 
 She needed not to puzzle herself with any such 
 problem: no "pay" was forthcoming, and he de 
 parted without a word. 
 
 " The great brute ! " she said to herself, with 
 flashing eyes. " Why did I ever forget how mean 
 he is ! Likely enough he is glad to have the ex 
 cuse of the pretended offense, to get clear of an 
 inconvenient obligation without its costing him 
 anything!" At the same time she was ashamed 
 to perceive how much she really cared about his 
 treatment of her. 
 
 Anne s anger having been the last to begin, and 
 being complicated with some anger at herself for 
 being angry, was by much the longer-lived. When 
 at his next visit he attempted to show her that he 
 
370 ZURY. 
 
 had forgiven and forgotten her offense, she re 
 ceived him with a grave, unresponsive calm that 
 baffled him as a sandbank nullifies a shrapnel 
 shot. 
 
 u Why, dew tell, Mis Sparrer McVey, I 
 should say ! That ain t never yew, is it ? " 
 
 " Why not ? " And she laid down her pen and 
 turned upon him two solemn eyes, that paused as 
 if awaiting some important reply. 
 
 " Why, world n h yer, same s ever, jes s though 
 the warn t no sech a place s Way back, ner no sech 
 a thing as a mass meetin n a stump speech." 
 
 " Oh, is that all ? " and she turned away and re 
 sumed her pen as if he did not exist. 
 
 " I thought ye mought like t know th t we beat 
 em so t the did n know whether the wuz a foot 
 er a hossback." 
 
 " On foot or on horseback ? " 
 
 " Yes ! The lected me, by near tew t one ! " 
 Then he added in a lower tone : " Lected yew, I 
 should say." 
 
 " And how long does the office stay with you ? " 
 
 "Oh, I ve got two sessions, anyhaow that 
 makes it just two years from now n f I git a 
 reelection, which I don t expect, it 11 make it a 
 good four years." 
 
 " Well, will you kindly come in and tell me 
 about it as soon as your two years term is com 
 pleted ? That is, unless you are, as you say, 
 elected again, in which case I hope you will come 
 in after the four years." And she resumed her 
 writing, though with a trembling hand. 
 
DEFEATED, THOUGH VICTORIOUS. 371 
 
 44 Ki ! Ain t she hoppin mad ! " said Zury to 
 himself as he turned away, pleased and amused at 
 her anger, flattered by it, in truth. Did it not 
 indicate irritation at his neglect of her ? All 
 through his presence at the store, Anne felt rather 
 than saw his smiling glances in her direction, and 
 knew that her rage had been a blunder, which 
 feeling aggravated it. Yet it must be maintained. 
 It was one of those blunders which, well stuck to, 
 are the next best things to no blunders at all. So 
 when Zury, before going away, made a second at 
 tempt at cordiality, she gave him another slap. 
 She ignored his presence while deliberately finish 
 ing the addition (wildly wrong) of a long column 
 of figures, and then, with a bored and weary ex 
 pression, turned to him : 
 
 44 Are the two years up already ? " 
 
 " Wai, it seems a good spell anyhow." 
 
 u Is it two years ? " 
 
 44 Ya-as, in a way, ye ve been mad enough fer 
 tew hours t last tew years, I sh d say." 
 
 44 Then make it four years, if you please. Give 
 my best regards to Mrs. Prouder, and come in 
 again in four years." Then, as he lingered with 
 an irritating smile of superior good-temper, she 
 was compelled to add : 
 
 " Do you understand English ? " 
 
 44 Wai, not so well as yew do." 
 
 44 Then I shall have to teach you a little for 
 once. Please understand that I wish to be left 
 entirely alone." 
 
 44 Goin t put me aout, be ye ? " 
 
372 ZURY. 
 
 " I can t put you out ; but I can put myself out, 
 and I shall do it, if I have to." And she dis 
 mounted from her tall stool and looked at him 
 with flashing eyes, waiting to see what he would 
 do. 
 
 " Oh, see h yer naow, I kin fix it all right " 
 And she was gone to her little cloak-room and had 
 shut the door. 
 
 " Great Scott ! Don t that beat all ? Temper ! 
 I sh d say so ! If she wuz my wife, I d 
 Dtmuo s I would nuther. Dunno s I could!" 
 And he stalked off in surprised irritation and 
 respect. Thus did she snatch a victory, albeit a 
 dear one, from the jaws of defeat. 
 
 " Course I m greatly obleeged tew her. But 
 then ! A man don t have t stan everything. 
 Guess I kin put up with it s long s she kin ! 
 Mebbe she may want suth n some day. I kiii 
 see t these h yer fellers ain t a half pay in on hei 
 fer whut she dooz, V t would n t take but a word 
 fr m me t help her. I wish t she knowd what 
 she s a losin by a-quar liu with Zury Praouder ! " 
 J Then, more suo, he tried to comfort himself 
 with the glory and strength of his position 
 member-elect of the legislature ; richest man in 
 Spring County, and the meanest, too, where he 
 had a mind to be mean, but having no mind to be 
 mean to Anne Sparrow McVey, unless she forced 
 him to it ; and so forth, with weary and fruitless 
 repetition : for it was nothing but sawdust-and- 
 water to his hungry soul, j 
 
 " Ki I Don t a man leel small when a woman 
 
DEFEATED, THOUGH VICTORIOUS. 373 
 
 hits him ! Seems s though he d ben bit by a 
 caow er kicked by a dawg, seein t a caow can t 
 bite n a dawg can t kick. Kinder s prised t see 
 haow it hurts ! Wish t some man h d gone fer 
 me th way she did ! But her, a snappin them 
 eyes o hern at me, n a showin her shiny teeth ! 
 N a comin aout fust best when I knowed I wuz 
 only a playin mad, n she wuz good n mad ! " 
 
 He made some excuse to stay at Springville over 
 night, and in the evening knocked at the cottage 
 door, which Anne opened to him. She regarded 
 him with cool surprise, and did not ask him to 
 enter. 
 
 " Haowdy, haowdy, marm ! Be all well h yer ? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 44 Ye see, I thought I d jest kinder drop in, 11 
 kinder pologize fer any ffense I mought a given." 
 
 44 Apologize ? " with a shrill laugh, as if the 
 very idea was too amusing to grasp. 44 For what? 
 There s not the slightest occasion." 
 
 44 Wai, ye see, I in s li ble t be wrong s any 
 body mebbe more so n most. We re all poor 
 falliable creeturs. Ef we had our failin s printed 
 ontew our foreheads, we d hev t keep our hats on 
 night n day, n Sund ys, n well pulled daown 
 over our eyes, tew." He paused for a little help 
 and encouragement, but got none. " So I llaowed 
 ye would n t bear no malice, n we d be friends, 
 same as ever." 
 
 44 Yes, surely, Mr. Prouder. That is all right. 
 Don t forget to give my regards to your wife." 
 (The door begins to close.) 
 
374 ZURY. 
 
 " I thought ef so be the wuz anythin I c d dew 
 fer ye" 
 
 " Do for me ? Thank you. If there should be 
 anything, I will certainly let you know." (Door 
 closing slowly.) 
 
 " Down t th store, naow be the a-treatin 
 on ye square?" 
 
 "Perfectly." 
 
 " Haow much do the pay ye ? " 
 
 " They pay me all I ever asked them." 
 
 " 1 kin make em dew what s right." 
 
 " Well, if I ask you to interfere, I have no doubt 
 they will listen to you." 
 
 After an awkward pause, the poor, crestfallen 
 fellow could only add : 
 
 "Is that all?" 
 
 " All, to-night, I believe. Don t forget my 
 message to your wife." And the door, after al 
 lowing passage to a muffled " Good night," shut 
 entirely. 
 
 Zury walked away too much hurt to allow room 
 even for anger. " Got m walkin papers sure," 
 said he. " Yet I meant well. I meant well." 
 
 Anne had to face her children and answer their 
 questions. 
 
 " Mr. Prouder? Oh, mother! why didn t you 
 ask him in? I m just wild to see him ! " 
 
 " Why, Phil, he is very busy, you know, and 
 has no time to give to poor folks." 
 
 "But what is he going to do to pay you for 
 what you did for him ? Did n t he even offer to 
 serve you somehow ? Then he must be as mean 
 as he s cracked up to be ! Or meaner." 
 
DEFEATED, THOUGH VICTORIOUS. 375 
 
 " Certainly, Phil ; that is what he came for, to 
 offer me help in any way I could name. Of 
 course I told him there wasn t anything. If I 
 had n t yon, now, to be sure it would be different." 
 
 44 Of course ! " said the gratified boy, with one 
 of his rare caresses. 
 
 44 But, mother," cried Meg, 44 what s the matter? 
 You re as pale as pale ! I believe he brought bad 
 news, or said something unpleasant." 
 
 44 No, you foolish child," replied her mother, 
 forcing a laugh. 44 Nothing of the kind ! But I 
 don t feel very well, and I think I 11 go and lie 
 down." 
 
 She went into her bedroom, and much to their 
 amazement they heard her lock her door. They 
 had never before known that it could be locked. 
 
 Once there, she fairly broke down, and cried on 
 her pillow. (It is a pretty sight, a woman cry 
 ing for pain she has inflicted.) 
 
 " What a fool I am ! Of course there was 
 nothing else to be done! I wish. I were really 
 angry with him! But it is myself I am angry 
 with ; and it is he I punish for it ! Well, it 11 
 all come right some day and somehow. I don t 
 suppose he was ever so cut up before in his life ! 
 But it will do him good I The hateful thing ! " 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 SHOOTING-MATCH. CHOIR. PASTOR S VISIT. 
 
 ZUHY now stayed away from Springville as 
 much as he could, quelling his mortification by 
 the help of increased attention to business. When 
 he did visit the store it all came back upon him, 
 and he looked wistfully toward Anne s desk to see 
 if the disfavor he had fallen into was departing. 
 But she remembered her inexplicable and inex 
 cusable tears; so no sign showed that she was 
 aware of his existence. 
 
 One day his restless discontent led him to try 
 to steal a look at Phil. At least he should see 
 her son ! He strolled over to the railway repair- 
 shops and entered the round-house, where six iron 
 steeds stood backed into their stalls, their for 
 midable noses all pointing to the turn-table in the 
 centre. Around them hung the usual crowd of 
 rustics, staring open-mouthed at the still unaccus 
 tomed sight of a railway locomotive. How huge 
 they looked under cover! How heavy, helpless, 
 sleepy, and peaceful compared to their raging force 
 and speed when at work! Elephants in winter 
 quarters must resemble housed locomotives. 
 
 Behind them, and in the adjoining shops and 
 forge-house, were the anvils, planing-machines, 
 
SHOOTING MATCH. 377 
 
 lathes, work - benches and tools, usually well- 
 manned with grimy mechanics, now almost de 
 serted ; for it chanced to be a pay-day and a 
 Saturday half-holiday. The hands, in their better 
 clothes, were most of them clustered about the 
 pay-desk in one corner. One of them, a fine 
 specimen of incipient manhood, Zury easily recog 
 nized as Anne s son : his level brows, bright eyes, 
 dark red cheeks, curly hair, square shoulders, pow 
 erful limbs, and quick, strong action, would attract 
 attention anywhere from any connoisseur in stirpi- 
 culture; and they somehow seemed to mark him 
 out as the fellow Zury was wishing to know with 
 out being known by him. 
 
 Phil stood at a bench, engaged in the apparently 
 childish occupation of rolling bullets one after 
 another down an inclined board into a little cup, 
 scarcely larger than themselves, ready to receive 
 them at the bottom. About one out of four would 
 miss the cup and drop outside it. 
 
 Zury did not ask any questions, but he was glad 
 when some one else did. A large-eyed little boy 
 ventured : 
 
 " Say, Phil, what ye doin that fer ?" 
 
 " Oh, jest playin marbles." 
 
 " What ye tryin t hit ? " 
 
 " Them others in the cup." 
 
 44 Lemme try wunst." 
 
 4 * All right ; " indicating the ones that had rolled 
 aside. The ambitious youth tried and tried 
 again, but they all fell wide of the mark. A loud 
 guffaw from his rude fellows greeted his failure, 
 
378 ZURY. 
 
 and he slunk back abashed. Phil s looks followed 
 the little man, who was evidently a gentle soul, 
 small of his age, and absurdly sensitive. 
 
 " Come back, Freddy," said Phil ; but Freddy 
 walked away, apparently bound for home and 
 sympathy. 
 
 tk Hold on, Fred, I want to speak to you ; " then, 
 as the boy kept on, Phil skipped after him, caught 
 him affectionately round the neck, and led him 
 back to the bench. 
 
 " Ye see, some of the bullets don t chill regular 
 and even when they are cast one side s lighter 
 n t other, see ? Coarser grained ; kinder-dozy 
 like that makes it lighter. Those that s that 
 way roll wobbly n crooked, see? N a ball 
 that won t roll straight won t shoot straight." 
 
 " Lemme try some on em outer the cup." 
 
 "All right!" And he had no difficulty in 
 running them successfully. So was the tender 
 spirit comforted, and the scoffers rebuked and 
 Zury pleased with Phil s kind-heartedness. 
 
 " Be ye goin t shewt ? " asked Freddy. 
 
 " Yes. Some of us are goin over into the 
 woods by the river to try our rifles." 
 
 " Why don t ye take along the crooked bullets 
 t give the other fellers ? " 
 
 " Well, ye see, I know if they have good balls 
 that 11 go jest where they aim em, I can beat em 
 shootin every time. But if they have crooked 
 ones, why they may chance to hit the bull s-eye 
 once in a while, coz they don t aim at it." 
 
 With which sarcastic pleasantry he gathered 
 
SHOOTING MATCH. 379 
 
 up the rejected pellets and popped them back into 
 the melting-pot. 
 
 When the riflemen set out they were accom 
 panied by a considerable number of the loungers, 
 among whom Zury walked along unconspicuous. 
 The place being reached, and the ranges paced 
 off, the marks a " blaze " in the side of a tree, 
 and a charcoal mark in the middle of the blaze 
 established, and the order of shooting fixed by 
 lot, the quick, sharp cracks began and followed 
 each other in rapid succession sounding almost 
 like one side of a small skirmish between outposts. 
 The shooting was not the modern style tele 
 scopic sights, long distances, targets almost out of 
 sight, rifles resting on knee or foot, or some artifi 
 cial support. Each shooter stood in his place and 
 raised and steadied his heavy piece by sheer force 
 of nerve and muscle. 
 
 Phil with his iron biceps and forearm was easily 
 first at all distances. At the short range, thirty 
 yards, the outside of his bullet-holes averaged as 
 close to centre as the inside of those of his best 
 competitor, and the poorest shots of those two as 
 good as the best put in by anybody else. The long 
 distances, one hundred yards, showed about the 
 same relative prowess ; and after fruitless efforts 
 to match him they all gave up the trial, and sat 
 down to clean their guns and tell shooting stories. 
 Of course these grew from fact to fable, and from 
 fable to that wild, grotesque, caricatured extrava 
 gance which seems to be the type of American 
 fun. 
 
380 ZURY. 
 
 First there were the old tales how one seeing 
 a long line of pigeons sitting on a limb, fired, not 
 at them, but at the limb split it and caught 
 them all by their toes in the crack. Then, too, 
 was repeated the old Munchausen story about 
 sending a bullet with a string attached through a 
 whole line of wild geese, which at once flew away 
 and carried the shooter whither he would. 
 
 " Say, fellers, my dad used t be here in Illinoy 
 when th wuz injins raoun ; V him V a ol buck 
 injin got t firm at each other fin behind tew 
 trees baout a quarter of a mild apart. They shot 
 V shot V shot till th trees wuz near abaout cut 
 daown by splinterin off th sides. Dad s tree 
 growed so slim th t t would n t hardly hide his 
 body no more, V all the hind buttons wuz shot 
 offen his pants. Then he thort he d fix Mr. In 
 jin. He was orfle strong in his han s ; n so he 
 jes bent the muzzle of his rifle acrost his knee 
 close t th eend, so t th ball d go straight ontel 
 it d got most aout, n then take a sudding turn 
 t sideways. Then he let th ol injin have it, n 
 sure enough th bullet went straight ahead till it 
 got past th ol cuss s tree, n then it whipped 
 raound n killed him ! " 
 
 " Oh you sho, Jim ! That warn t much ! Haow 
 fur off d ye say th injin stood ? " 
 
 " Mebbe a quarter, er so." 
 
 " Wai, mos anybody kin kill a injin inside of a 
 mild jes shoot so laoud it 11 scare him t death ! 
 But wha d ye think o my dad killin a feller 
 clar off in York State ? " 
 
SHOOTING MATCH. 381 
 
 " Noth n very strange abaout that. That s 
 why he hed t leave thar I xpeck." 
 
 " No sirree ! It was after he got here he shot 
 back at him. Ye see the feller he owed dad 
 money V wrote him a letter sayin he could n t n 
 would n t pay a cent. So dad he tuk th letter, 
 see whar it come from, tuk good aim, n put the 
 bullet in another letter n sent it back by mail ; 
 n it got thar in abaout six weeks n killed him 
 dead." 
 
 " No wonder, nuther ! He jes cast one o your 
 yarns inside n it busted like a bombshell jes s 
 sune s anybody took a holt on it, specially ef he 
 tried t swaller it." 
 
 " Thasso, thasso, friend Rice ! Onless he had 
 a bread-baskit s big s yourn, n then it wouldn t 
 a hurt him. Ef it busted in the middle the pieces 
 d be all wore aout afore they c d reach the sides." 
 
 " Lord, John. If ye could shewt as straight as 
 ye kin lie ! But then the trouble is ye kin shewt 
 only jest abaout s crooked s as ye kin tell th 
 truth. Fellers, d ye know why John sold his gun 
 n don t shewt any more ? Tell ye haow it wuz. 
 He tried shewtin at a bar 1-head nailed ontew th 
 barn-door. Wai, he could n t hit it, ner find aout 
 whar in the yarth th bullets went tew. Then he 
 went up closer n jest aimed at th barn-door it 
 self. No difference; he couldn t hit it. Then 
 he went up close s he could git, n shot at th 
 whole barn ; but fellers, if ye 11 believe me, he 
 never hit it once ontel he went inside n shut th 
 door ! " 
 
382 ZURY. 
 
 " Fellers, my dad war n t no gre t shakes with a 
 rifle, but take a shot-gun sakes alive ! Could 
 n t he jest more n shoot ! Tell ye what s a fack. 
 We come f m Maryland, where th wuz lots o 
 cherries no trouble to make cherry-pies except 
 th cherry-stones. All th other fellers used t 
 want t git a piece o my cherry-pie coz theirs 
 wuz all stones, n mine did n never have a nary 
 one. Know haow it wuz?" 
 
 " Yer dad uster stan over ye with a gad n 
 make ye stone em all ! " 
 
 44 Gad thunder ! Stone nothin ! Mother d jes 
 take a panfle of cherries up in the chamber 
 winder ; dad he d jes stan off a right smart 
 piece with his shot-gun ; mother she d pour aout 
 th hull panfle o cherries; dad he d shoot; n 
 sure s yer born he d jes put one shot through 
 every cherry knock the stone aout, n let the 
 meat drap daown inter a dish on the graoun un 
 derneath ! N ef ye don t b lieve it ye kin jes go 
 t Maryland n see th shot-marks in th side o 
 th haouse ! " 
 
 " Speakin o shot-guns, pards, did ye never hear 
 of a savin cuss that uster go duck-shootin daown 
 on Spring River? He was tew mean t spend a 
 hull charge onter one duck : ef he could n git 
 tew in a line he d jes keep a cork in his teeth, n 
 when he shot at a duck he d hurry up n cork up 
 his gun-barl s sune s enough shot got aout t kill 
 that one ; n then when he got a bead drawd on 
 another duck he d pull the cork aout n let him 
 hev the rest." 
 
SHOOTING MATCH. 388 
 
 Zury reddened and ground his teeth at this 
 pleasing tale, recognizing it as one of the count 
 less yarns which had been told of him in his 
 youth. Nobody knew him here, so he was spared 
 any open mortification. But he felt that he would 
 not have had Phil recognize him as the man who 
 had been mean enough to start such stories of 
 meanness at his expense no, not for a good deal. 
 Not for a good deal ! Though he used to glory 
 in that yarn among the rest. 
 
 " Say, pards : t ain t no trick at all t shoot th 
 bark offen a tree, but wha d ye say t splittin 
 a dawg s bark right in tew in the middle ? " 
 
 " Less try it ! Yew bark, Jim, n we 11 
 shoot ! " 
 
 " Oh, yew smarty ! Jest lemme tell ye, boys, 
 haow my dad did that trick. One night th wuz 
 a dawg ou doors th t jes kep up his yawp, yawp, 
 so t mam she could n sleep no more n a fish. 
 So dad he upped n tuck his gun, n opened th 
 winder. It wnz darker n a pocket, n he could n 
 see a blame thing. So wha d he dew but wait 
 till the dawg barked, n he fired at the bark. 
 The did n h yer no more o th dawg, n nex 
 mornin dad he got aout bright n early, n wha 
 d ye think he faound?" 
 
 " Faound th dawg shot through the head, n 
 the bark gone ? " 
 
 " Noap ! Guess agin." 
 
 " Faoun the dawg-gone dawg gone, V the 
 bark shot threw th head." 
 
 " Noap ! He faound th caow shot threw the 
 head n th dawg a eatin up th carkiss ! " 
 
384 ZURY. 
 
 " Sho t man ! Dew tell ! I wanter know ! Is 
 that so fer a fack, Jim ? " 
 
 61 Hope I may die ! " 
 
 44 Cross yer heart ? " 
 
 "Cross in heart!" 
 
 44 See it yerself ? " 
 
 " Yes sirree, I jes did that ! " 
 
 " Ef ye had n t a seen it ye would n t a b lieved 
 it, naow would ye Jim ? " 
 
 44 Ye re mighty right I would n t ! " 
 
 44 Wai, we did n t see it, so of course " 
 
 " Say, Sam, d ye wanter hurt my feelin s ? " 
 
 44 No, Jim, course not." 
 
 " Then don t call me a liar." 
 
 " Oh, sho ! Ef I wanted t hurt yer feelin a 
 d ye think I d try callin ye a liar ? No sirree ! 
 Fer that jawb I d jes take a club." 
 
 When the guns were all cleaned, the restless 
 spirits, gay with the mere zest of unaccustomed 
 holiday, looked about for fresh worlds to con 
 quer. 
 
 44 Jesse, I 11 bet ye a dollar ye can t hit that 
 crow, up on that thar dead tree." 
 
 " Bet ye a dollar I kin." 
 
 44 Don t let em hurt the poor crow, Phil," whis 
 pered Fred. Phil glanced up at the bird and an 
 swered, 
 
 44 Th crow s safe enough." 
 
 Then, after a pause, he looked up again : 
 
 44 Jesse, ye can t shoot at that crow." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 44 Cause ye d miss it, V then whar d the bul 
 let go?" 
 
SHOOTING MATCH. 385 
 
 " Dunno." 
 
 " It d describe a parabolic curve n light jest 
 forty rods and three-quarters east southwest by 
 north from th court house that s right in yer 
 mother s back yard." 
 
 " 1 swow, Jesse, that was a narrer escape ! 
 Bet ye a dollar yer mother s jest a-hangin out 
 yer biled shirt ; n ef it had got tored ye d a had 
 t go t church t -morrer stark naked ! " 
 
 " Bet ye a dollar I could a hit the crow if I d 
 a shot." 
 
 " Bet ye a dollar ye could n t." 
 
 " Bet ye a dollar ye hain t got a dollar." 
 
 " Bet ye a dollar I hev ! " 
 
 And so, having come to a square issue, the dis 
 cussion was dropped. 
 
 " Ki, fellers ! Look-a-there ! " said one, in an 
 excited whisper. At a distance of some hundred 
 yards or more there was a whitish object an 
 animal about as large as a cat, with fur of shin 
 ing lustre. It was evidently a Mephitis Ameri 
 cana ; sometimes (incorrectly) called a pole-cat 
 name of horror and disgust. Several hands were 
 stretched out for rifles. Phil s among the rest. 
 
 " Hold on, pards. Let Phil do the business 
 rest of us 11 miss him, likely he 11 fetch him 
 sure ! " 
 
 Phil slowly raised his gun, * drew his bead " 
 firmly and accurately, and stood motionless. 
 
 "Shoot, Luke, er give up the gun," said one, 
 using a slang phrase well known as a common fil 
 lip to a hesitating speaker. 
 
886 ZURY. 
 
 Phil suddenly changed bis aim and sent his bul 
 let smack into an oak hard by, while the poor 
 beast, alarmed by the report, scurried away to 
 his aromatic nest in some sequestered hole 
 doubtless to communicate his adventures to an in 
 teresting family. 
 
 "Wlia"d ye dew that fer, ye blamed fool!" 
 " Why did n t ye give somebody else a chance ef 
 ye thought ye wuz a-goin t miss ? " " Might a 
 tried him, hit er miss." These inquiries, spiced 
 with strong expletives, arose on all sides. 
 
 Phil kept quiet and went to wiping out his gun 
 again. After an angry silence, one of the elder 
 men asked, in a decently respectful tone, 
 
 " Why did n t ye try yer luck, Phil? " 
 
 " Well, it jest struck me, after I d drawn my 
 bead right dead for him, that I did n t happen to 
 have no grudge against him. He never done me 
 no harm that I know of. Not as I remember at 
 this moment." 
 
 A loud burst of laughter met this avowal, and 
 it nettled Phil. He reddened with mortification 
 and rage at the general ridicule. His brows 
 dropped until they almost joined in the middle, 
 and his bright eyes shone under them with an an 
 gry light. He glanced at the laughers, one after 
 another, until one big boor gave voice to the con 
 tempt of the rest. 
 
 " Ain t he mammy s boy? Should n wonder 
 ef he wuz afraid o hurtin his uncle." 
 
 Phil set down his gun and went up to the 
 speaker. 
 
SHOOTING MATCH. 387 
 
 " Boy enough to slap your mouth if you 11 stand 
 up." 
 
 Thereupon the offender, still seated, began a 
 loud abusive exculpation, which all the rest recog 
 nized as " a clean back-down," and turned their 
 ridicule on him. 
 
 44 Did n t have no sand in yer box, did ye, Jim? " 
 " Boy side-tracked ye, fust station, did n t he? " 
 
 Phil simply knocked off the boor s hat, which 
 the latter picked up and put on sidewise so as to 
 pretend to join in the laugh, saying at the same 
 time, 
 
 " Oh, that s all right, pard ! When a feller 
 pologizes to me, handsome, like that, I don t never 
 say a word ! I ain t th feller t bear malice I 
 Any time I ve said anythin I m sorry fer, I in 
 glad of it ! " 
 
 Phil s forehead cleared as suddenly as it had 
 clouded over, and he joined in the general hi 
 larity. 
 
 Zury left them and walked back to town in 
 deep thought. 
 
 44 Beats me, don t he ! I hate t hurt a hoss, er 
 even a dawg, but he wun t harm nothin ! Not a 
 blame thing is tew low fer Phil t remember it 
 hez rights! Afore all the rest on em, tew! Oh 
 Lordy, Lordy ! Ef I only hed a holt on him ! 
 Wonder ef he don t want nothin I ve got ! 
 T ain t likely not a thing, not a thing, thaout 
 it s money, V that I hain t got, not t speak of. 
 
 " He wuz a-goin fer that other feller hot 
 enough, tew ! Feller s big s tew on him, pootty 
 
388 ZURY. 
 
 near, but, Lord ! that did n make no difference, 
 not t Phil McVey ! Ef be d a-ben a Goliath t 
 would a ben all one t that little David ! " 
 
 Then he had long, dim visions of what his life 
 would be with such a son. 
 
 " He d cut me plum aout, like enough. I 
 would n be nowhers. Wai, let him. All the 
 better. Oh Lordy, Lordy, ef I c d only git him ! 
 He beats me, all holler. Sees me n goes me 
 one better. I would n t hurt a child, ner a hoss, 
 ner a mule, ner a dog, ner a cat he would n t 
 even hurt a skunk" 
 
 The next day being Sunday, Zury contrived to 
 see yet more of these three interesting beings 
 with whose lives his thoughts were so much occu 
 pied. He went to church, took an inconspicuous 
 seat, and watched for their coming. The effort 
 was only partly successful, for Anne entered 
 alone ; and, as it happened, sat down where he 
 could scarcely see her. So being disappointed, he 
 attended to the service and observed the rest of 
 the congregation. The choir was placed in a cor 
 ner, beside the pulpit and on a level with it, and 
 facing the congregation. 
 
 This arrangement has its advantages and its 
 disadvantages. It lessens the " dead loads of 
 fun " which have been the perquisite of church- 
 choirs ever since they began to supplement the 
 psaltery and shawm of primeval worship ; or, if it 
 does not lessen it, it makes it more public and less 
 perilous. No more flirting behind the closely 
 drawn curtains, no more whispered arrangements 
 
SHOOTING MATCH. 389 
 
 for homeward walks and other tete-a-tetes ; no 
 more jealousy aroused in the breast of the bass- 
 singer by the conduct of the treble and the tenor. 
 The minister does not probably miss any marriage 
 fees, at any rate his sermons are listened to by 
 the choir, in the full glare of public observation, 
 with an exemplary attention quite rare in the 
 old hidden bevy of youths and maidens. 
 
 On the other hand, the pretty singers have, as 
 spectators, the whole churchful of their friends ; 
 so on the whole, their reward gains in largeness 
 what it loses in intensity. 
 
 Zury was near to the singers, and gave them 
 a fair share of his attention. The evidently con 
 scious belle of the choir did not enchain his re 
 gards: they were devoted to a humble, modest, 
 unassuming girl who apparently thought nothing 
 of her looks, because she was well aware that they 
 were not worth thinking of. Strong, tall, red- 
 haired, almost or quite worthy to be called un 
 gainly, she nevertheless struck him as the most 
 interesting, the most trustworthy, the most con 
 scientious, even the most lovable of them all to a 
 middle-aged man like him. What was it about 
 her that made his eyes and his thoughts turn to 
 her plain face with a refreshing sense of rest, 
 peace, and comfort? Could it be because it was 
 evident that no one else was attracted by her ? 
 Even there, under the eyes of the world, one might 
 see that some of the girls were more sedulously 
 waited on by their male neighbors than were 
 others. Some never had a chance to find their 
 
390 ZURY. 
 
 own places in the hymn-books and tune-books. 
 Almost all had one or more of the other sex 
 quietly observant and constantly serviceable. But 
 Zury s favorite waited on herself with perfect 
 sweetness and good -humor, even had time and 
 thought to spare for her more favored and more 
 thoughtless sisters in melody. And among them 
 she evidently found regard and affection, however 
 lacking she was in the qualities which could exact 
 it from the other sex ; the girls had each a smile 
 for her whenever their eyes met. 
 
