he house
or feed the corn to the cat and the liver to the hens, or some such
foolishness. And don't let her talk you deaf, dumb and blind.

There! this letter is so long that I think it will have to go in a
trunk, by express or freight or something. One week more and we
start for upper Egypt, by water, up the Nile, at first, then on by
automobiles. Yes, little American automobiles. Galusha says we shall
use camels very little, for which I say "Hurrah, hurrah!" I cannot see
myself navigating a camel--not for long, and it IS such a high perch
to fall from. Our love to you and Nelson and to your father. And oh, so
very much to yourself. And we DO wish we might come to your wedding.
We shall be there in spirit--and that doesn't mean Marietta's kind of
spirits, either.

Your affectionate friend,

MARTHA BANGS.

(A letter from Miss Primrose Cash to Mrs. Galusha Bangs.)

East Wellmouth, Massachusetts, United States of America. January
seventh.

DEAR MRS. MARTHA:

I take my pen in hand to write that I am first rate and fine and dandy
and hope you and Mr. Galusha are the same, although I am homesick for
the sight of you and hope you ain't. I mean homesick. By this time I
calculate you must be somewheres over in Egypt or Greek or China or land
knows where. I am sending this letter to the address you give me and if
you don't get it before you get there you will then, I hope and trust.
And I hope, too, you had a good voyage and was not washed overboard or
seasick like Captain Ephraim Small's son, Frankie D., who had it happen
to him up on the fish banks, you remember. I mean the washing overboard
happened to him for, of course, I don't know whether he was seasick or
not, though I presume likely, for I always am, no matter if it's carm
as a milpond, but anyhow they never found his body, poor soul. I presume
likely you want to hear the news from around here at East Wellmouth.
Well, there ain't none, but I will try and tell all there is that I
can think of. The hens are well and Lucy Larkum is fine and dandy and
appytite, my savin' soul. I tell him he will eat me out of house and
home, though I realize it ain't neither of them mine, but yours, Mrs.
Martha. Captain Jethro is doing fine. For a spell after the seants where
your husband made a fool out of Maryetter Hoag and Raish Pulcifer to
thank the Lord, he was reel kind of feeble and Lulie and me and Zach was
worried. But he is swell now and all hands is talking about his