ickled wuz he when word come that Elnathan Allen, Esquire, of Menlo
Park, California, wuz a-comin' to Jonesville to visit his old friends.

[Illustration: Tickled wuz he when word come.]

That man had begun life poor--poor as a snipe; sometimes I used to
handle that very word "Snipe" a-describin' Elnathan Allen's former
circumstances to Josiah, when he got too overbearin' about him.

For he had boasted to me about him for years, and years, and a woman
can't stand only jest about so much aggravatin' and treadin' on before
she will turn like a worm.

That is Bible about "The Worm," and must be believed.

What used to mad me the worst wuz when he would git to comparin'
Elnathan with one of 'em on my side who wuz shiftless. Good land!
'Zekiel Smith hain't the only man on earth who is ornary and no account.
Every pardner has 'em, more or less, on his side and on hern; let not
one pardner boast themselves over the other one; both have their
drawbacks.

But Elnathan had done well; I admitted it only when I wuz too much put
upon.

He had gone fur West, got rich, invested his capital first rate, some
on it in a big Eastern city, and had got to be a millionare.

He wuz a widower with one child, The Little Maid, as he called her; he
jest idolized her, and thought she wuz perfect.

And I spoze she wuz oncommon, not from what her Pa said--no, I didn't
take all his talk about her for Gospel; I know too much.

But Barzelia Ann Allen (a old maid up to date) had seen her, had been
out to California on a excursion train, and had staid some time with
'em.

And she said that she wuz the smartest child this side of Heaven. With
eyes of violet blue, big luminous eyes, that draw the hearts and souls
of folks right out of their bodies when they looked into 'em, so full of
radiant joy and heavenly sweetness wuz they.

And hair of waving gold, and lips and cheeks as pink as the hearts of
the roses that climbed all Winter round her winder--and the sweetest,
daintiest ways--and so good to everybody, them that wuz poor and
sufferin' most of all.

Barzeel wuz always most too enthusiastick to suit me, but I got the idee
from what she said that she wuz a oncommon lovely child.

Good land! Elnathan couldn't talk about anything else--like little
babblin' brooks runnin' towards the sea, all his talk, every anecdote he
told, and every idee he sot forth, jest led up to and ended with that
child. Jest like creeks.

He worshipped her.

A