the order of Providence, that he had no desire to
change either--and so comfortable in his own views and opinions that he
was not anxious to convert others to his way of thinking. If anything
went wrong, it was like a garment turned inside out; it would "come out
all right in the washin'."

Mrs. Absalom's explanation of her change of views in the subject of
matrimony was very simple and reasonable. "Why, a single 'oman," she
said, "can't cut no caper at all; she can't hardly turn around wi'out
bein' plumb tore to pieces by folks's tongues. But now--you see Ab over
there? Well, he ain't purty enough for a centre-piece, nor light enough
for to be set on the mantel-shelf, but it's a comfort to see him in that
cheer there, knowin' all the time that you can do as you please, and
nobody dastin to say anything out of the way. Why, I could put on Ab's
old boots an' take his old buggy umbrell, an' go an' jine the muster.
The men might snicker behind the'r han's, but all they could say would
be, 'Well, ef that kind of a dido suits Ab Goodlett, it ain't nobody
else's business.'"

It happened that Mr. Sanders was the person to whom Mrs. Absalom was
addressing her remarks, and he inquired if such an unheard of proceeding
would be likely to suit Mr. Goodlett.

"To a t!" she exclaimed. "Why, he wouldn't bat his eye. He mought grunt
an' groan a little jest to let you know that he's alive, but that'd be
all. An' that's the trouble: ef Ab has any fault in the world that you
can put your finger on, it's in bein' too good. You know,
William--anyhow, you'd know it ef you belonged to my seck--that there's
lots of times and occasions when it'd make the wimmen folks feel lots
better ef they had somethin' or other to rip and rare about. My old cat
goes about purrin', the very spit and image of innocence; but she'd die
ef she didn't show her claws sometimes. Once in awhile I try my level
best for to pick a quarrel wi' Ab, but before I say a dozen words, I
look at him an' have to laugh. Why the way that man sets there an' says
nothin' is enough to make a saint ashamed of hisself."

It was the general opinion that Mr. Goodlett, who was shrewd and
far-seeing beyond the average, had an eye to strengthening his relations
with Dr. Dorrington, when he "popped the question" to Margaret Rorick.
But such was not the case. His relations needed no strengthening. He
managed Dorrington's agricultural interests with uncommon ability, and
brought rare pros