 When the last hymn had been sung and the 
 last amen said, Zury made his way out with the 
 rest, just in time to see Anne joined in her home 
 ward walk by his friend from the choir. It was 
 Margaret. 
 
 While Zury was still cogitating over the one 
 sided acquaintance he had thus curiously struck 
 up with Margaret, the minister came out, and rec 
 ognized him as one of the pillars of the Wayback 
 church where he had sometimes preached. He 
 was an elderly parson one of the salt of the 
 earth but of a pulpit dullness verging on the 
 miraculous. 
 
 "Brother Prouder! This is a rare pleasure. 
 Seldom do we see you at our Springville ministra 
 tions. How is the work of the Lord prospering 
 at Wayback ? " 
 
 " Middling middling brother. Same with yew 
 I hope ? " 
 
 " Yes, the Lord does not quite forget even the 
 most unworthy of his servants. I have no reason 
 to complain no reason to complain." 
 
SHOOTING MATCH. 391 
 
 " Folks take a-holt pootty good ? " 
 
 "Well not overly well not overly well. 
 Sometimes I feel a little disheartened by a certain 
 deadness but then I realize that the fault must 
 be mine the fault must be mine. I am charged 
 with a blessed message, but lack the tongue of 
 power to make it heard. When I hear of the glo 
 rious doings of brother Pratt and brother Blank, 
 I feel ashamed of my backwardness." 
 
 " Oh, mebbe ef ye wuz a-flyin raound f m 
 place t place s they be, ye might git up steam 
 same s they dew." 
 
 " Possibly, if Providence had seen fit to vouch 
 safe me a wider field to gleam from, I might have 
 more sheaves to show more sheaves to show 
 but I never can find time to stray away from my 
 narrow sphere of labor." 
 
 " Wai, naow that reminds me of the boy they 
 tell on ; a feller come along n see him a whalin 
 away at a stick of wood with an axe duller n a 
 hoe ; n the feller he asked him why he did n t go 
 n grind his axe, n the boy, sez he; 4 ef yew had 
 sech a pile o wood t cut s that, I guess ye would 
 n t be monkeyin raound a-grindin no axes. " 
 
 " Ha-ha I Well, I suppose I am a little like that 
 boy I But God has not seen fit to furnish me any 
 one to turn grindstone for me. I suppose the axe 
 is not worth grinding. He will sooner lay it aside 
 and provide a new one." 
 
 " Oh sho, Brother Kizer ! Yew re all right ; it s 
 yer hearers is in fault ! " 
 
 " They don t think so. On the contrary, they 
 
392 ZURY. 
 
 think that if there were more power in the pulpit, 
 there would be more movement in the pews ! " 
 
 " Ah yah ! There it is agin ! I ve seen it more 
 times in my life n I ve got fingers V toes! A 
 preacher a-draggin the hull congregation ! One 
 poor ole man strugglin along between the shafts 
 his tongue a-lollin aout, n the sweat a-pourin 
 offen his face n the hull congregation, deakins 
 V all, a-ridin on th wagin ! N every little 
 while somebody ups n sez s haow th ole nag s 
 a gittin slow, n d oughter be touched up ! " 
 
 " Oh brother, brother ! Such words as yours are 
 comforting to the soul ! I wish there were more 
 like you that I had you in my own fold ! I feel 
 as though, if I had such a refreshing spirit as 
 yours always within my sphere, even I might 
 gain a certain freshness the old axe might grow 
 to be a little sharper ! I doubt not but that you 
 are a noble friend to the church in Wayback ! " 
 
 "Wai, I guess I m a heap sight better hand at 
 findin fault with other folks, than I be a-doin 
 any better ner what they dew." Then after a 
 pause, during which poor Kizer was ruminating 
 delightfully on Zury s quaint words of encourage 
 ment, the latter went on. 
 
 " By the way, brother, ye ve got some of aour 
 old Wayback folks amongst your hearers the 
 McVeys." 
 
 " Oh, ah ! Superior people, I judge decidedly 
 superior." 
 
 " Mis McVey dooz she seem to take a holt, 
 good ? " 
 
PASTORAL VISIT. 393 
 
 " A Laodicean, brother a Laodicean, blowing 
 neither cold nor hot. Now the daughter, Mar 
 garet ah, brother, that is a blessed soul ! My 
 pet lamb of the flock ! " 
 
 " Haow abaout the boy ? " 
 
 " Oh, as to him ; we must only hope for the 
 best." 
 
 " Old story I s pose girl a lamb and boy a 
 limb." 
 
 " No, no, brother. I should hardly call Philip 
 McVey a limb only a brand to be, in God s good 
 time, snatched from the burning." 
 
 " The mother you c nsider as a superior lady 
 you say." 
 
 44 Decidedly so. In fact, so highly superior that 
 I have hesitated to assume full pastoral relations 
 so far as to make a pointed effort to care for her 
 soul s welfare. But I have determined to post 
 pone the good work no longer. I am glad that 
 your expressions of interest in them have recalled 
 me to a sense of my neglected duties shirked 
 shrunk from, I may say; for which, sir, I shall 
 this night, before I sleep, seek pardon at the 
 throne pardon and renewed strength." 
 
 Then they parted ; the good man, though poor 
 preacher, getting more comfort and consolation 
 than he could have explained, by the sharp fault 
 finding bestowed by Zury upon his troublesome 
 congregation. 
 
 Zury, too, was a little comforted by hearing how 
 consistently Anne was holding her own against 
 the rest of the world. He was riot the only man 
 
394 ZURY, 
 
 baffled by her cool intellectual superiority ! He 
 was very far from envying brother Kizer his task 
 of approaching her regarding the state of her soul. 
 
 On the next day Zury went home; and that 
 same night the good pastor nerved himself for the 
 effort to do his duty by his fair parishioner. He 
 called and was received with a mingled cordiality 
 and reserve which made him tremble in his shoes, 
 although nerved by a stern sense of duty and re 
 sponsibility. Meg s more humble greeting was 
 slightly reassuring; but Phil s did not help him. 
 Anne was sewing by one lamp, while her children 
 were studying by another at a little distance. 
 
 44 Sister McVey, will you join me in prayer?" 
 
 Anne was taken aback, and an awkward pause 
 ensued, broken by an ominous snort of suppressed 
 mirth from Phil, which was partially disguised by 
 the hurried application and vigorous use of his 
 handkerchief. 
 
 44 1 beg pardon, Mr. Kizer ; but I have never 
 been accustomed to pray in public." 
 
 44 True, sister ; you have Scripture authority for 
 closet devotions, but this surely does not exclude 
 more public addresses to heaven." 
 
 Anne could scarcely forbid the old gentleman 
 to do as he chose ; so he kneeled down, while 
 Anne rested her forehead in her hand, Meg kneeled, 
 and Phil left the room. Brother Kizer 4t wrestled " 
 long and fervently, with a direct personal refer 
 ence that at first made Anne angry; but fortu 
 nately the exercise was so protracted that she 
 had time to recover from the insulted feeling 
 
PASTORAL VISIT. 395 
 
 it aroused, and to recognize and do justice to 
 the worthy, humble, self-sacrificing motive that 
 prompted the act. 
 
 Afterward, the minister read a chapter from 
 the Bible, and ventured upon some pastoral ques 
 tions and exhortations which Anne sustained with 
 what grace she could command. Later, Mr. Kizer 
 fell into a more worldly tone, and Anne, animated 
 by a womanly desire to avoid giving pain to an 
 estimable old man doing his duty according to 
 his conscience, exerted herself to please her guest 
 and to remove any feeling of having been repelled 
 and rebuffed in the main object of his visit. In 
 such an effort she was certain never to fail. So 
 they parted smiling friends; and the minister was 
 able to give a fairly prosperous picture of the 
 visit in answer to the pressing questions of his 
 wife, who was, of course, curious as to Anne s man 
 ner of conducting herself. (She was " his third," 
 and much younger than her husband.) 
 
 " Well, no ; I cannot say that she made any 
 professions of a conviction of sin ; but she showed 
 a most intelligent interest in the church work 
 especially in the charitable work." 
 
 " Well, no ; I do not remember her using any 
 expressions indicating a desire for a change of 
 heart ; but she seemed to sympathize in the obser 
 vations I threw out regarding what seem to me 
 the failings and short-comings of my congrega 
 tion. She greatly enjoyed my repetition of brother 
 
396 ZURY. 
 
 Provider s remarks on the usual relations of pastor 
 and people received them with a relish that 
 was extremely refreshing. Our laughter at his 
 homely illustrations went to the verge of hi 
 larity ; I really hope that no one of the good dea 
 cons happened to be passing by in the street, and 
 recognized my voice ! " 
 
 44 Well, no; she did /not accept my suggestion 
 regarding your Dorcas society ; giving as a reason, 
 her extreme preoccupation in the business where 
 in she is at present engaged ; but she inquired 
 with the most particular kindness after you, and 
 each of our children. She has heard of them 
 through dear Margaret." 
 
 44 Well, yes ; I should say she enjoys a most 
 abiding hope of salvation amounting, perhaps, 
 to an over-confidence." 
 
 44 Well, yes ; I shall persevere, perhaps with 
 more fervor than if I felt more certain regarding 
 the state of her soul. You know there is more 
 joy over one sinner that repenteth than over many 
 that have no need of repentance. Yes, on the 
 whole, I think that I shall repeat the visit soon ; 
 very soon indeed, and with frequency." 
 
 To the last observation the worthy Mrs. Kizer 
 did not make any audible reply ; but it is vio 
 lating no confidence to say that if her response 
 had been audible, it would have been short and 
 impressive, and in these words: 
 
 " Oh, you will, will you ! " 
 
CHAPTER XXL 
 
 ZURY IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 
 
 ZURY had attended church conferences. He 
 had also attended town-meetings. The General 
 Assembly of the State of Illinois did not resemble 
 a church conference : what it was like was a pro 
 longed, exaggerated, disorderly town-meeting. 
 
 An army of spittoons, each serving as the mere 
 pretense of a target for tobacco-juice : an army 
 of wire-woven waste-baskets jammed with the 
 detritus of inchoate legislation ; an army of desks 
 whereof the chief office was the upholding of an 
 army of boots, over the tops of which an army 
 of politicians could insolently disregard their busi 
 ness and defy order and public decency. Such 
 was the Illinois legislature in those days. 
 
 Our friend had been elected as an independent, 
 so there was a desperate effort made by each of 
 the party caucuses to rope him into its fold. His 
 first tactical error was the announcement that he 
 would not go into either caucus ; this united them 
 all against him. He should have encouraged each 
 to hope on, hope ever, for his final adherence. 
 The only thing opposing party caucuses can agree 
 on is a common war against a common enemy. 
 
 He was consulted, pro forma, as to what com 
 mittees he would like to be appointed to. 
 
398 ZURY. 
 
 " I d be willin t serve on Agriculture n 
 Drainage, ef I c d also hev a show on Appro 
 priations n Bankin n Currency. I m told 
 them s th ones that controls legislation baout s 
 heavy s any." 
 
 He listened eagerly as the committees were 
 announced. All the leading ones passed without 
 " Prouder of Spring" on their lists. At last 
 " Library" was reached, and Zury caught the 
 sound of his name, also of a half -suppressed 
 titter following it. But the worst was to come. 
 " Geology and Science," " Chairman : Prouder of 
 Spring," was greeted with an irrepressible roar. 
 This committee was the butt of boorish jokers. 
 To turn a matter to ridicule the favorite expedient 
 was to have it referred to the Committee on Geol 
 ogy and Science. Suppose some tobacco - hater 
 offered a resolution looking to the enforcement of 
 the rule against smoking during the sessions. 
 Instantly from all sides arose the cry, "Refer to 
 Committee on Geology and Science ! " " Geology 
 and Science ! " " Geology and Science ! " Reso 
 lution of inquiry as to alleged attempt to bribe a 
 member. " Geology and Science ! " Resolution 
 forbidding members to accept or use railroad or 
 steamboat passes. "Geology and Science!" 
 Inquiry as to what articles have been supplied to 
 members and charged under head of stationery. 
 " Geology and Science." Bill to regulate the 
 elective franchise and secure purity in elections. 
 " Geology and Science." 
 
 Luckily the hard-headed Zury could stand ridi- 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 399 
 
 cule and persecution better than most men. His 
 face fell into its cut-stone shape and he bided his 
 time. His sorest trial came when he first thought 
 it incumbent on him to address the House. He 
 knew what he wanted to say, in a general way, and 
 pondered over it long and hard. How he longed for 
 even an hour with the accomplished Anne Sparrow 
 McVey ! He would have risked a trip to Spring- 
 ville but she had let him know distinctly enough 
 that he would not be received. Besides, was he, 
 a full-grown man, ready to acknowledge that he 
 could not hoe his row without her help ? Scarcely. 
 
 His old good luck deserted him in these novel 
 circumstances, and he met with a disaster ; thus. 
 Remembering the kind of drill or training he had 
 enjoyed under Anne s guidance, he tried to imi 
 tate it, by actual practice of his proposed speech. 
 In the supposed solitude of some woods within 
 easy walk of the Capitol, he went over the whole 
 matter, aloud, alone. 
 
 41 Mr. Speaker : A resolution inquirin what 
 articles hev ben furnished to members as station 
 ery, hez ben referred to th C mitty on Geology 
 and Science. Naow I dunno s givin a name to a 
 c mitty putts any fence raound such c mitty, ner 
 any fetters on its actions. Th c mitty, sence I 
 hed th honor t be made its chairman, hain t hed 
 no geology ner no science referred tew it. It s 
 time ain t no ways took up with th baowels o th 
 y earth, ner the course o scientific 1 arnin in th 
 mind o mankind. Therefore th said c mitty hez 
 acted on th said res lution regardin stationery." 
 And so forth. 
 
400 ZURY. 
 
 Now it so happens that apparent solitude is not 
 always real solitude. By an unfortunate chance 
 some one heard the rehearsal of Zury s maiden 
 effort and told it to some of bis legislative 
 brethren. His enemies that is to say nine- 
 tenths of the whole assembly laughed at the 
 tale and lay in wait for the unlucky Prouder of 
 Spring. 
 
 After organization was complete and an order of 
 business agreed upon for every day in the week, 
 the "call of committees " had its place in the cal 
 endar, and in course of events the Committee on 
 Geology and Science was called upon and its 
 chairman arose. To his astonishment and em- 
 barrasment, Zury found himself greeted with 
 loud and long-continued applause. 
 
 " Mr. Speaker : " (more and longer applause.) 
 " A resolution inquirin what articles hev ben fur 
 nished to members, " (again stamping and clap- 
 ing resound and interrupt :) "and charged to sta 
 tionery account." 
 
 Vociferous demonstrations of ironical approval 
 here put an end to all proceedings, and continue 
 until a member arises, presumably to restore order. 
 Catching the speaker s eye he begins. 
 
 " Mr. Speaker : I dunno s givin a name tew a 
 c mitty putts any fence Vaound sech c mitty. 
 Jes look at it wunst. Fancy aour respected 
 C mitty on Geology V Science a pursuin its re 
 searches intew geology n science, inside a pen, 
 surraounded by a legle fence, eight-rail, stake- n - 
 rider, hawg-tight, bull-strong, n stud-hoss high." 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 401 
 
 Roars of laughter here broke in and continued 
 until it seemed to poor Zury as if it would never 
 stop, though he bravely kept his feet. 
 
 Another member jumped up and caught the 
 speaker s eye, and the House paused to listen. 
 
 "Mr. Speaker: The C mitty on Geology V 
 Science, sence th onnable member from Spring 
 became its chairman, hain t bed no geology ner no 
 science referred tew it, consekently it hain t hed 
 no casion t c rect the baowels o th yarth with 
 cathartic pills, salts V senna, calomel n jollop, 
 ner otherwise. Th operations of Nature hev hed 
 t go on withaout." (More shouts, howls, and 
 shrieks of laughter.) " Ner yet hev I heerd that 
 the said c mitty hez ben called upon t teach th 
 scientific world haow t scient." 
 
 Zury now gave in and sat down, and the assem 
 bly finished its frolic by recommitting the resolu 
 tion, with power to the committee to send for par 
 egoric, opodeldoc, and syrup of squills ; all to be 
 charged to stationery account. 
 
 Three or four of the better class of members 
 took occasion to greet Zury kindly, and urge him 
 not to take to heart the boys joking. 
 
 " Who me ? I hain t no idee o taking noth n 
 t heart, ner a-carin one soumarkee what the sez 
 er dooz. The whelps ! I 11 fetch em t book. 
 The got t go on the record, right on that very 
 p int the stationery steal." 
 
 But he was very much mortified. No check he 
 had ever met with had been so humiliating. He 
 had one comfort Anne did not see the defeat, 
 
402 ZURY. 
 
 and would probably never hear of it, as such 
 scenes did not get "spread upon the records," nor 
 were they, in those days of imperfect journalism, 
 set forth in the public prints. 
 
 The next time his committee was called, he 
 rose calmly, waited in perfect composure and 
 stood unmoved until the ironical applause died 
 away. 
 
 " Mr. Speaker : The C mitty on Geology and 
 Science directs me t report progress on the reso 
 lution referred to it inquirin regardin the dispo 
 sition of th stationery appropriation." 
 
 Here the storm broke out afresh and continued 
 until its instigators were weary and sought for 
 some more effectual way to "squelch" the irre 
 pressible member from Spring, who stood there in 
 an attitude which said plainly, " I can stand it as 
 long as you can, and a little longer." Then one 
 Gunnitt, a burly giant (slightly exhilarated with 
 whiskey) came quietly behind Zury, and lifting 
 high one of the wire-work waste-baskets, half full 
 of scraps of paper, inverted it and jammed it 
 down over the head of the would-be reformer. 
 
 Instantly Zury seized him by the throat. In 
 another moment he had him down on his back in 
 the aisle, and was pounding the floor with his 
 head until it seemed as if both floor and skull 
 must be broken. Men dragged Zury off in time 
 to save Gunnitt s life, though the blood streamed 
 from his nose and mouth as he was helped away. 
 
 Zury borrowed a pin from one of the rescuers 
 to repair his collar which they had broken in pull- 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 403 
 
 ing him back, then stepped to his place and raised 
 his voice again in the now quiet hall. 
 
 " Mr. Speaker : I move for a vote of censure 
 on the member from Spring Caounty, and I move 
 that that matter be referred TO THE C MITTY 
 ON GEOLOGY AND SCIENCE ! " 
 
 The reference was carried by acclamation which 
 resolved itself into wild cheers for the committee s 
 indomitable chairman. Then Zury once more 
 took the floor. 
 
 " Mr. Speaker : Th C mitty on Geology and 
 Science But before I proceed with that c mitty s 
 report, I desire to accommodate any other gentle 
 man who may want to suppress that report." 
 
 Thereupon he took his own waste-basket and 
 set it out conspicuously in the aisle. 
 
 " Thar. Any member who wants t try it on, 
 kin have th extinguisher right handy." 
 
 A new roar of applause greeted this liberal 
 offer. 
 
 " Th c mitty d recks me t report progress on 
 this h yer resolution, and requests further time 
 on it, and also paower t send fer persons n 
 papers." 
 
 A few voted with him, not enough to carry his 
 motion. Nor did a sufficient number join him 
 even to have the yeas and nays ordered, whereby 
 members would have been forced to express them 
 selves by name, pro and con. The subject was 
 dropped : but no further stealage from the sta 
 tionery fund occurred for many a year. The cause 
 triumphed though its advocate was defeated. 
 
404 ZURY. 
 
 It was inevitable that the " personal difficulty " 
 between Prouder and Gunnitt should be settled 
 in some way. A duel was out of the question, 
 because, as is well known, dueling in Illinois was 
 stopped at once and forever very early in the 
 State s history, when the survivor of a fatal duel 
 was tried, convicted, and, in spite of tremendous 
 efforts for his pardon, actually hanged by the neck 
 until he was dead. 
 
 In a day or two some of Gunnitt s friends called 
 on Zury with a view to patch up a peace. 
 
 " Wai, gentlemen, I ve heered all yew Ve hed 
 t say, V I gree with ye so fur s this : I think 
 the ought t be an apology passed. So I m quite 
 ready t step right raound with ye, ef brother 
 Gunnitt will see me ; V we kin settle it up then 
 V thar." 
 
 There could be no possible objection to this 
 reasonable offer, and they were all soon in Gun 
 nitt s room at the Hotel. The sufferer 
 
 received them with an unmistakable expression of 
 astonishment in his sadly blackened eyes. Zury 
 took the initiative. 
 
 " Brother Gunnitt, I ve told yer friends h yer 
 that I think apologies should be passed regardin 
 aour little fraycus ; V I ve come right raound t 
 see ye, n tell ye I don t bear no malice ; V per- 
 vidin ye 11 jes llaow ye re sorry ye ttacted me 
 th way ye did, why we 11 shake han s on it, n let 
 bygones be bygones." 
 
 The others were taken aback by this unex 
 pected turn. They hastened to protest that they 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 405 
 
 had understood that the member from Spring was 
 to apologize to the member from Bourbon. 
 
 "Naow gentlemen, ye re a workin agin yer 
 friend s best interests, n I 11 prove it tew ye. 
 Fer me t pologize d be t own up th t I wuz th 
 aggressor. Naow haow would it sound, daown 
 t Bourbon, t llaow th t Bourbon s representative 
 bed ben attacted by a man o my size, an arter 
 bein laid up a day er tew, had accepted an apol 
 ogy fer th attack ? I put it to brother Gunnitt 
 himself, ef it war n t th fack th t he ttacted me, 
 n ef it won t look better, tew hum, th t he did 
 so, n arterwards pologized handsome." 
 
 Gunnitt and his emissaries here retired for con 
 sultation, and soon returned quite of Zury s mind. 
 
 " Brother Gunnitt authorizes us to say that the 
 aggression was by him, and was unprovoked, and 
 that he regrets having been led, in a moment 
 of excitement, to act as he did toward brother 
 Prouder, regardin whom he cherishes sentiments 
 of distinguished consideration." 
 
 " O. K.. gentlemen. I m willin t fergive V 
 ferget, n h yer s my hand on it ! " 
 
 This happy solution gave both amusement and 
 satisfaction, and was buzzed about legislative cir 
 cles with great gusto. 1 
 
 1 The wit of the session seized upon it and told Gunnitt that 
 his baptismal name ought to have been Uriah Benton : U. B. 
 Gunnitt would then have told the story, as well as named the 
 hero of it. This jest took so well that he cast about for other 
 names to pun upon ; and finding a doorkeeper named Ender, who 
 was hard of hearing, he dubbed him one of Illinois great deaf 
 enders. Thenceforth he was regarded as a professional joker ; 
 
406 ZURY. 
 
 Zury s career from the start was a vanishing 
 illusion. The whole power of the body was vested 
 in the "hold-over" members men who had en 
 joyed the training of a previous session. They 
 cut out the work, and when cut out, the rest could 
 either do it or leave it alone. They perceived that 
 they could do nothing else. And it is almost an 
 axiom that an independent, a man without a party 
 following, can never effect any object, however 
 praiseworthy, unless it be as a " balance of power." 
 
 He soon observed another element of power and 
 leadership. A quiet, knowing, self-possessed, re 
 spectable individual would come on the scene, 
 greeting him as an old friend. 
 
 " Prouder of Spring, I believe ! I am glad to 
 see you. You may remember my name: I had 
 the pleasure of sending you a pass over our road. 
 
 I am attorney for the and , and want the 
 
 privilege of laying a little matter before you which 
 we think will benefit the public, at the same time 
 that it may relieve us from some hardships we Ve 
 been laboring under." 
 
 Shrewd indeed is the man who is not influenced, 
 in spite of himself, by these well-prepared, plaus 
 ible advocates "the lobby." 
 
 No need to follow Zury through his term. He 
 did not try any more " speechifying," for he soon 
 
 fun was expected from him whenever he opened his mouth ; 
 laughter greeted his most serious words ; and as a result his 
 political career was ruined. So do men deal with fun-makers; 
 they prize them, praise them, enjoy them, and desert them. 
 Humor is a fatal gift in a working community. 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 407 
 
 learned that in a legislature, oratory is absolute 
 delusion and humbug. Nobody is convinced by 
 it except the constituents at home ; and the only 
 effect of it, even on them, is a conviction that 
 their representative is " some^pumpkins kin 
 hold his own with th best on em." When the 
 the member from Buncombe County " orates," he 
 is talking for Buncombe, and it is in Buncombe 
 only that he seeks and finds his audience. 
 
 Zury put it thus : 
 
 " A member o th legislatur, he kin either talk 
 er work he can t dew both. It oilers reminds 
 me of a steamboat th t useter run on Spring River. 
 The culled her the " Pooserpomponnuk," V her 
 name kivered her side from stem to starn. She 
 hed a mighty small biler n a mighty big whistle ; 
 n when she run her engine she could n t blow her 
 whistle ; n quick s she opened her whistle-valve, 
 her engine stopped, kerchunk ! " 
 
 So he became what is known as a "working 
 member ; " attended strictly to business in his 
 committees, on the floor and outside, and so ac 
 quired the enviable reputation of a man not prone 
 to " shooting off his mouth." 
 
 The official treatment of a member not within 
 the clique of party leaders, old legislators, etc., is 
 in itself mere insolence. Prouder of Spring rises 
 in his place, knowing himself to be " in order " 
 and possessed of as good a claim to the floor as 
 any member on it. 
 
 " Mr. Speaker ! " 
 
 Mr. Speaker looks to the right, to the left, down 
 
408 ZURY. 
 
 at the clerk s desk, or anywhere except at the 
 person addressing him, who stands impatiently 
 awaiting the coveted recognition, " The member 
 from Spring." Meanwhile the letter-writing and 
 reading, the chafter, the laughing, the clapping of 
 hands for the pages attendance goes on like mad, 
 just as if this were "high change" in an open 
 mart. 
 
 " Mr. Speaker." 
 
 Again the wandering regard takes in the whole 
 horizon except the point whence the words come. 
 At last Mr. Speaker seems to be looking directly 
 at Zury ; when lo, a voice from a seat behind him 
 breaks the silence. 
 
 " Mr. Speaker." 
 
 " The member from Massac," promptly re 
 sponds the speaker ; and the member from Spring 
 subsides. He has no remedy. The presiding 
 officer reckons humanity by number, not by 
 weight. The strongest man is he who has the 
 dominant party to back him ; the next strongest 
 is he who has the subdominant ; the weakest, he 
 who has so much strength, virtue, and courage 
 that he stands alone. 
 
 " I say, Crumbacker, why can t you never see 
 ner hear me ? I m a goin t buy a stepladder 
 and a speakin trumpet, but what I 11 be rec 
 ognized ! " 
 
 " Oh, Prouder this morning you mean? I 
 was sorry, and I owe you an apology ; but you 
 see it was fixed that Whacker was to speak, and 
 I d fallen in with it; so what could I do? No 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 409 
 
 danger but what you 11 be heard ! I Ve known 
 that ever since you got away with Gunnitt of 
 Bourbon ! Some men I might hesitate to set 
 back for fear of squelching em ; but not you, 
 Prouder, not you ! " 
 
 " Wai, nough said on that head ; naow I want 
 to fix it fer my turn." 
 
 " Let s see; how would Saturday suit you?" 
 
 " O. K. Make it Saturday." And Mr. Speaker 
 makes an entry in his pocket diary. 
 
 It was not for some days that Zury learned that 
 it had also been " fixed " to adjourn from Friday 
 to Monday. 
 
 At last came the day long agreed upon for final 
 adjournment. The closing session is an elastic 
 occasion. Though the day is appointed by joint 
 resolution, and therefore absolutely binding on 
 both branches of the legislature, yet a session 
 begun on that day is still that day s session, no 
 matter how long past midnight it may endure. 
 
 The hour of opening arrives. The speaker 
 raps the House to order, and the chaplain puts up 
 his little prayer. Half a dozen members stand 
 devoutly during the prayer ; the rest hurry to 
 their desks, their hands crowded with the pet 
 measures which they have failed to carry during 
 the earlier part of the session. Each is resolved 
 to "put through " one or more during these closing 
 hours, and awaits the signal gun. 
 
 " Amen." 
 
 Instantly it is as if bedlam had broken loose in 
 Pandemonium. The pool is troubled : the man 
 
410 ZURY. 
 
 who dips in first hopes to be healed. The intent- 
 ness of all baffles the purpose of each. Hour after 
 hour the uproar goes on. Both houses are in ses 
 sion, so that half-completed bills may be sent from 
 one to the other, and the governor occupies his 
 room near by to sign them as they are sent to him, 
 wanting only his approval to become law. 
 
 Now the lieutenant-governor (chairman of the 
 upper house) and the speaker of the lower house 
 have everything in their own hands. They rush 
 things through in the hubbub, no one fully know 
 ing what they are about, and no one responsible 
 for most of what is done. More measures are 
 passed than have been enacted in all the rest of 
 the session. 
 
 Toward the close, perhaps in broad daylight of 
 the following morning, members lose their hopes 
 of securing attention to their personal purposes, 
 and turn their efforts toward the stoppage of all 
 action. Some one picks up an envelope of loose 
 papers and shies it over the heads of all before 
 him. It scatters its contents as it flies, and finally 
 lands, perhaps on the speaker s desk or behind it. 
 Then the air is full of missiles ; pamphlets, news 
 papers, reports, fall like snow-flakes. At last, for 
 some occult reason, all is hushed in a moment. 
 Some member (not of the speaker s party) moves 
 a vote of thanks to the speaker for his able, im 
 partial, and gentlemanly conduct as their presiding 
 officer ; and it is carried nem. con. Then Mr. 
 Speaker returns his thanks in well-chosen words, 
 for the invariable courtesy which has made his 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 411 
 
 task a pleasure, and the gentlemanly deportment 
 which has done honor to each of the members of 
 this House ; and the House ceases to exist. 
 
