He bent his eyes on Asenath for a moment and then his soul flowed out to the tone of the accompaniment of honor.
“Mrs. Short, you were good to me as a boy, and I will never do a thing against your will in your family affairs. My father prayed that I might have the ability to fulfil what he was unable to do in life. To inherit such a purpose from such a father is something to be grateful for, and now that I am disappointed in my expectation of Amanda I shall devote all that I am to my father’s purpose in me. I am going to be a minister.”
“You be, hey? But where is the money comin’ from?”
“Mrs. Short, it is to come out of these two fists.”
Poor tender-hearted Caleb, he shelled corn as never before during this painful scene. Suddenly he looked up and about for relief. His eye fell upon the courting stick.
“Here,” said he to Amanda, who was crying, “just let us try this new comical machine, and see how it works. Mandy, let’s you and I have a little talk together. I’ll put the thing up to my mouth, so, and you just listen at the other end of it. There—I’m going to say something. Ready now, Mandy? Did you hear that?”
“Yes, father, I heard it just as plain as though you spoke it into my ear.”
“You didn’t hear anything in particular, did you, Asenath?”
“No, only a sound far away and mysterious like.”