And the next day I begun quietly and prudently to prepare for the great Charity Bazar of Miss Greene Smythe’s. I bound over my best woosted petticoat that wuz some frayed out round the bottom, and mended a few broken places in the tattin’ that trimmed my white one. I took the lace out of the neck and sleeves of my gray woosted dress, which I laid out to wear instead of my black alpacky, thinkin’ it looked more gay and cheerful and more adapted to the requirements of a fashionable party in high life, I washed the lace carefully and did it up and put it back, crimpin’ it on the edge as I did so. I pondered on the enigma some time whether I should look too gay, and go beyend the other church members present, if I pinned on in front a satin bow of kinder pink ribbon that Maggie had gin me, I held it up to the dress and see in the lookin’-glass it looked well, but mebby a little too flantin’ and frivolous, so I laid it back agin in the draw and made up my mind I would wear my good old cameo pin, knowin’ that wuz safe for a Methodist member to wear anyway, and I didn’t want to cause comments or roust up the envy and jealousy of the other females present.
Anon and pretty soon the night come for the great Bazar for that Heathen, and Josiah and I started in good season, for we didn’t want the mair and colt to be hurried, nor be hurried ourselves. We started about half-past four P. M. I got a early breakfast that mornin’ a-purpose to git a early dinner so’s to git a early supper. We eat supper a quarter past four P. M. with our things all on, and I packed up the dishes in the sink, which I seldom do, but felt that this wuz a extra occasion, and I didn’t want to wash dishes with my mantilly on, the tabs dribblin’ down into the water.
Well, to go by the crossroad leading to Zoar and turnin’ off by the Cobble Stun schoolhouse, it is only five milds to Edgewater, where Miss Greene Smythe boards for the summer. The big summer hotel there has as much as twenty acres of land round it, all full of trees and windin’ walks and summerhousen, and hammocks and swings and posy beds, and croquet grounds and baseball grounds, where they kick each other about and lame themselves and break bones, and be jest as fashionable as they can be, and have everything else for their comfort. And in front of all is the clear, blue waters of the lake, with boathousen and little boats floatin’ on the surface jest like a flock of white geese down to our pond.
As we driv onto the grounds on a broad gravel walk with brilliant posy beds on each side on’t, I see closter to the house a hull lot of men fixin’ a big tent with flags on’t and puttin’ out rows of little lanterns on strings leadin’ from one tree to another and standin’ out a hull lot of evergreen trees round the big tent and a lot of smaller ones.
The mair sort o’ pricked up its ears at the sight of so many strange things, but kep’ right along on the path like the well principled mair she is. But the colt bein’ younger and not so way-wised, and I don’t believe havin’ the good principle her Ma has, or ever will have, though Josiah sez she is likelier fur than her Ma wuz at her age. But, ’tennyrate she made a dash into the thickest of the crowd, and it wuzn’t till three waiters had been upsot, by bein’ taken in their back onexpected, that my pardner succeeded in catchin’ it. By this time the colt bein’ tangled in the line of lanterns and one foot ketched in the rope of evergreens, she stood still whinnerin’. And the waiters cussin’ and swearin’ fearful, and my pardner goin’ as fur that way as he dast with his professions and religion. He did say “dum” repeatedly, and “gracious Heavens!” and “gracious Peter!” and all these milder terms a deacon can use and not call it swearin’. And I, holdin’ the mair, some excited but keepin’ my conscientiousness pretty well, when a man come runnin’ out from the hotel that seemed to be in authority and he quickly loosed the bands of that colt, and sent the cussin’ waiters about their bizness and advanced onto me, it wuz the landlord, Mr. Grabhull, I knowed him and he knowed me, and he wuz real polite, though he looked cross as a bear, I must say.
And he asked me if I wouldn’t alight, and if he couldn’t help me.
And, thinkin’ I might as well, seein’ I had got there, I did alight and git down, but refused his help, backin’ out and gittin’ down myself with some trouble, for the steps of the democrat are high, and I always use a chair to home to step down on, but wouldn’t ask him for one if I had fell out, thinkin’ we had made him enough trouble already. But the height wuz precipitous and I felt giddy, and, when at last my feet struck solid ground I sez, instinctively, and onbeknown to myself:
“Thank Heaven, as the man said, that my feet are once more on visey versey.” And then, to let him know at once why we wuz there, I took my card of invitation out of my pocket, and sez:
“We have come to Miss Greene Smythe’s Bazar for that Heathen.”
“Oh, yes,” sez he, “and you would like to see her, wouldn’t you!”