Well, when we got to Tirzah Ann’s, we (havin’ the supper on our minds) told ’em we had a little business to tend to, and we wouldn’t git out of the buggy jest then, so we drove on and left ’em there by the gate. Oh! how beautiful and fair the house did look on the inside and on the outside, and I says to Josiah: “I don’t believe Josiah Allen, there is another so pretty a place in Jonesville as this is!”
A GOOD TIME GENERALLY
He was a standin’ out in the front portico as I said this, and says he: “Yes there is, Samantha; this house that stands right here by it, is jest as pretty;” and it was. There it stood, so peaceful and pretty, right by the side of this one, with green shady yards in front, and a handsome little lattice work gate all runnin’ over with green vines and poseys openin’ between the two. Oh! how perfectly beautiful they did look, and I knew this thought goared Josiah and me at the same time,—what if Thomas J. could be the doctor here in Jonesville and live right here by Tirzah Ann. Oh, what bliss it would be! Then I turned and went to unpackin’ my vittles, and settin’ the table. It looked splendid; and after I got it all done I sent Josiah for the childern and—well, I sent him for all on ’em.
And I shant begin to tell how Whitfield and Tirzah Ann acted when they come into that bright cosy little home, and Josiah put the deed of it into their hands; I dassant tell, for anybody would think they was lunys. I have seen tickled folks in my life, but never, never, did I see tickleder, that I know. Why, Whitfield looked fairly pale at first, and then his face flushed up as happy as a king. And Tirzah Ann cried a little, and then she laughed, and then she went to kissin’ of us like a little fury; she kissed her pa and me, and Whitfield and Thomas J. and Maggy, and—well, she kissed the hull on us more’n forty times I do believe.
And seein’ ’em both so tickled, and feelin’ so happy in their happiness, I do believe if it hadn’t been for the drawback of our boy’s goin’ west, Josiah and me would have broke down, and acted simple.
Judge Snow come jest as we was a settin’ down to the table. He seemed to be in awful good spirits, kep’ a jokin’ all supper time, and thinks’es I to myself, “You must feel different from what I do, if you can face the idee of your child’s goin’ west with such highlarity and mirth.” But truly, I wronged him; truly a shock was in store for us all; for as we got up from the supper table and went back into the settin’room, he stood up and says he in a deep noble voice: (they say his voice sounds a good deal nobler, and deeper, sense he got to be a Judge,)
“Have you heerd that Doctor Bombus has had a dowery fall to him, and has give up docterin’?”
“No!” says I, and we all said “no!” we hadn’t heerd on’t.
“Yes,” says he, “he has; he doctered a woman up in the town of Lyme and her husband settled 500 dollars a year on him for life.”
“He cured her,” says I, “what gratitude!”