e house my grandfather put up was of
wood, and none too tight in the joints, and the poor old lady, his
wife--my step-grandmother she was--had rheumatism, and suffered a heap
all the year 'round. So, nothing would do but it must be 'Cold Comfort,'
and Cold Comfort it has been ever since. We Gateses have a way of giving
in to our wives in 'most everything. Everything that's reasonable, I
mean. And we don't pick out unreasonable girls for wives."

The fat, sleek horse was taking his own lazy pace in a mile of shady
road, cut through the heart of a pine forest. The ground was brown and
soft with pine needles, and the high gig swung and creaked a sort of
drowsy tune. Cousin 'Ratio tapped the wheel nearest him with his whip,
and fell into talk with himself, rather than with the child under his
elbow.

"Now, there's Miss Nancy! There's been a heap of fun poked at me, first
and last, for building my house in the shape I did. Though, for the
life of me, I can't see why I should be obleeged to live in a
four-square box because every other man-Jack in Pow'tan County builds
his in that way. Miss Nancy was always mighty nervous from the time she
was a child; I knew it when I married her. Fact is, she says to me:
'Cap'n Gates, I'm as nervous as a witch, and I'm afraid you'll get out
of patience with me sometimes, and I wouldn't blame you if you did.'
And, says I,--my hand right on my heart,--'Miss Nancy Miller! if you'll
take _me_ as I am, I'll be proud and happy to take _you_ as you are,
nerves and all!' says I. 'The proudest man in the State of Virginia,'
says I. 'Call it a bargain.'

"And she did--bless her soul! It was the best bargain that ever I made,
or ever expect to make, too. Some men marry Temper, and some Extravagant
Notions, and some Vanity, and some Jealous, Suspicious Dispositions, and
some, again, Stinginess--Good gracious! there's no end to the
disagreeable things men _do_ marry! I married _Nerves!_ and with them,
the best and sweetest and, to my way of thinking, the prettiest woman in
the County and State, and the Universe, and I've been thankful for it
every day and every hour since--God bless her!"

I waited for him to say something more until I began to wonder, then to
get impatient, that he let the horse jog along, the soft creak of the
gig keeping time with the leisurely motions of the pampered beast, the
master's eyes fixed upon the wheel he was tapping with his whip, as if
he had forgotten me entirely.