re riding now," said Mrs. Clifford,
"was overflowed last spring by the river. It is called 'bottom land,'
and is extremely rich."

"I never thought the Hoojers had a very clean, blue, pretty river," said
Dotty, thoughtfully; "it looks some like a mud-puddle. Perhaps it
carried off too much of this dirt."

"Muddy-puddil," replied Katie, "full of dirt."

As they rode they passed houses whose chimneys were inhospitably left
out of doors.

"Why, look, auntie," said Dotty; "theres a house turned wrong side out!"

These buildings had no cellars, but were propped upon logs, leaving room
for the air to pass under the floor, and for other things to pass
under, such as cats, dogs, and chickens.

"Why, where _do_ the people go to when they want to go down cellar?"
asked Dotty, in a maze.

Near one of these houses she was seized with an irresistible thirst. Mr.
Parlin gave the reins to Mrs. Clifford, and stepped out of the carriage,
then helped Dotty and Katie to alight.

They found a sharp-nosed woman cooking corn-dodgers for a family of nine
children. Whether it was their breakfast or dinner hour, it was hard to
tell. When Mr. Parlin asked for water, the woman wiped her forehead with
her apron, and replied, "O, yes, stranger," and one of the little girls,
whose face was stained with something besides the kisses of the sun,
brought some water from the spring in a gourd.

"Well, Dotty Dimple," said Mrs. Clifford, when they were all on their
way again, "what did you see in the house?"

"O, I saw a woman with a whittled nose, and a box of flowers in the
window."

"And children," said Katie; "four, five hunnerd chillen."

"The box was labelled 'Assorted Lozenges,'" said Mr. Parlin; "but I
observed that it contained a black imperial rose; so the occupants have
an eye for beauty, after all. I presume they cannot trust their flowers
out of doors on account of the pigs."

"They brought me water in a squash-shell," cried Dotty; "it _is_ so
funny out West!"

"_I_ dinked in a skosh-shell, too; and I fink it's _velly_ funny out
West!" said little Echo.

They were riding behind the other carriage, and at some distance, in
order to avoid the dust from its wheels.

"Henry has stopped," said Mrs. Clifford. "We have reached 'Small's
Enlargement,' and cannot comfortably ride any farther. The lot next to
this is ours, and it is there we are going for the pecans."

Dotty could hardly wait to be lifted out, so eager was she to wa