rooms," three on 'em in a row, one for
each on 'em and a little one for Aronette. But I d'no as they wuz any
sweeter than mine, though mine cost less and wuz on the back of the
house where it wuzn't so noisy. Tommy and I occupied one room; he had
a little cot-bed made up for him.

Indeed, I groaned out as I sot me down in a big chair, if he wuz here,
the pardner of my youth and middle age, no room Miss Meechim ever
looked on wuz so sweet as this would be. But alas! he wuz fur away.
Jonesville held on to my idol and we wuz parted away from each other.
But I went down to supper, which they called dinner, and see that
Tommy had things for his comfort and eat sunthin' myself, for I had to
support life, yes, strength had to be got to cling to that black
string that I had holt on, and vittles had to supply some of that
strength, though religion and principle supplied the biggest heft.
Miss Meechim and Aronette wuz in splendid sperits, and after
sup--dinner went out to the theatre to see a noted tragedy acted, and
they asked me to accompany and go with 'em, for I spoze that my looks
wuz melancholy and deprested in extreme, Aronette offerin' to take
care of Tommy if I wanted to go.

But I sez, "No, I have got all the tragedy in my own bosom that I can
'tend to." And in spite of my cast-iron resolution tears busted out
under my eyeleds and trickled down my nose. They didn't see it, my
back wuz turned, and my nose is a big one anyway and could accommodate
a good many tears.

But I controlled my agony of mind. I walked round with Tommy for a
spell and showed him all the beauties of the place, which wuz many,
sot down with him for a spell in the big, richly-furnished parlors,
but cold and lonesome lookin' after all, for the love-light of home
wuz lackin', and looked at the glittering throng passing and
repassing; but the wimmen looked fur off to me and the men wuz like
shadders, only one man seemed a reality to me, and he wuz small
boneded and fur away. And then we went to our room. I read to Tommy
for a spell out of a good little book I bought, and then hearn him say
his prayers, his innocent voice askin' for blessin's from on high for
his parents and my own beloved lonely one, and then I tucked him into
his little cot and sot down and writ a letter to my dear Josiah, tears
dribblin' down onnoticed while I did so.

For we had promised to write to each other every day of our lives,
else I could not, could not have borne the se