 At the close of his first term, Prouder of Spring 
 naturally found it necessary to stop at Spring- 
 ville on his way home. He had called at the 
 warehouse occasionally, but had never spoken to 
 Anne. Now he thought it full time to break the 
 embargo ; so with unaccustomed and becoming 
 diffidence he presented himself at Anne s desk. 
 She received him graciously. Time had softened 
 her resentment what there ever was of it and 
 besides, her reserve seemed no longer necessary. 
 " Out of sight, out of mind." Any too warm in 
 terest in him which she might have suspected in 
 her lonely heart, arising from the thought of the 
 great use she had been to him, and he to her, 
 had cooled and disappeared so completely that 
 she doubted its ever having existed. 
 
 " Good morning, Mis McVey. My two years 
 is up, I guess ? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed ! It ought to be by this time. 
 At any rate I am glad to see you. What kind of 
 time have you had in the legislature? " 
 
 44 Wai, kinder mixed. I guess they must have 
 found me out, as the boy said." 
 
 44 Found you out?" 
 
 44 Yes ; found out that though they elected you 
 to go, it was only me that got thar after all." 
 
 44 Oh, pshaw ! You were elected, because you 
 ought to be ; and you went because you were 
 elected ; and I suppose you had all the success 
 you deserved." 
 
412 ZURY. 
 
 44 Yes, that s the trouble ; just that much and 
 no more." 
 
 44 Were n t you successful?" 
 
 " Wai, that remains to be proved. The jury s 
 got the evidence and they ve got to give the ver 
 dict." 
 
 "What jury." 
 
 " Why, th electors o Spring Caounty. If they 
 send me agin, next term, it 11 look like I was, any- 
 haow, half-way successful." 
 
 " I fancy you had a very satisfactory experience. 
 Otherwise you would n t care to go back." 
 
 44 Oh, ye see, its this-a-way. Politics is like 
 sheep-ticks, hard to get shet of when once they ve 
 got a holt. A politician s like the circusman s 
 4 fabled Pollypethicus, that can t live on land and 
 dies in the water. If he has done well, he wants 
 a reelection as an indorsement ; an if he s made 
 a blame fool of himself he wants it bad, as a 
 vindication." 
 
 " And you want to go back how ? " 
 
 44 1 guess I want to go back bad, if anyway." 
 
 44 Well, I hope you 11 succeed." 
 
 44 Fraid I can t git t have your help this time. 
 Mary she don t leave home any more. Got some 
 kind of a falling sickness first thing she knows 
 she don t know nothing, and has to be picked up." 
 
 44 I heard she had had some bad turns." 
 
 44 Yes worst kind. I wish she d get well or 
 something ; jest for her own sake. Because you 
 see she can t bear to see anybody, nor to have 
 anybody see her. Cur ous, too she never used 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUT OF IT. 413 
 
 t be so praoud. Looks s though sickness had 
 made her kind o simple." 
 
 " I m very sorry to hear it ! " 
 
 " Oh, it makes it bad!" 
 
 Then, after a little pause, he added, " Ye know 
 ye owe me the continuation of the wall - paper 
 story yet." 
 
 " Dear me ! How a few indiscreet words may 
 lead to a life-time of remorse ! " 
 
 " Remorse ? Wai, ef you repent and make res 
 titution your remorse will be cured ! " 
 
 " Will it ? I never tried that remedy. Well, 
 I 11 surely keep my promise before I die." 
 
 " O. K. You re a woman of your word; so all 
 I ve got to do is to be sure n outlive you." (An 
 other pause.) " I don t s pose you d care to 
 make another trip to Wayback." 
 
 " No. Phil is a fireman, now, and only at home 
 every other night. I could n t leave Meg alone 
 the nights he s away." 
 
 " She might go along." 
 
 " That would leave an empty house the nights 
 he spends at home. No. I must give up all 
 thoughts of repeating that delightful experience. 
 But I shall never forget it." 
 
 She heaved a little sigh, and both were silent 
 for a while. 
 
 "Wai! So it goes!" And with a cordial 
 hand-shake they parted. He went straight to the 
 partners and opened the subject of Anne s salary, 
 as if he had just had a most serious conference 
 with her on that matter. The direct consequence 
 
414 ZURY. 
 
 of the talk was an important and welcome ad 
 vance, whereof she received the first intimation 
 on the following day when Zury was gone home. 
 She had enough presence of mind to suppress the 
 surprise she felt, and receive their remarks on the 
 matter with dignified reserve. 
 
 " You must n t blame us, Mrs. McVey. If you 
 had spoke of the matter we would have tried to 
 have made it satisfactory. But you could n t ex 
 pect us to open up the subject, now could you?" 
 
 " Well, perhaps not." 
 
 44 We will try to make it so you don t lose no 
 thing by the delay. The advance we name is 
 really larger than we should feel called upon to 
 pay, if it was n t, as Mr. Prouder remarked, some 
 what your due from being delayed till now." 
 
 44 Very well. It is all right now, at any rate." 
 
 44 Perfectly satisfactory ? " 
 
 44 Perfectly." 
 
 How her heart glowed as she walked home and 
 gave her children the good news ! But she did 
 not mention Mr. Prouder s agency in the matter. 
 
 Zury was reflected. He found his campaign 
 unexpectedly easy. It was not words this time 
 that prevailed, although with words he was much 
 better supplied than of old. It was his 44 record " 
 in the legislature. What part of his record? 
 About a minute of it that minute when he did 
 not really know what he was doing ; when the 
 hall was resounding with the eloquent thuds of 
 Gunnitt s head on the floor of the aisle. 
 
CHAPTER XXIT. 
 
 MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 
 
 " GOOD-DAY, Mis McVey ! Inkin up the big 
 books same as ever, I see ! " 
 
 " Yes, they are not worth much until I have 
 ornamented them with my pen-and-ink sketches. 
 How did you leave Mrs. Prouder ? " 
 
 " Oh, least said soonest mended. Ye would n t 
 believe it, but I ve had to git another woman to 
 look out for things, besides S manthy V Alphy ! 
 For takin care o the house an feedin the hands 
 they were O. K., but when it came to pickin up 
 Flory mebby jest when the hands was a-feed- 
 in ! Ye knows he ain t the build to pick up as 
 ye would a box o matches ! " 
 
 " Her illness has not made her thin ? " 
 
 "N-o-o-ot a bit of it! I told em all to keep 
 it a secret about the additional help not to let 
 on to Flory what was the trouble. She don t seem 
 to suspicion nothin about it. It would hurt her 
 feelin s." 
 
 " I should think she would be gratified to feel 
 that you took such tender care of her." 
 
 "Nary! She d jest fret herself to death to 
 think o bein no more use in the world. She was 
 always right on it fer work, accordin to her 
 
416 ZURY. 
 
 powers. But laws ! None of the three daughters 
 was ever a touch to their mother." 
 
 " Such a worker ? " 
 
 " /believe yer ! When o man Peddicomb come 
 to his land, shortly after we come to ours, she was 
 wuth more onto th place than what he was. She 
 why she was one of these 4 come gals kind of 
 women. An I don t expect ye know what that 
 means, neither." 
 
 " Oh, yes. I learned that story when I lived 
 there." (She did not mention that it formed one 
 of the " sketches " she had jotted down in that 
 school-house winter.) " I guess she did n t live 
 long at that rate ! " 
 
 " No, but she did more work than some women 
 do in twice the time." 
 
 " Perhaps she d have lived longer if she had 
 n t done so much." 
 
 " Like enough. But that s the kind of a wife 
 for a poor farmer to start in with. Peddicomb 
 would n t never have kept his three-quarter sec 
 tions if it had n t a ben for her." 
 
 " All the same I don t think the game was 
 worth the candle." 
 
 " Game ? " 
 
 " Yes, I mean that the outcome did n t pay for 
 the sacrifice." 
 
 "Fine farm, the Peddicomb farm is." 
 
 " Yes, a fine farm, in another man s hands. 
 Her own life sacrificed, one daughter dead, another 
 a hopeless invalid, and another, with her child, a 
 poor dependent." 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 417 
 
 "Dunno but ye re right." And Zury pondered 
 on the new thoughts thus suggested. 
 
 " Poor Flora ! And now you have to be away, 
 too ! " 
 
 " Yes ; this is my last session, though." 
 
 " All your ambition gratified now ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes. I got my indorsement by my re 
 election." 
 
 " And now you wish you had n t ? " 
 
 " Not exactly ; you know I m one of the hold 
 overs now, so it s my turn t impose on the green 
 members ! " 
 
 " That suits you, I m sure ! " 
 
 " Well, partially. But I ve got no party to 
 back me." 
 
 " So your hands are tied ? " 
 
 " Not entirely, there s a United States senator 
 to be elected this session, an my vote will elect 
 him ; the balance things is teterin on jest now ! " 
 
 " I should think that would give you all you 
 chose to ask." 
 
 " It would in promises only for one thing : 
 my vote ain t for sale." 
 
 " Dear me ! You make my head swim with 
 your contradictions ! It s like the old story of 
 Hans in luck, everything is met and offset by 
 something just the contrary ! " 
 
 " The way of the world. Give an take. Loss 
 an gain. Nothin ain t never quite so good nor 
 quite so bad as you look for it to be." 
 
 " Who are going to be the prominent candi 
 dates for senator ? " 
 
418 ZURY. 
 
 " Oh, of course Blue on the Whig side, an 
 Green on the Democratic side." 
 
 " Which do you prefer?" 
 
 " I don t give a cent to choose between em ! 
 Party backs both of em. Either one would prom 
 ise to make me judge of the Supreme Court of 
 the United States, if I d vote for him ! Yes, an 
 if he had the power he d give me the appoint 
 ment, too ; n me jest as fit for it as Satan s back 
 parlor is for a powder-house ! " 
 
 " How shall you vote ? " 
 
 " Oh, for a man I think fit, who has n t offered 
 me anything, directly or indirectly, and who 
 would n t put me in a place I was not fit for, not if 
 I could make him president. Same time, he might 
 help me politically. I m not naming the man." 
 
 " Not even to me ? " 
 
 " Well " smiling " that is different, of 
 course." And he took a pencil from her hand, 
 wrote a name on a bit of paper, showed it to her, 
 and then tore it to fragments. " I 11 write to you 
 all about it when the time comes." 
 
 Anne flushed arid smiled in gratification at the 
 confidence, then, as one of the ubiquitous race of 
 reporters who had been standing near, awaiting 
 his opportunity, approached them with " inter 
 view " legible in his eye, she gave Zury her hand 
 and he bade her good-bye and walked off with the 
 intruder. 
 
 She was sadly cut down at seeing in next day s 
 " Springville Bugle " a paragraph to the effect 
 that " our member " had passed through town the 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 419 
 
 day before, and had shown himself remarkably 
 close-mouthed on the senatorial question, but the 
 Bugle, with its customary enterprise, had ascer 
 tained, from a reliable source, that the first choice 
 of Prouder of Spring would be Judge Grey. 
 
 " Well ! What a fool I was ! He went straight 
 from me and gave the name to that reporter ! " 
 
 Zury, likewise, was dreadfully taken aback at 
 the sight of that same paragraph. 
 
 " How she fooled me ! Or I fooled myself ! 
 She went right off an told th fust feller that 
 asked her ! Mebby him n her was fast friends 
 a ready ! " And anguish marked Zury for its own. 
 
 The election of senator is the first business of 
 the legislature having it in charge. On the very 
 day when the contest began, the news came that 
 Mrs. Prouder had died, with the suddenness inci 
 dent to her disease. The gravity of the legisla 
 tive crisis made it improper for Zury to be absent 
 from the capital, so the funeral took place with 
 out him. A will was found, duly executed years 
 before, whereby the simple creature had devised 
 all her property to her husband, never even men 
 tioning poor Semantha or Alpha. To Zury this 
 seemed all right ; to the rest of the world, all 
 wrong ; to the disinherited mother and daughter, 
 quite natural. They never expected anything. 
 
 " But yet," said Semantha, " ef she lied a saw 
 fit t a left me that thar quarter it mought a ben 
 th t Abner he d a come back n lived wi me 
 agin. But th Lord s will be done ! " And she 
 cried a little at the thought of the happiness she 
 
420 ZURY. 
 
 so narrowly missed the joy of welcoming the 
 return of a worthless, faithless vagabond who had 
 robbed her and deserted her once and would have 
 done it again if he had had a chance. But, as 
 folks had always said, " S manthy s put her foot 
 in the fire now she s got t walk on the blister." 
 
 For many days the legislative journal showed 
 (and shows) the monotonous story. " The two 
 houses met in joint session for the election of 
 senator. Number of votes cast, 160. Necessary 
 to a choice, 81. Ballot: Blue, 78, Green, 77, 
 Grey 5. Meanwhile an outside observer would 
 have been as puzzled with the aspect of things at 
 the capital as men are in trying to make head or 
 tail of the flying, crawling, humming, buzzing, of 
 a hive of bees at swarm ing- time. At last came 
 the crowning act. The simple words, " Blue 79, 
 Grey 81," settled the business. Zury had made 
 a United States senator, and could subside into 
 his natural insignificance as soon as might be. 
 
 He and Anne met once or twice during the ses 
 sion, always with the coolest of bows on both 
 sides. But with the close of the session Zury 
 concluded that he could not afford to remain es 
 tranged any longer. Soon after the adjournment, 
 during one of Phil s customary absences, the ex- 
 member from Spring called on Anne once more, 
 this time at the cottage. Anne was surprised, 
 grew a little pale, but managed to receive him 
 with dignified composure. Years seemed to have 
 left him almost unchanged. Somewhat older, and 
 smoothed by contact with the world, yet strong, 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 421 
 
 sharp and egotistical as of old. With public life 
 his address had become more assuming, less 
 considerate. She observed a slight change in his 
 speech : it was not clear as of old ; he seemed as if 
 talking with his mouth full. Then, too, he had 
 become somewhat oratorical, circumlocutory, and 
 prone to speak of present company in the third 
 person, as if it were " Mr. Speaker ! The onnable 
 member from Pike " ; etc. His English was in a 
 transition state. With attention he could express 
 himself reasonably well, and this attention he 
 habitually gave when talking with Anne and other 
 educated persons. But with his old associates his 
 dialect was as uncouth as ever. Then too, when 
 he had been talking carefully for a while, he was 
 apt to grow interested and forgetful, and slip back 
 to the old ways. 
 
 After the usual commonplaces, Anne said, 
 " I see you elected your candidate to the 
 Senate." 
 
 " Yes ; Grey got in. So it did n t make any 
 difference after all." 
 
 " What did n t make any difference ? " 
 " Why, your tellin his name to that reporter." 
 " My telling his name ! " (She flamed up and 
 gave him a withering look.) u I never mentioned 
 the matter to a living soul. Your telling his 
 name you mean after imparting it to me as a 
 dead secret ! " 
 
 " I never peeped it to no man, not till I saw the 
 hull thing in the Springville Bugle." 
 44 What can it mean? " 
 
422 ZURY. 
 
 " Did you never see the feller again ? " 
 
 " Never ; only he came and stood near the 
 railing after you went away. I was afraid he 
 wanted to ask me what you said, so I turned my 
 back and went on with my writing." Then after 
 a pause, " Those scraps of paper ! " 
 
 " The scraps of the paper I wrote the name on, 
 and then tore up ! " 
 
 The case was clear. The enterprising scribe 
 had picked them up and pieced them together. 
 Again Zury and Anne had been angry at each 
 other for months because of nothing. 
 
 u Well," said Zury. " I expect we both of us 
 was fooled. Now tell me how the Widow McVey 
 has prospered : her and hers." 
 
 " I m well, Mr. Prouder, with more blessings 
 than I deserve, I dare say." 
 
 " Sho now ! I would n t relish to hear anybody 
 say that except the Widow McVey herself." 
 
 " Of course we all have our ups and downs in 
 the world." 
 
 " To be sure. This a probationary state of 
 trial." (In a cheer} 7 , consolatory voice, but with 
 a glance at the weed on his hat.) " I too am 
 bereaved. Mis Prouder, she was called shortly 
 after I saw you last." 
 
 " I had heard of it. Poor Flora ! " 
 
 " Well, it was a blessed deliverance for her, the 
 way she was." (Just then Margaret entered.) 
 " Why, who s this ? Margaret ? " 
 
 " Yes. Margaret, this is our very old and good 
 friend, Mr. Prouder." 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 423 
 
 " How d ye do Mr. Prouder ? I began to think 
 I should never set eyes on you : to doubt if there 
 was any such person." 
 
 " Well, Margaret. I saw you once when you 
 didn t see me. Now I am mighty glad to meet 
 you. You don t favor your mother much, do 
 you?" 
 
 "No, I do not." (A sigh.) 
 
 " Never you mind. Beauty s only skin deep, 
 and sometimes not that. You could scrape it off 
 some of these Springville gals with a hoe, an 
 then they d have to run home and paint up again 
 before their best friends would know them from a 
 side of sole-leather." 
 
 " Well, my Margaret never painted nor pow 
 dered her face yet" 
 
 " No, I should say not, nor her hair neither. If 
 she did, it wouldn t be jest that shade, now 
 would it ? " 
 
 " Oh yes, if she wanted to please her mother, 
 there would never be a mite of difference." (To 
 herself : " You horrid old idiot ! ") 
 
 " If it was her mother she wanted to please. 
 That s a pretty big if." 
 
 " Well, or her brother either." 
 
 " But now suppose it was some other gal s 
 brother she wanted to please." 
 
 " But I don t. I would n t care if no other girl 
 in the world had a brother, so long as I could 
 keep mine." 
 
 " That s right my gal ! That s the way to 
 fetch em let on you don t want em." 
 
424 ZURY. 
 
 "It doesn t seem to work that way in my case. 
 They don t come a runnin , as folks say." 
 
 " Never you mind. Ye ain t so old as your 
 mother yet, and she ain t a bit too old to take 
 notice." 
 
 Both the women laughed at this Anne rather 
 nervously, for she began to perceive that perhaps 
 she had a problem coming up to be solved. 
 
 Even as Zury was talking he was making a 
 mental inventory of the pretty and simple sur 
 roundings, so different from the coarse, bare space 
 and plenty of his own farm-house. 
 
 " That table-spread reminds me of purple n 
 fine linen ; the tents of Kedar and curtains of Solo 
 mon. How much might that have cost, Mis Mc- 
 Vey ? " 
 
 " Two dollars." 
 
 " Gee Whillikin s ! Two dollars ! " 
 
 " Yes, you see we only bought the stuff and 
 fringe and tassels ; Margaret and I worked the 
 centre and corners." She said this with gentle 
 pride and some softening of the heart toward 
 Zury because she thought his surprise arose from 
 the cheapness of the fine gay bit of color. In 
 fact he was only thinking, " two dollars for one 
 table-spread ! " 
 
 " Find it pretty lonesome ? " 
 
 " Lonesome ? No, never ! Oh, you mean Phil s 
 being away. Yes ; that is hard, but he comes 
 home every other day." 
 
 " Ah, yah ! There it is ! I Ve no children t 
 go or t come t leave or t find." 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 425 
 
 A long pause followed this ; then, when Mar 
 garet left the room to prepare supper, 
 
 " Mis McVey, I may be wrong, and I m liable 
 to stand corrected if I am ; but it does seem to me 
 as if Providence had fore-ordained you and me to 
 travel together the rest of our journey through the 
 vale." 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Prouder ! I never could think of 
 marrying again." 
 
 " Well, I ve been thinkin of it for a long time 
 at least the best part of some months." (He 
 corrected himself so as not to overlap the time of 
 his widowhood.) 
 
 u I never thought of it at all ; and I don t want 
 to think of it." 
 
 " I know ; that s what the widows all say. At 
 least, so I m told. But I guess they re pretty 
 liable to think better of it when they do bring 
 their minds to it." 
 
 " Well, then, I m different from the rest." 
 
 " We ve been acquainted a long time ; ye ve 
 known me pretty well, n I ve known you pretty 
 well." 
 
 Anne was silent, and bent over her work. 
 
 " Ye see ye d never come to want, it ain t 
 likely." 
 
 She thought to herself, " I should probably 
 never come to stop wanting so long as you held 
 the purse-strings." 
 
 " Ye know that children of the widow inherit 
 the widow s share in this state, accordin to th 
 statoots in such case made an provided." 
 
426 ZURY. 
 
 " There is n t any statute to prevent a man s 
 leaving his money as he pleases." 
 
 " Oh, ye need n t fear my willin my property 
 away from my own step-children." 
 
 " I was n t thinking of that. I was thinking 
 that you might leave Phil and Margaret whatever 
 you chose, without my marrying you." 
 
 " Oh, as to that, there s a new theological col 
 lege of my persuasion jest startin at the State 
 capital that s got big hopes of me. I expect them 
 pious men of God s prayin already for my life 
 for the lengthenin of it until I devise and be 
 queath, and-so-forth-and-so-forfch ; and then the 
 Lord s will be done and mine probated and 
 executed." 
 
 Anne sewed on steadily, thinking of the possi 
 bility of Margaret s going through the world as 
 an heiress instead of a dear, dependent old maid. 
 
 " This is going to be a tremenjous country in 
 the next generation or two, or three. Such glories 
 as the Queen of Sheba never dreamed of, and 
 did n t see at Solomon s court neither. A man 
 or a woman that starts in with a hundred thou 
 sand when I drop it, will be cuttin a broad swath 
 before he dies, and his children broader yet to the 
 third and fourth generation. Somehow, I like 
 to think of Philip your son just spreadin 
 himself, after you and I are dead and gone, 
 backed by well, maybe a million of money !" 
 
 " Perhaps it would be the ruin of him, and be 
 all lost and worse than lost in his own lifetime." 
 
 " Mebbe, mebbe ; but in your children s case it 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 427 
 
 ain t likely. Though come to think, Johnny Mc- 
 Vey war n t no great shakes as a provider." 
 
 She flushed angrily at this coarse thrust ; but 
 only answered, 
 
 " Phil is not a fool, nor a spendthrift. Nor yet 
 a miser I " 
 
 " Phil won t have to be mean. I guess I ve 
 been mean enough for two generations ! And 
 Margaret, give her a hundred thousand, and the 
 fellers would be swarmin about that red head of 
 hers, like skeeters round a torch ! " 
 
 Anne sighed and worked on in silence. 
 
 " I ve watched Phil ever since he was knee- 
 high to a duck. Watched him when you did n t 
 know it ; nor he neither." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 "Well, he suits me. Yes; Phil McVey suits 
 me ! " He could not have told her, if he had 
 tried, how well Phil " suited " him ; how he doted 
 on him ; how the thought of Phil filled his lonely 
 heart with a yearning even rivaling the regard he 
 felt for Phil s mother. But she guessed it, and 
 said gently, 
 
 u I don t wonder ! " 
 
 Zury gazed at her with admiration. 
 
 " You do look splendid ! " 
 
 She almost looked up to see if he meant it. 
 
 " For a woman of your age." 
 
 Then she was glad she had n t. 
 
 " Which, of course, is not old by any means." 
 
 Smoothing her work on her lap, and glancing 
 up with a softer look, she said, 
 
428 ZURY. 
 
 " You hold your age well, too." 
 
 " Who, me ? Yes ; I could work twenty-five 
 hours a day, same as ever, if I had to ; but I don t. 
 I ve good enough help same time it would suit 
 me to have a smart feller like Phil to look after 
 the property whilst I was seein the world me 
 and the rest of the family. Hun tin for the island 
 and the rest of the old wall-paper story, you 
 know." 
 
 " Phil is a great machinist. He would n t go 
 on a farm." 
 
 " Go where he was sent, I guess." (The old 
 hard look.) " That s if he knows which side his 
 bread s buttered on." 
 
 " Phil has no call to do what does n t suit him, 
 for the sake of you or your money ! " said Anne, 
 firing up hotly in defense of her son. 
 
 " He could n t expect nothing for nothing, could 
 he ? Could you ? Could I ? My money s there, 
 and there it will stay until I tell it to budge, or 
 till I die and leave it." 
 
 Anne s tongue was just going to retort, " Have 
 I or mine ever asked you for any money ? " But 
 her woman s wit thrust into her hand a missile 
 worth a quiverful of such blunt arrows as that. 
 
 " By the way, you got your hundred dollars 
 all right, did n t you ? " 
 
 Even Zury, the hardened, felt the sting of this 
 cut. He dropped his hat and picked it up again ; 
 grew fiery red and stammered, 
 
 " Oh, yes and that reminds me I didn t 
 want you to pay me that money, Mis McVey." 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 429 
 
 " And the interest. You got that too, did 
 you?" 
 
 " Certainly, certainly ! See here ; that was all 
 a mistake arisin out of Johnny s going to Cali- 
 forny and dyin so sudden." 
 
 " Because I knew that they stopped it out of my 
 wages at the store but you never sent me the 
 canceled note." 
 
 " Of course I did n t; because I did n t consider 
 it no way settled. The money and the note both 
 belongs to you, and I guess I ve got em both in 
 my pocket for you now. Ye - es ; here s the 
 note." 
 
 Ann took the old scrap of paper, worn to rags 
 and soiled almost to illegibility, and after glancing 
 without a sigh at the words, " John Endicott Mc- 
 Vey," signed at the foot, in a hand pretentious 
 and feeble, she quietly lighted a match and burned 
 the paper to ashes, as if saying, " Now we are 
 square, and I think we will stay so ! " 
 
 " As I was sayin , I never meant to have you 
 to pay for your husband s horse. It ain t the law 
 in this state for a widow woman to pay her hus 
 band s debts out of her own money. When I took 
 the note I did n t allow to have that triflin Mc- 
 Vey ridin off my live stock for nothing. That 
 was all." 
 
 He proceeded to count out a hundred dollars 
 (from the same old plethoric pocket-book which 
 had held the note, and which had almost grown 
 to be a part of his being), and handed them to 
 Anne. 
 
430 ZURY. 
 
 Anne held the bank-bills a moment, and then 
 gave them back to him, saying, " The money s 
 not mine. I paid John s debt voluntarily and you 
 received it. Now, if you feel that it does not 
 properly belong to you, just add the interest I 
 see you have not thought of that and give it to 
 Semantha. I hear that she and Alpha are as poor 
 as ever." 
 
 Another hard hit ! 
 
 " Oh, don t be a mite afraid about them ! I m 
 goin to take care of them, of course. Not with 
 your money, neither ! I 11 tell you this money 
 is yours by rights, but money is powerful scarce 
 jest now ; s pose I was to keep it for you ; mebbe 
 somethin 11 turn up to change the circumstances 
 of both of us, as I was saying. Oh, Margaret! 
 The Princess has dropped in, has she, t see the 
 Queen ? Now, Margaret, I was jest about to pay 
 your mother an old balance, and she agreed with 
 me it was jest as safe with me as with her, so let 
 that pass. But I know young gals want money 
 sometimes as well as the rest of us, so look here ! " 
 Then he began again handling over the filthy rags 
 that mean so much to us all. He ran over the 
 hundreds and fifties without difficulty even the 
 twenties did not did not detain him long. The 
 tens he passed slowty by ; one of the fives he al 
 most pulled out ; but, finally, he offered her the 
 smallest and raggedest bill he had ! 
 
 " There, my gal ! See what you can buy with 
 that against I come next time ! " 
 
 Margaret put her knuckles on her hips and 
 replied, 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 431 
 
 " Oh dear, no, Mr. Prouder ! I could n t think 
 of it! I have no earthly use for the money. 
 Phil gives me more than I want all the time." 
 
 " Take it, Margaret, take it ! " He spoke pet 
 tishly in his haste to get through with a painful 
 operation as one might address a dentist who 
 hesitated after the forceps had taken hold. Meg 
 looked at her mother, who nodded contemptu 
 ously, with a look that boded ill for Zury s suc 
 cess in the object of his visit. 
 
 So Meg took the bill, stuffed it loose in her 
 pocket in a manner which cut the donor to the 
 quick, and announced tea. Snowy raised biscuits, 
 golden butter, limpid honey, lumpy cream, cold 
 ham, preserves, cake, blushing squash-pie, glitter 
 ing glass and charming china, made Prouder s 
 face beam and his mouth water when he followed 
 mother and daughter into the tea-room. 
 
 " Sakes alive ! Is this the way the Princess 
 takes care of the Queen and the Prime Minister 
 from Wayback ? " 
 
 Anne glowed with pride of her daughter, and 
 to think of the possibility of her being the means 
 of making that daughter and her absent son 
 "wealthy people." Or of her declining such a 
 magnificent possibility. 
 
 Mr. Prouder was not quite so brilliant as usual 
 for a while after they sat down. He helped the 
 ladies with his old-time gayety, but sobered down 
 when he proceeded to feed himself. He spread 
 his biscuit and essayed to bite it ; failed and took 
 it down to his plate where he cut it into bits ; 
 
432 ZURY. 
 
 mumbled it in silence for a while; then took a 
 drink of tea and spoke these ever memorable 
 words : 
 
 " I ve stood this thing jest as long as I m goin 
 to." 
 
 Whereupon he whipped out of his mouth a par 
 tial set of false teeth, rolled them in his bandanna, 
 and stuffed them in his pocket. 
 
 " There now ! Zury Praouder ain t any den 
 tist s fool if he has got a gilt sign, and guarantees 
 a fit ! A fit ! I d like t guarantee him a fit ! 
 And I 11 give him fits when I catch him, too ! 
 Dog-gone him ! " 
 
 Whereupon Anne said, 
 
 " What remarkably pleasant weather we ve 
 been having ! " 
 
 But she thought, 
 
 " Oh dear, it can not be my duty to marry Zury 
 Prouder ! It is n t it is n t it is n t it is n t ! 
 So there, now ! That s off my mind ! " 
 
 " Mr. Prouder, what more can I help you to ? " 
 
 " I thank you, Margaret. I would n t choose 
 any more. I ve supped hearty." 
 
 So the repast came to an end and was cleared 
 away, the two women washing the dishes on the 
 tea-table, after the pleasant fashion of our ances 
 tresses. There was the table-tub with its shining 
 hoops, the little mop of cotton twine, the red- 
 embroidered towel of snowy linen, and, prettiest 
 of all, the shiny, pink-tipped fingers, glowing with 
 the work. 
 
 Anne s new resolve freed her from the burden 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 433 
 
 of uncertainty, and her spirits, which had been 
 perceptibly lower while she was laboring over an 
 unsolved problem, took a great rebound. 
 
 " Why don t you ask me for the conclusion of 
 the wall-paper story? " 
 
 " Oh, to be sure. I was comin to that. S pose 
 you read it out now ! " 
 
 " Well, I have n t quite finished it yet." 
 
 44 Not altogether ? Well, read what you ve got 
 ready, why not?" 
 
 " Oh, to tell the truth, I have n t quite begun 
 it, either ! " 
 
 " Not struck a lick at it ! In all these years ! " 
 
 "I ve almost begun it. There s plenty of 
 time." 
 
