Melinda Ann wuz wild as a hen hawk.
She had got the winder up and wuz jest a springin’ out. I ketched her by her limb and hollered for Josiah. Before he got there she had got her hands clenched into my hair and wuz a tryin’ to choke me.
But, good land! she didn’t know what she wuz a doin’.
Wall, Josiah Allen by main strength got her into the house agin, and after a tussle we got her onto the bed. And then I begun to doctor her up.
But I never tried to go to bed agin that night, for it wuz daylight before I got her quieted down.
Wall, Josiah had to go off that mornin’ early on bizness, to be gone all day. And I wuz glad on’t, for I wuz afraid, in spite of all I could do, he would do sunthin’ to disgrace himself in the eyes of both sides. His last words to me wuz:
“I KETCHED HER BY HER LIMB.”
“If I find either of them cussed fools in the house when I get back, I’ll burn the house down over their heads.”