’Tennyrate, he has showed more heroism now than many soldiers who risk life on the battle field. For the worst foe to fight and conquer is Ridicule; and he and others in high places have attackted Fashion so entrenched in the solid armour of Habit that most public men wouldn’t have dasted to take arms agin it.
And the long waves of Time must swash up agin the shores of Eternity, before the good it has done can be estimated. How fur the influence has extended. How many weak wills been strengthened. How many broken hearts healed. How many young lives inspired to nobler and saner living.
But to resoom forward, I can’t nor won’t carry them errents of Serepta’s there again. It is too wearin’ for one of my age and my rheumatiz. What a tedious time I did put in there. It wuz a day long to be remembered by me.
IX.
THE WOMEN’S PARADE
Josiah come home from Jonesville one day, all wrought up. He’d took off a big crate of eggs and got returns from several crates he’d sent to New York, an’ he sez to me:
“That consarned Middleman is cheatin’ me the worst kind. I know the yaller Plymouth Rock eggs ort to bring mor’n the white Leghorns; they’re bigger and it stands to reason they’re worth more, and he don’t give nigh so much. I believe he eats ’em himself and that’s why he wants to git ’em cheaper.”
“No Middleman,” sez I, “could eat fifty dozen a week.”
“He could if he eat enough at one time. ’Tennyrate, I’m goin’ to New York to see about it.”
“When are you goin’?” sez I.
“I’m goin’ to-morrow mornin’. I’m goin’ in onexpected and I lay out to catch him devourin’ them big eggs himself.”