think of him goin' off on his
weddin'-trip in Mr. Shores' umbrella!--but Lucy don't care--nor Hiram
neither--'n' they 're goin' to take along a piece of sand-paper 'n'
sand-paper the shine off the ring on the train. Polly Allen 'n' the
deacon is laughin' to fits over them. Everythin' 's very different with
Polly 'n' the deacon. The deacon says it ain't in reason as a man of
sixty-two can look forward to many more weddin's, 'n' he 's goin' to sit
with his arm around Polly, 'n' he don't care who chooses to suspeck they
're weddin'-trippin'. They 're goin' to be all new clothes right through
to their skins, 'n' Polly 's goin' to have a orange-blossom bunch on her
hat. The deacon says he 'll pay for all the rice folks are willin' to
throw, 'n' it 's a open secret as he 's goin' to give the minister a
gold piece. The minister was smilin' all over town about it until Mr.
Kimball told him he see a gold quarter-of-a-dollar once. He's hopin' for
a five, but Mr. Shores says he knows positive as the deacon got two
two-dollar-and-a-halfs at the bank when his wife died, and he gave one
to the minister then 'n' probably he 's been savin' the other to get
married again with."

Susan paused for breath--a vital necessity--and then went on:

"But dear me, Mrs. Lathrop, all that ain't what I set out to tell you,
'n' even if it's a pleasure to you to hear it, it ain't in reason as I
should take my time to talk to you about other people's affairs. You may
be interested in other people's affairs, but I ain't, 'n' we started to
talk about mine 'n' what I set out to talk about I talk about or else I
stay at home. It was my troubles as I was goin' to make a clean high
breast of, Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' I 'll lay any odds as by the time I get
through you 'll have little feelin' to sleep in you. The Lord says, 'To
him who hath shall be given,' 'n' I will in confidence remark as I 've
just been achin' to give it to you for these many days. You 've always
been poor, but you 've never seemed to mind; now I 'm poor (yes, Mrs.
Lathrop, jump if you like"--for Mrs. Lathrop had started in
surprise--"but it 's so) 'n' _I_ mind; I mind very much, I mind all up
'n' down and kitty-cornered crossways, 'n' if I keep on gettin' poor,
Lord have mercy on you, for I shall certainly not be able to look on
calmly at no great amount of rockin'."

Mrs. Lathrop stared widely--and gasped openly. Susan continued:

"It all began with Mr. Kimball 'n' his gettin' the fever of