ou to
haul a load o' things frum thar befoh March, mayby. Allus feed yer
husban' good, Betty. With all the men whut evah I seen, the stommick
'pears to be the seat o' the affections; an' Abner hain't no exception.
He kin mek an ash cake or a hunk o' middlin' disappear 'bout ez fast ez
the nex' one; an' when it comes to tacklin' a stack o' flitters
seasoned with maple merlasses, he kin beat all creation, unless 'tis
Tommy an' Buddy, an' the amount o' vittels them two shavers kin manidge
to stow 'way is 'nough to mek a pusson think ther laigs is holler.
These two cheers," he continued as he tied them in place on the sledge,
"air fur me an' Cynthy Ann to set on when we come ovah nex' Sunday to
pay our bridal call an' to fotch Cissy an' Rache home. Abner hain't got
but two cheers, Betty--one fur Susan, an' one fur you an' him; but me
an' Cynthy Ann's done got pas' the time when one cheer kin 'commerdate
us both comf'table. Whut you got thar?" he asked the negro Tom, as he
came forward, while Rube lingered bashfully in the background.

"Me an' Rube wants tab gib somethin' ter spress our 'gratulatins ter
Miss Betsy an' Marse Ab; so we presents dese ax-handles whut we'se made
oursel's, an' dis bowl whut we'se hollered outen a ash-tree fur a nice
bread-tray; an' we wishes you bofe much joy in de road you'se dis day
sotten out on in double harnish." Grinning and bobbing, he presented
the offerings, and then stepped back to make room for Uncle Tony.
"Marse Ab, you'll 'cep' dis bunch o' brooms f'um ole Tony; kaze he wuz
yer fus' 'quaintunce when you come ter dis kintry. Dese brooms will
'min' you ob yer ole home; kaze dey's tied wid de same twist an' loop
jes' ez dey mek brooms wid in ole Virginny. An' I wishes you 'n' yer
purty bride all de hap'ness an' prosp'ity whut kin come ter us pore
morsels trablin' frew dis vale ob tears."

"Well, Ab," said Mason, gleefully, as Abner, after gratefully thanking
the darkeys, proceeded to find a place for the things on the
well-loaded sled, "you'd bettah walk straight now; a broom's a
dangerous weepon in a woman's hands. You know the ole sayin' 'bout
brooms, Betsy? 'In fair weathah use one eend; in foul weathah use
t'other!'"

Susan's contributions were a pair of blankets and a supply of tow-linen
sheeting and toweling, all of her own weaving. The twins, not to be
outdone, begged Betsy to accept all their nine-patch pieces, "which
only lack a few more squares," they said, "to mek a quilt b