he did seem to
have a chronic dislike to man, and havin' passed danger herself her
whole mind wuz sot on preventin' Dorothy from marryin'.

They come to Maggie's with a pretty, good natured French maid, not
knowin' of the sickness there, and Maggie wouldn't let 'em go, as they
wuz only goin' to stay a few days. They wuz hurryin' home to San
Francisco on account of some bizness that demanded Dorothy's presence
there. But they wuz only goin' to stop there a few days, and then
goin' to start off on another long sea-voyage clear to China, stoppin'
at Hawaii on the way. Warm climate! good for measles! My heart sunk as
I hearn 'em tell on't. Here wuz my opportunity to have company for the
long sea-voyage. But could I--could I take it? Thomas Jefferson gently
approached the subject ag'in. Sez he, "Mother, mebby Tommy's life
depends on it, and here is good company from your door." I murmured
sunthin' about the expenses of such a trip.

Sez he, "That last case I had will more than pay all expenses for you
and Tommy, and father if he will go, and," sez he, "if I can save my
boy--" and his voice trembled and he stopped.

"But," I sez, "your father is able to pay for any trip we want to
take." And he says, "He won't pay a cent for this." And there it wuz,
the way made clear, good company provided from the doorstep. Dorothy
slipped her soft little white hand in mine and sez, "Do go, Aunt
Samantha. May I call you Auntie?" sez she, as she lifted her sweet
voylet eyes to mine. She's as pretty as a pink--white complected, with
wavy, golden hair and sweet, rosy lips and cheeks.

And I sez, "Yes, you dear little creater, you may call me aunt in
welcome, and we be related in a way," sez I.

Sez Miss Meechim, "We shall consider it a great boon if you go with
us. And dear little Tommy, it will add greatly to the pleasure of our
trip. We only expected to have three in our company."

"Who is the third?" sez I.

"My nephew, Robert Strong. He has been abroad with us, but had to go
directly home to San Francisco to attend to his business before he
could go on this long trip; he will join us there. We expect to go to
Hawaii and the Philippines, and Japan and China, and perhaps Egypt."

"And that will be just what you will enjoy, mother," sez Thomas J.

Sez I, in a strange axent, "I never laid plans for going to China,
but," sez I, "I do feel that I would love to see the Empress, Si Ann.
There is sunthin' that the widder Heinfong ort to k