d, and Warlike Deeds of Man'?"

She kinder blushed, and, sez she, "No; I have took up a new work."

"What is it?" sez I, for she seemed to kinder hang back from tellin',
but finally she sez, "It is the 'Peaceful, Prosperous, and Precious
Performances of Man.'"

"Wall," sez I, "I'm glad on't. Men should be walked round and painted on
all sides to do justice to 'em.

"'Im real glad that you're a-goin' to canvas on his better side,
Arvilly."

"Yes," sez she, "men are amiable and noble creeters when you git to
understand 'em."

The change in her mean and her sentiments almost made my brain reel
under my slate-colored straw bunnet, and my knees fairly trembled under
my frame.

And, sez I, "Arvilly, explain to a old and true friend the change that
has come onto you."

So we withdrew our two selves to a sheltered nook, and there the story
wuz onfolded to me in perfect confidence, and it _must_ be _kep._ I will
tell it in my own words, for she rambles a good deal in her talk, and
that is, indeed, a fault in female wimmen.

Thank Heaven! I hain't got it.

It seems that when she sot out for the World's Fair with the "Wild,
Wicked, and Warlike Deeds of Man," she had only a dollar in her pocket,
but hoards and hoards of pluck and patience.

She canvassed along, a-walkin' afoot--some days a-makin' nothin' and
bein' clear discouraged, and anon makin' a little sunthin', and then
agin makin' first rate for a day or two, as the way of agents is.

Till one day about sundown--she hadn't seen a house for milds back--she
come to a little house a-standin' back on the edge of a pleasant strip
of woods. A herd of sleek cows and some horses and some sheep wuz in
pastures alongside of it, and a little creek of sparklin' water run
before it, and she went over a rustic bridge, up through a pretty front
yard, into a little vine-shaded porch, and rapped at the door.

Nobody come; she rapped agin; nobody made a appearance.

But anon she hearn a low groanin' and cryin' inside.

So, bein' at the bottom one of the kindest-hearted creeters in the
world, but embittered by strugglin' along alone, Arvilly opened the door
and went in. She went through a little parlor into the back room, and
wuzn't that a sight that met her eyes?

A good-lookin' man of about Arvilly's age laid there all covered with
blood and fainted entirely away, and on his breast wuz throwed the form
of a little lame girl all covered with blood, and a-cryin' and
a-groa