woman who had come over to sell a string of hares her husband had shot.
"De Lawd He begun ter git mighty pressin' las' mont', so I let 'im have
His way. Blessed be de name er de Lawd! Is you a church member, Sis
Delphy?"

"Yes, Lawd, a full-breasted member," responded Delphy, clamping the
declivity of her bosom.

"I ain' got much use fur dis yer gittin' en ungittin' er salvation," put
in Uncle Ish from the table where he was eating a late dinner of Aunt
Verbeny's providing. "Dar's too much monkeyin' mixed up wid it fur me.
Hit's too much de work er yo' j'ints ter make me b'lieve hit's gwine ter
salivate yo' soul. When my wife, Mandy, wuz 'live, I tuck 'n cyar'ed her
long up ter one er dese yer revivals, en' ole Sis Saphiry Baker come
'long gittin' happy, en fo' de Lawd she rid 'er clean roun' de chu'ch.
Naw, suh, de religion I wanter lay holt on is de religion uv rest."

"I ain' never sarved my Lawd wid laziness," put in Aunt Verbeny
reprovingly. "When He come arter me I ain' never let de ease er my limbs
stan' in de way. Ef you can't do a little shoutin' on de ea'th, you're
gwineter have er po' sho' ter keep de Lawd f'om overlookin' you at
Kingdom Come."

The strange little woman faced them proudly. "My husband, Silas, got
religion in de night time," she said, "an' he bruck clean thoo de slats.
De bed ain't helt stiddy sence."

Eugenia emerged from the dusk of the doorway, where she had lingered,
and Delphy rose to take the dripping clothes.

"Des' look at her!" exclaimed Aunt Verbeny at the girl's entrance.
"Ain't she a sight ter mek a blin' man see?" Then she added to the
strange little woman, "Dar ain' no lack er beaux roun' yer, needer."

Uncle Ish grunted.

"I ain' seen 'em swum es dey swum roun' Miss Meely," he muttered, while
Aunt Verbeny shook her fist at him behind the stranger's back. "De a'r
wuz right thick wid 'em."

"I reckon dis chile'll be mah'r'd soon es she sets her min' on it,"
returned Delphy indignantly. "She ain' gwineter have ter do much
cuttin' er de eyelashes, needer. De beaux come natch'ul."

"Dar's Marse Dudley, now," said Aunt Verbeny. "I ain' so ole but my
palate hit kin taste a gent'mun a mile off. Marse Dudley ain' furgit de
times I'se done roas' him roas'in' years when he warn' mo'n er chile.
Hit's 'how's yo' health, Aunt Verbeny?' des' de same es 'twuz den."

Eugenia laughed and flung the heap of garments into Delphy's arms. "The
rain's over," she said; "but, Uncle Ish, you'