 "How do you know about time? Got your 
 life insured ? " 
 
 " Oh, springtime is past ; and I always noticed 
 that, if I lived through the spring, I was safe for 
 the rest of the year ! " 
 
 44 Ah, I see. Good enough ! Well, for a fact, 
 you do look this minute as though Death himself 
 wouldn t never darse t to touch you." 
 
 " Look as if I could scare him away ? " 
 
 " Look as though you could coax him away. 
 Do what you had a min ter with him ! " 
 
 44 Well! That s nice! But there s another 
 thing. Having passed my word, I can t die until 
 I ve written that story out." 
 
 44 If I thought that, I VI say 4 Don t you touch it ! 
 Never ! The world could n t go on without Anne 
 McVey." 
 
434 ZURY. 
 
 " Nonsense ! Her death would n t make a rip 
 ple in the flood. Only two hearts would bleed." 
 And she looked lovingly at Meg, whose eyes sud 
 denly filled with tears. 
 
 " Make it three, make it three, and I m agreed," 
 said Zury, with unusual seriousness. 
 
 " There ! In a minute we shall all be crying 
 over imaginary woes. Let s talk of other things. 
 You have n t begun to tell me about Wayback 
 yet. They have n t disturbed the old school-house, 
 I suppose." 
 
 " Oh yes, improved it until you d hardly know 
 it. Every bench a back, every desk a drawer. 
 The old logs are about all there is left of what 
 you used to see." 
 
 " I d like to lay my cheek against those old 
 logs, before I die." 
 
 " I guess the logs could stand it if you could. 
 But the folks ! Oh, you ve got right smart to 
 answer for. Stuck up till you can t rest ! You 
 made them gals so toploftical that common, low- 
 down farmer s boys war n t good enough for em, 
 and they all like ter died old maids ! Old man 
 Anstey, he s built him a house. Reekie, you 
 know she married the preacher, Masten. War n t 
 he a mighty smart customer ! Better, too, if any 
 thing, after you gave him a settin down. Gifted 
 in discourse, fervent at the Throne and happy 
 at funerals. Conference took to takin notice of 
 Masten, and he clum and clum : last place I heard 
 of him he was at Galeny, with the best follerin 
 in Jo Daviess County. I saw em when I was up 
 
MAN PROPOSES,- WOMAN DISPOSES. 435 
 
 to Galeny a spell ago. I was up there lookin 
 into lead-mining property a little; didn t buy, 
 dunno s I will and dunno but I will. It s owing 
 to how the cat jumps. Well, as I was sayin , I 
 called on Eureky in Galeny ; and, sakes alive ! 
 you d oughter see the style they put on ! Hired 
 gal to wait on table jest as though it was a ho 
 tel ! " 
 
 " Family, I suppose? " 
 
 " Oh yes. Eureky s got a daughter most as 
 big as you. Named fer you, too, like most of the 
 oldest gals of your old scholars. And ha-an some ! 
 Yum-yum ! Stand from under when she begins 
 to take notice ! " 
 
 Anne s gayety was sympathetic and catching. 
 Not only did she shine, but she made poor Zury 
 feel as if he had never been so brilliant in his 
 life, and, all the while, he was becoming more and 
 more satisfied that he had at last "struck his 
 gait " as they say of trotters, and that his life 
 would be happier in its remaining years than he 
 had ever dreamed of its being in his youth. 
 Anne saw his happiness, his confident hope, 
 and his ardent admiration. She even let it go on 
 and on with a certain enjoyment that was not 
 quite blameless, but wholly womanly. 
 
 One thing troubled Zury. Anne never let 
 Margaret leave her for a moment. How could he 
 demand the hand and heart of the mother while 
 the daughter was present? Or how get the 
 daughter out of the way ? Time was flying, he 
 must depart in a little while. 
 
436 ZURY. 
 
 " Might the Prime Minister from Wayback 
 make so bold as to ask the Princess of Springville 
 t get him a drink of water?" 
 
 " Oh, surely Margaret, let s have a pitcherful. 
 You draw some fresh, while I get the ice." 
 
 " Oh mother, you sit still and I 11 " 
 
 " Do as I bid you, my dear." 
 
 This was said with that " shine " of the eyes 
 that serves as a masonic sign between women, and 
 at once establishes a secret understanding, and an 
 offensive and defensive alliance. Margaret knew 
 in an instant that, for some occult reason, she was 
 not to leave her mother alone with Mr. Prouder. 
 
 When no further excuse for delay was possible, 
 the poor fellow took his leave, with one last effort. 
 
 "Well, I must be travelin . Wouldn t it be 
 accordin to Jefferson s manual if the Queen was 
 to escort the Prime Minister jest a short ways 
 towards home ? " 
 
 " With pleasure. Come Margaret, where are 
 our things?" 
 
 Zury began to lose confidence. They walked 
 a little way down the rural street, flecked and 
 streaked with moonlight and shadows, and then 
 back to the widow s gate ; the stream of talk be 
 coming more and more attenuated as embarrass 
 ment and consciousness of cross - purposes in 
 creased. 
 
 " Mis McVey, might I have a half a minute 
 alone with you ? " 
 
 " Oh, I can t have any secrets from my daugh 
 ter." 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 437 
 
 " Well, then, the matter I started in on when 
 I first come round this afternoon is that all 
 right?" 
 
 " All right? Yes; all right, just as I said to 
 you when you first mentioned it." 
 
 " What you said then was all wrong as I under 
 stood it." 
 
 " No ; it was all right. I guess it will stand. 
 I meant what I said, and I mean it yet." 
 
 The poor fellow aged at heart as he listened. 
 A lump rose in his throat that made his good-bye 
 inaudible. He tottered a little in his lonely walk 
 to the hotel. Never till now had he known how 
 dear to him was this unrecognized plan and pur 
 pose of his life ; and never till now had he felt 
 the weakness of wealth as a means of happiness. 
 He took out the fat pocket-book, full of money 
 and promissory notes and securities, and tried to 
 re-awaken the spell which it ought to exercise over 
 his sinking spirit. Vain, vain, vain ! There was 
 no joy in it at that moment. He even threw it 
 down and trod on it ! 
 
 " Ye beastly varmint ! It s you that s ruined 
 
 me ! It s you that s made me such a that 
 
 she can t bear me, rich as I am ! And she s right, 
 too ! Zury Praouder, ye miserable cuss, ye ve 
 even got a hundred dollars an more of her money 
 in there, and ye know it ; an ye tried to give it 
 to her, and ye could n t ; ye nigger slave ! " 
 
 Then tears came though not to his relief : 
 the hot, bitter tears of age that come from such 
 a deep place that they scald the heart-strings as 
 
438 ZURY. 
 
 they start. They sprang from his eyes and ran 
 down his nose and dripped off on the pocket-book 
 as he picked it up. 
 
 As he laid his weary head on his pillow that 
 night he groaned aloud : 
 
 " Oh mother ! mother ! " His anguish took him 
 away back to the helplessness of childhood. 
 
 How did Anne and Meg fare on the same oc 
 casion ? 
 
 " Mother ! What does it all mean ? " 
 
 " My blessed girl ! Come and strengthen your 
 mother ! There put your dear curly head in 
 the old place, and tell me you don t want to be 
 rich." 
 
 " Rich, mother ? I am rich ! Nothing could 
 make me poor while you live on the earth, except 
 to see you unhappy ! " 
 
 " You are sure you don t want a hundred thou 
 sand dollars ?" 
 
 " I d like to give it to you, for your very own ! 
 I have no other use for it." 
 
 " I ve had it offered to you and Phil, and I 
 refused for both." 
 
 " Did that man offer to give it to us ? " 
 
 " Yes ; not exactly to give it, but to trade it, 
 he to have me while he lives and give it to you 
 when he dies ! " 
 
 " Ugh ! " 
 
 The English alphabet is not provided with vow 
 els and consonants which can express the sound 
 that accompanied Meg s shudder of repulsion and 
 
MAN PROPOSES; WOMAN DISPOSES. 439 
 
 disgust as she hugged her mother more closely and 
 strenuously. Suddenly she thrust her away to 
 arm s length and looked at her with something as 
 near to indignation as those gentle eyes could 
 express. 
 
 " Mother ! he spoke of this when he first came, 
 and yet you treated him civilly all the rest of the 
 time ! I would n t have thought it of you ! " 
 
 The young woman disapproved strongly of her 
 mother from that moment onward until it came 
 time to u kiss good-night," then she broke down 
 and magnanimously forgave her for having even 
 tolerated the idea of making her children rich by 
 a sacrifice of herself. If she had not forgiven her, 
 if they had gone to sleep having any alien 
 thoughts between them, it would have been the 
 first, last, and only time in all their lives. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 
 
 POOR Zury Prouder could not shake off his 
 troubles so easily as could Anne and Margaret 
 forget theirs. They slept and woke as gay as 
 larks, he a prey to disappointment and mortifi 
 cation. These fiends sat at his bed-head, and 
 though they could not retard his usual prompt 
 falling asleep, they could and did hasten his wak 
 ing up. After a very short slumber, with the first 
 gleam of consciousness such a glimmering as 
 would ordinarily have only added zest to his later 
 rest came their sharp, sneering voices and 
 startled him broad awake. 
 
 " Ho, Zury ! You Zury Prouder ! The lady 
 would n t have ye, would n t she ? No ; not at 
 no price ! Well, who but an old fool like you 
 would ever think she d so much as look at yer 
 shadow ! She a lady, born and bred, and a scholar, 
 and you a ! " 
 
 The poor fellow groaned and turned over, shak 
 ing his shaggy head in a vain effort to repel the 
 pestiferous voices. 
 
 " You, Zury ! Don t go to sleep again ! We 
 wanter talk to ye ! Thought ye was rich enough 
 to buy up any poor widow-woman on th footstool, 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 441 
 
 did ye ? He-be ! Not Anne McVey ! Better go 
 fer one of your own kind next time low-down 
 trash like yerself ye poor ignor nt old miser ! 
 Mortgage-sharp ! Land-shark ! Owin her money 
 ye could n t pay even when ye got it out t hand 
 over to her ! " 
 
 He groaned again and buried his face in the 
 pillow, shutting his ears with his hands. 
 
 " Oh no, Zury, it war n t no dream about her 
 givin ye the mitten. She did it, an she meant 
 it, too ; an if she had n t, it would have been her 
 that was the fool instead of you ! Ye d starve 
 her to death, body and soul ! Rich are ye? Oh, 
 yes, mebbe. Awful rich ! You can t buy no 
 two-dollar table-spread ! You can t have no sup 
 per-table that looks like a picture. You can t 
 have no women folks that looks and talks and acts 
 like ladies ! No sirree ! She spends as much 
 money in a year as you can make in a week ; 
 and that d break your poor old miserly heart, ye 
 old skinflint, ye know it would ! 
 
 " Them children of hern what would they 
 have been if you d, had the rearin of em ? The 
 gal, she d have been about like Alphy ! Your 
 own dead wife s own niece not half as edicated 
 nor half as nice dressed as poor old man Anstey s 
 gals ! An him eenamost a pauper ; an you the 
 richest man in Spring County ; an the meanest 
 on Goddlemighty s green earth ! And look once 
 at Semanthy ! Your own sister-in-law ! Slaved 
 for ye all these years, and now ye got her dead 
 sister s property in your hands ; and she nothin 
 
442 ZURY. 
 
 to show for all but poor-house feed an scarecrow 
 clothes for her and her daughter ! Ye had n t 
 oughter let Anne McVey set eyes on them in 
 their dirt and rags ! It gave ye clean away ! 
 That s the kind of a sweet-scented prospeck ye 
 held out to her ! " 
 
 Another helpless groan. 
 
 " That boy, Phil : think ye d know him for 
 the fine feller he is if you d had a chance to bring 
 him up in your ways ? You and him would a 
 been forever chasin the same sixpence round the 
 country, an you usially ketchin it first ! Oh, 
 he d be a sweet-scented young gum-tree, com 
 pared to what he is now, if he d been in your care 
 instead of hers ! " 
 
 " Oh Lordy, Lordy ! " 
 
 " Made a good speech, did n t ye, when she told 
 ye what to say ! Got ye into the legislature that 
 speech did. And then ye thought ye d try a 
 quarrel with her I Boomin success that quarrel 
 was, was n t it? Didn t take her long to learn 
 ye your place." 
 
 " Oh there, there : lemme rest ! " 
 
 " How d ye come out when ye tried to make a 
 speech on your own hook ? Chairman of Geol 
 ogy and Science made another boomin success, 
 did n t he-?" 
 
 " I took down Gunnitt, anyhow ! " 
 
 " Ya-as, jest what you re fit for! What any 
 brute beast could have done if he d been big 
 enough I " 
 
 " And ye thought, ye old fool, that a natur 
 
. A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 44o 
 
 like hers could be bought with money ! Sho ! 
 She don t want you ner your money. Her kind of 
 goods won t swap for your kind of currency. Ye 
 ain t her kind of a man : no, and won t never be, 
 not at your age ! Ye lost yer chance when ye 
 did n t run away to sea ner yet to the Soul- 
 sleepers college. An then again ye traded 
 her off for a farm ! Acted the dog, an traded 
 her off for another farm ! " 
 
 "Well, well!" said Zury aloud, as he finally 
 rebelled against his persecutors, sat up in bed, and 
 stared into the darkness. Then he groped about, 
 found his clothes, and, carrying his boots in his 
 hands to avoid arousing attention, finally got out 
 into the star-lit streets. By habit his steps led 
 him to the neighborhood of the store where Anne 
 worked ; then by intention he walked out to where 
 her cottage stood so neat, so simple, so humble, 
 so like others about it, and yet so different to him ! 
 
 The stillness was awful. But even this was 
 better than the torturing thoughts that had 
 hounded him as he lay awake, for the first time 
 in his life. As he wandered aimlessly about, in 
 search of the mental rest that comes from bodily 
 weariness, he heard a train approaching on the rail 
 way, catching its first murmurs while it was yet a 
 long way off. He strolled toward the station and 
 watched its arrival, and the dispersal of the few 
 tired, cross, and sleepy travelers. Among them was 
 a poor woman with a whimpering child at her side 
 and a wailing one in her arms, which she jogged 
 up and down with a ceaseless, weary motion. 
 
444 ZURY. 
 
 " Are ye shoor ? " he heard her say in a despair 
 ing tone and a fine brogue to the station-master. 
 
 " Sure s shootiu ! No sech a man hain t be n 
 raound a-askin fer nobody sence I come on at 
 six last night." 
 
 " Oh dare ! What 11 I do at all, at all ? " 
 
 " Better go somewher s till mornin . Then 
 mebbe ye kin find him if he s in taown V t 
 work at his trade, ye 11 find him." 
 
 " Sorra the place have I got t go to ! " 
 
 " Wai, ye kin git t stay in th waitin -room." 
 So he unlocked the door which he had closed for 
 the night, and lighted a most malodorous lamp, 
 evidently lately blown out ; and the helpless, lone 
 some, disappointed soul bestowed her poor bundles 
 as well as she could, and then went on trying to 
 still the baby with the same fruitless waving and 
 shaking motion. 
 
 " Oh marmy, marmy," called the other from 
 where she had seated him on the bundles. 
 
 " Shut up ! I ain t got nothin fer yez ! " Shut 
 up I tell ye ! " And the wail descended to a 
 whine, but never ceased. 
 
 Zury thought to himself, " Them folks is havin 
 a hard time tew." And he smiled grimly at the 
 community of misery, albeit its causes were so 
 diverse. 
 
 As he turned away, he saw the glimmer of a 
 lantern, carried by one of the train-hands who 
 had just arrived evidently the fireman, going 
 home after housing his engine. Zury followed list 
 lessly, observing that the youth walked toward the 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 445 
 
 McVev cottage. No need to keep in sight; the 
 boy s whistle was a guide. Could it be Phil ? 
 He walked along, unobserved, and saw the other 
 take all the turns that led to the u sweet, sweet 
 home" of Anne and her children. Yes he 
 turned in at the gate and knocked gently at the 
 door, which was opened almost instantly by a tall, 
 white-robed figure : evidently some one had been 
 cheerfully and hopefully awaiting his accustomed 
 coming, for a laugh and a kiss were audible in the 
 moment that intervened before the door closed. 
 
 This was not calculated to calm Zury s per 
 turbed soul. He walked again toward the station. 
 As he walked his grim bedside foes suddenly 
 spoke again. 
 
 " Oho, Zury ! If you were such a feller as the 
 widder McVey d ought to marry, that thar poor 
 woman would n t be left alone and friendless with 
 her babes." 
 
 " T ain t none o my business," said Zury aloud 
 in reply. 
 
 44 No, Zury, you re mighty right, it ain t none 
 o yer business ! That s because ye ain t her 
 kind of a man. Ef you was Anne s kind of a 
 man, like her son Phil, for instance, it d be 
 your business, fast enough ! " 
 
 " What business has the woman got travelin 
 about alone, like a blamed tramp, anyhow ? " 
 
 "Same business ye ve got yourself mebbe, 
 cause she can t help it, no more n yew can." 
 
 44 1 can help it. I can go right home to th old 
 farm t -morrer! " 
 
446 ZURY. 
 
 u Then y ain t so excusable as she is, ye old 
 fool. What ye trampin round h yer for ? " 
 
 Still Zury neared the station, and at last he 
 peeped in no change in the distressed group, ex 
 cept that the baby was being quieted by nursing, 
 and the older child made more noisy by beating. 
 
 " Oho, Zury, rich Zury, richest ma-an in Spring 
 County, an th meanest, ye could n t pay a cent 
 to help that lonesome critter, not to save your 
 life ! " 
 
 "Ye re a liar! I could! But I don t wan- 
 ter!" 
 
 " Phil could, poor as he is ! He would n t be 
 abed and asleep now, not if he d a heard the 
 smallest hoot of them cry in children I But you 
 could n t ! No sirree ! It d cost ye a hull doller, 
 mebbe ! Much s your corn-crop has growed since 
 we woke ye up n started ye out." 
 
 " I tell ye ye re a liar ! I kin and what s 
 more I will." 
 
 He set his teeth firmly and walked into the 
 doleful room. 
 
 " What s the matter, sonny ? " 
 
 The boy stopped crying and held his peace. 
 
 "Be ye hungry?" Still the little fellow sat 
 speechless, startled out of his misery by this large 
 and terrible new-comer. 
 
 " Tell the gintleman, Mike. Spake up now 
 like a man, an tell the gintleman ye did n t have 
 hardly a bite the day." 
 
 " Oh well, see h yer, this won t never do 
 stayin h yer like this. Come along o me I 11 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 447 
 
 find ye a place to lay down and suthV another 
 to eat, anyhow ; an then ye can find your old man 
 in the morning! " 
 
 " The Lard reward ye sorr if ye d do that 
 same ! " said the poor creature eagerly, and after 
 two or three efforts she rose with such alacrity as 
 the heavy baby allowed, jerked the long-suffering 
 boy off her baggage, and seized upon it with her 
 disengaged hand. Zury took it from her, in spite 
 of her protests, and would have led the boy also, 
 except for that youth s preference for his accus 
 tomed support the dirty end of his mother s 
 dragging shawl. 
 
 As they emerged from the station and faced the 
 east the pale dawn greeted them, and it grew into 
 an almost rosy light before they got to the tav 
 ern. There they found the " all-night clerk." 
 
 44 Hello, Mr. Prouder ! Thought you was abed 
 an asleep in number seven ! " 
 
 " Had to go to the train to meet a man. H yer s 
 a woman and a couple o children no place to 
 go, an nothin to eat. I s pose ye won t charge 
 em much for bed an breakfast ? " 
 
 " Oh no, we re used to it. I 11 give em a place 
 to lop down in, and all they want to eat." 
 
 " Well, I may s well pay ye naow for em 
 How much ? " 
 
 44 Not a cent, Mr. Prouder. Fust place, we do 
 that same thing, at the same rate, pretty nearly 
 every day, when we ain t drove ner crowded. 
 Next place, we d do it for you, anyhow, and 
 mighty welcome, too ! Come along, mom. Come 
 
448 ZURY. 
 
 along, Patsy ! Here s my midnight lunch, enough 
 for three, I haven t scarcely touched it coffee, 
 cold sausages, pie, bread one thing another. 
 There, go into the porter s room, he s gone to bed 
 up-stairs, since the train came in you eat first, 
 and then lay down on the cot, and lock the door 
 and sleep as long as you like." 
 
 The sun was peeping over the horizon, as Zury 
 pulled down his blind and lay down once more to 
 piece out his night s rest. The troublesome fiends 
 were gone, or silenced. He felt as if perhaps 
 there was some doubt as to his not being " Anne s 
 kind of a man" maybe so if it was always 
 as cheap to be decently kind as he had found it 
 so far, but then that looked as though he had 
 not learned anything after all he wished the 
 clerk had taken his dollar : never mind, he d give 
 it to the woman in the morning. And the clerk 
 said the tavern was doing this kind of thing 
 every day ! By this time he was asleep as sound 
 as poor little Mike down stairs. 
 
 When wakefulness returned it brought new 
 consciousness of pain and disappointment, but also 
 new courage and hope. Naturally enough, the 
 poor wayfaring family was a comforting thought 
 and occupation for his mind. When he came out 
 from breakfast, they were already wandering 
 about in front of the tavern, making futile and 
 feeble efforts to find the husband and father the 
 missing link whereon hung their slender chance 
 of not dropping into the poorhouse. Its slender- 
 ness did not much trouble their simple, trustful 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 449 
 
 souls ; almost incapable of hope or fear. Zury 
 kept to his intention : at least he gave them 
 some money. 
 
 Finding that they were still without the needful 
 clew, he led them to " the store." There he pro 
 vided them with a good stock of coarse food 
 without expense to himself and getting hold of 
 the name of a man who might be the missing link, 
 he volunteered to go in quest of him. Anne had 
 seen him bring them in and soon found time to 
 .question them. When she learned that he had 
 befriended them, when she heard the poor crea 
 ture s florid and effusive expressions of thankful 
 ness for his small and cheap beneficence, it 
 brought a glow of pleased surprise to her heart. 
 She learned, too, the time of night at which he 
 had picked them up; and she guessed that he 
 had slept but little. Could it have been on her 
 account ? 
 
 Zury soon returned with the husband and fa 
 ther ; and as he stood contemplating the family 
 reunion with a smile rather grim, though also 
 quite benevolent, Anne went to him and said with 
 her own frankness, 
 
 " Mr. Prouder, I ve been talking with that poor 
 creature, and I don t know when I ve been more 
 pleased, delighted I may say " (she wanted to say 
 " surprised "), " than I was to hear of your kind- 
 heartedness, and your liberality ! " 
 
 He looked at her with a sadness in his eyes that 
 quite touched her, and said something about not 
 having done anything to speak of. 
 
450 ZURY. 
 
 " But you Ve done everything ! You were just 
 the right man in the right place at the right time, 
 and did the right thing. As the ministers say, 
 Providence must have picked you out as an instru 
 ment for the succor of the helpless ! " 
 
 " They do say Providence can work with pretty 
 poor tools." 
 
 " Poor tools ! It would be the first task you 
 were ever found to be a poor hand at, if you were 
 to turn into a philanthropist and did n t do it 
 well ! " 
 
 His look softened, but he kept on his unaccus 
 tomed silence. 
 
 " Perhaps you Ve been hiding an unknown 
 quality of benevolence all these years, and now 
 it is just coming out ! " 
 
 " Mebbe so mebbe so but I guess not. I 
 expect I m a hard, knotty old stick." 
 
 She returned to her desk, truly grieved that 
 she could not comfort or console him ; and the 
 regret haunted her all day and longer. 
 
 As for him, he spent the drive homeward, and 
 the days and weeks that followed, in a strange 
 train of thought. Dim glimmerings of new aspi 
 rations animated him : new views of life, not quite 
 adopted, but at least contemplated as being among 
 the possibilities, in this world or some other. 
 
 Within two or three months, strange rumors 
 begin to shake the firmament in Wayback. Let 
 us listen to the news. 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 451 
 
 As good a place as any in the world to catch 
 the sense of a community like this is the " horse- 
 shed " that is provided near every meeting-house 
 and court-house. More politics are talked, and 
 more opinions formed, changed, and confirmed in 
 the horse-shed than in any other one locality in 
 the township ; so much so, that "horse-shedding" 
 has become a verb in the vernacular. Many a 
 lawyer has accounted to his client for an adverse 
 verdict, by such expressions as this : 
 
 " Oh, that feller, V his lawyer, n their friends 
 has be n a hoss-sheddm them jurymen ! Yes, sir- 
 ree, the hev, n I know it ! The facts was with 
 us, the law was with us, the bench was with us, 
 n the bar was with us ; but facts n law, n 
 bench n bar, is all fools to a hoss-shed ! It 11 
 lay over em every time ! " 
 
 Well, on a certain summer Sunday afternoon, 
 the Wayback meeting-house was baking hot, the 
 minister was perspiring, and pouring forth per- 
 fervid eloquence coatless, vestless, collar-less 
 and cravat-less and there was no wind blowing 
 but his ; so, of course, the horses out in the cool, 
 untroubled shade needed a great deal of attention. 
 No farmer was quite willing to intrust his team to 
 the other fellows out there unless he happened 
 to be sitting very near the pulpit and very far from 
 the door. The best seats in the house those you 
 come to first as you enter were consequently all 
 emptied soon after " firstly," by their occupants 
 sliding out to attend to the teams in the horse-shed. 
 
 " Wai, pards," in a hesitating, tentative 
 
452 ZURY. 
 
 voice as making a suggestion too startling to be 
 lightly ventured upon, " d ye know Zury 
 Praouder he s a-goin off some ? " 
 
 " He never wuz to hum no gre t. Dunno s he s 
 away more n usial." 
 
 " Away thunder ! He s on the daownhill ! 
 He s a-gittin old I don t say dotin . He s 
 a-losin his grip ! " 
 
 44 What ! Zury ? " In chorus, with dissenting 
 variations. 
 
 " Wai, naow jest hoi on till I tell ye what I ve 
 heern tell. You know when his o woman died 
 she left her things thaout no word, n her sister 
 S manthy that s lived thar fer ever n ever with 
 her growin gal, she kinder wanted em, n she 
 dropped hints raoun mongst her own folks t 
 they d oughter chip in n make up a little puss 
 n buy em offen Zury fer her." 
 
 " Thasso-thasso," said one of the hearers who 
 had been applied to, and would have liked to go 
 on and detail his reasons for not "chipping in," 
 but was headed off by the more interesting subject. 
 
 44 That ain t neither h yer ner thar t warn t 
 done n the matter drapped ; n some llaowed th t 
 Zury he d auction em off ; n some llaowed he d 
 keep em fer his third, n so t went on. Wai, 
 wha d ye think I ve heerd ? N I know it s so, 
 tew ! " (Here his voice sank into an awestruck 
 whisper that drew all heads nearer to his wonder- 
 uttering lips.) u A week ago this blessed day, 
 when S manthy wuz a clearin off the breakfV, at 
 half-past six in the mornin , Zury he tipped n 
 told her she c d hev her sister s things ! " 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 453 
 
 A moment s pause here occurred, a silence 
 broken by expressions of amazement and disbe 
 lief. 
 
 " Wai, ye kin b lieve it er not, this is a free 
 kedntry, but either it s a fact er else S manthy s 
 a liar er a looney, one o th six ! She told Mis 
 Bromwell on it s soon s she c d git over thar, V 
 Mis Bromwell told my wife, V my wife told 
 me, so ye git it cheap s I did. S manthy says 
 she was so flabbergasted for a minute she did n 
 know what tew dew ye might a knocked her 
 daown with a stick o wood ! Zury he jest went 
 aout V set daown on th door-stone, V S manthy 
 she went V leaned agin the door-post V told him 
 s well s she could fer a-cryin s she wuz t her 
 Men s war n t a-goin t dew nothV in the way o 
 bnyin on em in fer her, s fur s she c d see ; V 
 Zury he llaowed he c d keep up his eend o the 
 double-tree V pay his debts thaout his sellin his 
 wife s clo s. N so it went. N what s more, 
 she s to meetin this mornin with one o Mis 
 Praouder s gaounds on ! " 
 
 " Thasso ! Fust time she s be n t meetin in a 
 coon s age ! " 
 
 " Dew that, er don t it look like Zury s 
 a-breakin up ? " 
 
 A sad silence, as in contemplation of the wreck 
 of a strong mind, brooded over the group ; a still 
 ness broken only by the rustling of the trees, and 
 the stamping of the fly-bothered horses, and the 
 sonorous shouts audible through the open windows 
 of the meeting-house, where the poor preacher 
 
454 ZURY. 
 
 was showing his determination and his ability to 
 keep some of his hearers awake at all hazards and 
 at any expense. 
 
 " Looks like dotin sure enough." 
 
 " Naow look a-h yer, pards, till /tell ye a leetle 
 on the same side. Storekeeper he s a-owin Zury 
 some rent, of course, mebby a matter of twelve 
 dollars, n this week Zury he upped n told 
 him haow S manthy s gal, Alphy, she s a-gittin 
 ready t marry, n storekeeper he wuz t let her 
 git up t the vally o the back rent, n he d settle 
 it with S manthy ! " 
 
 " Wai ! wall WAL ! Looks like soff nV o the 
 brain n Zury ! Tho come t think it d be only 
 soff n n o the heart in some folks! But when a 
 man as hain t got no heart starts in t act so course 
 it s his brain that s the matter." 
 
 " Wai ; who 11 we git fer supervisor, n sses- 
 sor, n school d rector?" So the conversation 
 drifted away from the setting to the rising star. 
 But before long it was recalled to the old theme, 
 Zury, who was still, as for a generation back, the 
 most interesting topic in that horse-shed. 
 
 " But look a-h yer men ! Zury a-givin away 
 his wife s clo s looks as though he did n t llaow 
 t marry agin ! " 
 
 " Yes or else t he llaowed t marry some gal 
 them clo s would n t fit, n t would n t have em s 
 a gift!" 
 
 " Why anybody d a bet ten t one Zury d a 
 married agin afore this time that is, ef he d 
 ever a took time enough t tend tew it ! " 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 455 
 
 " T don t take long fer a man like Zury. All 
 he s got t dew is t jest wink at any gal in Spring 
 Caounty, V she 11 have her bunnit on n be on 
 the road t the Squire s fore he kin wink t other 
 eye." 
 
