' Josiah got up with a new idee in his head.
And he broached it to me to the breakfast table. They have been havin'
sights of pleasure exertions here to Jonesville lately. Every week
a'most they would go off on a exertion after pleasure, and Josiah was
all up on end to go, too.

That man is a well-principled man as I ever see, but if he had his head
he would be worse than any young man I ever see to foller up picnics and
4th of Julys and camp-meetin's and all pleasure exertions. But I don't
encourage him in it. I have said to him time and again: "There is a time
for everything, Josiah Allen, and after anybody has lost all their teeth
and every mite of hair on the top of their head, it is time for 'em to
stop goin' to pleasure exertions."

But good land! I might jest as well talk to the wind! If that man should
get to be as old as Mr. Methusler, and be goin' on a thousand years old,
he would prick up his ears if he should hear of a exertion. All summer
long that man has beset me to go to 'em, for he wouldn't go without me.
Old Bunker Hill himself hain't any sounder in principle than Josiah
Allen, and I have had to work head-work to make excuses and quell him
down. But last week they was goin' to have one out on the lake, on a
island, and that man sot his foot down that go he would.

We was to the breakfast table a-talkin' it over, and says I:

"I shan't go, for I am afraid of big water, anyway."

Says Josiah: "You are jest as liable to be killed in one place as
another."

Says I, with a almost frigid air as I passed him his coffee, "Mebee I
shall be drounded on dry land, Josiah Allen, but I don't believe it."

Says he, in a complainin' tone: "I can't get you started onto a exertion
for pleasure anyway."

Says I, in a almost eloquent way: "I don't believe in makin' such
exertions after pleasure. As I have told you time and agin, I don't
believe in chasin' of her up. Let her come of her own free will. You
can't ketch her by chasin' after her no more than you can fetch up a
shower in a drowth by goin' outdoors and runnin' after a cloud up in the
heavens above you. Sit down and be patient, and when it gets ready the
refreshin' raindrops will begin to fall without none of your help. And
it is jest so with pleasure, Josiah Allen; you may chase her up over all
the oceans and big mountains of the earth, and she will keep ahead of
you all the time; but set down and not fatigue yourself a-thinkin' about
her, and like as n