stead of blamin' the Goverment?"

And I sez, "If you go to work to move a tree you don't pull on the top
branches. Of course they are more showy and easy to git holt of. But you
have to dig the roots out if you want to move the tree."

Josiah looked real indifferent. He hain't like me in lots of things; he
is more for dabblin' on the surface than divin' down under the water
for first causes, and he spoke up the minute I had finished my last
words, and sez he--

"Krit and Thomas Jefferson are a-comin' here to dinner; they are goin'
up to Zoar on business, and are a-goin' to stop as they come back. And I
should think it wuz about time you got sunthin' started."

And I sez, "The boys a-comin' here to dinner! Why'e--why didn't you tell
me so?"

And I got right up and went to makin' a lemon puddin'.

CHAPTER IV.

I knew Thomas J. wuz a-layin' out to go up to Zoar some day that week to
see about a young chap to stay in his office while he wuz at the World's
Fair, and it seemed that Krit had gone along for company and for the
ride.

Them two young fellers love to be together. They are both as smart as
whips--the very keenest, snappiest kind of whips.

Wall, I laid out to git a good dinner, that wuz my calm intention; and I
sent out Josiah Allen to ketch two plump pullets, I a-layin' out to
stuff 'em with the particular kind of dressin' that Thomas J. is partial
to. It is a good dressin'.

And then I wuz a-layin' out to have some nice mashed-up potatoes, some
early sweet peas, some lemon puddin', besides some coffee, jest as
Thomas J. likes it--rich, golden coffee, with plenty of cream in it; and
then besides I wuz goin' to have one or two vegetables that Josiah
liked, and some jellys, etc., that Krit wuz particular fond of. Oh, I
wuz goin' to have a good dinner, there hain't a doubt of that! Oh, and
I wuz goin' to have some delicious soup too, to start off the dinner
with! I got the receipt of Job Pressley's wife and improved on it,
(though I wouldn't want her to know I said it, she is jealous
dispositioned.) But I did.

Wall, if you'll believe it, jest as I wuz a-finishin' my dressin',
addin' the last ingregient to it, and my mind wuz all on a strain to
have it jest right--

All of a sudden Josiah Allen rushed in all out of breath, and hollered
to me for a rope.

"A rope?" sez I, bein' took aback.

"Yes, a long, stout rope," sez he, a-standin' still and a-breathin'
hard. Why, he looked that wild and