Sunday or any other day.'

"We all laughed, and said we didn't blame Milly a bit for not singin'
that hymn; and then Milly said: 'I reckon I might as well tell you all
the whole story. By the time church was over,' says she, 'I'd kind o'
cooled off, but when I heard Sam askin' Brother Hendricks to go home
and take dinner with him, that made me mad again; for I knew that
meant a big dinner for me to cook, and I made up my mind then and
there that I wouldn't cook a blessed thing, company or no company.
Sam'd killed chickens the night before,' says she, 'and they was all
dressed and ready, down in the spring-house; and the vegetables was
right there on the back porch, but I never touched 'em,' says she. 'I
happened to have some cold ham and cold mutton on hand--not much of
either one--and I sliced 'em and put the ham in one end o' the big
meat-dish and the mutton in the other, with a big bare place between,
so's everybody could see that there wasn't enough of either one to go
'round; and then,' says she, 'I sliced up a loaf o' my salt-risin'
bread and got out a bowl o' honey and a dish o' damson preserves, and
then I went out on the porch and told Sam that dinner was ready.'

"I never shall forgit how we all laughed when Milly was tellin' it.
'You know, Aunt Jane,' says she, 'how quick a man gits up when you
tell him dinner's ready. Well, Sam he jumps up, and says he, "Why,
you're mighty smart to-day, Milly; I don't believe there's another
woman in the county that could git a Sunday dinner this quick." And
says he, "Walk out, Brother Hendricks, walk right out."'"

Here Aunt Jane paused to laugh again at the long-past scene that her
words called up.

"Milly used to say that Sam's face changed quicker'n a flash o'
lightnin' when he saw the table, and he dropped down in his cheer and
forgot to ask Brother Hendricks to say grace. 'Why, Milly,' says he,
'where's the dinner? Where's them chickens I killed last night, and
the potatoes and corn and butter-beans?' And Milly jest looked him
square in the face, and says she, 'The chickens are in the
spring-house and the vegetables out on the back porch, and,' says she,
'do you suppose I'm goin' to cook a hot dinner for you all on this
"sweet day o' rest"?'"

Aunt Jane stopped again to laugh.

"That wasn't a polite way for anybody to talk at their own table," she
resumed, "and some of us asked Milly what Brother Hendricks said. And
Milly's face got as red as a beet again, and