It wasn't long before folks began going to church and
you'd a dide laughing to see them all stop in front of where Ma was
washing and look at her, and then go on to where Pa was hoeing weeds and
stop and look at him, and then drive on. After about a dozen teams had
passed I heard Ma ask Pa if he knew who was dead, as there must be a
funeral somewhere. Pa had just hoed into a bumblebee's nest and said he
did not know of any that was dead, but knew some that ought to be, and
Ma she did not ask any foolish questions any more. After about twenty
teams had stopped, Ma she got nervous and asked Deacon Smith if he saw
anything green; he said something about desecration, and drove away
Deacon Brown asked Pa if he did not think he was setting, a bad example
before his boy; but Pa, he said he thought it would be a good one if the
boy could only be hired to do it. Finally Ma got mad and took the tub
behind the house where they could not see her. About four o'clock that
afternoon we saw a dozen of our congregation headed by the minister,
file into our yard, and my chum and I knew it was time to fly, so we
got on the back steps where we could hear. Pa met them at the door,
expecting some bad news; and when they were seated, Ma she came in and
remarked it was a very unhealthy year, and it stood people in hand to
meet their latter end. None of them said a word until the elder put on
his specs, and said it was a solemn occasion, and Ma she turned pale,
and wondered who it could be, and Pa says 'don't keep us in suspense,
who is dead?' and the elder said no one was dead; but they called as a
duty they owed the cause to take action on them for working on Sunday.
Ma, she fainted away, and they threw a pitcher of water down her back,
and Pa said he guessed they were a pack of lunatics, but they all swore
it was Sunday, and they saw Ma washing and Pa out hoeing, as they went
to church, and they had called to take action on them. Then there was
a few minutes low conversation I could not catch, and then we heard Pa
kick his chair over and say it was more tricks of that darned boy. Then
we knew it was time to adjourn, and I was just getting through the back
fence as Pa reached me with a barrel stave, and that's what makes me
limp some!"

"That was real mean in you boys," said the grocery man. "It will be hard
for your Pa and Ma to explain that matter. Just think how bad they must
feel."

"O, I don't know. I remember hearing Pa and Uncle Ezra