Megumness,
where I would fain tarry myself and have my near and dearest dwell.
But Faith said she didn't want any catnip, and jest before Josiah come
in she kissed me good night, and I said, "Good night, dear, and 'God
be with you till we meet again.'"

I knew she thought everything of that him, and thought mebby it would
sort o' quiet her some since she rejected the paneky I spoke of. But
her face at the very last looked white and riz up and luminous, and
her eyes shone. I felt queer.

The next day wuz Sunday and Josiah and I went to the Tabernacle to
meetin'. Faith havin' a headache didn't go. But before I go any
furder I will back up the boat and moor it to the shore, while I tell
you what the result wuz so fur as Mr. Pomper wuz concerned. At the
breakfast table next mornin' he cast languishin' glances at Faith, and
then looked round the room proudly as much as to say:

"Gentlemen and ladies, behold my choice, and I hain't sorry I chose
her out of the throng of waitin' wimmen."

But some time durin' that day he found out his mistake. I don't know
exactly how Faith managed to pierce the rhinocerous hide of his
self-conceit with the truth, but she did somehow let him know that his
attentions wuz futile, futiler than he ever mistrusted his attentions
could be.

But he wuzn't danted and down-casted more'n several minutes, I guess,
for anon I see him walkin' with a woman almost as ponderous as he wuz,
and as she wuz all janglin' with black jet and as humbly as humbly
could be, I mistrusted that he had gone back to his allegiance to the
widder, and I think he looked happier than I had ever seen him. He
looked as if he wuz rejoiced that his temporary thraldom to sentiment
wuz over, and common sense and practical gain wuz in the ascendancy
agin. And though it hain't much matter, I will say I read his
marriage in the paper the next week:

"Amaziah Pomper to Euphrasia, relict of Elnathan Fatt."

But I d'no as Faith knew anything about it, for she didn't stay with
us only a few days longer, she went on to visit her aunt Petrie and so
on to the Ohio, makin' a solemn promise to me to stop and visit us on
her way home the last of September. Well, I will now onhitch the boat
and row back, and then let it sail on down the stream of history. As I
said, the next day after that singular experience of Faith's wuz
Sunday, and my pardner and I went to the Tabernacle. We wuz told that
there wuz to be oncommon exercises that day o