y as much like old times as if the thing had happened
yesterday."

"What had happened yesterday?" asked Jerusha and I, both in a breath.

"O, I _shall_ die of laughing," said Aunt Clara.

"We shall die of impatience," said I, "if you don't tell us what you
mean."

"No you won't. Nobody, especially no woman, ever yet died of unsatisfied
curiosity. It rather keeps folks alive."

We very well knew that nothing would be made of Aunt Clara by teasing
her. So Jerusha turned over the great family Bible, her custom always of
a Sunday afternoon. Over her shoulder I happened to see that the good
book was open at the first chapter of I Chronicles, "Adam,
Sheth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jared." Though her lips moved
diligently, I am afraid she did not make much of it. As for me, I turned
to the window, and studied the landscape. Father, his custom of a Sunday
afternoon, walked down into the meadow, and the cattle came
affectionately up to him. It was the salt in his broad pocket that they
were after. "I might salt them of a Monday," he says, "but they kind of
look for it, and it isn't kind to disappoint the creetur's on a
Sabba'-day. And the merciful man is merciful to his beasts."

The flies droned and buzzed that summer afternoon. Jerusha nodded over
the big Bible. Aunt Clara tried to look serious over the book she held.
But the latent laugh was coursing among the dimples in her face, like a
spark among tinder. I stole up behind, and, leaning over her shoulder,
kissed her.

"O, yes," said aunty. "Fine words butter no parsnips, and fine kisses
are no better."

Jerusha's head made an awful plunge, then a reactionary lift back, and
then she opened her eyes and her mouth with such a yawn!

"Why, what a mouth!" I cried. "Master Minim would rejoice if you would
thus open out in singing-school,

'And vie with Gabriel, while he sings.'"

Off went Aunt Clara in the laugh again, and this time till the tears
came. We saw now that there was something in that line which provoked
her mirth; but what Gabriel could have to do with her strange behavior
we could not imagine, and were wisely silent.

"Girls," she said, as soon as she could speak for laughing, "I _will_
tell you."

We knew she would, provided we were not too anxious to hear. So Jerusha
turned over her leaf to the second chapter of I Chronicles,
"Reuben, Simeon, Levi." I pretended to be more than ever interested out
of doors. Aunt Clara took off her specs, close