 " The wuz a talk one spell t Zury wuz a-goin 
 for the widder McVey t Springville her t kep 
 sculc here in this very scule-haouse one spell." 
 
 " She wuz chain-lightnin then ! Dunno but 
 what she is now. That wuz a matter o fifteen 
 or twenty years ago, but I guess she ain t no 
 slaouch even naow. Did n t look so when she wuz 
 h yer jest fore Zury got lected t th legislator. 
 But, then, that s all past n gone. If he d a had 
 any idee in his mind o that kind he d a upped 
 n done it quick s his wife died." 
 
 " Wai, hit er miss, the dew say s how jest after 
 his wife died Zury he upped n got him a new suit, 
 n some new teeth, n went off daown t Spring 
 ville, whar she lives, n whar she s a-clerkin fer 
 the store whar he gits his wholesale truck." 
 
 " Oh sugar ! Zury ain t no man t up n marry 
 no ol widder ! Strappin gal baout nineteen d be 
 more n Zury s line th n any ol widder ! " 
 
 " Wai, some Smart Aleck, daown t th Way- 
 back store, he upped n tackled Zury baout the 
 widder McVey when he got back ; n Zury he 
 took him by the collar with one hand n by the 
 ear with t other, n led him aoutside n said a few 
 words t the feller d never tell what they wuz 
 fr m that day t this." 
 
 " Pr aps the widow she would n t hev him ! " 
 
456 ZURY. 
 
 " What ! Not have Zury Praouder ! " This 
 proposition was such a blatant absurdity that it 
 broke up the conclave, assisted by the fact that 
 the closing hymn marked the time for hitching up 
 and driving round. 
 
 From these hints it may be seen that Zury s 
 powerful mind, set for many a year in certain 
 ways, is under stress of some yet more powerful in 
 fluence, and as it seems to be bending its course in 
 a way which we, who love him, highly approve of, 
 let us go back to the place whither his thoughts 
 turn, in season and out, with any excuse or none. 
 
 Now it happens that in Springville, at the Mc- 
 Vey cottage, he is again almost forgotten. A new, 
 long, incurable grief has smitten the little house 
 hold. Phil has left them ! The pride and joy of 
 those two gentle women s hearts has quitted the 
 maternal roof to seek promotion in his chosen 
 profession. On the little Springville railway he 
 could only be a fireman, perhaps for years to 
 come ; on the greater Chicago and Galena road 
 he mounts the foot-board at once, a full-fledged 
 engine-driver. He is to have charge of the "Pio 
 neer," the first engine ever run out of Chicago. 
 They could not blame him they could only 
 mourn for him. While he was with them, praise 
 and blame were always mixed ; admiration of his 
 powers was tempered by disapproval of his un- 
 ruliness; and wonder at his mechanical progress 
 and prowess was somewhat balanced by regret 
 that he did not take more polish in an intellectual 
 and social way. But now that he was far away 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 457 
 
 every virtue was exaggerated and every fault for 
 gotten ; so that a stranger, on hearing Anne and 
 Meg expatiate on the boy s great goodness and 
 good greatness, would have wondered in what part 
 of the Kosmos such paragons keep hidden, that 
 they are never visible to the common eye al 
 ways chance to be in the very place you are not 
 acquainted with and what is more, on meeting 
 Phil they would never recognize him from the 
 portrait painted for him by motherly and sisterly 
 love. 
 
 Well, for good or ill, he is gone. The winter 
 of discontent reigns in the cottage with more 
 than usual gloom. And out of doors it is autumn, 
 late autumn, and the " pinch of the year " is ap 
 proaching with all its accustomed ferocity. The 
 daily walks to and from store and school are 
 turned from pleasure to pain, and the cottage in 
 terior takes on a loneliness that is appalling. 
 
 "Mother, just see how self-forgetting Phil is! 
 He always speaks of our unhappiness, never of his 
 own ! You will be so lonesome, he writes ; when 
 we have each other, and he has nobody at all! 
 Yet he pretends never to think of it in that way." 
 
 " Yes yes " (musingly) " but the fact is, 
 Meg, that is truth, not affectation. He does not 
 suffer as we do." 
 
 " Now, mother ! " 
 
 " At your age I might have thought he was 
 pining for his home-women ; but now I know bet 
 ter. It s better so. No man who is ever going 
 to come to anything is ruled by family affection." 
 
458 ZURY. 
 
 " It 11 never be so with me ! " And she clung 
 to her mother with an almost painful intensity. 
 
 "Perhaps not. But Phil would say, business 
 before pleasure - and even that is a deception, 
 for in fact business is his highest pleasure." 
 
 " Would n t he love to be here holding our 
 hands in his this minute ? " 
 
 " Yes ; for just about a minute. But he d love 
 better to be driving the Pioneer s snow-plow at 
 full speed through a blinding snow-drift ; as he 
 wrote in his last of having done." 
 
 " He seemed to enjoy it, in spite of the awful 
 danger ; any wheel leaving the track would have 
 meant death or maiming, he said." 
 
 " He enjoyed it all the more on that account." 
 
 " Dear, dear ! What a difference between men 
 and women ! Yet I like him all ( the better for 
 the difference." 
 
 "Yes, and he likes us all the better. What 
 man likes a mannish woman ; or what woman 
 does n t detest a womanish man ! Every boy 
 that is ever going to be worth his salt, has to be 
 weaned twice ; once as a child and the second time 
 as a man. Both times it comes hard hard 
 the first time on the child, and the second on the 
 mother." 
 
 "But if the mother has a daughter that will 
 never be weaned again " 
 
 " Then she is a happy, blessed mother." (No 
 stage directions are here needed to indicate the 
 by-play.) 
 
 Phil s letters were not many nor fluent. Sons 
 
A NIGHTMARE: ALSO A HORSE-SHED. 459 
 
 are so cruel ! Oh, if they only knew or could 
 know, before it is too late, what pains they inflict 
 and what joys they withhold ! From these trea 
 sured missives the loving folks he had left behind 
 learned that he had made new friends. Of one 
 family, named Sanders, he wrote with some free 
 dom at first ; mentioning among other things that 
 Mrs. Sanders was the prettiest married woman he 
 had ever seen. Later he went to board with them, 
 and after this he quite dropped that subject, and 
 even some express questions asked in Meg s return 
 letters elicited no sort of response. 
 
 But of another family he wrote longest and 
 oftenest. These were the Mastens. Masten was 
 the young Methodist minister whose acquaint 
 ance we made at Wayback, who married Eureka 
 Anstey and, in the rotatory process peculiar to his 
 church, found himself at Galena with (as Prouder 
 had expressed it) " the largest following in Jo 
 Daviess County." The reader may remember 
 that Zury also suggested a remarkable degree of 
 personal attractiveness in the eldest daughter of 
 the Masten flock ; one named for Anne McVey. 
 
 From what Phil wrote, Anne and Meg con 
 cluded that Annie Masten was quite as lovely as 
 they had heard she was ; and partly from what he 
 said, and partly from what he refrained from say 
 ing, they further concluded that his heart was 
 more touched by her charms than he cared to tell. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 
 
 MANY, many leagues of snowy prairie lie be 
 tween Galena on the north and Springville and 
 Wayback in the centre, of the huge State of Illi 
 nois, whereof the most northern point touches the 
 latitude of Boston, and the most southern the lat 
 itude of Richmond, Virginia. On those pale plains 
 the snow flies (or flew in those days) over whole 
 degrees of latitude and longitude without an im 
 pediment ; and the wind sweeps (or swept) with 
 no obstruction save the snow. You could scarcely 
 say the wind howled that would indicate that 
 it met with some obstacle around which it eddied 
 and of which it complained. It simply sped along 
 swift and silent, as in mid-sky. 
 
 But in the more southern region of Springville, 
 the snow was some two weeks later than up at 
 Galena, and during those two weeks things hap 
 pened which were most interesting to some of our 
 dramatis persona, and which may deserve some 
 attention from the reader. 
 
 Anne s refusal of Zury Prouder was, as we have 
 seen, a rude shock which let him know what he 
 ought to have learned far earlier in life that he 
 was not nearly the masterful man he had always 
 
A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 461 
 
 thought himself, but in reality a very narrow, 
 ignorant, ill-bred, and unwise person, seeking for 
 happiness where only a mean, unworthy, and tem 
 porary gratification can be found. Money-making, 
 as an end and not a means of life, is like climbing 
 a chimney that grows narrower toward the top ; 
 one reaches a place where he can get neither up 
 nor down, and is enveloped in dirt and darkness 
 till he dies. Zury did not say this to himself in 
 words, but his ennui and loneliness said it to him 
 daily and hourly. 
 
 The same old yearning led him to the same old 
 expedient a sight of his second idol, Phil. For 
 this blessing he actually made the great journey 
 to Galena, far away in the northwest. 
 
 In the Springville house, Anne and Margaret 
 solaced their sadness with bright dreams im 
 possible of realization called up by a warm 
 invitation they had received from the Mastens to 
 come to Galena for a long visit. But alas, as has 
 been said, the way is long, and no railroad would 
 help them, except some forty miles or so of the 
 Galena and Chicago Union, to reach which took 
 weary daj^s of overland travel. 
 
 Zury Prouder had never called on them after 
 the memorable afternoon and evening tea and talk 
 we have read about in a former chapter. He felt 
 that the answer was meant to be final; and also, 
 in his secret soul, he thought that it was the 
 proper reply for a woman like Anne to give to 
 a man like himself. 
 
 Months had passed since Phil left Springville 
 
462 ZURY. 
 
 for Chicago; and, during this time, things had 
 grown more humdrum than ever. Margaret s in 
 dignation at the step-fatherhood and benefaction 
 proposed by Zury to her mother had become 
 moderated, as the strongest emotions are by Time, 
 the Eater of Things. 
 
 On a certain early winter day, behold Zury 
 once more at the well-remembered white gate. 
 He had privately passed it before, but lacked the 
 hardihood to enter. Now he hoped, by putting 
 on a courage he did not feel, he might carry 
 through a call successfully. He would, at least, 
 settle for himself the question whether he was a 
 coward or not. 
 
 " Good evenin , Mis McVey ! How is the Queen 
 of Springville? And the Princess ; how is she?" 
 
 Both ladies were well: Anne smiling, though 
 embarrassed ; Margaret grave and self-possessed. 
 It may be remarked that an offer of marriage 
 very rarely puts a widow into a lasting and vin 
 dictive rage, though that same widow s grown-up 
 daughter is apt to consider it a personal insult. 
 
 " I was passin , an jest drop t in, promiscuous- 
 like." 
 
 " Glad to see you, Mr. Prouder. Lay off your 
 top-coat. Why did n t you come in in time for 
 tea?" 
 
 Margaret could scarcely believe her ears. But 
 then mother knew best. 
 
 "Well, I dunno, I dunno." (He wished now 
 that he had come in months sooner.) " Ye know 
 I m a pretty busy man. Have to keep up my 
 
A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 463 
 
 end o the double-tree. Must n t quite lose my 
 reputation as the as a man of business." 
 
 44 Have you been very well ? " 
 
 44 Who, me ? Well, so as to be able to lean 
 upon my elbow and take my medicine." (This 
 with a chuckle in view of his invariable health.) 
 
 44 What s the news over at Wayback ? " 
 
 44 News ? Why the ain t none. Stock s gen- 
 er ly good an fat for winter. Ground hain t been 
 froze hard enough to git inter the field an gather 
 corn to speak of. But the farmers boys will soon 
 be thrashin their arms and blowin their fingers in 
 the corn-fields. Dunno s you know it, but husk- 
 in and wagenin corn s the all-firedest coldest job 
 th t ever was given out since Adam was a babe." 
 
 44 It must be! Very little exercise just walk 
 ing along and taking hold of one bitter-cold ear 
 after another, and stripping off those icy husks ! 
 But I never thought of it." 
 
 44 Of course ye did n t ! Why should ye ? Ye d 
 leave some of them little white fingers of yours 
 behind ye on the ground before ye got to the end 
 of the second row ! " 
 
 44 1 d stop before my fingers froze off ! Or run 
 in the house and get my mittens." 
 
 44 And have th ole man after ye with th halter- 
 strap? And all the women -folks laughin at ye! 
 Ye can t do no job of work in a corn-field with 
 mittens on ! " 
 
 44 How are the Ansteys ? " 
 
 44 Well, now ye speak of it, o man Anstey has 
 been kinder ailin like, jest downcy, not bedfast, 
 
464 ZURY. 
 
 but o woman Anstey, she s been good and 
 sick ! " 
 
 44 Poor things ! How in the world do they get 
 along?" 
 
 44 Oh, they ain t bad off. Th neighbors drop 
 round and feed em their medicine. The young- 
 uns, they ve come along. Bijah, he s marr d and 
 fetched his woman home right peart of a gal, 
 too, when she s able to get round to work, which 
 ain t very often, seein she s got three of her own 
 and on her fourth a ready. Silas, he s doin the 
 heft of the work on the place besides what Bijah 
 does." 
 
 44 And brother Bromwell ? " 
 
 " Oh, Omri Bromwell, he s a-gittin pretty near 
 once through. May last a spell yet, though. Had 
 to joke him a leetle last time I saw him. Says I, 
 4 Brother Omri, how old are you anyway? Says 
 lie, * Nigh onto seventy-six. Says I, 4 Seventy- 
 six ! Sho ! ye hold your age well ! I sh d have 
 thought ye was a hunderd ! But would ye have 
 believed it, th old man did n t like it ! Gettin 
 childish, and dotin a leetle ! " 
 
 44 Well, I should n t have liked it myself ! " 
 
 44 You ! Sakes alive ; it would be a bold man 
 would say you held your age well ! Ye hain t 
 got no age to hold ! Which is mother an which 
 is daughter, anyhow ? Hain t ye lost count some 
 way ? Got changed in yer cradles or something ? " 
 
 44 You shan t call my daughter older than I 
 am ! " And the two women gently embraced 
 each other. 
 
A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 465 
 
 " T ain t that she s older than you ; it s you that 
 are younger than she is ! That s where it is. But 
 sho ! That s neither here nor there. Age and 
 youth s all one, an we re noth n but poor worms 
 in th sight of th Almighty." 
 
 When Zury had been frivolous he liked to 
 " even up his averages " by an extra pious senti 
 ment. 
 
 " My son writes me that he saw you in Galena." 
 
 "Who, Phil? Did he write that, though? 
 There now ! " (This with a glowing and gratified 
 smile.) " I was comin to that. Mighty powers, 
 ain t he chain lightnin ? " 
 
 Zury s eyes danced and his cheek glowed with 
 an admiration which he was powerless fully to 
 express. He went on for a full hour to detail 
 what he had observed in his watching of Phil on 
 a certain day when he had made his acquaintance 
 on the " Pioneer," and on other occasions. The 
 two women listened spell-bound, both for the sake 
 of the subject, and the rude, grotesque, pictur 
 esque force of the plain man s diction. If Zury 
 had had the wisdom of the serpent, and had be 
 gun his ill-starred courtship with such an hour s 
 talk as this, no widowed mother in the state could 
 have hoped to withstand his eloquence anft* refuse 
 his suit. 
 
 " But here I am, like an old dromedary, talkin 
 ye to death an never say in what I came a-pur- 
 pose to say. It s this : I ve got to team it up to 
 Galeny as soon as the snow flies. Now you two 
 jest put on your bonnets an go along." 
 
466 ZURY. 
 
 44 Oh Mr. Prouder you take my breath 
 away ! " 
 
 " Well, a week s ride against a north wind 11 
 be liable to give it back to ye. 1 
 
 " It would change your journey altogether. If 
 you went alone you d take a single cutter." 
 
 44 Why, bless your simple soul ! A single cutter 
 d never get there ! The hoss could n t travel on 
 the divide ; he d have to go either in the nigh 
 hoss-track or the off boss-track, an then where d 
 your runners be ? Unless ye had one of these 
 lop-sided nut-shells, an that would n t begin to 
 stand the wear an tear. Never you mind me. I 
 know which side my bread s buttered on ! " 
 
 44 Well, it s no use. I could n t either take the 
 store books along, or keep them while I was gone ; 
 nor expect to pick up my job again when I got 
 back. Much obliged to you all the same ! It s 
 the kindest offer I ever had in my life." 
 
 44 Not by one that I know of. Now, as to the 
 store job, jest leave that to me. They re tryin 
 to sell me a big bill of goods, and I ve got em 
 down to bottom figgers so far, an was goin to 
 close the whack in the mornin anyway. Now, 
 I 11 go to th old man and tell him I 11 do it, if 
 he 11 have them books took care of whilst you re 
 gone, and kept for ye when ye git back. See? 
 T won t cost him a cent cause he 11 make the 
 junior pardner do the work." 
 
 44 Oh, Meg! To see Phil at home! And 
 Eureka ! And my pretty namesake ! " 
 
 44 Mother ! don t you dare to think of letting 
 the chance slip by ! " 
 
A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 467 
 
 Three happy hearts in Springville that night ! 
 Three happy hearts in Galena when the letter 
 came detailing the plan ! Which was the most 
 utterly joyful, the yearning mother, the tender 
 daughter and sister, the son, who had a double 
 gain to hope for, in seeing his beloved women, and 
 showing them off to Annie Masten? Or was it, 
 after all, the contriver and author of the whole 
 scheme of affection and delight, Usury Prouder ? 
 The hard man, to whom love was so rare, benev 
 olence such an unaccustomed luxury, and the ex 
 ercise of power and patronage such a soul-satisfy 
 ing happiness ! 
 
 " When the snow flies." This means a great 
 deal to the dwellers in the country, where weather 
 of all kinds, especially bitter weather, has an im 
 portance which city-people can scarcely conceive 
 of. In due time the snow flew, and later the snow 
 lay on the ground, even down in the latitude of 
 Springville. Starting with fair sleighing, they 
 were pretty sure of finding it improve as they 
 journeyed north. Zury took his best team, which 
 is saying not a little. He also took seventeen 
 fine crocks of butter, stowed where it would be in 
 nobody s way but his own. (Butter was worth 
 at the lead mines exactly double what it was at 
 Wayback.) Robes and rugs, peltries and blankets, 
 made the women absolutely insensible to cold, 
 while Zury sat up, brave and gay, with no outside 
 wraps except his shaggy coat, cap, gloves, and 
 boots, looking like a very good representation of 
 a middle-aged Santa Glaus. 
 
468 ZURY. 
 
 They were not to go by the sleigh further than 
 the nearest point on the railroad. There they 
 would meet some of those whom they had come 
 so far to see, and go on by freight-train to Galena. 
 This arrangement was admirably made (under 
 Zury s directions) and the very day for the meet 
 ing fixed by means of a letter which, traveling 
 night and day by mail, reached Galena in half the 
 time it must take them to get there. 
 
 Prouder was a fine traveling-companion. He 
 could talk, could listen, could be silent, and endure 
 silence in others. The relationship of fellow-trav 
 eler is a most trying one, as many a bridal-trip 
 has shown. The time is apt to come when it 
 would be a relief for the weary wanderers to meet 
 a friend, " or even an enemy," as Punch says. 
 Now Zury seemed ready, at a moment s notice, 
 with his best thoughts, looks, words, and actions, 
 at each and every hour of the twenty-four. The 
 impression he made upon Anne and her daughter 
 improved daily; but alas, truth must be told! 
 Anxious as he was to please, careful as he was to 
 behave himself as much like " highflyers " as his 
 observation and memory enabled him to do, still, 
 what was bred in the bone would not come out of 
 the flesh, and he failed signally : though it was 
 but in one point and by a hair s-breadth, yet it was 
 a failure. This was the nature of it. He carried 
 a fine, large handkerchief, and flourished it expres 
 sively ; yea, and blew mighty blasts thereon, like 
 Wouter Van Twiller ; but, unhappily, he used it 
 economically ! Instead of making it his main 
 
A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 469 
 
 reliance, he treated it as a reserve or auxiliary 
 force ! A sad and fatal error. 
 
 Stopping at noons and nights, sometimes at a 
 city, oftener at a village tavern, but oftenest at 
 some roadside farmhouse, they made nearly fifty 
 miles a day ; piecing out the short days by an 
 occasional spin in the moonlight when roads and 
 weather favored. They reached the railroad on 
 the day before that set for their meeting with 
 their Galena friends ; and on the morrow, by the 
 first train, came Phil and Sam Sanders, his fire 
 man, bringing Mrs. Masten (Anne s old scholar) 
 and her daughter Annie. What a union and re 
 union ! 
 
 Eureka had developed into a typical parson s 
 wife : dutiful, motherly, tactful, and somewhat 
 pious ; albeit perceptibly less church-y than of old, 
 through a certain disillusionment that comes from, 
 being behind the scenes and knowing all the ropes, 
 from flies to traps, from pulpit-lungs to organ- 
 bellows. Annie Masten was all their fancy had 
 painted her, and more. 
 
 Prouder started early toward Galena, with his 
 sleigh. Then, after dinner, all the rest took the 
 " Way-freight-train " for the same point. Anne 
 and Margaret had sometimes ridden in a " ca 
 boose," or freight-conductor s car, when Phil was a 
 fireman, but to the others it was a new experience. 
 
 The caboose is always the rear car of the freight- 
 train. It is usually a long, empty box-car, with 
 great sliding doors, open to the floor, in the mid 
 dle of each side, and a door at each end. A red- 
 
470 ZURY. 
 
 hot stove, sitting in a box of sand, and braced to 
 the floor on all sides, keeps it warm in winter. 
 The whole length of the sides, except where the 
 doors are, is occupied with long, narrow boxes for 
 fuel and tools, cushioned over to serve as seats and 
 beds for the train-hands. A jagged bit of looking- 
 glass is always tacked up near some window ; and 
 the walls are covered with time-cards and regula 
 tions for running trains, with here and there a 
 picture of a fine horse, or a red-cheeked beauty, 
 or a war-hero, or some other work of art which 
 brakeman or conductor has deemed worthy of a 
 place in his rude picture gallery. 
 
 These free and simple surroundings, together 
 with the low speed, and the liberty to wander 
 here and there and look out at sides and ends, 
 make a ride on a freight-train more like a picnic 
 than an ordinary and orderly journey. 
 
 Before the train started Annie said, 
 
 " Why, Sam ; where s Phil ? " 
 
 " Oh, he s aout ahead talkin to Jack Dougher 
 ty, the engineer ; mos likely tellin him t start V 
 stop kinder easy, so s not t jerk you women folks 
 out o the rear door every time he gives her steam 
 t go ahead." 
 
 " Why, isn t he going to ride with us? " 
 
 " Oh yes never fear, he 11 be back." 
 " What a long train ! " said Annie, who was 
 looking out. 
 
 " Baout twenty cars. See Phil away ahead 
 thar, long side the engine ? Thar ! Dougherty 
 s whistled 4 off brakes; now look out, she s a-start- 
 
A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 471 
 
 in ! Ketch a holt of the side o the door, like 
 that ; so." And they started. 
 
 " Why, Phil s left! " cried Annie. " We re off, 
 and he s standing there yet ! " 
 
 " Oh, he s jest a-waiting for us to come along." 
 
 " But we are going faster and faster all the 
 time ! " 
 
 " That don t faze Phil, not a mite ; twelve mile 
 an hour gittin on, er twenty mile an hour gittin 
 off suits Phil s well s anything else." 
 
 In a minute or two the open door flashed past 
 Phil as he stood, and Sam leaned out to see him 
 " make it." Phil only nipped his cigar a little 
 more firmly between his teeth, grasped the hand 
 rail as it passed, swung himself on the rear step, 
 and went on smoking. 
 
 "See?" said Sam. "He didn t never think 
 noth n abaout it ; jest lighted on the platform like 
 a green-head on a yearling colt. Why wha 
 what s the matter?" 
 
 This to Annie, who was sitting on a bench and 
 leaning back against the wall, her face colorless, 
 lips open, lower eyelids relaxed, hands hanging at 
 her sides ; in short, as Sam said, " lookin s though 
 she did n t take no interest in things. Did n t 
 keer whether school kep er not ! " 
 
 " Oh, nothing," said she, recovering herself 
 with a deep breath ; and then she rose and steadied 
 herself by the side of the car till she reached the 
 little mirror, by help of which she re-arranged her 
 pretty hat, disordered by its heedless contact with 
 the wall when she sat down so suddenly. 
 
472 ZURY. 
 
 44 Phil ! " said Meg, calling him at the back 
 door, " come in here this minute ! Did n t you 
 promise mother and me you d never take any 
 needless risks ? " 
 
 "Risks?" 
 
 44 Yes, risks ! You just got on to this car going 
 at full speed." 
 
 44 Well, if I d gone slow I should n t have got 
 on." 
 
 44 Nonsense ! You know what I mean ! You 
 got on when the car was going at full speed ! " 
 
 44 1 held it back all I could, the minute I got 
 hold of it, but I could n t make it go any slower." 
 
 44 You 11 be killed, getting on cars in motion in 
 that way ! " 
 
 44 See here, Meg ; gettin on cars in motion 
 never killed a man yet. It s gettin under em 
 that hurts ! If you ever catch me doin that you 
 may scold." 
 
 44 Well, when you are killed I hope you 11 be 
 satisfied ! " 
 
 44 1 expect to be, perfectly. And if I am not, I 
 promise you I won t complain." 
 
 44 Who is that young man writing in a book bal 
 anced on his left arm ? " asked Meg of Sam San 
 ders a few minutes later. 44 1 don t see how he 
 can write, staggering about so ! " 
 
 44 Oh, that s the corn-doctor. I 11 interdooce ye 
 tew him in a minute, soon s he gits threw en- 
 terin his way-bills." 
 
 44 The corn-doctor ! " 
 
 4 Oh yes but yew hain t no need t be afeared 
 on him ; yer hat s chalked, good." 
 
A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 473 
 
 " My hat?" And the bewildered young wo 
 man raised her hand to the " chalked " article. 
 
 Annie soon explained to her that in Sam s 
 vocabulary a " corn-doctor " meant a conductor, 
 and a " chalked hat " meant a free pass. 
 
 Then Phil and his mother had a long, long talk, 
 while Margaret and Annie learned all they could 
 about railroading from the caboose point of view. 
 The two girls u foregathered " amazingly. Each 
 seemed to have been all her life looking for some 
 body just like the other never found till now. 
 They fell in love with each other, and each se 
 cretly wished they might never part more. 
 
 Phil could n t help wondering why his mother 
 did n t begin at once talking about Annie Hasten, 
 and keep on the same subject for the rest of the 
 day. Yet he could not start the topic himself. 
 His mother, meanwhile, did not have to ask him 
 about Annie ; she knew it all beforehand by moth 
 erly instinct. 
 
 Toward the middle of the afternoon the engi 
 neer gave the signal he and Phil had agreed upon 
 to announce that Prouder and his team were in 
 sight ; and all went to the doors and windows, 
 and made the car gay with fluttering handker 
 chiefs and waving hats. Prouder put his horses 
 at a gallop, and kept within hearing distance for 
 almost a minute, while Phil, at his mother s re 
 quest, shouted, 
 
 " They say they owe all this to you !" 
 
 Prouder lifted his hat, and, as he pulled up his 
 panting team, asked himself with a cool, critical 
 expression, 
 
474 ZURY. 
 
 " Lessee, lessee ; o man Zury, did ye or did n t 
 ye ever hear sweeter music n that in all yer born 
 days?" 
 
 His thoughts wandered back to the voices of 
 his dead sister and his dead boys, and his heart 
 grew so soft that he had to shake himself to 
 gether with an effort and say : " Zury ! Look 
 aout ! Mebbe ye re dotin ! Ye know there s 
 no fool like an old fool ! " 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 AMARI ALIQUID. 
 
 As has been often said, the happiest states of 
 life furnish poorest materials for the story-teller. 
 "Blessed is a land without mountains, a people 
 without a history, and a life without events." 
 " No news is good news " in family life. When 
 Phil was away on his engine, his loving women 
 simply looked forward to his return, and that re 
 turn, when it came, paid them for their waiting. 
 
 Zury Prouder had bought a " lead-hill," and he 
 and Phil were preparing to open one or more 
 lead mines and their accompanying works as soon 
 as the spring should open. Then Phil would leave 
 the railroad, and begin to become a solid, prosper 
 ous business man, with unlimited capital to back 
 him ! Happy dreams for his mother, and Meg, 
 and perhaps some others. 
 
 There were two sprigs of bitterness in Anne s 
 cup one the ever-present consciousness of the 
 near approach of a new parting; the other a 
 sprout from seed unconsciously sown by loqua 
 cious Sam Sanders. 
 
 The coming departure was a common grief. 
 
 Said the minister, sonorous and splendid, 
 
 " Mrs. McVey, your stay with us is like the 
 
476 ZURY. 
 
 shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Eure- 
 ka s spirit feels your influence like the balm of 
 Gilead. In her girlhood it was the chiefest 
 blessing bestowed on her by a kind Providence ; 
 and now in her maturity it once more sheds 
 peace and happiness upon her, and at the same 
 time on us all." 
 
 " Now, father ! " protested Annie, in expostula- 
 tory tones ; " you talk as if you were officiating 
 at somebody s funeral, and praising the influence 
 of the dear departed ! " 
 
 "Annie, my daughter ! There is nobody else 
 who dares to talk to your father as you do ! " 
 Eureka said deprecatingly. 
 
 " Well, mother, he must have somebody to 
 take him down. The rest of his congregation 
 you among them just grovel at father s feet! 
 My business is to go on saying to him, 4 Alex 
 ander, thou too art mortal, to keep him from get 
 ting spoiled by the worship of foolish females." 
 
 " Well, my daughter, I suppose it is good for 
 me. A prophet is not without honor save in his 
 own country. As Saint Paul says, no chastise 
 ment is for the present joyous, but grievous, but 
 after it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteous 
 ness to them that are exercised thereby. Now I 
 thought you would be a staff to my declining 
 years ! " The good man smiled on his lovely 
 daughter in a way that showed he loved her none 
 the less for her chiding. 
 
 " So I am, father ! Your staff, of course, 
 your rod and your staff. You know rods and 
 
AMARI AL1QUID. 477 
 
 staves have various uses : they guide folks when 
 held in the hand, and also when laid over the 
 back." 
 
 " I m afraid he did not keep one handy when 
 you were growing up, Annie," said Meg. 
 
 " No, that s true ! They don t grow on the 
 prairie. He spared the rod and spoiled the 
 child." 
 
 " Well, not exactly spoiled her. Only kept her 
 down to a reasonable degree of angelical-ness 
 so her wings should n t sprout before their time." 
 
