Krit wuz a-havin' jest as good a time,
too, as four smart young folks can have.

Their minds wuz naterally, all four on 'em, as bright as a new dollar,
and they had been enriched and disciplined by culture and education, so
there wuz good soil indeed for the marvellous seed sowed here to spring
up in a bountiful harvest.

They, all four on 'em, enjoyed more than anything else the Congresses,
and meetin's of the different societies of the world, for noble, and
humane, and philanthropic interests.

And as for me, if I wuz to be made to tell at the pint of the sword what
I thought wuz the very best and most glorious product of the World's
Columbian Fair, I would say I thought it wuz these orations, and
debates, by the brightest men and wimmen on earth, congregated at
Columbuses doin's.

They wuz the wreaths of the very finest, sweetest blossoms that crowned
Uncle Sam's old brow this glorious summer of 1893.

The most advanced thought on religion, art, science, philanthropy, and
every branch of these noble and riz-up subjects wuz listened to there by
my own rapt and orstruck ears. And not only the good and eloquent of my
own Christian race, but Moslem, Buddhist, and Hindoo. Teachers of every
religious and philosophical system wuz heard, givin' friendly idees, and
dretful riz-up ones, on every subject designed to increase progress,
prosperity, and the peace of mankind.

What subjects could be bigger than these, and more important to the
World and Jonesville? Not any; not one.

And what solid comfort I took through the hull caboodle of 'em--Peace
Societies, Temperance, Wimmen's Rights, Sabbath Schools, Kindergarten,
Christian Science, Woman's protective union, Improvement in dress, etc.,
etc., and etcetry.

I sot happy as a queen through 'em all, and so did the girls,
a-listenin' to every topic hearn on the great subject of makin' the old
world happier and better behaved.

Josiah didn't seem to care so much about it.

He would often excuse himself--sometimes he would have a headache, but
most always his headaches would improve so that he could git out into
the city somewhere or onto the Fair ground. He would most always
recooperate pretty soon after we started to the Congress, or Lecture
Hall, or wherever our intellectual treat wuz.

[Illustration: Sometimes he would have a headache.]

And when I'd come home I'd find him pretty chipper.

And then often the children would come after us in a carriage and take