it couldn't have come a year later, when he was just back with that
handsome brand new set of doctor's knives an' forks as he got for a
prize." Susan paused.

"Shall you--" asked Mrs. Lathrop.

"No, I sha'n't. I ain't interested in the Fourth o' July. I never had
nothin' to do with it in the beginnin' an' I ain't never had nothin' to
do with it since. My own idea's always been as the Boston people was
very foolish to go throwin' their tea overboard sooner'n buy stamps. We
all buy stamps now an' no one thinks o' fussin' over it, an' I guess we
do a lot other things as we'd never of had to do if we'd kept our tea
an' our mouths shut in the beginnin'. They say tea is very cheap in
England an' very good, too, an' heaven knows nothin' is cheap with us.
Elijah says if it wasn't for his uncle he'd take a strong stand on a
low tariff, but my goodness, it looks to me like he'd better not meddle
with the tariff--he's set the town by the ears enough with his ox. I had
a long talk with him last night about the whole thing. I don't know, I'm
sure, how Elijah ever is goin' to get on without me, for I certainly do
talk to him enough to keep him in ideas right straight along. I was very
kind last night--but I was firm, too. In the end I broke him down
completely an' he told me as he never meant it that way a _tall_. He
says he only drew a picture o' what the Fourth o' July was in olden
times. But this town ain't good on pictures, we take things right up by
the handle an' deal with 'em a'cordin'."

"But--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

"Oh, of course not," said Susan, "but they can take him up by the tail
an' horns, can't they?"

CHAPTER XVIII

CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY

"Well," said Miss Clegg to her friend the Sunday after the Fourth, "I'm
thankful to say as the game is up to-morrow an' Elijah moves out of my
house. We never had no Fourth o' July like this afore an' every one is
prayin' as we'll never have such another again. It was really very
peaceful in church this mornin' an' the collection was thirty-two cents,
so that shows as folks is beginnin' to take heart again, but you could
see as they was all nervous an' even the minister kept lookin' anxiously
out of the window whenever he thought as he heard a noise. Mr. Weskin
says he thinks a house catchin' fire from bein' disinfected comes under
some head as lets the insurance get paid anyhow an' he says if not he'll
take the case for the Browns on even halves for his heart