God's love and
care wuz over and under us. And so on and on; valleys, mountains,
clear lakes, forests and broad green fields, tree sheltered
farms, and anon the broad prairie. It wuz all a panorama I never
tired of lookin' at, and lasted all the way to California.

As our stay wuz to be so short in San Francisco, Miss Meechim and
Dorothy thought it would be best to go to a hotel instead of openin'
Dorothy's grand house; so we all went to the tarven Miss Meechim
picked out, the beautifullest tarven that ever I sot eyes on, it
seemed to me, and the biggest one. Havin' felt the swayin', jiggerin'
motion of the cars so long, it wuz indeed a blessin' to set my foot on
solid ground once more, and Tommy and I wuz soon ensconced in a cozy
room, nigh Miss Meechim's sweet rooms. For she still insisted on
callin' their rooms sweet, and I wouldn't argy with her, for I spoze
they did seem sweet to her.

Tommy wuz tired out and I had to take him in my arms and rock him,
after we'd had our supper, a good meal which Miss Meechim had brung up
into their settin'-room, though I insisted on payin' my part on't
(she's a good creater, though weak in some ways). Well I rocked Tommy
and sung to him:

"Sweet fields beyend the swellin' flood."

And them sweet fields in my mind wuz our own orchard and paster, and
the swellin' flood I thought on wuzn't death's billers, but the waters
that rolled between California and Jonesville.

Not one word had I hearn from my pardner sence leavin' New York.

"Oh, dear Josiah! When shall I see thee agin?" So sung my heart, or
ruther chanted, a deep solemn chant. "Where art thou, Josiah, and when
shall we meet agin? And why, why do I not hear from thee?"

The next mornin' after we arrived at San Francisco, Robert Strong
appeared at the hotel bright and early, and I don't know when I've
ever seen anybody I liked so well. Miss Meechim invited me into her
settin'-room to see him.

Havin' hearn so much about his deep, earnest nater and deathless
desire to do all the good he could whilst on his earthly pilgrimage, I
expected to see a grave, quiet man with lines of care and conflict
engraved deep on his sober, solemn visage.

But I wuz never more surprised to see a bright, laughin', happy face
that smiled back into mine as Albina Meechim proudly introduced her
nephew to me.

Why, thinkses I to myself, where can such strength of character, such
noble purpose, such original and successful business habit