“And then I dare presume to say that as bad as she felt, and as much as she needed a nap, she jest helped him off on his prophesying trip, did everything she could for his comfort before he went, brushed his goatskin, and mebby cleaned it, and took care of the children till he come back, fed the camels, and watered the goats, and I dare presume to say got kicked by ’em, as bad as she felt.
“Made her butter—like as not she had a big churnin’—or a baggin’ I don’t know but it ort to be called—I spoze they used a bag instead of a churn.
“And then mebby she had lots of little young goats and camels to bring up by hand. I shouldn’t wonder if she had a camel corset that took lots of care.
“And then mebby she had a lot of onexpected company come onto her—old Miss Aminidab and her daughter-in-law, and old Miss Jethro, and Miss Lemuel and her children, a perfect tent full, and she had to buckle to and get dinner for ’em, and mebby dinner and supper; and it would be jest like ’em to stay all night, the hull caboodle of ’em, and mebby she had to pound every mite of corn herself before she cooked for ’em.
“And she all the while with a splittin’ headache, and her back a achin’ as if it would break in two.
“And then jest as they got onto their camels and sot out home agin, then like as not old Mr. Hosey would come home all wore out and onstrung from the persecutions he had had to contend with, and that good old female, as beat out as she wuz, would have to go to work to string him up agin, and soothe him, and encourage him to go on with his prophesyin’ agin.
“ONEXPECTED COMPANY.”
“But who thinks anything of these old female wimmen’s labors and sufferin’s? Nobody.