 " No, Mrs. McVey, I insist that I am spoiled. 
 If I had been properly treated I should be like 
 the dear woman I am named for." 
 
 " Well, my love, it s not too late. You can be 
 brought under wholesome discipline yet. Bub 
 wait till next week. Wait till we are gone back 
 to Springville. Be just as you are, till then." 
 
 " Now, now ! " cried Annie, clapping her hands 
 to her ears, " I will not hear of your going ! I am 
 spoiled enough to have my own way about that." 
 
 " Why, my dear, we must go sometime, and we 
 ought to have gone before." 
 
 "I see you are talking, but I cannot hear a 
 word." 
 
 "Oh well, then," said Phil, "we ll change 
 the subject." 
 
 " Then I 11 open my ears again," responded the 
 thoughtless girl, taking down her hands. " Why, 
 what are you all laughing at me for ? " 
 
 " Oho, Miss Pretense ! If your ears were shut, 
 how did you know what Phil said ? " 
 
478 ZURY. 
 
 " Oh, well, you see I knew Phil wouldn t 
 talk about that horrid subject; so when I saw 
 him open his lips I just listened a leetle bit. * 
 
 44 Ya-as," put in Sam Sanders, " I bserve that 
 whenever Phil speaks yer ears are tight open ! " 
 
 All laughed at this highly personal remark, and 
 as Annie blushed a good deal and seemed morti 
 fied, Sam hastened to qualify it : 
 
 " Oh, I did n t mean yew particular, Miss Mas- 
 ten. All the women are the same way. Thar s 
 Dolly, naow ; n matter if the rest is all talkin 
 theirselves blind, it don t take more n a whisper 
 fr m Phil*fer her t ketch right on tew." 
 
 Now it was Phil s turn to look foolish, and a 
 sudden awkwardness fell on all the group, which 
 Anne silently noticed and wondered at. 
 
 Said Zury, " I don t see no call for ye to hurry 
 off so sudden. Don t go on my account. My 
 time s well spent on the lead-mine hill, an my 
 team in the tavern livery is earnin their keep an 
 more too." 
 
 " Oh, surely. We won t go on anybody s ac 
 count but our own," said Anne, "and only on 
 our own because we must sacrifice the delights of 
 Galena to the duties of Springville." 
 
 As soon as she could have a talk with Sam 
 alone, she suddenly asked him, " Who s Dolly, 
 Mr. Sanders?" 
 
 44 Why, Dolly Sanders my brother Jim s old 
 woman." 
 
 44 Old woman? I thought she was rather 
 young." 
 
AMARf ALIQUID. 479 
 
 " Young ? So she is. She thinks she s awful 
 young, though I guess she s old enough to vote, 
 an would n t tear under the wing. But ye know 
 we call every man s wife his Old Woman jest 
 for short, like." 
 
 " Oh, I see ! Well, tell me about Dolly." 
 
 " Why, what abaout her ? " 
 
 " Well, is she pretty ? " 
 
 "Pretty? Oh, she 11 pass in a craowd ! " (This 
 with a series of winks of each eye in rapid alter 
 nation. Then, straightening his face :) " But 
 she can t hold a candle t Annie Hasten ! No, not 
 a blowd-out candle with the wick pinched short 
 off!" 
 
 " Oh, I see," said Mrs. McVey, somewhat re 
 lieved. 
 
 Then Sam, wishing to be polite, and to express 
 friendly sentiments, must needs " shoot off his 
 mouth" some more, and of course "put his foot 
 in it." 
 
 " We 11 all be awful sorry t have ye go ! Any 
 mother o Phil McVey s would always be welcome 
 mongst them that knows him. The women folks 
 11 jest cry their eyes out all that is, unless 
 mebbe it s Dolly." * 
 
 " Why, what difference can it make to her 
 away off in Chicago ? " 
 
 "Oh, no difference at all! Of course not a 
 mite ! Phil ain t nothin t Dolly but a kind o 
 sort of a brother ; n livin in th house s he dooz, 
 n Jim away on th road jest when Phil s to hum 
 n theayters, n concerts, n one thing an 
 other." 
 
480 ZURY. 
 
 Anne felt a strange sinking of the heart an 
 actual physical tension, as if some of the " invol 
 untary muscles" had contracted spontaneously 
 and unnaturally. One watching her would have 
 seen that the blood left her face, the lines deep 
 ened, and she looked older than she ever had 
 looked in her life. Motherly anxiety, womanly 
 jealousy, friendly alarm on Annie Masten s ac 
 count all seemed to seize on this little hook of 
 uncertainty and raise themselves to dreadful pro 
 portions. Luckily, dull Sam observed nothing, 
 and soon took his leave. 
 
 " Philip, my son. What did Sam mean by what 
 he said about Dolly ? " 
 
 " Oh, Sam s a born fool ! Don t pay any atten 
 tion to what he says ! " said Phil, evidently dis 
 turbed. 
 
 " No, but I 11 pay attention to what you say ; 
 if you 11 only be frank with your mother and tell 
 her truly all about it." 
 
 "All about it? There is nothing to tell," 
 responded the youth, surly and guarded to a de 
 gree that added to Anne s distress. 
 
 " Are you attentive to her ? " 
 
 44 1 board with her, and pay her my board." 
 (" So he is not going to tell me he ever took her 
 to the theatre.") 
 
 44 Is that all, dear ? " 
 
 44 Of course it is ! What more should there 
 be?" 
 
 " There should not be anything but there 
 might be." 
 
AMARI ALIQUID. 481 
 
 " Well, mother, there is n t." 
 
 He answered, truly enough, to the letter ; for 
 certain attentions he had bestowed on Dolly had 
 lately ceased. His thoughts were now full of 
 Annie Masten and of his mother and sister. 
 If Arine had asked him about the past, he would 
 have had to tell her a very different story, or keep 
 silent or "lie like a gentleman " as the phrase 
 is where a man tells a falsehood to shield a woman 
 from having her name unfortunately linked with 
 his. But Anne did not know this. She had got 
 a glimpse of the past and guessed nothing of any 
 change any difference between past and present. 
 
 His mother moved her chair close to Phil s, 
 and drew his head to her shoulder with an inex 
 pressible tenderness. But even as she did so, she 
 perceived that it was a man she had to deal with 
 not her baby any longer. He was a separate 
 person not part of herself, now. 
 
 " Oh, my son ! Don t you love your mother ? " 
 
 " Now, mother ! What have I ever done or left 
 undone that you should ask such a question as 
 that?" 
 
 " I don t know, Phil. I want you to tell me. 
 And you refuse ! " Here she broke down and 
 cried helplessly. 
 
 Then Phil kissed her and took her in his arms 
 in his turn, caressing and trying to comfort and 
 reassure her. 
 
 " Mother dear, I never stay in Chicago a min 
 ute when I can be with you, and when I am there 
 I only long for the time when I can get back to 
 
482 ZURY. 
 
 Galena. There is no woman there who holds any 
 place in my heart or my thoughts, compared with 
 you all. Now dont be foolish ! Do trust me ! " 
 
 She did the best she could. But it seemed to 
 her that she had always been dreading just such a 
 horrible failing in her son s life as Sam had hinted 
 at, and Phil had not satisfactorily denied it, 
 even now. 
 
 During the remainder of their stay, Phil re 
 doubled his .efforts to make them all happy 
 Anne especially, and she got over her alarm in 
 some measure. No one could resist his efforts to 
 please, and his mother, when with him, felt as if 
 it was impossible that his frank gayety and his un 
 disguised admiration for her beautiful namesake, 
 Annie Masten, could cover anything unworthy. 
 
 On the following Sunday Anne said to Eureka 
 and her daughter, 
 
 " Now, my dears, I think we may as well fix on 
 Tuesday as the day of wrath, the dreadful day 
 when Meg and I must go away ! " 
 
 " Mrs. McVey," said Eureka, solemnly, " as I 
 always say to mamma in such cases, I am like 
 cold dumplings." 
 
 "Cold dumplings, dear? Do you mean your 
 heart is heavy ? " 
 
 "No. I simply mean that I disagree with 
 mamma. Now I disagree with you ! Suppose we 
 should die, some day ! How sorry we should be 
 to have cut short this greatest joy of our lives ! " 
 
 " My darling, joys are like grapevines all 
 the better for pruning. Tuesday let it be. Don t 
 
AMARI ALIQUID. 483 
 
 make my duty harder by opposing it. It is hard 
 enough already." 
 
 A few tears came to her eyes. Annie answered 
 by other tears but did not argue further. 
 
 So the parting came. Zury set off on a Mon 
 day morning, and on Wednesday the mother and 
 daughter went on Phil s train to the " jumping off 
 place," where the absolute good-byes must be 
 spoken. The train slowed up stopped they 
 alighted, Phil was kissing them and saying " Good 
 bye mother, good-bye Meg ; for just a little while," 
 and he was back on his engine and the train was 
 off again ! Before they knew that the dreadful 
 time of trial had arrived, it came, was here, was 
 past. The long pain had begun again ! 
 
 The drive to Springville was prosperous, though 
 not by a great deal as gay as the drive northward. 
 Beside the distress of separation, a serious depres 
 sion seized Mrs. McVey, dark, cloudy visions 
 wherein were mingled Phil, and Dolly, and Annie, 
 and herself, and Meg ; all in inextricable turmoil 
 and confusion. 
 
 As Zury said, " We slid up hill, and now we 
 have to climb down ! " He would often create a 
 diversion in her sadness ; usually by long and 
 graphic details of the work Phil was to undertake 
 for him in the spring on the Red Hill, at which 
 time Mrs. McVey and Meg were to move to 
 Galena and keep house for him. 
 
 u Mind ye keep a room fer o man Prouder, 
 too, cause he 11 be there or thereabouts ; on hand, 
 like a sore thumb ! " 
 
484 ZURY. 
 
 Mrs. McVey s low spirits were such that Zury s 
 tact, small though it was, sufficed to show him that 
 this was no time to renew his suit for her heart 
 and hand. Perhaps, too, he would be restrained 
 by an unconscious chivalry from doing so at the 
 very moment when she felt herself under deep ob 
 ligations to him for a great and precious service. 
 
 .Anne, on her part, was sorely troubled in con 
 science, from time to time, by the thought that 
 she was not rendering " value received " for the 
 faithftd and devoted attentions of her elderly ad 
 mirer; especially his kind considerateness in not 
 now urging the suit which it would seem so hard 
 and cruel and ungrateful in her to refuse. She 
 made heroic efforts to behave herself as she knew 
 he would like to have her to talk, to smile, to 
 listen, to sympathize ; and, of course, the effort to 
 please him increased her liking for him. 
 
 Once when they were driving alone up a long 
 hill, Margaret having alighted to secure a little of 
 the exercise her strong muscles demanded, Anne 
 opened the subject : 
 
 " How selfish my low spirits make me ! Here 
 I don t say a word to you for hours together, Mr. 
 Prouder ! " 
 
 " Sorry ye ain t happy. But if you can stand 
 bein down on your luck, surely we oughter be 
 able to stand it to let you take your time an get 
 over it your own way! " 
 
 " Oh, you re spoiling me ! You re too good to 
 me ; taking all this trouble, and I wrapped up in 
 my own gloomy fancies ! I ought to be trying all 
 
AMARI AL1QUID. 485 
 
 the time to amuse you and interest you, and raise 
 your spirits, never minding my own, good or bad ! " 
 
 He answered, after a moment s pause, in a tone 
 which was either fatherly or loverly, whichever 
 you pleased, low and soft. 
 
 " Why, Anue Sparrow McVey, don t ye know 
 ye ain t no call to do anything to please me ? Not 
 a thing? Jest bein yourself, an settin there 
 where I can see ye, an sayin a word I can hear 
 when ye feel like it " 
 
 Here his voice failed, and he leaned back and 
 touched her shoulder. She took the hand, pulled 
 off the loose coarse glove, and laid the knuckles, 
 wrinkled and gray as they were, gently against 
 her cheek ; and then he took it back and kissed 
 off the tear she had left on it. 
 
 When Meg got in again at the top of the hill, 
 all flushed and refreshed, she cried, 
 
 " Why, see ! Mr. Prouder, you ve dropped 
 your glove ! Or did you do it on purpose to sig 
 nify that you wanted to give me the mitten ? " 
 
 " Thasso-thasso ! Wai ! How did that glove 
 get down in the bottom of the sleigh to be sure ! " 
 And he pretended to pull it on with his teeth, but 
 in reality was kissing the tear-spot once more, 
 whereat Anne smiled to herself. 
 
 So they got back to Springville and to work 
 again ; the last a real blessing, as may well be 
 imagined. Anne s book-keeping had been kept 
 up for her, after a fashion ; that is, the daily en 
 tries had been made, and only the occasional tasks 
 left to await her return ; monthly statements, 
 
486 ZURY. 
 
 trial balances and so forth. Her evenings for a 
 month (with the able help Meg could give her) 
 she felt were well spent in catching up and 
 making atonement for the splendid month of 
 idleness. Yet the intrusive cloud of melancholy 
 kept hovering near. 
 
 " Shall I ever see my boy again ? " 
 
 "Why not, mother?" 
 
 " Oh, I don t know, daughter ; but shall I ? " 
 
 " Very well, if you don t know why not, I 11 
 take upon myself to answer. There is no reason 
 why you should n t see your boy again more 
 times than you ve got fingers and toes, and hairs 
 on your head besides ! And you will ! Now are 
 you satisfied ? " 
 
 " Oh, my darling, it s a comfort to hear you say 
 so, though I know you don t know any more about 
 it than I do." 
 
 " Mother ! Either you are sick, or you are 
 jealous /" 
 
 "Jealous?" 
 
 " Yes, jealous of Annie Masten ! You know 
 you 11 see Phil McVey again, but you re afraid 
 he 11 be some other woman s boy and not yours 
 any more. So you re jealous ! " 
 
 " No, no, Margaret ! I am not such a hateful 
 old woman as you try to make out." 
 
 " Well, what is it then ? I declare, you make 
 me nervous, too ; you re so unreasonable and so 
 unlike yourself ! " 
 
 "I should be delighted, or try to be, if Phil 
 were to marry Annie. But if he is going to, why 
 
AMARI ALIQUID. 487 
 
 did n t he say a single word to his mother about 
 it?" 
 
 " Because he is n t ready. When spring comes 
 and he leaves the road and becomes a man and 
 his own master, you 11 see ! " 
 
 " Oh, dear ! Will spring ever come to all of 
 us, alive and well?" 
 
 " 4 Seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and 
 summer and winter, and day and night, shall not 
 cease. " 
 
 " No, my child ; but for me and my children 
 they will all cease. I only hope they will pass 
 away from me first if that is not selfish. It is 
 the natural order of things ; and oh, if things will 
 only follow in their natural order for me ! " 
 
 " Mother, mother, mother, what shall I do with 
 you if you are so naughty ! ; Go read yer book, 
 as Mrs. Anstey used to say. I should be deeply 
 grieved to be compelled to apply pankypank to my 
 maternal parent and send her to bed in the day 
 time ; but there is a point beyond which forbear 
 ance ceases to be a virtue ! " 
 
 " Well, well, my .love ; I don t want to make 
 you unhappy. I suppose I am a foolish, doting 
 old woman, verging on my second childhood 
 before I m fairly out of my first." 
 
 Then followed, of course, some family rites and 
 ceremonies, oblations and genuflexions, wherein 
 the old relations of mother and daughter were 
 reversed ; the younger being the comforter and 
 the elder the comforted ; or trying hard to " make 
 believe " that she was. 
 
488 ZURY. 
 
 On the day of their arrival once more at their 
 little home, Prouder had left them and their 
 trunk safely in the house, and started off to make 
 perhaps half the journey from Springville to Way- 
 back before night. He made a short matter of 
 his farewell, for a variety of reasons. Their 
 thanks were a burden to him, feeling as he did 
 that he was the obliged party after all ; and then, 
 he wanted to make it gay, so as not to leave any 
 additional sadness on poor Anne s spirit ; and 
 lastly, he could not trust himself to say much 
 bravado was his only escape from making a fool 
 of himself, he thought. 
 
 But before he got a mile out of town he gave 
 way. Could he bear it? That vacant seat be 
 hind him, where those two women had sat in his 
 company for many days the very straw their 
 feet had broken and tumbled, still in the sleigh 
 and he there alone ! Alone ! Alone ! He stopped 
 the team, got out and got some snow to cool his 
 eyes and forehead; then he got in again and 
 started forward at a slow walk. He came to a 
 turn in the road from which the town would be 
 visible to him for the last time ; rose in his place 
 to give a farewell look ; sat down again, and 
 turned the horses about and drove back to the 
 hotel in time for supper. 
 
 What could he say to excuse his sudden re 
 appearance at the widow s house? Well, he d 
 think of that on the way up. But on the way up 
 he could n t think of anything ; not a word. He 
 leaned on the gate and watched the light behind 
 
AMARI ALIQUID. 489 
 
 the curtains for a long, long time, trying to dis 
 tinguish between the shadows cast on them, so 
 as to guess which was mother and which was 
 daughter. At last common sense prevailed. He 
 said to himself, 
 
 " Zury, do you want to be here this evenin an 
 no other nights to speak of? Or do ye wanter let 
 em alone to-night with a chance to be with em 
 day an night for weeks, months, an years ? Take 
 your choice, oF man, right here an right now! 
 Ef she ever marries ye, it 11 be because ye re 
 Zury Prouder, an not a driv lin ol dotard ! Ye 
 dog-gone triflin ol fool what ye doin here 
 anyway, a hangin round a woman s house this 
 time o night, leanin against her fence like a sick 
 kitten to a hot brick? Get aout an go home an 
 mind yer business ! Then come an see her like 
 a man when she begins to think it s high time for 
 ye to show up ! " 
 
 So he walked firmly back to the hotel ; and 
 early next day drove rapidly off to his own place 
 without even a look behind him. 
 
 Not many days later, he stopped at the Ansteys 
 on the way to Way back. The old man was in 
 arrears on his mortgage interest, as usual ; and 
 seeing Zury alight and tie his horse, left the bed 
 side of his sick wife, and hurried to the gate to 
 take the anticipated hard talk on money-matters, 
 beyond her hearing, where it might have gone 
 hard with her. 
 
 " Wai, brother Anstey ! Haow s th o woman ! " 
 
 " Wai, she don t gain none." Then, hastily, 
 
490 ZURY. 
 
 seeing that Zury was for pushing by him into the 
 house, " I expect I know what ye re after, Zury, 
 n maybe we mought s well talk aoutside h yer, 
 whar th o woman won t be worried." 
 
 " Course ye know what I come fer, n th o 
 woman wants t know tew ! Ain t I jes ben up 
 n seen yer darter, n yer gran -childern ; n nex 
 time er tew I come daown niebbe I 11 hev some 
 stories t tell ye baout yer great-gran s tew ! " 
 
 How admirable he was in that sick chamber 
 during the next hour ! How his talk flowed in 
 an even, distinct, familiar key, comforting and 
 inspiring those two dull old parents ! He gave 
 them subjects of thought, and hope, and comfort, 
 and even laughter, that made a new interest in their 
 life, which could not die except with life itself. 
 
 He did not know he was doing anything par 
 ticularly kind, nor did he do his kindness with in 
 tention. It was an impulse he would have had in 
 him at any part of his life ; but in his earlier, 
 harder, more active days, such impulses were 
 usually overslaughed, crushed, and killed by the 
 stronger preoccupations of the greed of gain, and 
 the ceaseless craving to " make every edge cut," 
 whether of money, or property, or time. But now 
 the husk was peeling off. 
 
 Old Anstey followed him to the gate to talk 
 about the defaulted interest, which he did at a 
 length no reader would tolerate, though Zury lis 
 tened patiently. At last the latter said, 
 
 " Brother Anstey, don t ye know what s the 
 matter with yer place n allers hez be n ? Ye 
 
AMARI ALIQUW. 491 
 
 hain t kep enough live stawk. Ye sol yer craps 
 instead o feedin em. Naow, ye see, h yer t is 
 agin this year; yew n yer boys s got ter kill 
 yerselves a-getherin , n a-deliverin , n a-sellin 
 yer stuff, jest when th don t nobody wanter buy, 
 not at no price ! " 
 
 "Wai, but Zury, what s a man t dew? I 
 hain t no stawk, ner no money t buy stawk ; n I 
 hed t mortgage my crap t git money t pay yer 
 interest las time, n keep my fam ly a-goin 
 med cine n one thing another ! " 
 
 Prouder smiled a grim smile and answered, 
 
 " / d a foun some way t git some stawk on tew 
 the place in the las twenty-five years ! I d a 
 kep every sow-pig th t was littered, n matter ef 
 I d a had t eat ther tails n ears off whilst the 
 wuz a-breedin ! But that ain t nuther h yer ner 
 thar. I m a-goin t take up that crap mortgage 
 n hold it fer ye, n put in enough more cash t 
 hawg this place fer all it 11 carry ; n you n the 
 boys s got t feed em till spring, n then we 11 
 see ! " 
 
 Old Anstey opened the gate and went out to 
 where the other sat on his horse, impatient to do 
 his kindness and be off to escape gratitude. Anstey 
 went up close, without saying anything, till he 
 had laid one hand on the horse s mane and the 
 other on the rider s knee. Then he said, 
 
 "Zury! D ye mean it?" 
 
 " Noth n shorter ! " 
 
 The old man broke down and cried with joy 
 and relief ; said he, 
 
492 ZURY. 
 
 " I thought this year was goin t take my wife 
 n my farm! God forgive me I thought so! 
 I ve conned over how mebbe Bijah n his fam ly 
 could git t work fer yew, n Silas fer some o th 
 neighbors ; n mebbe Reekie she could take the 
 youngest t Galeny, after th ole mother d gone t 
 the grave n th ole dad t the poorhaouse ! I did ! 
 But naow the day I see enough hawgs rootin 
 raound th place t eat up the crap instead o sellin 
 on it, I 11 say there is a God in Israel n Zury 
 Praouder s his minister. I will ! " 
 
 " Sho ! S pose I m a-goin t see all the money 
 you ve put inter this place, n all the money I ve 
 put in, lost fer want of a turn o my hand ? No, 
 sirree ! Th ain t a-goin t be no foreclosin mor- 
 gidges h yer ! I m a-goin to stawk up this place 
 ontel I git my money outer it, every dollar, 
 principal n interest ! That s what kind of a 
 hairpin I am! " 
 
 And so disguising his benevolent scheme under 
 the mask of a far-seeing selfishness, be galloped 
 away, and as he went lie asked himself, 
 
 u Would she be pleased ef she knew baout that 
 little stroke o business ? Would she ? Would 
 she ? " 
 
 His heart glowed with the unspoken answer. 
 Later he added, 
 
 " Her Phil s wife s gran f ther in the poorhouse ! 
 My Phil s children s great gran f ther in the poor- 
 house ! Mebbe-mebbe ! But not while I m be 
 tween him n it ! " 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 ANOTHER PROPOSAL AND ANOTHER ANSWER. 
 
 TIME, the voracious, swallows and digests griefs 
 as well as joys. It is an unromantic fact, bat a 
 fact nevertheless, that every minute of separation 
 tends toward indifference, the first as well as the 
 last. It seemed to Anne and Meg that the longer 
 they were parted from Phil, the more they loved 
 him ; but it was not so. The seeming, in such 
 cases, is a false one. Rationally considered the 
 matter is only a simple sum in proportion. When 
 the mother and sister had been separated from 
 Phil for a month, alienation, or consolation, or 
 forgetfulness, or whatever name you give to time s 
 kindly healing agency, had already begun. One 
 is a proportionate part of a hundred in time, as 
 well as in everything else ; in heart matters as 
 well as in mathematics. 
 
 The first evening when Zury Prouder presented 
 himself at the McVey door found both mother 
 and daughter very glad to see him. 
 
 " Well, well ! It does seem kinder natural to 
 see you two chummin together so peaceable- 
 like ! " 
 
 "If you d wanted to be really and truly 
 friendly, you d have come in time for tea ! But 
 
494 ZURY. 
 
 you re too proud to be wasting your time on two 
 lone, lorn women ! " 
 
 " Oh, I could n t well git round. Besides, I 
 knew my name was n t in the pot." 
 
 " There s always enough in the pot for one 
 more, when that one s a friend like you ! We d 
 have gone hungry gladly for the pleasure of see 
 ing you eat." 
 
 " T would n t have been my pleasure to eat, and 
 you hungry! But, come to think, I did have a 
 ham left over, and it s out in the sleigh now. If 
 ye don t mind eatin a Wayback ham, to taste like 
 old times, I 11 fetch it in." 
 
 " Surely we 11 eat it ! Double pleasure it 11 be, 
 too ! In the first place, it will be a tip-top ham if 
 it came from the Prouder farm ; and secondly, it 
 11 taste all the sweeter, knowing who gave it." 
 
 Zury flushed with pleasure as he went out for 
 his simple gift, and wished it were a barrel-full. 
 
 " Dear, dear, Meg ! To think of Zury Proud- 
 er s giving anything away for nothing ! " 
 
 " You take care it turns out to be for nothing, 
 mother. I m getting scared ! " 
 
 The widow only gave a little blushful laugh, 
 which was n t quite gone when Zury got back. 
 
 " Oh, what a picture of a ham ! That color is 
 just like the finest coffee, made with rich cream ! " 
 
 " Well ! Sometimes ham s jest as good meat as 
 Goddlemighty lets grow. More times it ain t only 
 middlin . It s all owin to how ye cure em. 
 The hawg always does his part all right ; it s us 
 poor humans that comes short of our part. I ve 
 
ANOTHER PROPOSAL. 495 
 
 got the boss receet for a dry pickle, but then ye 
 don t get jest the finishin touch unless ye ve got 
 fresh-cut green hickory chips to smoke em with." 
 
 " I can smell the green hickory smoke in this, 
 this minute." 
 
 " Course ye can ! All-fired sweet smell it is, 
 too. The hickory bark in a woods-fire " (here 
 he checked himself.) " As I was sayin , my 
 teams 11 be over for stuff from the store, and I 
 can jest as well send ye a cord or two of hickory. 
 Dry 11 suit ye best here, bein ye hain t any hams 
 to smoke." 
 
 " Oh, you 11 take so much care of us you 11 
 make us tender-footed ! We shall forget our old 
 lesson of how to get on by ourselves ! " 
 
 " Well, ye might do worse th n that, tew ! " 
 
 " Now sit down, and tell us all about Wayback. 
 How is Mrs. Anstey ? " 
 
 " Best thing I can do is to repeat what o man 
 Anstey said to me as I passed his house this morn 
 ing. 4 Zury, said he, it s nip n tuck with th 
 o woman. Some days nip n some days tuck. 
 One spell kinder chipper, n then agin downcy. 
 Ef she kin live till spring, she may git well, but 
 ef not, then I hain t much hope. Now you ladies 
 can make what you please out of that." 
 
 Meg could not help laughing, but Anne said, 
 
 " Oh, if it were n t dear old Mrs. Anstey, I 
 might laugh at the idea of giving up hope if she 
 dies before spring ! " 
 
 " Wai, I kept my face straight. I saw what he 
 meant that he hadn t much hope of her living 
 till spring." 
 
496 ZURY. 
 
 " She s a dear old soul ; whether she lives or 
 dies I love her. How is brother Bromwell?" 
 
 " Omri Bromwell, he 11 live to bury us all yet, 
 you see f he don t ! He ain t never a-goin to 
 die he ll jest dry up and blow away." 
 
 " How s that little niece of your wife s that 
 lives at your house ? " 
 
 " Oh, Alphy, she s growed up, as a matter of 
 course ; an she s beginnin to take notice, too. 
 Lived to my place ever since, and I heard she d 
 made a barrel of soft soap and bespoke one of my 
 next litter of pups, so I s pose she allows to marry, 
 come spring." 
 
 " Is that a sign ? When a girl makes a barrel 
 of soap and gets a dog? " 
 
 " Yes, Margaret. Preparations for house-keep- 
 in , ye see. You hain t made no soap nor bespoke 
 no dog yet, I don t expect ? " 
 
 " No, nor I don t mean to ! No such luck ! " 
 
 " Oh, don t you get discouraged, not a mite. 
 Me and Phil 11 try an provide the soap agin you 
 pick out the feller." 
 
 " You need n t hurry." 
 
 " Speakin of Phil, I shall be travelin up north 
 again, soon s the roads get settled. Anythin ye 
 want to send ? " 
 
 " Oh yes, lots o things. I ve got a pair of 
 mittens knit for him." 
 
 " See ye don t give no mittens to no feller ex 
 cept yer brother ! " 
 
 " I 11 never have the chance." 
 
 "Can t most always tell! The say red hair s 
 comin in fashion." 
 
ANOTHER PROPOSAL. 497 
 
 44 Is that so ! Yes, I ve heard something of 
 that kind, and I only wish it would hurry and 
 come true ! " 
 
 " Oh, ye do, do ye? Ye own up at last ! First 
 time I ever heard ye let on ye was a woman ! " 
 
 44 To be sure ! Just as soon as red hair comes 
 in fashion, do you know what I m going to do ? " 
 
 " Marry the President, I s pose. Ye 11 surely 
 be entitled to ! " 
 
 " Wrong for once ! I m going to cut mine all 
 off and sell it ! " 
 
 " You, sho ! How much 11 ye take for it ? " 
 
 " Ten dollars." 
 
 " And let the buyer do what he has a mind to 
 with it ? " 
 
 44 Just exactly." 
 
 " It s a whack ! Here s your ten dollars the 
 hair s mine now ye keep it jest where it is, an 
 mind ye take good care of my hair ! " And he 
 selected a nice, clean ten-dollar-bill and thrust it 
 at her. 
 
 44 Nonsense ! I take it all back ! My hair is 
 n t for sale." 
 
 They had quite a little scuffle, he trying to force 
 the bill upon her, and she persistently and deftly 
 returning it into some one or other of his numer 
 ous pockets as fast as he could get rid of it. 
 
 44 Oh, ye think ye re mighty strong, don t ye ? 
 Now look here ! " And he grasped her two el 
 bows from behind and lifted her clear off the 
 ground. 
 
 44 Oh-set-me-down-set-me-down ! I give in ! " 
 
498 ZURY. 
 
 "You re a witness, Mis McVey." 
 
 " Yes," cried Anne, much amused, 
 
 " The hair s mine, to dew what I have a mind 
 to with." 
 
 " Yes, yes ! Oh yes, set me down." 
 
 " Very well, then," and he set her down and 
 planted a kiss right in the thickest part of his 
 new purchase. 
 
