uch down and hide behind that great stun wall agin;
you jest keep right on bein' neighborly and Uncle Sam will help you."

Si Ann looked real good and as if she took every word I said in good
part; bein' naterally so smart she would recognize the onselfishness
and nobility of my mission, but I see that there wuz a real pert look
on one of the ladies' faces as she said sunthin' to one of the other
ones, and I mistrusted that they didn't like what I had said about
that wall of theirn, and I went on to say to Si Ann:

"Of course you may say that a nation or a woman has a right to do as
they've a mind to, but common sense must be used if you are goin' to
enjoy yourself much in this world. Now, we had a neighbor in
Jonesville that sot out in married life determined not to borrow or
lend, dretful exclusive, jest built a high wall of separation round
herself and family. But after tryin' it for a year or so she wuz glad
to give it up, and many is the cup of tea and sugar I've lent her
since, and she borries and lends her washtub now or biler, or settin'
hens, or anythin'. And she sez that she and her family takes as much
agin' comfort now and are doin' as well agin', for of course the
neighbors didn't set so much store by 'em as they did when their ports
wuz open, as you may say, and they wuz more neighborly."

I could see by Si Ann's face that she not only enjoyed all I said, but
believed a good share on't, and bein' such a case for justice, I felt
that I ort to let her know I realized our own nation's short-comin's,
as well as hern. Sez I, "I hain't got a word to say to you, Si Ann,
about the different castes in your country, when the wimmen in my own
land build up a wall between themselves and their kitchen helpers
higher than the highest peak of your stun wall and harder to git over,
and I don't want to say a word about your folks bindin' down their
children's feet to make 'em small as long as our own females pinch
down their waists till they're in perfect agony and ten times as bad
as to pinch their feet, for the life, the vital organs don't lay in
the feet, or hain't spozed to, and so it don't hurt 'em half so much
to be tortured. And as long as they drag round yards of silk and
velvet through the streets to rake up filth and disease to carry home
and endanger their own lives and their families; no, as long as our
females do all this I hain't nothin' to say about your dress and
customs here, nor I hain't a goin' to cast