u'd gone through the woods o' life
to pick up a crooked stick at last," sighed Susan; "though I will say,
now I've been under Caleb Kimball's roof, he's an awful sight nicer
man close to than he is fur off. So, take it all in all, life an'
men-folks bein' so uncertain, an' old age a-creepin' on first thing
you know, perhaps it's for the best; an' I do hope you'll make out to
be happy, Mandy."

There was a quiver of real feeling in Susan Benson's voice, though she
made no movement to touch her friend's hand.

"I'm goin' to be happy!" said Amanda cheerfully. "I always did like
plenty to do, an' now I've got it for the rest o' my life!"

"I only hope you can stan' his ways, Amandy," and Susan's voice was
still doubtful. "That's all I'm afraid of; that you're so diff'rent
you can't never stan' his ways."

"He won't have so many ways when we've been married a spell," said
Amanda.

HULDAH THE PROPHETESS

"And they went unto Huldah the
Prophetess and communed with her"

Huldah Rumford leaned from her bedroom window as she finished plaiting
her hair.

The crowing of the white Brahma rooster had interrupted her toilet and
she craned her neck impatiently until she discovered that he had come
from the hen-yard in the rear and established himself on the
doorsteps, from which dominating position he was announcing his
message.

"That means company coming, and I hope it's true," she said to
herself, as she looked absent-mindedly in the old-fashioned looking
glass, with its picture of Washington crossing the Delaware.

Her thoughts were evidently wandering, for she took her petticoat from
a hook in the closet and pulling it over her head found, when she
searched for the buttons in the waistband, that she had it on
wrong-side out.

"I don't care!" she exclaimed, giving the unoffending garment an angry
twitch, "but it does seem as if I was possessed! I can't keep my mind
on my clothes long enough to get them on straight! I turned my
petticoat yesterday, in spite of knowing it brings bad luck, but
to-day I just won't take the chance."

The pink calico morning dress went on without adventure. Then she
carefully emptied the water from the wash-bowl into the jar, wiped it
neatly and hung the towel to dry; straightened the photograph of her
deceased father in its black-walnut frame; shook the feather bed and
tightened a sagging cord under the cornhusk mattress; took the
candles