ttle and hens to
hum, which is more than I can say for all the neighbors whose land
jines mine."

But I could see that the ladies-in-waitin' wuz oneasy at havin' a man
talkin' to 'em so free and I kinder advanced in front of him and sez:

"Josiah and I wuz dretful tickled with the idee at first when we
spozed that conference meant real p-e-a-c-e and tryin' to bring the
most beautiful gift of God and joy of heaven nigher to earth. Why, it
jest riz us right up, we felt so highly tickled with it. But when we
see 'em begin to spell it p-i-e-c-e, and quarrel over the pieces, why,
then we turned right agin 'em. Why, good land! even if it wuz right,
Josiah has got all the land he wants to work and more too, and as I
tell him, what is the use of him or the nation havin' a great lot of
land to stand idle and pay taxes on, and keep a gang of hired men to
watch. Men and nations can git land poor, I believe."

I see she liked what I said about the Peace Commission, but I wuz
afraid she didn't git my idee jest right, so I sez, "I believe in the
first on't the Zar's idee come right down from heaven, filtered into
his comprehension mebby through a woman's apprehension. But you know
how it is, Si Ann, in the berry lot now if there are bushes hangin'
full of big ones jest over the fence and somebody else is gittin' 'em
all, you kinder want to jine in and git some on 'em yourself, though
you may be a perfesser and singin' a Sam tune at the time, specially
if the fence is broke down that separates you. I can see how it wuz
with that Piece Commission and make allowances for 'em, but we didn't
have a thing to do with it and we don't want any of the pieces." My
axent carried conviction with it; I see she looked relieved. She
didn't say it right out, but I felt that we hadn't fell in her
estimation, and I went on:

"And I don't want you to blame Uncle Sam either, Si Ann. I believe he
will help you all he can, help you in the right way, too; help you to
help yourselves. But your folks have got to brace up and do their
part; Uncle Sam will neighbor with you if you give him a chance. He's
real good-hearted, though bein' so easy and good-natered, he is
deceived lots of times and influenced and led around by them that want
to make money out of him, such as the trusts and the liquor power. But
he stands ready to neighbor with you, and don't turn your back on him,
Si Ann. Don't do anything to get him huffy, for though he hain't quick
to git mad