tell
for my life who it wuz that she looked so much like.

And there on every side of us wuz jest as pretty pictures as that, and
some white marble figures, that stood up almost as big as life on their
marble pedestals, and aginst the dark red draperies.

Why, take it all in all, it was the prettiest room I had ever looked at
in my life, and so I told Mr. Freeman.

And, if you'll believe it, that man up and said right there that we wuz
perfectly free to use that room jest as much as we wanted to.

He said he had another room as large as this that he staid in most of
his time when he was at home--his writin'-desk wuz in that room. But he
was not here much of the time, only to sleep and to his meals.

And as he said this, what should that almost angel man do but to put a
key in my hand, so Josiah and I could come in any time, whether he wuz
here or not.

Why, I wuz fairly dumbfoundered, and so wuz Josiah. But we thanked him
warm, very warm, warmer than the weather, and that stood more'n ninety
in the shade.

And I told him--for I see that he really meant what he said--I told him
that the chance of comin' in there and settin' down in that cool, big
room, once in a while, as a change from our dry oven, would be a boon.
And I didn't know but it would be the means of savin' our two lives, for
meltin' did seem to be our doom and our state ahead on us, time and time
agin.

And he spoke right up in his pleasant, sincere way, and said, "The more
we used it the more it would please him."

And then he opened the doors of a big bookcase--all carved off the doors
wuz, and the top, and the beautiful head of a white marble female
a-standin' up above it. And he sez--

"Here are a good many books that are fairly lonesome waiting to be read,
and you are more than welcome to read them."

Wall, I thanked him agin, and I told him that he wuz too good to us. And
I couldn't settle it in my own mind what made him act so. Of course, not
knowin' at that time that I favored his mother in my looks--his mother
he had worshipped so that he kep her room jest as she left it, and
wouldn't have a thing changed.

But I didn't know that, as I say, and I said to my Josiah, after we went
back into our room--

Sez I, "It must be that we do have a good look to us, Josiah Allen, or
else that perfect stranger wouldn't treat us as he has."

"Perfect stranger!" sez Josiah. "Why, we have neighbored with him 'most
a week. But," sez he, "you are ri