And I thought I would buy some little things for the children, mebby a ivory croshay hook for Tirzah Ann and a paper cutter for Thomas J., and sunthin’ else for Maggie and Whitfield. It beats all what exquisite ivory things we did see, and in silver, gold, shell, horn and bamboo, every article you can think on and lots you never did think on, all wrought in the finest carvin’ and filigree work. Embroideries in silk and satin and cloth of gold and silver, every beautiful thing that wuz ever made you’d see in these shops.
I wuz jest hesitatin’ between a ivory bodkin with a butterfly head and a ivory hook with a posy on the handle, when I hearn the voice of my pardner, seemin’ly makin’ a trade with somebody, and I turned a little corner and there I see him stand tryin’ to beat down a man from Tibet, or so a bystander told me he wuz, a queer lookin’ creeter, but he understood a few English words, and Josiah wuz buyin’ sunthin’ as I could see, but looked dretful meachin and tried to conceal his purchase as he ketched my eye. I see he wuz doin’ sunthin’ he ort not to do, meachinness and guilt wuz writ down on his liniment. But my axent and mean wuz such that he produced the object and tried hard to explain and apologize.
It wuz a little prayer-wheel designed for written prayers to be put in and turned with a crank, or it could be hitched 174 to water power or a wind-mill or anything, and the owner could truly pray without ceasing. Oh how I felt as he explained! I felt that indeed the last straw wuz bein’ packed onto my back, but Josiah kep’ on with his apoligizin’.
“You needn’t look like that, Samantha; I can tell you I hain’t gin up religion or thought on’t. I want you to know that I am still a strong, active member of the M. E. meetin’ house, but at the same time,” sez he, “if I––if there––spozein’ there wuz, as it were, some modifications and conveniences that would help a Christian perfessor along, I don’t know as I would be to blame to avail myself of ’em.”
Sez I, “If you’re guiltless what makes you look so meachin?”
“Well, I most knew you wouldn’t approve on it, but,” sez he, “I can tell you in a few short words what it will do. You can write your prayers all out when you have time and put ’em into this wheel and turn it, or you can have it go by water, you can hitch it to the windmill and have it a-prayin’ while you water the cattle in the mornin’, and I thought, Samantha, that in hayin’ time or harvestin’ when I am as busy as the old Harry I could use it that way, or I could be a turnin’ it on my way to the barn to do the chores, or I could hitch it onto the grin’stone and Ury and I could pray for the whole family whilst we wuz whettin’ the scythes.”
“Not for me,” sez I, groanin’ aloud, “not for me.”
“You needn’t look like that, Samantha; I tell you agin I wuzn’t goin’ to use it only when I wuz driv to death with work. And I tell you it would be handy for you when you expected a houseful of company, and Philury wuz away.”
“No, indeed!” sez I; “no such wicked, wicked work will be connected with my prayers.”
“Well,” sez Arvilly, “I d’no as it would be much wickeder than some prayers I’ve hearn when folks wuz in a hurry; they would run their thanksgivin’s into their petitions and them into their amens, and gallop through ’em so there wuzn’t a mite of sense in ’em. Or take so much 175 pains to inform the Lord about things. I hearn one man say,” sez Arvilly: