ou may as well make up your mind first as last, and
the sooner I go, the younger I shall go. Hain't that so?"

With a deep sithe I answered, "I spoze so."

And he continued on, "There is such wild, free pleasure on the deep,
Samantha."

But, sez I, layin' down the sword of common sense, and takin' up the
weepons of affection,

"Think of the dangers, Josiah. The water is damp and cold, and your
rumatiz is fearful."

"Dum it all! I hain't a-goin' _in_ the water, am I?"

"I don't know," sez I sadly, "I don't know, Josiah, and anyway the winds
sweep down the lagoons, and azmy lingers on its wings. Pause, Josiah
Allen, for my sake, for liniments and poultices as well as clouds have
their dark linin's, and they turn 'em out to me as I ponder on your
course." Sez I, "Your danger appauls me, and also the idee of bein' up
nights with you."

"But," sez he firmly, "I _will_ be a gondolier, I'm bound on't. And,"
sez he, "I want one of them gorgeous silk dresses that they wear. I'd
love to appear in a red and yeller suit, Samantha, or a green and
purple, or a blue and maroon, with a pink sash made of thin glitterin'
silk, but I spoze that you will break that up in a minute. So, I spoze
that I shall have to dwindle down onto a silk scarf, or some plumes in
my hat, mebby--you never are willin' for me to soar out and spread
myself, but you probable wouldn't break up a few feathers."

I groaned aloud, and mentally groped round for aid, and instinctively
ketched holt of religion.

Sez I, "Elder Minkley is here, Josiah Allen, and Deacon
Henzy--Jonesville church is languishin' in debt. Is this a time for
feathers? What will they think on't? If you can spend money for silk
scarfs and plumes, they'll expect you, and with good reason, too, to
raise the debt on the meetin'-house."

He paused. Economy prevailed; what love couldn't effect or common sense,
closeness did.

His brow cleared from its anxious, ambitious creases, and sez he, "Wall,
do come on and less be goin."

CHAPTER XVII.

It rained some in the mornin', and Josiah said, "That it wuz
presumptious for any one to go out onto the Fair ground in such a time."

So he settled down with the last Sunday's _World_, which he hadn't had
time to read before, and looked and acted as if he wuzn't goin' to stir
out of his tracks in some time.

[Illustration: He wuzn't goin' to stir.]

But I went out onto the stoop and kinder put my hand out and looked up
into the clo