about electricity and politics and poetry and
everything, and a person can get educated just by listening to him."

Martha stood looking at Pearl a minute, then suddenly threw her arms
around her. "You are my good angel, Pearl Watson!" she cried. "You
are always bringing me good things. Of course we'll take him, and be
glad to have him; and I'll listen to him, you may be sure; and Pearl,
I just can't help telling you that I'm so happy now--I can't tell you
how happy I am."

Martha's brimming eyes seemed to contradict her words, but Pearl, who
understood something of the springs of the heart, understood.

"I can't help being happy," Martha went on. "I tell myself that it's
wicked for me to feel so glad Thursa's gone, when he's so miserable
over it. But she wouldn't ever have suited him, would she, Pearl?
She'd have made him miserable before long, and herself, too; but
that's not all the reason that I'm glad she's gone," she added,
truthfully.

Martha's face was hidden on Pearl's shoulder as she said this.

"I know about it," Pearl said. "I found it all out that day when you
were showing me the room, and I'm just as pleased as you are, or
pretty near. Of course, it would never have done for him to marry
Thursa, and the way it all turned out would convince any one that
Providence ain't feelin' above takin' a hand in people's affairs. She
was nice and pretty, and all that, but she's the kind that would
always have sour bread, and you bet, sour bread cuts love; she'd be
just like Dave Elder's wife, it tires her dreadful to sweep the
floor; but she can go to three dances a week, and then she lies on
the lounge all day and says her nerves are bad. But, Martha, you do
right to be glad. It's never wrong to be happy. God made everything
to have a good time. Look at the gophers and birds, and even the
mosquitoes--they have a bang-up time while it lasts. We've got to be
happy every chance we get. Whenever you see it passin' by take a grab
at it. I mind, when I was a wee little thing, I had a piece of bright
blue silk that I had found, and it was just lovely; it put me through
a whole winter takin' a look at it now and then. I had to stay at
home while Ma was washing, and it was pretty cold in the house
sometimes, but the blue silk kept me heartened up. It's just like a
piece on Arthur's phonograph--here and there in it there's a little
tinklin' song, so sweet and liltin' it just cuts into yer heart; but,
mind you, you don't g