Wilbur looked awful comical--jist
like a horse's mane at th' fair. And Wilbur's awful absent minded. Onct he
was t' our house alone and he decided he'd go down town, so he left a note
t' let ma know. It said, 'Gone down town. Will be back at five. Have hid
key under mat.' Wasn't that silly?

"Turn over."

[Illustration]

"That's my little cousin, Johnnie Aiken, down t' Brimfield. Ain't he
cute? He's jist th' worst little feller t' ast questions yuh ever see. And
th' funniest ones! Onct th' persidin' elder was t' their house and he
hadn't no more'n said th' blessin' till Johnnie ups and says, 'Say, pa,
how fur kin a cat spit?' he says."

[Illustration]

"That's Aunt Minervy Hopkins, pa's aunt. She believed in sperrits.

"Turn over."

[Illustration]

"Uncle Jed Doty and his wife, Aunt Phoebe. He's ma's half-brother and
he's an awful good singer. Ust t' travel weth Doc Lighthall. He's
handsome, too, I think; but Aunt Phoebe ain't very. Ma says she ust t' be
awful purty till after she had th' rheumatism s' bad, but pa says he
guesses she must a-had it before ever he see her."

[Illustration]

"Cousin Willie Peebles, a nice little feller, but funny. That there jaw
ain't swelled. Jist nacherul. Pa says Willie's th' mumpiest lookin' boy he
ever see."

[Illustration]

"Uncle Charley Sparks, that is. He's awfully witty. Onct when Aunt Kate
said she liked a clock fer company, its tick was s' comfortin', and gramma
said she liked a dog better, Uncle Charley he ups and says, 'Would yuh
want th' dog t' have ticks, ma?' he says.

"Turn over."

[Illustration]

"That's Uncle Abner Sedley. He's th' most stubborn person in our fambly,
even if he is a preacher. One time last winter he got awful mad at a
church meetin' 'cause things didn't go his way and stomped out, yellin',
'My hands is clear; I wash my skirts of th' whole matter!' he says. Then
he found he'd fergot his specs and he had t' sneak back in and git 'm,
weth ever'body snickerin'. I guess he felt purty cheap.

"Turn over."

[Illustration]

"That's my cousin, Edna Sparks. She ain't very smart and she's got a
voice that's a terror to snakes, but her ma thinks she kin sing and's
allus sickin' her on t' do it. Pa says onct th' silly thing says when her
ma was urgin' her before comp'ny, 'Aw, ma, I can't sing, my hands is
chapped.' I don't believe she ever done it, though. Jist another of pa's
jokes, I bet.

"Turn over."

[Illustration]

"That's ma's