ly the whole town an' wreck him so flat he'll
have to hire out to pick hops. I told Elijah what she said an' he said
for the Lord's sake to tell Mrs. Macy as her toes was hereafter
perfectly safe from all his treads. I told her, but she says he need n't
think quotin' from poets is goin' to inspire faith in him in her very
soon again. She says over in Meadville it's town talk as Elijah Doxey is
havin' just a box of monkeys' fun with us."

"Do you--" cried Mrs. Lathrop, open-eyed.

"No, I don't, for I asked him an' he crossed his heart to the contrary.
But really, Mrs. Lathrop, you must let me read the rest of this for I've
got to be gettin' home to get supper."

"Go--" said the neighbor.

"No, I won't till I've done. The next one is this one an' it says, 'How
long ought any one to wait to get married? I have waited several years
an' there is nothin' against the man except he's eighty-two an'
paralyzed. I am seventy-nine. Pa an' Ma oppose the match an' are the
oldest couple in the country,' an' Elijah has signed it 'Lovin'ly,
Rosy'--of all the silly things!"

"He must be--" cried Mrs. Lathrop.

"I should think so," said Susan; "why, he was rollin' all over the sofa
laughin' over that. The answer is, 'I would wait a little longer--you
can lose nothin' by patience.' I call that pretty silly, too."

"I--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

"Yes, indeed," said Susan, folding up the paper, "I felt it an' I said
it, an' I knew you'd feel to agree. I like Elijah, but I must say as I
don't like his Advice Column, an' I'd never be one to advise no one to
write to it for advice. His answers don't seem to tell you nothin', to
my order of thinkin', an' that one about the pickles struck me just like
a slap in my face."

"I'd never--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

"Nor me neither. If I want to know I come to you."

"And I--" said Mrs. Lathrop warmly.

"I know you would," said her friend, "whatever faults you've got, Mrs.
Lathrop, I'd always feel that about you."

CHAPTER VII

MRS. MACY AND THE CONVENTION

Mrs. Lathrop was out in the garden, pottering around in an aimless sort
of way which she herself designated as "looking after things," but which
her friend and neighbor called "wastin' time an' strength on nothin'."
Whenever Miss Clegg perceived Mrs. Lathrop thus engaged she always
interrupted her occupation as speedily as possible. On the occasion of
which I write, she emerged from her own kitchen door at once, and
called:

"Oh,