And I sez, with quite a lot of dignity, "Have I ever failed, Josiah Allen, to have good dinners for you, and on time too?"
"No," sez he, "but I thought I would jest stop to remind you of it, and also to tell you the last news from the Conference, about the deaconesses."
And so they trailed down one after another, and left us to our work in the meetin' house; but as they disapered round the corner, Sister Arvilly Lanfear, who hain't married, and who has got a sharp tongue (some think that is why, but I don't; I believe Arvilly has had chances).
But any way, she sez, as they went down the steps,
"I'll bet them men wuz a-practisen' their new parts of men superentendents, and look on us as a lot of deaconesses."
"Wall," sez Sister Gowdy—she loves to put on Arvilly—"wall, you have got one qualificatin', Arvilly!"
"Yes, thank the Lord," sez she.
And I never asked what she meant, but knew well enough that she spoke of her single state. But Arvilly has had chances, I think.