These last words affected the congregation dretfully. A maiden jest behind Martin’s pew and a widder jest in front (who both had hopes) sallied away and partially fainted, and the widder had to be borne out by the sexton.
And as she wuz heavey, it bore hard on him. The old maid revived in time to see the widder carried out. Widders always will go further and resk more than the more single ones.
And the maiden wuz wroth for fear that Martin should hear of it that she didn’t go so fur herself as the widder did.
I myself didn’t faint nor shed tears. I sot up straight in that luxurious pew and kep’ a-sayin’ in my heart—
“Oh, God help that wretched man! God help and comfort him, for nothin’ else can!”
CHAPTER XL.
“GOOD-NIGHT, LITTLE PARDNER.”
Wall, that night after the funeral I wuz called down into the parlor to see a stranger—a good deal devolved on me in that awful time; I kep’ calm, or tried to, and that calmness wuz like a paneky to ’em round me, and they didn’t see the tumult of pity and grief that wuz a-goin’ on inside of my heart onbeknown to ’em.
I went down into the hall, and there I found a handsome, noble-lookin’ young man, whose face wuz so white with anguish and dread that I knew before he spoke who he wuz, and sez I right out the first thing, a-holdin’ out both my hands—
“Alice is better.”