t I spozed
the men wuz off to the wars fightin' and gittin' killed to satisfy
some other man's ambition, or settlin' some other men's quarrels.

Josiah sez, smilin' happily, "Wouldn't it look uneek to see Philury
mowin' in our oat and wheat fields, and you and Sister Bobbett rakin'
after and loadin' grain and runnin' the thrashin' machine?"

"Yes," sez I, "when I foller a thrashin' machine, Josiah Allen, or
load a hay rack it will look uneeker than will ever take place on this
planet, I can tell you to once."

But Arvilly sez, "Don't be too sure, Josiah Allen's wife; with three
wars bein' precipitated on our country durin' one administration, and
the conquered contented regions havin' to be surrounded by our
soldiers and fit all the time to keep 'em from laughin' themselves to
death, you don't know how soon all of our men will be drafted into the
army and we wimmen have to do all the farm work."

"Yes," sez Josiah, "that is so, and you would be a crackin' good hand
to pitch on a load of hay or mow away, you are so tall."

"And you," sez she with a defiant mean, "would be a good hand to put
in front of the battle field; you're so short, the balls _might not_
hit you the first round."

She put a powerful emphasis on the "might not," and Josiah looked real
agitated, and I sez:

"Such talk is onprofitable, and I should advise you, Josiah, to use
your man's influence to try to make peace for the country's good,
instead of wars for the profit of Trusts, Ambition, etc., and you can
escape the cannon's mouth, and Arvilly keep on sellin' books instead
of ploughin' and mowin'."

Robert Strong and Dorothy enjoyed Carlsbad the best that ever wuz. I
don't think they sot so much store by the water as they did the long
mountain walks. Everybody here becomes a mountain climber. The doctors
here agree that this exercise is a great means of cure, and they make
the climbing easy and delightful. There are over thirty miles of good
roads over the mountains and around Carlsbad, and as you climb upwards
anon or even oftener you come to pretty little pavilions where you can
rest and look off onto the delightful scenery, and every little while
you'll come to a place where you can git good refreshments to refresh
you.

The Sprudel, or Bubbling Well, bubbles over in a stream of almost
boiling hot water five or six inches in diameter. It is so hot that
you can't handle the mugs it is served in with your naked hand, you
hold it by a nap