As for me, though mebby I didn’t say so much, I did the more. I wuz a knittin’ some of the very finest linen edgin’ out of number ninety thread to trim a hull suit of underclothes for her. And if any one would examine close the fineness of the thread, they could see the delicacy and tenderness of my feelin’s for her, and the strength.
I had bought some of the very finest muslin I could get to make the garments of. So, as I say, if I didn’t say so much, mebby I did the more, and acted.
Maggie and Thomas J. wuz goin’ to get her a bedroom set in pretty light wood, and Maggie wuz embroiderin’ some beautiful covers for the bureau, and washstand, and table.
It wuz a pattern of pink and pale blue mornin’ glories on a sort of a cream-colored ground.
They wuz goin’ to be lovely.
Little Snow wanted to do sunthin’, and I told her she should.
So I, myself, cut her out some little linen napkins, and let her fringe out the edges, and I laid out to orniment ’em myself for her in cat stitch. Cat is a very handsome stitch.
And as I sez, we wuz all happy in witnessin’ Genieve’s happiness, which wuz glowin’ and radiant, and Victor’s calm, deep bliss. For he could not undo the past. And the Bible sez a man shall leave all and cleave to his wife. And he wuz only a followin’ the Skripter.
He had been a good son, no better could be found—a good, faithful helper and friend to his mistress; and I felt that he could leave ’em in their peaceful graves and walk off into the Eden road of his happy love with no reflections, and with the desire of his heart.
Col. Seybert wuz ragin’, as we knew, at the thought that his trusty servant wuz goin’ to leave him. He wuz invaluable to him in so many ways. He had no other man in his employ so trustworthy; no one else who would take care of his business durin’ the frequent intervals when he wuz incapable of it; no one else who wuz so honest, so reliable, so intelligent; for Victor wuz one who would do his duty, and do a good day’s work, if he wuz workin’ for Nero or the Old Harry himself, though you wouldn’t ketch him a workin’ for this last-named personage—no, indeed.