“‘O Lord, thou knowest by the morning papers, so and so.’ I d’no as a prayer turned off by a wheel would look much worse or be much less acceptable.”
Josiah looked encouraged, and sez he to me, soty vosey, “Arvilly always did have good horse sense.”
Sez I, “They wuzn’t run by machinery––wicked, wicked way. A boughten machine!” sez I, shettin’ up my eyes and groanin’ agin.
“No,” sez Josiah eagerly, “I wuz agoin’ to tell you; I’ve got a wheel to home and a cylinder that come offen that old furnace regulator that didn’t work, and I thought that with a little of Ury’s help I could fix one up jest as good as this, and I could sell this for twice what I gin for it to Deacon Henzy or old Shelmadine, or rent it through hayin’ and harvestin’ to the brethren, or–––”
Sez I, “You would disseminate these wicked practices, would you, in dear Christian Jonesville? No, indeed.”
“I tell you agin I wuzn’t a-goin’ to use it only in the most hurryin’ times––I–––”
But I sez, “I will hear no more; give it back to the man and come with your pardner!”
And I linked my arm in hisen and motioned to the man to move off with his wheels. And my looks wuz that dignified and lofty that I spoze it skairt him and he started off almost immegiately and to once.
And I hain’t hern no more about it, but don’t know how much more trouble I may have with it. No knowin’ what that man may take it into his head to do in Jonesville or China. But prayer-wheels! little did I think when I stood at the altar with Josiah Allen that I should have to dicker with them.
It only took six hours to sail from Hongkong up to Canton. The scenery along the Pearl River is not very interesting except the rice fields, banana groves with pagodas 176 risin’ amongst ’em anon or oftener, and the strange tropical foliage, cactuses that we raise in little jars riz up here like trees.