ander round with his arms clasped behind him
under his velvet jacket and wonner at things to himself, and I spoze
Carabi walked up and down beside him though we couldn't see him.
Sometimes I felt kinder conscience smitten to think I couldn't
honestly admire what seemed to be the proper thing to, and then agin I
kinder leaned up agin the memory of John Ruskin and how he liked in
art what he did like, and not what it was fashionable to, and I felt
comforted.

One day, tired out with sightseein' and havin' sunthin' of a headache,
I stayed to home while all the rest of the party went out and Miss
Meechim invited me into their settin'-room as it wuz cooler there, so
I had sot there for some time readin' a good book and enjoyin' my poor
health as well as I could, when a card wuz brung in for Robert Strong.
I told the hall boy that he wuz out but wuz expected back soon, and in
a few minutes he come back usherin' in a good lookin' man who said he
wuz anxious to see him on business and that he would wait for him. I
knowed him from his picture as well as his card; it wuz Mr.
Astofeller, a multi-millionaire, who had got his enormous wealth from
trusts and monopolies.

I couldn't go back into my room for Josiah had the key, and so we
introduced ourselves and had quite a agreeable visit, when all of a
sudden right whilst we wuz talkin' polite and agreeable two long
strings dangled down in front of the eyes of my soul, strings I had
often clung to. Well I knowed 'em, and I sez to myself almost wildly:

Oh, Duty! must I cling to thy apron-strings here and now, enjoyin' as
I do poor health and in another woman's room? For reply, them strings
dangled down lower yet, and I had to reach up the arms of my sperit
and gently but firmly grip holt on 'em and stiddy myself on 'em whilst
I tackled him on the subject of monopolies, having some hopes I could
convert him and make him give 'em up then and there and turn round and
be on the Lord's side.

And bein' so dretful anxious to convince him, I begun some as the M.
E. ministers sometimes do in a low, still voice, gradually risin'
higher and deeper and more earnest. I told him my idees of trusts and
monopolies and what a danger I thought they wuz to individual and
national life. And I described the feelin's I felt to see such droves
of poor people out of work and starvin' for the necessaries of life,
whilst a few wuz pilin' up enormous and onneeded wealth, and I sez:

"Mr. Astofeller, wha