in
front of my horse, and to go back to the horse's head agin.

I had a good dinner by the time the boys got back from Zoar--a excellent
one.

And in order to go on with my story, and keep right by that horse's head
I spoke of, I will pass over Josiah's excitement when he come in jest
before dinner, and throwed his rope down in the corner of the kitchen;
but suffice it to say, his excitement wuz nearly rampant.

I will pass over the two boys' indignant anger, which wuz jest the same
as mine, only stronger, as much stronger as man's strength is stronger
than a woman's.

Thomas J. had been successful in gittin' the young chap; he wuz a-comin'
when he wuz wanted. Thomas J. wuzn't goin' to wait till the last minute
before he engaged him; our son is a wonderful good business
man--wonderful.

And everything seemed to bid fair that we should git off with no
hendrances to the World's Fair, to pay our honor and our respects to
Christopher Columbus.

And oh, how I did honor that man! I sot there in my peaceful kitchen
that afternoon, after the boys had gone away, perfectly satisfied with
the dinner I had gin 'em.

And when I had got my mind a little offen that poor little girl and her
poor drunken destroyer, I begun to think agin of Christopher Columbus,
and what he had done, and what he hadn't done, till I declare for't I
got fairly lost in thoughts.

I thought of how he had been scorfed at and jerred at for not thinkin'
as other folks did. And how he kep workin', and hopin', and believin',
and persistin' in thinkin' that he wuz in the right on't, and kep on a
lookin' over the wide waste of waters for the New Land.

And I thought to myself how I would enjoy a good visit with Christopher,
and how he would sympathize with us, who, though we may be scorfed at by
our pardners, and the world.

Yet can't help a-lookin' off over the troubled waves of unjust laws, and
cruel old customs, a-tryin' to catch a glimpse of the New and Freer
Land, that our hopes and our divine intuitions tell us is there beyend
the shadows, a-waitin' for free men and free wimmen.

Yes, I did feel at that time how conjenial Christopher Columbus would
have been to me.

As I have said more formally, Christopher wuz sot up in my mind to a
almost tottlin' hite, on account of several things he did, and several
things he didn't do.

Yes; Christopher wuz sot up in my mind to a almost tottlin' hite, on
account of several things he did, and several th