at he
knew about the city; so he took Uncle Lovejoy 'most everywhere, and
told him to buy 'most everything he saw. And of course Uncle Silas did
it, because he wanted to surprise Aunt Melissy when he got back and make
her feel happy for once in her life."

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"Cousin Glen took Uncle Lovejoy to the stores first, and then to a good
many different kinds of places afterward, and every place where there
was a mirror Uncle Lovejoy would stand before it and admire himself and
wonder what Aunt Melissy would say when he got home. He kept buying new
things every day, because every day he'd see somebody with something on
or carrying or leading something, and when he remembered what Aunt
Melissy said, he made up his mind he'd have to have all the things to
please her, and he got them as far as he could. Even Cousin Glenwood
had to commence buying things pretty soon to keep up, and before long
people used to stop on the street and look at them when they went by.
Uncle Silas didn't want to go home, either, when the time came, but of
course he had to, and he put on his best clothes for the trip, and took
a young man he'd hired to wait on him, and started.

"He didn't tell Aunt Melissy just what time he'd be there, so it was a
surprise sure enough. He walked right into the yard, and behind was the
young man he'd hired, carrying his things. Aunt Melissy was getting
dinner, and had just come to the door a minute to see what time it was
by the sun, when all of a sudden, as she looked up, there he was! He had
his hat in one hand and a cane in the other, and was leading a game
chicken by a string. All his boxes and bundles and the young man were
behind him. Uncle Lovejoy wore an eyeglass, too, and smoked a paper
thing he said was a cigarette. My little cousins, who were there, told
me afterward that their pa had never looked so fine in his life before
or since. They didn't know him at all, and neither did Aunt Melissy. She
thought he was somebody with something to sell at first, and when he
said:"

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"'Aw, there, Melissah!' she threw up her hands and was just about to
call for help, when just that minute she saw it was Uncle Silas.

"Poor Uncle Silas! He meant to surprise her, and he did it sure enough.
He meant to please her, though, and he didn't do that worth a cent. It
seemed funny, but she was mad. That's just the trouble about women
folks; you never know when you're