orld. I wuz dretul interested when you had that Peace Conference meet
in your 'House in the Woods.' I'd been more'n willin' to had it meet
in our sugar house, but it wuzn't big enough, and it wuzn't so
central; it wuz better to have it where it wuz.

"I guess I sot more store by your doin's in that respect than by any
other, for peace is what a sovereign and a subject must have to git
along any ways comfortable. And at the present time what a comfort it
would be if the nations of the world could git holt on it. But it
almost seems as if peace had spread her wings and flowed away from
this planet, such cuttin's up and actin's are on every side, wars and
rumors of wars, armies and navies crashin' up aginst each other,
nations risin' up aginst nation, brothers' hands lifted up aginst
brothers and the hull world seemin' to be left to the mercy of the
bloody fiend, War.

"Well, you and I can't help it, Willieminy. I've done all I could in
Jonesville. I've talked a sight and sot Josiah up all I could to vote
for peace, and you've done all you could in Holland, and so now we've
got to set down and trust in the Providence that watches over
Jonesville and Holland."

She acted as if she felt real pleased with my praise, as well she
might, and I sez, "Another thing I've liked in you, Willieminy, you
wuz so bound and determined to pick out your pardner for yourself and
not have him selected for you. Why, good land! a dress or a pair of
shues or gloves hain't half so apt to fit and set well if you leave
'em for somebody else to pick out for you, and much more a pardner. I
honored you for your idees in that direction, for you've probably
found out, my dear," sez I, "that even if you take sights of pains and
pick him out yourself, a pardner is sunthin' that requires lots of
patience and long sufferin' to git along with, though real convenient
to have round lots of times when tramps are about, or reachin' up
overhead in the buttery, or at funerals, etc. It always looks nobler
to have a man along with you than to mog along alone. And men are
about on a average as fur as their goodness goes with their female
pardners most of the time.

"But he will be no he-angel, if you cross him just before meal time,
or don't see that his clothes are mended up good. I hearn once of a
young bride who thought her husband wuz perfect, and I spoze looked at
his backbone sarahuptishushly from day to day a-worryin' for fear his
wings would sprout out a