notion of young Doctor Brown's bringin' so much typhoid and diphtheria
into town just as Hiram 's goin' to get married a _tall_. She says she
's got enough to worry over about Hiram without that. She says she 's
feelin' worse over him every day. She can't talk about it without
chokin'. She says she 's got his rattle and his first sock pinned up by
the clock, so every time she looks up at the time she can see 'em 'n'
cry again. She says it ain't in reason as Lucy 'll ever understand
Hiram. She says Hiram 's a very singular disposition, but if you always
ask him to do what you don't want done 'n' to never do what 's got to be
done right off he 's one of the handiest men around the house as she
ever see. She says he eats a lot of sugar 'n' you must n't notice it,
'cause he always says as he never does; and he most never goes to
church, but you must n't tell him so, 'cause he says he goes regular,
'n' she says as he likes to keep molasses candy in his pockets 'n' under
his pillow, 'n' heaven knows, likin' molasses candy ain't no crime, and
yet she 's almost sure Lucy 's goin' to make his life miserable over it.
She says her cup was full enough without no pint of diphtheria added,
'n' I d'n know as I ever see any one more downhearted. Mrs. Macy 'n' me
stayed and shook our heads with her for a while 'n' then we went on t
Mrs. Allen's to look at Polly's weddin' things. Every one in town is
goin' to look at Polly's weddin' things, 'n' you 'd really suppose as
the deacon was any one in the world but the deacon to see how they 've
fixed Polly up to marry him. Four of everythin' 'n' six o' some. Only
not a apron in the whole,--the deacon would n't have it. He said right
out as he wa'n't marryin' Polly to work her to skin 'n' bone, and he
knows how he wants his house kept 'n' his cookin' done, so he 'll just
keep on keepin' 'n' cookin' as usual. He 's fixed up a good deal; the
canary bird 's got a brass hook after all these years o' wooden-peggin',
'n' he 's bought one o' them new style doormats made out o' wire with
'Welcome P. W.' let into it in green marbles. 'P. W.' stands for 'Polly
White,' 'n' Mr. Kimball told Mr. Macy they had a awful time over
sticking the marbles in 'n' a awful time gettin' the letters to suit.
The deacon was for 'P. W.' all along 'n' Polly was for the deacon, but
Mrs. Allen was for Polly's name, because Polly ain't married yet, 'n'
they got P. A. stuck in afore any one knowed how it'd look, 'n' then
they t