holler as he gave--not one single solitary holler did that boy hear, an'
Mr. Kimball 'most had a real city Turkish bath as a result. Why, he told
me as he was in the vat for nigh on to a hour afore Elijah heard him
from the other side, an' he says as a consequence he ain't very much
took with havin' a clerk as is in love. He says too as only to see Henry
Ward Beecher tryin' to pour through a funnel when any member o' the
Sweet family is walkin' by on the other side of the square is enough to
make him as owns what's bein' spilt wish as Henry Ward Beecher's father
had gone unrequited too. Mrs. Macy come in while we was talkin' an' she
said it was too bad as Emma wasn't smarter, 'cause if Emma was smarter
Henry Ward Beecher'd jus' suit her. Mrs. Macy says the trouble is as
Emma's too smart to be willin' to marry a fool an' not quite smart
enough to be willin' to. Mrs. Macy says as Mr. Fisher was just such
another an' Mrs. Fisher jumped for him like a duck at a bug."

"Did--" asked Mrs. Lathrop, interestedly.

"No," said Susan, "but Gran'ma Mullins did. Gran'ma Mullins is always
nothin' but glad to have a chance to shake her head an' wipe her eyes
over any one's love-makin'. She come in to wait a little 'cause Lucy
wanted to dust an' she says she ain't got no strength to stay in the
house while Lucy dusts; she says it lays Hiram out on the sofa every
time regular an' sometimes it gives him the toothache. She says she an'
Hiram never know when they 're dirty a'cordin' to Lucy's way o' thinkin'
but, Heaven help 'em, they always know when they're clean a'cordin' to
Lucy's idea of bein' clean. She says Lucy is that kind as takes one of
her hairpins an' goes down on her knees an' scratches out the last bit
of dirt as the Lord hath mercifully seen fit to allow to settle in His
cracks. You can see as Gran'ma Mullins has suffered! She says it's a
hard thing to bear, but Hiram grins an' she bears an' their pride helps
'em out.

"While we was talkin' Emma come by for the mail an' we see Henry Ward
Beecher's face just hoverin' madly over the breakfast-food display in
Mr. Kimball's window. Mr. Jilkins was in town buyin' a rake an' he
waited to see what would happen. Judge Fitch was there too an' Polly
White. We all had our eyes fixed on Henry Ward Beecher an' I will say,
Mrs. Lathrop, as I never got so tired waitin' for nothin'."

"What--" asked Mrs. Lathrop.

"Love affairs is terrible tame to lookers-on, I think. If they get ove