n that way of theirs wuz mentioned; she considers herself
as good if not better than one man and a half. Sez she: "The idee of
calling a boy a child, and a girl a piece of a child, or words that
mean that."

But Arvilly sez, "Well, how much better is it in the United States--or
most of 'em? Girls don't even have the comfort of thinkin' that
they're a piece of a person; they're just nothin' at all in the eyes
of the law--unless the law wants to tax 'em to raise money." Sez she,
"I would be thankful 'lection day if I wuz a piece of a woman, so that
five or six of us would make a hull citizen." Miss Meechim had never
thought on't before, she said she hadn't, but nobody could git her to
say a word aginst American customs no more than they could aginst
herself. She thinks that she and America are perfect, but puts herself
first. Well, America is the best land under the sun; I've always said
so. But I feel towards it as I do towards Josiah: what faults it has I
want to talk it out of, so that it will stand up perfect among nations
as Josiah could amongst men if he would hear to me. Arvilly likes to
stir Miss Meechim up; I believe she sez things a purpose sometimes to
set Miss Meechim off; but then Arvilly talks from principle, too, and
she is real cute.

There wuz all sorts of boats, theatre junks and concert junks and
plain junks, and Josiah wuz dretful took with this floatin' city, and
sez to once that he should build a house boat as soon as he got
home--he and Ury. He said that he could use the old hay-rack to start
it--that and the old corn-house would most make it.

"Where will you put it?" sez I.

"Oh, on the creek or the canal," sez he. "It will be so uneek for us
to dwell when we want to, on the briny deep."

"I guess there hain't much brine in the creek or the canal," Josiah.

"Well, I said that for poetical purposes. But you know that it would
be very stylish to live in a boat, and any time we wanted to, when
onexpected company wuz comin', or the tax collector or book agent,
jest hist the sail and move off, it would be dretful handy as well as
stylish."

"Well, well," sez I, "you can't build it till you git home." I felt
that he would forgit it before then. Arvilly looked thoughtfully at
'em and wondered how she wuz goin' to canvass 'em, and if they would
do as Josiah intimated if they see her comin'. Miss Meechim wondered
if they could git to meetin' in time, they seemed to move so slow,
and Robert Strong