. Fancy thee leavin' me to get wed, an' livin' i' a
strange place, and all th' fo'k set agen thee afore they see thee!
It mak's mi heart fair wark (ache).'

'But thaa knows, misses, hoo'll happen not tak' to thee an' Milly.
Hoo'll happen be a bit aboon yo'--high-minded like.'

'Hoo'll tak' to Milly if hoo's takken to Mr. Penrose, lad; thaa'll
see if hoo doesn't. Didn't he read a bit aat o' one o' her letters
where hoo said hoo were fain longin' to see Milly becose hoo liked
th' flaars an' stars an' sich like?'

'Yi; he did forsure.'

'Aw know hoo'll tak' to me, mother. An' if hoo doesn't, I'll mak'
her, that's all.'

'Aw don't somehaa think 'at Mr. Penrose ud wed a praad woman,
Abram. Do yo'?'

'I durnd think he would, lass. Bud then th' best o' men mak'
mistakes o'er th' women they wed.'

'Yi; they say luv's gawmless; but aw welly think Mr. Penrose knows
what he's abaat.'

'Th' Lord help him, if he doesn't! They say a mon hes to ax his
wife if he's to live.'

'Aw yerd Amos say t'other day, faither, that a chap hed to live
thirty year wi' a woman afore he know'd he were wed.'

'Did th' owd powse say that, lass?' cried Milly's mother. 'I
nobbud wish I'd yerd him. He's lived more nor thirty year baat
one, an' a bonny speciment he is. Bud it's a gradely job for th'
woman 'at missed him. He were welly weddin' Malachi o' th' Mount's
wife once over.'

'Yi; hoo'd a lucky miss, an' no mistak'. But happen hoo'd ha'
snapped him.'

'Never, lad. There's some felleys that no woman can shap', and
Amos is one o' em.'

'Aw towd him, faither, that yo' know'd yo' were wed, and yo'd
nobbud been agate seventeen year.'

'An' what did he say to that, Milly?' asked her mother.

'Why, he towd me aw know'd too mich.'

And at this both Abraham and his wife joined in hearty laughter.

'When does Penrose bring his wife to Rehoboth, missis?'

'Saturday neet. We's see her for th' fust time o' Sunday mornin'.
Hoo's baan to sit wi' Dr. Hale.'

'There'll be some een on her, aw bet,' said Abraham.

'Wernd there, just. Poor lass! I could fair cry for her when aw
think abaat it. An' away fro' her mother, an' o'.'

'But then hoo'll hev her husband, wernd hoo?' asked Milly.

'For sure hoo will; bud he'll be i' th' pulpit, and not agen her
to keep her fro' bein' 'onely like.'

'Ey, mother, aw sometimes think it must be a grand thing for a
woman to see her felley in a pulpit.'

'Don't thee go soft on parsons, lass,' said her