you enjoyed the Fair? I spoze you
have seen a good deal, if you have been here so long."

Sez Drusilly, "This is the first time we have been on to the Fair
ground."

"Why'ee!" sez I, "what wuz the matter?"

She turned round, and see that Deacon Sypher had stopped some distance
away to speak to my pardner and to look at sunthin' or ruther, and she
told me all about it.

She said that the Deacon had thought that it would be cheaper to live in
a tent, and cook over a alcohol lamp; so they had hired a cheap tent,
and went to livin' in it.

But a hard wind and rain-storm come up the very first night, and blew
the hull tent away; so they had to live under a umbrell the first night
in a hard rain.

Wall, she took a awful cold, and by the time they got the tent fastened
down agin she wuz down with a sore throat and wuz feverish, and couldn't
be left alone a minit, so the doctor said.

[Illustration: She took a awful cold.]

So the Deacon had to stay with her night and day, and change poultices,
and give medicine, etc., and he had to hire porridges made for her, and
things.

There wouldn't any of the campers round 'em do anything for 'em; for he
had, accordin' to his own wishes, got right into a perfect nest of
Prohibitionists. The Deacon wuz perfectly devoted to the temperance
cause himself--wouldn't drink a drop to save his life--and dretful
bitter and onforgivin' to them that drinked.

But it happened that bottle of alcohol for their lamp got broke right
onto the Deacon's clothes. His vest, and pantaloons, and coat wuz jest
soaked with it; so's when he went after help they called him an old
soaker, and said if he'd been sober the tent wouldn't have broke loose.
They scorfed at him fearful, and wouldn't do a thing to help him.

He told 'em he wuz a strict tetoteler, and hadn't drinked a drop for
over forty years.

And they said, "Git out, you wretched old sot! You smell like a saloon!"

And another said, "Don't tell any of your lies to me, when jest one
whiff of your breath is enough to make a man reel."

It cut the Deacon up dretful to be accused of drinkin' and lyin'. But
they wouldn't one of 'em help a mite, and it kep him boned right down
a-waitin' on her.

And they, jest as she got a little better, there come on a drizzlin'
rain, and it soaked right down through the tent, and run in under it, so
they wuz a-drippin', both on 'em.

But the Deacon took it worse than she did, for he elevated her onto
the