for if
things had n't turned out as they did turn out I don't believe anything
on earth could have unhooked that son, 'n' I 'm willin' to swear that
anywhere to any one.

"Do you know, Mrs. Lathrop, that Gran'ma Mullins was so bad off last
night as they had to put a mustard plaster onto her while Hiram went to
see Lucy for the last time, 'n' Mrs. Macy says as she never hear the
beat o' her memory, for she says she 'll take her Bible oath as Gran'ma
Mullins told her what Hiram said 'n' done every minute o' his life while
he was gone to see Lucy Dill. 'N' she cried, too, 'n' took on the whole
time she was talkin' 'n' said Heaven help her, for nobody else could,
'n' she just knowed Lucy 'd get tired o' Hiram's story 'n' he can't be
happy a whole day without he tells it, 'n' she 's most sure Lucy won't
like his singin' 'Marchin' Through Georgia' after the first month or
two, 'n' it 's the only tune as Hiram has ever really took to. Mrs. Macy
says she soon found she could n't do nothin' to stem the tide except to
drink tea 'n' listen, so she drank an' listened till Hiram come home
about eleven. Oh, my, but she says they had _the_ time then! Gran'ma
Mullins let him in herself, 'n' just as soon as he was in she bu'st into
floods of tears 'n' would n't let him loose under no consideration. She
says Hiram managed to get his back to the wall for a brace 'cause
Gran'ma Mullins nigh to upset him every fresh time as Lucy come over
her, 'n' Mrs. Macy says she could n't but wonder what the end was goin'
to be when, toward midnight, Hiram just lost patience 'n' dodged out
under her arm 'n' ran up the ladder to the roof-room 'n' they could n't
get him to come down again. She says when Gran'ma Mullins realized as he
would n't come down she most went mad over the notion of her only son's
spendin' the Christmas Eve to his own weddin' sleepin' on the floor o'
the attic 'n' she wanted to poke the cot up to him, but Mrs. Macy says
she drew the line at cot-pokin' when the cot was all she 'd have to
sleep on herself, 'n' in the end they poked quilts up, 'n' pillows, 'n'
doughnuts 'n' cider 'n' blankets, 'n' Hiram made a very good bed on the
floor 'n' they all got to sleep about three o'clock.

"Well, Mrs. Lathrop, what do you think? What _do_ you think? They was so
awful tired that none of 'em woke till Mrs. Sperrit come at eleven next
day to take 'em to the weddin'! Mrs. Macy says she hopes she 'll be put
forward all her back-slidin's if she