lake, on an island, and that man sot his foot
down that go he would.

We was to the breakfast-table, a talkin' it over, and says I, "I
shan't go, for I am afraid of big water any way."

Says Josiah, "You are jest as liable to be killed in one place as
another."

Says I, with a almost frigid air, as I passed him his coffee, "Mebby I
shall be drownded on dry land, Josiah Allen; but I don't believe it."

Says he, in a complainin' tone, "I can't get you started onto a
exertion for pleasure any way."

Says I, in a almost eloquent way, "I don't believe in makin' such
exertions after pleasure. I don't believe in chasin' of her up." Says
I, "Let her come of her own free will." Says I, "You can't catch her
by chasin' of her up, no more than you can fetch a shower up, in
a drewth, by goin' out doors, and running after a cloud up in the
heavens above you. Sit down, and be patient; and when it gets ready,
the refreshin' rain-drops will begin to fall without none of your
help. And it is jest so with pleasure, Josiah Allen; you may chase her
up over all the ocians and big mountains of the earth, and she will
keep ahead of you all the time; but set down, and not fatigue yourself
a thinkin' about her, and like as not she will come right into your
house, unbeknown to you."

"Wal," says he, "I guess I'll have another griddlecake, Samantha." And
as he took it, and poured the maple syrup over it, he added, gently
but firmly, "I shall go, Samantha, to this exertion, and I should be
glad to have you present at it, because it seems jest, to me, as if I
should fall overboard durin' the day."

Men are deep. Now that man knew that no amount of religious preachin'
could stir me up like that one speech. For though I hain't no hand to
coo, and don't encourage him in bein' spoony at all, he knows that I
am wrapped almost completely up in him. I went.

We had got to start about the middle of the night, for the lake was
fifteen miles from Jonesville, and the old horse bein' so slow, we had
got to start a hour or two ahead of the rest. I told Josiah that I had
jest as lives set up all night, as to be routed out at two o'clock.
But he was so animated and happy at the idee of goin' that he looked
on the bright side of everything, and he said that we would go to bed
before dark, and get as much sleep as we commonly did! So we went to
bed, the sun an hour high. But we hadn't more'n got settled down into
the bed, when we heard a buggy and a singl