 " Mercy, my ! Is that the way men do, 
 mother ? " 
 
 " I m afraid they do, my dear, when they get 
 a good chance." 
 
 " You bet they do, Margaret ! Only usially 
 they re younger, as ye 11 find out when ye get 
 older ! " 
 
 " Never ! I 11 never sell my red hair except to 
 a gray-haired man ! " 
 
 " Glad ye liked the trade so much ye don t want 
 any change." 
 
 Meg laughed, and soon left the room to attend 
 to household matters or re-arrange her ruffled 
 plumage. 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Prouder," said Anne, " I have some 
 thing to send Phil by you some advice. I wish 
 Phil would n t go back to the Sanderses to live." 
 
 " What s the matter with Dolly Sanders ? " 
 
 " Nothing in the world. But I don t like her, 
 and I think she does n t like Annie Masten." 
 
 " Ever hear of her sayin anythin about her ? " 
 
 " Nothing that I know of, good or bad." 
 
 " Hmm-hmm-hmm lessee, lessee. Did Dolly 
 know Phil before she married Jim Sanders ? " 
 
ANOTHER PROPOSAL. 499 
 
 "No." 
 
 " How long s she known him ? " 
 
 " Only since Phil went up to Chicago." 
 
 " Hmra-hmm-hmm ! Jesso-jesso. Well, a wo 
 man like you usially jumps right, even ef she does 
 jump in the dark. I ve got to carry up a pup to 
 Dolly that I promised her, an I 11 see how the 
 land lays." 
 
 " I can t see why there should be any trouble 
 about it. Just let him stay away." 
 
 " Wai, now, ye know as well as I do that there 
 is some trouble about it, er else ye would n t be 
 askin me to tend to it for ye. Ye d jest write 
 Phil yourself what ye want." 
 
 " Well, of course, I in not on the ground, as 
 you will be." 
 
 " Course Jim Sanders don t allow to keep up 
 that establishment alone ! " 
 
 " Then let Dolly find some other mother s son 
 to board there, and let my son alone." 
 
 " Mebbe she hain t got all the lettin alone t 
 dew." 
 
 Anne s forefinger tapped on her teeth nervously 
 in the old " puzzlementary gesture," her foot beat 
 ing on the carpet, but she did not reply. 
 
 " Phil ain t a feller to let women alone much." 
 
 Still the silence and the small tapping boot- 
 toe. 
 
 " Well, I 11 see about it. One way strikes me 
 might work. I m cal latin to have right smart of 
 work done at the railroad shops in Galeny, an the 
 foreman there, him an me is thicker n three-in- 
 
500 ZURY. 
 
 a-bed. Now he might work it so that Phil s en 
 gine sh d run into Chicago days an double back 
 nights, an then lay over twenty-four hours. Day 
 on an day off, ye see. Mighty convenient fer 
 me, too, cause after Phil got to bed of a mornin 
 he could n t sleep much longer than noon, and 
 then him an me can put in th afternoon on the 
 hill." 
 
 " Oh, that would be splendid ! You are the 
 best planner in the world, I do believe ! " 
 
 " Ye would n t mind his spendin his evenin s at 
 the preacher s ? " 
 
 " No," replied Anne, with one of those little 
 jealous sighs. 
 
 " Oh, he d learn lots of theology at the preach 
 er s ! Predestination an free-will, savin grace, 
 original sin, an etarnal love specially love 
 what he would n t know in a month ain t worth 
 knowin ! " 
 
 " I suppose he d learn fast." 
 
 " Baout love ? Larn an teach. It would be 
 in a line where he s pretty well edicated already, 
 if I m a judge ! Fact is, I guess he was born so 
 though I do know where he could have inher 
 ited it from ! Some is born so some ain t. I 
 did n t never think I d oughter have been, nor 
 wish I had been, until now." 
 
 " Oh, you mean " 
 
 " Yes, that s jest what I do mean ! I know I m 
 old to be thinkin of such things, but I shan t 
 never be any younger. And if I do think of em 
 it s your fault, not mine. No other woman don t 
 never put em into my head nor never will," 
 
ANOTHER PROPOSAL. 501 
 
 Anne knitted on in silence and made no sign 
 to the yearning eyes of her old lover. When he 
 spoke again his voice sounded thin and far away 
 with the dry tension in his throat. 
 
 " Don t ye go to send me off again, Miss Mc- 
 Vey don t do it! It most killed me before. 
 Young folks can turn from one thing to another, 
 but old folks I know I m rough, and ignor nt, 
 and no gentleman, and all that ; but I hain t for 
 got how to learn, and I m so fixed in this world s 
 goods that I don t need to do anythin else for the 
 little time I ve got to stay and your word shall 
 be law to me and mine I 11 only go my own 
 way until I see ye don t like it, and then I 11 go 
 your way until I can make ye think my way s 
 better if it is, which ain t likely." 
 
 Tears began running down Anne s cheeks, but 
 Zury s eyes were too dim to see them. 
 
 " I don t say nothin about the money only 
 all ye want shall be yours without havin to ask 
 for it. And I 11 try never to save another cent, 
 not if I can help it. I 11 make what I can with 
 Phil, but not by skim pin and parin and jewin . 
 Not if I can help it. Though it 11 be hard fer a 
 hand that s always been used to doin so " (he 
 made a motion as if picking up a handful of 
 grain) " to learn to turn round and do so" (and 
 he loosed the phantom grain and let it drop). 
 But I can do it ! I can do it ! I never failed in 
 any thin I undertook yet, only one, and I 
 don t give that one up ! Had I better, Miss Mc- 
 Vey ? Anne, had I better ? " 
 
502 ZURY. 
 
 Anne had laid down her knitting, and sat cover 
 ing her wet eyes with her hand. After two or 
 three minutes she said, 
 
 44 We 11 see after we get up to Phil s new home 
 on the Red Hill if we ever get there." 
 
 44 Oh, thank the Lord for all his mercies, and 
 all that is within me bless the Lord ! " 
 
 Zury spoke once more in his natural voice: the 
 tension in his throat was gone as if by magic. 
 He rose as he spoke and went gently over to 
 where Anne sat, and bending down kissed her 
 hair, just as he had kissed her daughter s. It was 
 silky yet, and only paled with gray ; red hair is 
 apt to be so instead of streaked and silvered as 
 black hair becomes. 
 
 If she had been younger she would have raised 
 her face to his. If he had been younger he would 
 have bent down his face to hers, but, being elderly 
 folks, they discreetly parted without any further 
 visible tenderness. Zury went his way out into 
 the darkness and Anne hastened to find Margaret. 
 The poor girl was crying as if her heart would 
 break. 
 
 44 Oh, mother, mother ! " 
 
 This was all she could say, but it spoke volumes 
 for the bruised soul, chilled away from the natu 
 ral joys and loves and sympathies of her age and 
 sex, and now threatened with separation from the 
 one love which she had fondly thought would be 
 to her, through life, a full equivalent for all she 
 must forego of human hopes and blessedness. It 
 seemed somewhat as if a mother-bird should push 
 
ANOTHER PROPOSAL. 503 
 
 away from the parental nest a poor fledgling which 
 had come into the world with only one wing ! It 
 must fall to the ground and die alone at the foot 
 of the tree while all its happy kind were flying 
 high and free, and the mother had filled the nest 
 with others. 
 
 " My sweet daughter ! Come rest in my arms 
 once more so. Now what was it Ruth said to 
 Naomi ? " 
 
 " Entreat me not to leave thee, nor to return 
 from following after thee. 
 
 " Well, my daughter ; 4 Whither thou goest, I 
 will go. Now, you say the next." 
 
 " 4 Where thou lodgest I will lodge/ " 
 
 " 4 Thy people shall be my people. 
 
 44 And thy God, my God. " 
 
 " Now, darling, listen to your mother while she 
 vows a vow. 4 The Lord do so to me and more 
 also, if aught but death part me and thee. " 
 
 And so they went to bed and to sleep. Mar 
 garet slept with her mother that night so that 
 they could keep their hands clasped in sleep as of 
 old. 
 
 Prouder did not stagger on his way back to the 
 hotel, as once before on the same road ; or if he 
 did, it was not with despair, but rather with the 
 intoxication of hope. 
 
 At the warehouse, three days later, Anne found 
 two letters ; one from Phil, which she, of course, 
 opened first ; though the long business-like en 
 velope of the other was rather alluring. Phil s 
 news was fresh, bright, gay, like himself ; and 
 
504 ZURY. 
 
 what was better, it breathed goodness, and steady 
 devotion to his best self and to " the Mastens." 
 
 Now, what could be in the other? Zury s 
 rugged handwriting that was unmistakable. A 
 letter and a printed something. 
 
 The latter was a certificate for two hundred 
 shares ($100 each) of stock in the Springville Gas 
 Company, issued to Usury Prouder, and indorsed 
 by him to Anne McVey. The letter read : 
 
 WAYBACK, ILL., January 21, 185- 
 
 MRS. ANNE McVEY, I hand you inclosed 
 200 shares of S. G. C. stock. This stock pays 
 regular ten per cent, in cash, and ten per cent, 
 more or less in stock to represent new extensions 
 laid out and paid for from the surplus earnings. I 
 hope you will find it a good investment, and 
 remain, Yours respectfully, 
 
 U. PROUDER. 
 
 Anne laughed and blushed, and nearly cried at 
 the striking evidence of the power of her elderly 
 charms. Here she was, " fair-and-forty " at least, 
 but there must be something about her such as, 
 in her girlhood, she had fondly hoped to possess 
 some quality that might take hold of a strong man 
 with a strength to which his strength would be 
 but child s-play ! 
 
 She erased the indorsement and maile<(J the 
 shares back to their owner, with a letter not quite 
 as formal and business-like as his, but still some 
 what in the same line. 
 
ANOTHER PROPOSAL. 505 
 
 SPRING VILLE, ILL., January 23, 185-. 
 
 USURY PROUDER, Esq. 
 
 DEAR SIR, I did not intend, when I talked 
 with you last night, to indicate a final purpose to 
 purchase the kind of stock received by your letter 
 of to-day. I was glad to hear from you, and hope 
 to see you soon, when we will talk over the mat 
 ter and others of interest that may arise. Mean 
 while, I beg leave to return the certificate you 
 inclosed, and hope it may continue as profitable 
 an investment in the future as in the past. 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 ANNE S. McVEY. 
 
 Then, fearing that Zury would not " read be 
 tween the lines," she added a postscript. 
 
 P. S. As to the other matters we spoke of, I 
 am still of the same mind. Please call when 
 convenient. A. S. McV. 
 
 As Anne feared, Zury was dreadfully taken 
 aback at seeing the inclosure fall out of her letter 
 when he opened it his gift rejected perhaps 
 his lady turned against him ! But a great sigh 
 of relief and gladness swelled his heart when he 
 read the letter and postscript. Now, once more he 
 wrote to Anne, and re-inclosed the much indorsed 
 and much traveled gas-stock. 
 
 WATBACK, January 25, 185-. 
 
 DEAR MADAM, I know my own mind for 
 sure, and that it will never change. You don t 
 
506 ZURY. 
 
 know it for sure therefore I hope you will not 
 refuse me to make the arrangement I have decided 
 to make. I return the papers, and, live or die, I 
 never want to see them again. 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 U. PROUDER. 
 
 This was carrying persistency too far ; but how 
 to check it without needless pain to the poor rich 
 man ? Well, she must use all her tact. 
 
 SPBINGVILLE, January 27, 185-. 
 
 DEAR MR. PROUDER, As you perhaps know, 
 or will some day find out, I have a terrible temper, 
 and one that is hard to control when aroused. Do 
 not disturb it by sending back this stock any 
 more. I have no present use for it ; and if any 
 future occasion should arise, then I will put my 
 temper in my pocket and the shares, too. 
 
 Now, to turn to a subject we shall not disagree 
 about, when are you coming to see us ? 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 ANNE S. McVEY. 
 
 " Gee-whillikins ! Ain t she a woman for get- 
 tin a man down, and keepin him down ! " But, 
 even as he said this, he chuckled with delight at 
 her masterful ways, and enjoyed his feeling of 
 entire helplessness before her. To talk with her 
 by letter was so delightful that he almost dreaded 
 to see her again, for fear he should wake up from 
 a dream, or in some other way come to grief. 
 
ANOTHER PROPOSAL. 507 
 
 But he ventured into the effulgence of the cot 
 tage, after a while, and was only moderately 
 sobered and set back when Anne reminded him 
 that she had as yet promised nothing save that 
 they would see when they all got together at 
 Galena if they ever did. 
 
 " Wai, jest as you say. But ye can t prevent 
 me f m. kinder lookin out for ye a leetle s posin 
 in case I was to be taken I m li ble t die any 
 day s well s other folks or suth n else sh d 
 befall to keep things from turnin out as I m 
 hopin ." 
 
 " Oh, you may look out all you like, only you 
 must not do a thing not a thing in that direc 
 tion. It would seem like a yoke on my neck ; 
 and whenever I feel that, it will be time for me 
 to lie down and die ! " 
 
 " Oh, there ain t no fear of you not keepin 
 your independence ! I mistrust the trouble 11 be 
 for me to keep mine ; or get it back, I should say, 
 for I m blamed if it ain t clean gone now ! " 
 
 " Well, you must get it back if you want to 
 please me. We must both be independent, all 
 our lives." 
 
 " How d ye mean independent ? " 
 
 " Oh, I hardly know how to explain it. One 
 reason why we have hitherto got on so well, 
 usually, is that neither has had any power or 
 authority over the other ; neither has had to ask 
 the other for money or for anything else. And 
 that is the way it must go on. Don t you think 
 so?" 
 
608 ZURY. 
 
 Zury was a little crestfallen and did not reply. 
 
 " You see, after you got tired of me, it would 
 make me angry to have to ask you for anything. 
 And such a temper as I have ! " 
 
 " Ya-as I know all abaout that, and I respect 
 ye for it tew. But when I want to make ye in 
 dependent regardin money, ye wun t hear nothin 
 of it!" 
 
 "Well, it s too soon! As I have before said, 
 we 11 see when we get up to the Red Hill." 
 
 So the very next day the crafty Zury went to 
 the bank and deposited in the vault the certificate 
 of Gas Company Stock, indorsed again to Anne, 
 inclosed in a sealed envelope, marked, u This to 
 be opened by the cashier in case I die before 
 reclaiming it. U. Prouder." 
 
 Time flies, with a hop-skip-and-jump, between 
 this chapter and the next : things occur which 
 belong to another story rather than this ; but there 
 comes no change in the strong man s unwearied 
 docility and devotion, or in the beloved woman s 
 gradually thawing reserve ; and her growing grat 
 itude, esteem, affection, love. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 A LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 
 
 WE picked up our homespun thread tit the 
 Prouder section : we followed it in its windings, 
 knots, and twists to the school, the woods-fire, the 
 riot, the stump, the polls, the machine-shop, the 
 mines, and many scenes beside. Now, a whole 
 generation later (well on in " the Fifties "), it 
 leads us back to the very place we started from. 
 
 Usually it is a sad thing to see old friends again, 
 after long years have changed them beyond recog 
 nition. But sometimes that which is uncouth and 
 sordid in youth is lovely in age. This happens 
 oftener in a frontier locality of these days than at 
 any other place of earth or age of time. It has 
 happened to the Prouder homestead. When we 
 first saw it, it was the abode of toil and hardship 
 poor in money, comfort, grace, gayety, leisure, 
 cultivation, refinement, liberality. Now (though 
 so many years later, yet still in the same man s 
 lifetime) all these things have grown and clustered 
 about it like flowers and fruits about a lonely rock. 
 Nature s prodigal soil and man s prodigal labor 
 have worked (like coral insects) to make a lovely 
 island where was before a pathless waste. 
 
510 ZURY. 
 
 We will begin with the oldest object visible on 
 the place the log-house, so hastily yet solidly 
 built by Ephraim and his son, as a shelter into 
 which they might unload the few " sticks of fur 
 niture " they had wagoned all the way from Penn 
 sylvania in their " prairie schooner," and which 
 served as the first living-place for the builders 
 family. 
 
 " The "clapboard" roof, or its scanty re 
 mains, have disappeared. A professional English 
 thatcher, who had settled in the neighborhood, 
 has covered the hovel with a regular old-world 
 thatch ; a thing of soft outlines and overhanging 
 eaves. What a dignity the tumble-down shanty 
 at once took on when this classic top-finish was 
 put on it ! It was as when the Lord Chancellor s 
 time-honored powdered wig is donned by a com 
 mon-place barrister ; at once he becomes, in looks 
 at least, the worthy successor of the long line of 
 jurists who have occupied the woolsack, of 
 Bacon, Lyndhurst, Eldon. The log-shanty was a 
 hovel no longer, but a croft, a grange, a farmstead 
 a thing to draw in pencil, to paint in oil, to 
 photograph. Moss and flowers, and patches of 
 thrifty greenery, planted themselves in all the 
 places where they could add to its beauty and 
 show themselves off to the best advantage the 
 vain things ! 
 
 Then, the roof being thus made far better than 
 it had ever been in its best days, the walls were 
 made far worse in a house-builder s view: the 
 "chinking" was completely removed (it had al- 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 511 
 
 ready largely removed itself), and the free air and 
 light of heaven thus allowed unobstructed ingress 
 and egress ; so that the structure was thenceforth 
 a cool and shady summer-house ; a nesting-place 
 for pigeons and swallows, and the favorite play 
 house for dogs, cats, and other household pets. 
 
 The " girdled forty " next behind has given 
 place to " the best orchard in all Illinois," and 
 a kitchen garden has been added which serves as 
 a supply to the residents of this farm, and as an 
 educator to all the other farms and their owners, 
 showing them what variety of good eatables is 
 available to the granger in lieu of the everlasting 
 u pork n taters " of the pioneer. 
 
 But what has come over the later board palace 
 that used to be so hopelessly hideous? It is still 
 there; but so hidden in its own improvements as 
 to be utterly unrecognizable. Its whole south 
 side is occupied by a greenhouse and hot-house 
 glorious to behold, opening out on a flower-garden 
 worthy of it ; all showing by inherent signs that 
 they are the delight of some ladylike soul, aided 
 by a gentlemanlike purse. 
 
 The side of the house that looks toward the 
 forest has burgeoned out into a kitchen and laun 
 dry, fit to make the housework of the family 
 almost a delight instead of a hardship, supple 
 mented as they are by a tall wind-mill and high 
 tanks, which keep the house supplied with water 
 both hard and soft. At a little distance, half 
 buried in the lawn, stands a gas-house still quite 
 a novelty in country places. 
 
512 ZURY. 
 
 But the "feature " of the mansion is an eighteen- 
 
 o 
 
 feet-wide piazza that runs entirely around the re 
 maining two sides of the old square structure ; in 
 some places latticed for climbing plants, and else 
 where open for sun and air ; connected with the 
 interior rooms by great glazed doors opening to 
 the floor, instead of windows ; in short, the coolest, 
 warmest, most breezy, most sheltered place that 
 ever a favored child was turned loose into to be 
 happy in. 
 
 / Now to give the finishing-touch to the whole 
 picture; the final chord to the sonata; the key 
 stone to the arch ; the crown to the work ; the 
 signature to the indenture ; the moral to the tale, 
 and the point to the moral. * 
 
 On the great porch hangs a hammock, deeply 
 depressed by a short, solid weight in its middle. 
 At one extremity of the heavy bundle may be 
 observed a mass of fiery red curly hair ; at the 
 other, a pair of stout little legs almost equally red 
 and curly. Above and around the sleeper 
 hangs, in gauzy folds, a mosquito netting, stretched 
 over an umbrella-like frame, suspended by a cord 
 that passes .over a pulley in the ceiling and comes 
 down to a fastening within convenient reach. 
 
 As we look, there occurs a stirring in the pre 
 cious little bundle : arms and legs seem to resume 
 accustomed activity after unaccustomed quiet. At 
 the first sound, a matronly figure steps quickly and 
 gracefully out from one of the open doors, goes to 
 the fastened cord and pulls the mosquito net up 
 to the roof. By this time two fat hands have 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 613 
 
 grasped the sides of the hammock, and a hand 
 some, blue-eyed boy-face is raised with difficulty 
 above the edge. 
 
 " I ront my poppa." 
 
 " Here V> mamma. Doesn t Willie want his 
 mamma?" 
 
 " No. I ront my poppa." 
 
 " Papa is gone out on the farm." 
 
 "Gone yidin ?" 
 
 41 Yes. Shall juamma take Willie up?" 
 
 "Yidin on Plnce?" 
 
 " Yes ; riding on Prince. But mamma is here." 
 
 " I ront t go yidin on P ince." 
 
 " Papa will take you when he comes home. 
 Now, does n t Willie want to come with mamma?" 
 
 " No." 
 
 "Doesn t Willie love his dear mamma?" 
 
 " No. I ront my sisty Med." 
 
 " Sister Meg is in Spring ville." 
 
 "At the bid house?" 
 
 " Yes ; at the big brick house. Now come and 
 play with mamma." 
 
 "I ront tumbody." 
 
 "There isn t anybody else, my darling." 
 
 "Yes; is too! Tumbody else." 
 
 "No, my blessing; just papa and mamma, and 
 Sister Meg and Willie. There ought to be some- 
 bodv else, but there is n t." 
 
 ""What oo tyin for?" 
 
 "I m crying because there isn t anybody else. 
 Now come and kiss poor mamma ! " 
 
 "No. I ront Sep." 
 
514 ZLJRY. 
 
 " Well, Willie shall have dear old Shep." She 
 whistled clear and shrill, and lo, lumbering along 
 with awkward alacrity, comes a ludicrously exact 
 reproduction of the pristine Shep he of chapter 
 first. All things else have changed since we first 
 saw them, because they have endured : he alone 
 is the same, because he has died repeatedly. In 
 dividuals alter, but types are perennial. 
 
 Shep is the patient, docile, and long-suffering 
 attendant on his young master. He seems to rec 
 ognize the fact that to play with the boy is his 
 most valid excuse for existence. The mother 
 leaves the two playmates and returns to her 
 book ; and soon there is a long row of blocks, 
 wheeled rabbits, Noah s ark, tail-less and head 
 less animals, and other heterogeneous accessories, 
 tied by a string to the collar of the dog, and being 
 dragged about the piazza in large curves ; the boy 
 leading the locomotive power, and adding to his 
 duties as engine-driver the more onerous task of 
 making the " choo-choo-choo " and the long 
 " hoooooot " as the train approaches its stations. 
 
 Now the sound of an approaching wagon is 
 heard ; not a rattle of wheels by any means, but 
 the slow, creaking noise of a farm-vehicle moved 
 by horses more accustomed to drag the laboring 
 plow than to turn the festive wheel. 
 
 " Why, of all people in the world, here come 
 the Ansteys! Jule ! Jule ! Run and take care 
 of Uncle Anstey s team. Drive up to the step- 
 blocks, Uncle Anstey. There, that s right!" 
 And as snowy-headed Jule took the horses by the 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 515 
 
 bridles with needless care, Anne helped the old, 
 old woman out and down, and kissed her heartily, 
 while the old man drove on to look for his beloved 
 Zury. 
 
 " Wai, wal ! The Lord bless V presarve ye, 
 Anne Praouder ! I didn never llaow t* git s fur 
 f m home agin not till I m carr d feet-foremost. 
 But I d heered sech wonders baout ye, V yer 
 haouse, t I llaowed I d jes try V ketch a glimpse 
 o heaven on th yarth, in case I should n t never 
 git t see it nowher s else." 
 
 " Heaven ! You ! Well, I tell you, Aunty An- 
 stey, I never want to go there if it s a kind of 
 place where your kind of folks are n t wanted ! 
 But how well you look. Here, sit down and 
 rest." 
 
 " Ya-as : a feller he come along by th haouse 
 V had s m stuff t he as t a dollar a bottle fer ; n 
 seein it come so high I knowed it must be good ; 
 n he jest called fer a spune n gimme a dose 
 right then n thar didn tax me a cent fur it. 
 N then I xplained tew him s haow I wuz a 
 pledged total abstainer, n could n t take no sper- 
 rits, 4iot t save my life ; n he larfed, n llowed 
 th war n t no sperits in this, only jest enough t 
 cut the sensual iles of the rewts it wuz made of; 
 n arter I tuk the fust swaller he didn t have t 
 wait five minutes by th sun afore he hed his dol 
 lar n I hed a bottle. It s t be took afore eatin 
 n arter eatin , n afore sleepin n arter sleepin , 
 n wunst-in-a-while between-times. I fetched it 
 along in case ye sh d be anyways ailin yew er 
 the babe n sh d like t try it." 
 
516 ZURY. 
 
 The old soul produced a large, dark, square, 
 high-shouldered, suspicious looking bottle, and 
 drew the cork ; whereupon a strong smell of al 
 cohol pervaded all that part of Spring County. 
 Anne studied the label, and made a pretense of 
 committing to memory the name and address, but 
 declined to take a dose on the spur of the moment, 
 or to administer one to her little one. 
 
 " Ain t ther noth n the matter on him, t a 
 dose mougJit knock ? " 
 
 " Not a thing in the world ! He s just perfec 
 tion, body and soul ! " 
 
 " Wai, he dew look pootty peart. Still, ye can t 
 tell b t what the mought be suth n jes a-comin 
 on th t this d knock ef took in time. Thet s th 
 gret thing t take remedies in time. Lemme 
 jes look ^at his tongue. Come h yar, sonny, V 
 see yer ol gran -mom fer a spell ! " 
 
 Thereupon the train started for the most dis 
 tant corner of the veranda, turning round an un 
 usually short curve with a suddenness that laid 
 Noah s Ark, rabbit, two horses, and an ele 
 phant, flat on their sides, in which condition they 
 were compelled to make the rest of the trip, by 
 the urgent necessity of escaping from the old 
 lady. 
 
 " Oh, Mrs. Anstey, you don t know how well he 
 is ! And so bright ! And so loving ! Why, it 
 was only a week ago last Friday, about this time 
 in the afternoon, or a little earlier, when he woke 
 up from his afternoon nap, he kissed me without 
 my asking him to ! " 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 517 
 
 " Dew tell ! I wanter know ! " The old wo 
 man spoke with civil hypocrisy, for she could in 
 no wise comprehend or sympathize with such sen 
 timental ecstasy. Thereupon Anne went on at 
 great length, expatiating on the glories and beau 
 ties of the new miracle of humanity a theme 
 older and more wonderful than that commonly 
 known as " the old, old story." 
 
 " Naow Mis Sparrer McVey Praouder, I 
 should say ef ye 11 gimme a spune I 11 jes take 
 a spunefle, n I want yer t show me some o them 
 things I heerd tell on. ThL dew say s haow ye 
 jes hev t go t th wall n turn a handle, n th 
 hot water 11 pour aout ; n turn another, n th 
 col water 11 pour aout; n turn another n th 
 rume 11 heat up afore ye kin say Jack Robison ; 
 n turn another n ye hev a light thaout no lamp 
 ner candle." 
 
 " Surely, Aunty ! I 11 show them all to you." 
 And she went to the wall and pulled a bell- 
 rope. 
 
 " Wha d ye dew then ? Did ye turn a handle 
 then ? " 
 
 " No. I just pulled this, and it has- a wire that 
 reaches one of the bells in the kitchen there s 
 a whole line of bells, one marked parlor and 
 one marked 4 door and so on. This one is marked 
 4 porch and here comes Sarah. Sarah, bring a 
 tablespoon, please, for Mrs. Anstey." 
 
 " Lawzee snz, and sakes alive ! That thar gal 
 11 dew anythin ye tell her tew, I s pose ! Ef ye 
 wuz t tell her t git right daown on her han s n 
 
518 ZURY. 
 
 knees V scrub the floor, I s pose she d jes up V 
 dew it ! No relation o yourn, nuther, is she? " 
 
 " No relation that I know of ; but indeed she 
 would do anything I asked her, and gladly, too ! 
 Why she scrubs this floor every day without any 
 telling, if it needs it ! She is very fond of me 
 and I am of her. All I fear is that she ll marry 
 soon, and I : shall lose her; and all the reason why 
 she does n t, is simply that she hates to leave me." 
 
 " Sakes alive ! Haowdy, Sarey, haowdy ! " (shak 
 ing hands as she takes the spoon.) " I m pleased 
 t make yer quaintance. I m ol Mis Anstey t 
 lives daown in th bottom timber. Mebbe ye 
 heerd tell o me. Be ye pootty peart? " 
 
 The smiling Sarah confessed that she was quite 
 well. 
 
 "Naow, Sarey, ef you 11 jes wait a half a min 
 ute I 11 give ye the spune agin." And the old 
 woman poured out her dose with trembling hands, 
 and at the same time poured forth praises of the 
 medicine which also breathed out its own 
 charms loudly on the circumambient air. 
 
 " N Sarey, ef ye d like t try a dose on it ye 
 re heartily welcome ! Ye dunno whut it mought 
 cure ye of er keep ye fr m hevin ." 
 
 Sarah gratefully declined and departed with 
 the spoon, while Anne carefully shut the lattice 
 gates designed to keep the youngest scion of the 
 Prouder race from rolling down the steps. Then 
 they began the tour of the house, the good old 
 soul s spirits being raised and her tongue loosened 
 by her "medicine." 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 519 
 
 First the drawing-room. 
 
 " Oh naow, Anne Praouder, yew jes git aout ! 
 Ef thar ain t yew n Zury a-hanging agin the 
 wall jes like the d ben a lynchin only the 
 gold frames ! Ha-ans m ! Yum -yum ! Ye d 
 better believe it ! Wai, of all and of all ! I d 
 jes love t set h yer all day n look at ye, ye 
 pootty creeter ! " and she caressed Acne s hand 
 affectionately. " Jes look at the eyes on em ! 
 They mus be fixed so s t turn raound somehaow 
 ther looks jes follers me wherever I go ! A.rC 
 the books ! Hev yew read all them books ? No 
 wonder ye re so all-fired smart ! " 
 
 " Now look over there in the corner by the win 
 dow, Aunt Anstey. That s Mr. Prouder s desk ; 
 look at the little picture hanging above it." 
 
