id there on a stiddy stretch for a week; that wuz
jest before they moved up to Maine.

Uncle Ezra had a splendid chance offered him there, and he fell in with
it.

She wuz a dretful good creeter, Aunt Tryphenia wuz, and greatly beloved
by the relations on his side, as well as hern.

Though, as is nateral with relations, she had to be run by 'em more or
less, and found fault with. Some thought her nose wuz too long. Some on
'em thought she wuz too religious, and some on 'em thought she wuzn't
religious enough. Some on 'em thought she wuzn't sot enough on the
creeds, and some thought she wuz too rigid.

But, howsumever, pretty nigh all the Allens and Smiths jest doted on
her.

There wuz one incident that jest impressed itself on my memory in
connection with that visit, and I don't spoze I shall ever forgit it; it
stands to reason that I should before now, if I ever wuz a-goin' to.

It took place at family prayers, which they held regular at Uncle
Ezra's.

It wuz right in the hite of sugarin'. They had more'n two hundred maple
trees, and they had tapped 'em all, and they had run free, and they had
to sugar off every day, and sometimes twice a day.

That mornin' they had a big kettle of maple syrup over the stove, and
Uncle Ezra and Aunt Tryphenia and mother wuz all a-kneelin' down pretty
nigh to the stove. It wuz a cold mornin', and I wuz a-settin' with my
little legs a-hangin' off the chair a-watchin' things, not at that age
bein' particular interested in religion.

Uncle Ezra made a long prayer, a tegus one, it seemed to me; it wuz so
long that the kettle of sugar had het up fearful, and I see with deep
anxiety that it wuz a-mountin' up most to the top of the kettle.

Of course I dassent move to open the stove door, or stir it down, or
anything--no, I dassent make a move of any kind or a mite of noise in
prayer time. So I sot demute, but in deep anxiety, a-watchin' it sizzle
up higher and higher and then down agin, as is the way of syrup, but
each time a sizzlin' up a little higher.

Wall, finally Uncle Ezra got through with his prayer, and dear good Aunt
Tryphenia begun hern. She spoke dretful kinder moderate, but religious
and good as anything could be.

I well remember what it wuz she wuz sayin'--

"O Lord, let us be tried as by fire and not be moved"--I remember she
said moved instead of moved, which wuz impressive to me, never havin'
hearn it pronounced that way before.

And jest as she said this o