y, Arvilly wuzn't skairt a
mite--she ruther enjoyed it.]

The world is full of miracles; Sauls breathin' out vengeance are dropped
down senseless by the power of Heaven.

Pilgrim Arvilly's displayin' abroad the "Wild, Wicked, and Warlike Deeds
of Man" are struck down helpless and mute by the power of Love.

In less than three days she had promised to marry Cephus in the Fall.

He had a good little property--his wife had been dead two years. His
hired girl--a shiftless creeter--had flown the day Arvilly got there,
and nothin' stood in the way of marriage and happiness.

Arvilly's heart yearned over the little girl that had never walked a
step, and she loved her Pa, and the Pa loved her.

When she sot off from there a week later--for she wuz bound to see the
Fair, and quiltin' had to be done, and clothin' made up before marriage,
no matter how much Cephus plead for haste--he had got well enough to
carry her ten milds to the cars, and she had come the rest of the way by
rail; and she said, bein' kinder sick of canvassin' for that old book,
she had tackled this new one, and wuz havin' real good luck with it.

Wall, I wuz tickled enough for Arvilly, and I made up my mind then and
there to give her a good linen table-cloth and a pair of new woollen
sheets for a weddin' present, and I subscribed for the "Precious
Performances" on the spot. I didn't spoze that I should care much about
readin' "The Peaceful, Prosperous, and Precious Performances of Man"--

But I bought it to help her along. I knew that she would have to buy her
"true so" (that is French, and means weddin' clothes), and I thought
every little helped; but she said that it wuz "A be-a-u-tiful book, so
full of man's noble deeds."

"Wall," sez I, "you know that I always told you that you run men too
much."

"But," sez she, "I never drempt that men wuz such lovely creeters."

"Oh, wall," sez I, "as for that, men have their spells of loveliness,
jest like female mortals, and their spells of actin', like the old
Harry."

"Oh, no," sez she; "they are a beautiful race of bein's, almost
perfect."

"Wall," sez I, "I hope your opinion will hold out." But I don't spoze it
will. Six months of married life--dry days, and wet ones, meals on time,
and meals late, insufficient kindlin' wood, washin' days, and cleanin'
house will modify her transports; but I wouldn't put no dampers onto
her.

I merely sez, "Oh, yes, Arvilly, men are likely creeters more'n half the