 44 Fer the land s sake, the picter ye did of the 
 ol log-shanty n the new frame haouse when ye 
 wuz a-boardin raound ! Don t it look old-timey 
 though ? I s pose ye keep that t remind Zury 
 haow humble he started aout ! Wai, it s all 
 turned aout fer th best, thank the Lord! But 
 them wuz pootty measly times! " 
 
 44 No, he thinks more of that than of any other 
 picture we have in the house, and he says it s 
 because those were the blessed days when he first 
 met Anne Sparrow ! " 
 
 44 Dooz, dooz he? Wai, I m glad he hez the 
 sense t recognize his chief est heavenly marcy ! 
 He wuz a pootty poor speciment in them days, n 
 would a be n so yet ef it had n t a be n fer yew ! " 
 
 Next came the bath-room, for the " handles " 
 
520 ZURY. 
 
 that governed the hot and cold water had taken 
 the strongest hold on the imagination of the old 
 household care-taker. 
 
 44 There, Aunty, just turn that one, and you ll 
 see how it works." 
 
 "I m a leetle afeared ye know I ain t uster 
 sech things haow much shell I turn it? thar! 
 Sakes alive see it come, see it come, see it come ! 
 N pours right daown inter th tub ! No waitin 
 till some arternoon when ye ve got time. No 
 well-sweep, ner yit a windlass, ner yit a pump ; 
 V no carr in th bucket, V fillin th kittle, V 
 choppin s m wood, n startin th fire, n waitin 
 till it biles, n then huntin th holder, n takin on 
 it off, n pourin it in th wash-tub, n then 
 cleanin yerself n thro win th slops aouter win 
 der." 
 
 "No! You just take your bath and then pull 
 this chain ; see ? All the water runs down the 
 drain-pipe into the garden-pit." 
 
 " Wai, I thank the Lord I lived t see this 
 day ! " 
 
 Then the glories of the spacious, well-appointed 
 kitchen, with its clean, leisurely maids, were duly 
 honored. Then the bed-rooms, palatial in the vis 
 itor s eyes. Then the gas was turned on and 
 lighted, and the heating apparatus shown off. 
 Then the green-house and garden furnished new 
 occasion for exclamations of delight. But, last of 
 all, the old woman wanted to see once more the 
 hot and cold water pour out of "holes in the wall " 
 that appealed most strongly of all to her love 
 of the wonderful. 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 521 
 
 " When matches fust come in, I thought it wuz 
 a merikle t jest scrape a little cold stick n hev 
 a fire right off. Then when a guerryotyper come 
 along n tuk my ol man so it seemed s though 
 he d jes looked in th glass n th image hed struck 
 in n stuck thar thet wuz another. Then the 
 railroad come along. But this beats em all. Ye 
 jes turn th handle, so-fashion, n thar ye be ! 
 Yes I thank the Lord!" 
 
 " I tell you what, Mrs. Anstey, you must come 
 and stay with me, arid then you shall get to know 
 all these things." 
 
 " Oh, it s enough fer me t see em all thaoub 
 a-usin on em ! I don t wonder Sarey don t wanter 
 quit seek, a place ! I sh d think ye could n t dog 
 her away ! If I wuz her no man could n t per 
 suade me t marry him n go ; no, ner come with 
 in forty rows of apple-trees of it, nuther ! Not if 
 he wuz as rich as Julius Caesar! " 
 
 At another time she did make the proposed 
 visit, and took her first " tub." Anne knocked at 
 the door to ask if she had everything she needed ; 
 and she replied : " I ve got in, at last ; n I feel 
 jest like I wuz a-floatin in th claouds o heaven ! " 
 
 When old Anstey left his wife with Anne, he 
 drove forward to have some talk with Zury. His 
 mare (aet. twenty), with the discretion born of 
 years of reflection, allowed her end of the double 
 tree to lie back as far as it would go ; whence it 
 arose that her single-tree was almost worn in two 
 by the wheel. At the same time her mate " the 
 colt " (aet. twelve), in all the enthusiasm of youth, 
 
522 ZURY. 
 
 pressed forward regardless of her expostulatory 
 bites, and was always a yard in advance of bis 
 mother. 
 
 Zury was at the " bottom field," a patch ad 
 joining the river, known throughout the region as 
 a marvel of unfailing fertility. Those bottoms 
 are of Nile-like formation and productiveness. 
 Whatever drought prevails, there is always "corn 
 in Egypt." The only drawback is that every two 
 or three years the river rises and carries away 
 fences, sheds, stacks, and all other adjuncts of 
 farming from all the " bottom fields," excepting 
 of course those appertaining to the Prouder farm, 
 where there are no loose properties allowed ; the 
 fences and sheds being held up by stakes set deep 
 in the ground below the yielding surface. 
 
 " Wai, Uncle Anstey ! That can t never be 
 you, can it?." 
 
 " Ya-as ; it s me yet awhile Zury. Not fer long 
 though not fer long." 
 
 " Oh, you sho ! " rejoined the younger man, 
 pressing his horse close to the wagon and leaning 
 forward for the accustomed hand-shake. " You re 
 good t bury me yet ! I oilers llowed fer ye t be 
 one o my bearers." 
 
 44 Wai, not hardly, Zury. I m workin on borry d 
 time twelve years on borry d time last March." 
 
 "Borry d time?" 
 
 44 Ya-as ; I used up my three-score- n -ten more 
 ner twelve years ago : be n a livin aout some 
 other feller s leavin s sence that." 
 
 44 Oh, I see ! Wai, the s a plenty o fellers 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 523 
 
 drunk emselves t death, n fooled away the r 
 health th way yew never did, t leave years n 
 years a-layin raound loose more n you n me 11 
 ever need." 
 
 " Thasso-thasso, friend Rice ! But yew look 
 likely t to use up a big slew on Vm, Zury ! Never 
 seen a man grow young th way yew be n a dewin ! 
 Sakes alive ! Mus be suth n th same way ol 
 Solomon wuz kep alive, cordin t th Scripters ! 
 He-he-he!" 
 
 "Wai, wal ; if happiness can do a man good, 
 I d oughter be pootty healthy. All th t heart 
 can wish ! Makes me tremble sometimes when I 
 think how any changes mus be fer the wuss ! All 
 th t heart can wish ! " 
 
 " Glad on it, Znry. Glad ye don t want into 
 Congress ner noth n ." 
 
 " Why, ef I thought Anne would care to have 
 me go : what is there about political matters jest 
 now, anyhow? " 
 
 " Wal, t tell ye the truth, Zury, course lots on 
 us 11 work fer ye s long s ye say th word. But 
 I don t give ye no spesh l incouridgement." 
 
 " Why, what s the matter?" 
 
 " Wal, it s this-a-way." (Here the old man be 
 came visibly embarrassed.) " Th fellers suspish n 
 ye, n yer wife tew, fr m some things the Ve ob- 
 sarved, of bein mind the don t all lean that-a- 
 way, but some dooz n I ain t no ways pards 
 with them as dooz ner I wun t go fer t name 
 them as dooz, fer mebbe they m a-actin up t 
 the r lights, n I kin disagree with em thaout 
 
524 ZURY. 
 
 a-blamin on em fer who am I th fc I sh d set 
 up fer t jedge em" 
 
 Here the old man paused as if loath to break 
 the awful charge to the man against whom it was 
 harbored, perhaps with cruel injustice. 
 
 " Out with it, Uncle Anstey ! I ve got to stand 
 it I suppose. And I can stand it if they can. But 
 let em look out before they whisper a word agin 
 Anne agin my wife! The man don t walk the 
 footstool who can do that and not be sorry for it! 
 Him that tries it on must take the consequences ! " 
 
 As he spoke his face darkened and hardened in 
 drawn level lines till it looked like a mask of 
 Vengeance carved in Scotch granite. This look 
 was accompanied by one that spoke an old pain, 
 regret, mortification, shame, remorse. 
 
 u Oh, the don t blame yew no more n her, ner 
 her no more n yew, on y she bein a woman, n 
 comin fr m Bosting; the c nsider that an excuse. 
 N then, as t the consekences, th hoss-shedders 
 don t scare wuth a cent. Yew know that!" 
 
 " Any man tlft reaches his hand towards her; 
 he better consider consequences ! They 11 foller 
 him ! He wun t get shet of em this side o king 
 dom come! " 
 
 " The fellers, ner the r wives nuther, don t give 
 a continental fer no consekences; a-sayin whut 
 the think s sol" 
 
 "Wai, out with it; wha d they How?" 
 
 " Course ye wun t harbor no hard feelin s agin 
 me fer a-bringin on it t yer knowledge ? " 
 
 "Nary a mite." 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 525 
 
 "I mebbe wrong, but I m a doin on it fer th 
 best. I m a doin s I d be done by. Ef folks 
 wuz t git up V talk agin me V my ol woman 
 the way the dooz agin yew n yewrs though I 
 don t expect the d ever pick on us fer any thin 
 that-a-way " And he laughed uneasily. 
 
 "No; not likely." 
 
 " But ef so be the should, why I d take it t be 
 th part of a ol friend t up n aout with it 
 spit it right aout, hit er miss." 
 
 "Yes, yes," groaned Zury. "Do it! Say it! 
 Spit it out! I expect I can stand it." 
 
 "Wai, ef ye will hev it, h yer goes, 
 
 " THE LLAOW YE RE A-PUTTIN ON 
 SCOLLOPS." 
 
 He paused to observe the crushing effect of this 
 awful indictment ; almost the most hopelessly 
 fatal that can be found against any Western polit 
 ical aspirant. Treason, arson, homicide, even 
 horse-stealing could scarcely be worse ! Great 
 was his consternation at Zury s way of receiving 
 the deadly blow. The accused smiled, grinned, 
 chuckled, laughed, and even roared with amuse 
 ment and relief. In all their long acquaintance 
 Anstey had never seen his strong, cool friend in 
 such a transport of merriment. It may be doubted 
 if any one had if Zury himself could look back 
 on another such outburst. 
 
 " Whut tickles ye, Zury ? Whut s the matter? 
 Be ye crazy, er whut? Be ye perpared t deny 
 whut the say, n prove it on em ? " 
 
 " Deny what they say ? That s owin t what 
 
526 ZURY. 
 
 the dew say. Ye hain t told me yet. What s 
 the specifications ? " 
 
 " Why, fer one thing, the llaow ye don t oilers 
 talk country-fashion. When ye pass th time o 
 day er what not with yer ol neighbors ; why then 
 it saounds pootty much th same s ever ; but when 
 ye talk t strangers conf rence delegates, city- 
 folks a visitin yer wife, er what not ; why then 
 ye kind o clip yer wurds like stuck-up Eastern 
 folks, V ffected Europian furriners th t plain 
 English ain t good enough fer." 
 
 44 They do, do they ? Wai, what else do they 
 charge?" 
 
 " Wai, the llaow t whut with sarvints, V 
 stablemen n one thing another, ye ve both got 
 so s ye can t wait on yerselves no more. Naow, 
 thet tber hoss ye re a ridin on his coat d dew 
 fer a lookin - glass a gal c d see her freckles in 
 n his tail s banged square off like th butt of a 
 wheat-sheaf. I don t expect ye Ve laid a curry 
 comb on him yerself this blessed day ! " 
 
 " Guess not ! Ye want me t break old Jule s 
 heart?" 
 
 "Wai, ef th Allwise bed a wanted bosses tails 
 to a looked like that, couldn t he a made em 
 growed so? " 
 
 * Like enough. I expect he can do^nost any 
 thing Jule can do." 
 
 " Course he kin! N more tew, ef ye come 
 t that ! " 
 
 " Should n t wonder. What more do they charge 
 agin me?" 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 527 
 
 " Oh, it pears t them s though ye don t take 
 no more stock in common folks like them don t 
 care fer the r pinions, ner fer the r votes don t 
 condescend t lay aout t please low-down trash 
 like yer old constitooents. The ain t never no 
 hayseed in yer ha r, ner parara mud on yer butes. 
 Ye re oilers fixed up fine stan -up collar V 
 straps t yer pants: n the dew say mebbe its 
 a lie ye putt on a clean biled shirt every day I" 
 
 " Sho now ! Do they say that ? " 
 
 " The jest dew ! I tol m it wuz a cam 
 paign lie ; but the llaowed th women folks hed 
 caounted th wash a hangin on th clo s-lines." 
 
 "Why didn t ye tell em mebbe th shirts wuz 
 Jule s?" 
 
 " Oh, t wouldn t dew no good anybody kin 
 see Jule s hickory wunst a month." 
 
 " Anything else, for the land s sake ? " 
 
 "Wai, naow ye speak on it, the wust comes 
 last. That thar ha r on yer upper lip ! " 
 
 "Same fellers finds fault with that who pass 
 remarks on old Prince s banged tail?" 
 
 "Wai, yes; its the giner l talk o th hoss- 
 shed." 
 
 " Would ye advise me to shave it off, Uncle?" 
 
 " Ef it wuz mine, I d hev it off so quick it d 
 make yer head swim ! " 
 
 " Now, look here, Uncle Anstey, jest give the 
 hoss-shed my compliments, and tell em that if the 
 Allwise had wanted my lip shaved, he could a 
 shaved it, jest as easy as rollin off a log." 
 
 " Oh, th ain t nobody a denyin thet, s I know 
 of." 
 
528 ZURY. 
 
 44 And tell em that jest as soon as they let their 
 beards grow the way the All wise starts em, I 11 
 let old Prince s tail do the same." 
 
 " Oh, the wun t never dew it ! " 
 
 " And tell em that I know some medders where 
 hayseed 11 do a heap sight better than it will in 
 my hair, though it won t raise a crop of votes." 
 
 " Hayseed fer a crap of oats ? " 
 
 " Votes I said. And tell em I 11 see all their 
 shirts, and them in em, biled to rags before I 11 
 consult em about the bilin of mine." 
 
 Anstey shook his head in regretful disapproval. 
 
 44 And tell em that when I go to Washington, 
 I m goin to make believe I m sent by a con- 
 stuency of clean, prosperous, hard-working, com 
 mon-sense American citizens ; not by a lot of 
 jimpson-weed galoots ! " 
 
 44 Oh, wal ; ye wun t never go ! " 
 
 Anstey now changed the subject. Pushing his 
 foot down into the dark, powdery mould (too soft 
 and fine to be turned in furrows), he said, 
 
 44 Meller as an ash-heap, ain t it? Lessee, 
 haow long is it ye be n a-crappin this h yer bot 
 tom t corn?" 
 
 44 Twenty-two years, without a halt or a failure, 
 excepting three seasons, when the flood swept it 
 too late to replant. Call it ten acres, and throw 
 off the odd year, this little patch has given me 
 full thirteen thousand bushels of corn, besides 
 what the deer have eaten. See that good white 
 oak there ? I hung up a buck on that tree when 
 it was a sapling ; first deer I ever shot. It was 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 529 
 
 before sun-up, one winter morning, when I was 
 niggering logs to fence our first piece up on the 
 prairie father s it was then." 
 
 " It 11 make a good saw-cut when ye want one." 
 
 " Yes ; I d a had it to mill last year, only Anne 
 happened round here on horseback, and I told her 
 about the deer hanging on the sapling, and she 
 begged for its life for the sake of old lang syne ! " 
 
 " Women is cur us critters!" 
 
 " About as near right as God can make em !" 
 
 "/b lieveye!" 
 
 Then they started slowly toward home, Zury 
 checking the impatient Prince to keep pace with 
 the Anstey team that ingenious steed securing 
 his desired additional action by ambling sidewise 
 wherever the road was wide enough. 
 
 u Dunno as I told ye about our goin travelin 
 shortly." 
 
 "I want ter know! Clar away up t Galeny 
 agin?" 
 
 " Further than that." 
 
 " Wha whut, not to Bosting ! " 
 
 " To Boston and further yet. Clean across the 
 Atlantic Ocean." 
 
 Anstey brought his ever ready team to a full 
 stop while he gazed, open-mouthed, at the speaker. 
 
 " Yes, Uncle ; c mittee of the whole has de 
 cided by a unanimous vote that Europe can t go 
 on any longer without being seen. Ayes one ; 
 that s my wife. Nays none. Absent or not vot 
 ing two ; that s me and the baby." 
 
 This stunning news produced such consterna- 
 
530 ZURY. 
 
 tion that the silence of their progress became al 
 most oppressive. The elastic prairie-roads gave 
 no sound ; only the squeak of the old rattle-trap 
 wagon broke the stillness. It seemed to be com 
 plaining of its labors, continued too far into de 
 crepit age so much that it attracted Zury s no 
 tice. 
 
 " The old scrap-heap is gettin shaky, like the 
 rest of us, ain t she, Uncle." 
 
 "What? This wagin? Oh, she s pootty fair 
 of a wagin yit awhile. Last me threw, I guess, 
 V carry me to th ber rin -graoun ." 
 
 " Tell ye what, old man, I ve been botherin 
 my head about how to collect my rent from the 
 wagon-maker that s workin in that blacksmith 
 shop of mine. I ve seen the day when it would 
 have come near keepin me awake nights that 
 doubtful debt near to a hundred dollars. That 
 day is past, thank God ; but still I don t wan t to 
 lose it altogether. Here s the shop-lot now." 
 
 As they pulled up at the door he called out, 
 
 " Hello, Jinks, how goes it ? " 
 
 " Haowdy, haowdy, Zury ! O man Anstey, I 
 hope I see ye ! " 
 
 " Oh, I m peart, I thankee." 
 
 " Wai, Jinks, how be ye fixed ? " 
 
 " Same s ever, Zury. Hain t sol m wagin yit. 
 Thar she stan s put up at odd times, by days 
 works she s s good as the make em. W^uth a 
 hunderd n twenty ef she s wuth a dime." 
 
 " Could n t turn her in on the rent and call it 
 square ? " 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 531 
 
 " Wai, gimme a leetle more rope, V ef I don t 
 make th riffle some other way, I ll take ye 
 up." 
 
 " Tell ye what I 11 do : if ye 11 take me up 
 now, I 11 throw in this old one and call quits." 
 
 44 Done ! I kin git my change aouten that when 
 I ve fixed her up V give her a coat o paint." 
 
 Here an unexpected obstacle cropped up. Old 
 Anstey " got up on his ear." 
 
 " On his pale cheek the flush of rage 
 O ercame the ashen hue of age. 
 Fierce he broke forth 
 
 " Who s a-dickerin away my property thaout 
 my consent?" 
 
 He drove off in a huff and a hurry, using the 
 spare ends of his lines in a way that took his 
 horses by surprise. Age and poverty had not 
 quelled the independence of the pioneer. 
 
 It was with the utmost difficulty that Zury, 
 riding after him, could get speech with him. 
 
 " Naow Zury, ye see th fellers is mighty right 
 baout yer bein away offen yer ol time manners ! 
 When ye wuz a-makin n a-savin , same s th rest 
 on us, ve would n t a never a gone t a made free 
 with no man s wagin no, not ef he wuz twice t 
 as old V poor s I be." 
 
 " Oh, see here, Uncle ! I did n t mean anything 
 out of the way." 
 
 " Wha d ye do it fer, then ? " 
 " Oh, my foot slipped. My intentions were all 
 O. K., being to benefit you, and get my rent out of 
 that ornery skeezicks at the same time." Zury 
 
532 ZURY. 
 
 said this with perfect good humor, amused with 
 the spirit of his ancient friend. 
 
 " I don t give a continental whut yer intentions 
 wuz ! N as fer benefits, we ain t none on us 
 Spring Caounty men raound a askin fer no fa- 
 viors. No charity, thankee, this side o th poor- 
 farm n the grave! No matter if ye hev growed 
 till ye re most aout o sight fr m th road ! " 
 
 " Of course, of course ! I know one man s as 
 good as another ! " 
 
 " Yew bet he is ! " 
 
 " And mebbe better." 
 
 " Like enough ! " 
 
 " But then, business is business. You and the 
 boys can haul right smart more corn to apply on 
 what ye owe me, pilin fifty bushels onto a wagin- 
 load, than you can at twenty-six bushels." 
 
 " When we don t pay what we owe, ye ve got 
 yer legle remedy. As fer business this ain t 
 business, V yew know it." 
 
 " Wai, its owin t how ye look at it. What d 
 ye say to taking the wagon at a hunderd and giv 
 ing me yer note for it ? " 
 
 " N s cure th note ontew th ol morgidge?" 
 
 " Yes, of course." 
 
 " Why did n t ye say so fust off?" 
 
 " Oh, my foot slipped. I was coming to it af 
 terwards." 
 
 " Wai, I dunno but whut I kin fford a hun 
 derd fer the wagin. It seems a pootty good of a 
 wagin." 
 
 By this transparent subterfuge Zury gained his 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 533 
 
 object (as usual) and the Ansteys drove home in 
 the splendid new wagon after all, each nearly tum 
 bling out on his or her side in enjoying the entran 
 cing view of their new property. 
 
 As Zury and Anstey approached the home 
 stead the old man said, 
 
 " Th oF log shanty s a-stan in yit, I see." 
 
 44 Oh, yes indeed I Anne won t never hear o 
 git tin shet o that ! " 
 
 " Tew handy, I reck n." 
 
 " N no, ye know women s kinder senti- 
 mental-like. Ye member th ole newspapers I 
 papered it with thirty years ago or so ? " 
 
 " Ya-as. My ole woman tol me haow th wuz 
 a story ye read aouter them papers, t ye couldn t 
 never git th eend on it ; n haow Anne Sparrow 
 promised ye she d tell ye the rest." 
 
 " Jesso-jesso ! Wai, she s up n soaked off that 
 thar paper, n cleaned off the sutt n flyspecks? 
 n got it pasted inter a portfolio ! " 
 
 " Law suz ! N made off the nub of th story 
 ferye?" 
 
 " No. I would n t let her." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " Wai, fer one thing she s kinder told it tew 
 me." 
 
 " So ! Haow wuz it ? All O. K." 
 
 " All happy ! This is it I m a livin aout t -day ! 
 That s happy enough, ain t it ? " 
 
 "Yew bet!" 
 
 " N then, she says she 11 write it all daown 
 
534 ZURY. 
 
 afore she dies ; V I b lieve her, V so I wanter 
 put it off till arter I m dead." 
 
 " Oh yew, sho ! Zury Praouder ! Yew won t 
 never go t Congress ! " (And he never did.) 
 
 After early tea, a marvel of almost sinful lux 
 ury to the old folks, Zury must needs mount his 
 horse again to see them safe home and afterward 
 i ide on to Way back for the mail perhaps a let 
 ter from Sister Meg ! 
 
 Then Anne sits once more alone by the open 
 window-door, while " Boy " and Shep go on with 
 their endless railroad- training on the porch. She 
 listens, and reads, and pauses from both to dream, 
 and look back and look forward. 
 
 So good-bye, all ! If any patient reader remem 
 bers promises, expressed or implied, which we 
 have put forth and now leave unfulfilled, and asks 
 "how about those others?" we can only beg 
 pardon, and urge that the book is so near its col 
 ophon that we have no room to make a fitting 
 reply. 
 
 " Those others," their fortunes and misfortunes, 
 must pass into obscurity and oblivion (save as 
 cherished in living and loving sympathies), or 
 must furnish the matter for another book of chron 
 icles. 
 
 Now a low, tuneful whistle comes out through 
 Anne s window and floats on the sunset air. 
 
 " Don t whistle, momma ! You mate Sep ront 
 to do way ! " 
 
 " But mamma, has n t had any little boy for a 
 long, long while ! She almost feels as if she never 
 
LAST LOOK AT THE PROUDER FARM. 535 
 
 had any little boy ! Does n t her own Willie 
 want to conie and visit his mamma for just a little 
 while?" 
 
 " No I tan t. I tan t leave my end-thin it 11 
 yun away n bate all the tars! Choo-choo-choo- 
 chah : choo-choo-choo-chah : Ooooooot ! " 
 
GLOSSARY. 
 
 Allow, v. To suppose, think, expect, 
 intend, conclude. Also to say. 
 
 Ary, art. E er a, ever a. (The re 
 verse of " nary.") 
 
 Bedfast, adj. Confined to bed. 
 
 Blaze, n. A white patch, especially 
 on the trunk of a boundary-tree. 
 v. To make a white mark by strip 
 ping off bark. 
 
 Brashy, adj. Disintegrated, weak, 
 useless. 
 
 Chink, n. An interstice between logs. 
 v. To fill such interstices. 
 
 Chinking, n. Materials -used to fill 
 such interstices. 
 
 Chip in, v. To contribute to a com 
 mon stock. 
 
 Chivaree, n. A burlesque serenade ; 
 usually given to a married couple by 
 persons not invited to the wedding. 
 
 Chore, n. A small task about the 
 house, usually outside. 
 
 Chuck-hole, n. A sudden depression 
 in a road-rut. 
 
 Clamp down, v. To seize upon. 
 
 Clap-board, n. Roofing made by split 
 ting logs. 
 
 Close call, n. A narrow escape. 
 
 Coon s age, n. A great, indefinite 
 number of years. 
 
 Dog-gone, exp. The Western equiva 
 lent of " goll-darn." A mild male 
 diction. 
 
 Do-good, n. An expedient. A make 
 shift. 
 
 Downey, adj. Ailing. 
 
 Dozy, adj. Disintegrated, useless, 
 tending to decay. 
 
 Favor, v. To resemble. 
 
 Fixed, adv. Provided with money. 
 
 Fyce, . A small cur. 
 
 Galley-west, adv. To destruction. 
 
 Galoot, n. A common, uncultivated 
 rustic. 
 
 Gear, n. & v. Harness. 
 
 Get, v. To succeed in ; to achieve. 
 Also to purchase on credit. To 
 " get to get," is to succeed in pur 
 chasing on credit. 
 
 Get away with. To vanquish, con 
 quer, excel, defeat, surpass, con 
 sume. 
 
 Get up, n. Spirit, spunk ; pluck in 
 action, motion, or appearance. 
 
 Give away, v. To betray, n. Be 
 trayal. 
 
 Glut, n. A wooden wedge used in 
 splitting logs. 
 
 Go, n. A bargain struck, a decision 
 arrived at, a start (as distinguished 
 from a false start), v. To proceed 
 intentionally. 
 
 Good and, adv. Extremely, indubita 
 bly, unqualifiedly. 
 
 Great shakes, n. Esteem. To think 
 great shakes of anything is to hold 
 it in high estimation. 
 
 Grip, n. Holding and staying power. 
 Perseverance, 
 
 Hard lines, n. Severe trials. 
 
 Hen on, n. Something of importance 
 hatching out. 
 
 Hike out, v. To go away, clear out, 
 depart. 
 
 Hog, v. To gather (a crop) by turn 
 ing swine in to it. 
 
 Horse-shed, v. To propagate views or 
 advance interest by private or quasi 
 public talk. 
 
 Humbly, adj. Homely. Unhand 
 some. 
 
 Jimpson weed, n. Stramonium, 
 
538 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Jamestown weed. (From the deso 
 lation about Jamestown, Va., where 
 the ruins of John Smith s colony 
 were marked by this malodorous 
 plant.) 
 
 Knock, v . To overcome. 
 Laylock, n. Lilac. 
 Lay down, v. To surrender one s 
 
 self. 
 
 Lay low, v. To hide one s self. 
 Limb, n. A limb of Satan. 
 Lop-sided, adj. Misshapen. Uusym- 
 
 metrical. 
 
 Main chance, n. Personal gain. 
 Mitten, n. Rejection. (Usually of a 
 
 marriage proposal.) 
 Monkey, v. To waste time in foolish 
 
 actions. 
 Nary, art. " Ne er a." (Reverse of 
 
 "ary.") 
 
 Near, adj. Stingy, mean, penurious. 
 Nigger, v. To burn logs into lengths. 
 Nip and tuck, n. or adv. Perilous po 
 sition, alternating between hope and 
 fear. 
 
 Offen, adj. or adv. Off from. 
 O. K., adj. or adv. All correct or 
 
 correctly. 
 On it, adv. Ably and willing, prompt 
 
 and ready. 
 
 On the job, adv. of place. In the vi 
 cinity. 
 Ornery, adj. Ordinary, low, mean, 
 
 contemptible. 
 Ou doors, adv. Out of doors, in the 
 
 open air. 
 
 Out or Outing, n. Outcome, result. 
 Owing to, adverbial expression. De 
 pending on. 
 
 Patch, n. Piece : generally of land. 
 Peart, adj. Bright, smart, pert, hi 
 
 good condition. 
 
 Peter out, v. To grow small by de 
 grees, down to nothingness. 
 Piece, n. A luncheon. Also an in 
 definite distance. 
 
 Plum, adv. Entirely, completely, ir 
 revocably. 
 
 Puncheon, n. The side-cut off a saw- 
 log. A slab. 
 
 Ready, n. Ready money. Also pre 
 paredness, as " to get a good ready." 
 " Ready John : " cash on the nail. 
 
 Right, adv. Very, extremely. 
 Right away, adv. Immediately. 
 Right smart, n. A considerable quan 
 tity, adv. Considerably. 
 
 Rive, v. To split. 
 
 Sand, n. Courage, determination, 
 obstinacy, perseverance, grit. 
 
 Scrape, n. A serious predicament. 
 
 Show, n. An opportunity for action. 
 
 Shucks, n. A symbol of uselessness. 
 
 Shun round, v. To avoid. 
 
 Slab, n. A side-cut off a saw-log. 
 
 Slop over, v. To be carried away by 
 sentiment or enthusiasm. 
 
 Slouch, n. A poor, slovenly thing. 
 
 Smart Aleck, n. A fool, whose acts 
 contravene his intentions. 
 
 Smudge, n. A smoky fire to drive 
 away insects. 
 
 Snake, v. To drag lengthwise. 
 
 Sock it to, v. To assail, injure, forci 
 bly or fraudulently. 
 
 Stall, v. To stop progress. 
 
 Stand from under, v. To look out for 
 surprising developments. To be 
 ware. 
 
 Swap, v. To exchange. (Aboriginal.) 
 
 Sweat, n. Unwise haste, hurry. 
 
 Swing, v. To hold up, sustain, suc 
 ceed with ; especially an enterprise 
 or speculation. 
 
 Tackle, v. To undertake. To take 
 hold of. 
 
 Take stock, v. To estimate. To 
 " take much stock " is to value 
 highly. 
 
 Talking or Talking steady, v. Speak 
 ing to the purpose. 
 
 Talk turkey, v. To speak to the pur 
 pose, to speak with due regard to 
 the other side. 
 
 Teetotal, adj. Total, entire, com 
 plete, unmixed. Especially used to 
 indicate the extreme of the temper 
 ance movement. 
 
 Tie to, v. To rely on. 
 
 Truck, n. Personal property. 
 
 Way- wonted, adj. Accustomed to 
 the locality. 
 
 Whack, n. A bargain struck. 
 
 Whack up, v. To share. 
 
 Whale, i . To strike hard and rapid 
 blows. 
 
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