After she finished it, I told her it was perfectly beautiful, and I left her feelin' quite bright; and there wuzn't but one of my pies spilte, and I didn't care if it wuz. I wuzn't goin' to have her feelin's hurt, pies or no pies.
After I got my pies out, I went into my nearest neighbor's on a errent, tellin' Josiah to stay in Thomas Jefferson's room, just acrost from Cicely's, so's if she wanted any thing, he could get it for her. I wuzn't gone over a hour, and, when I went back, I went up-stairs the first thing; and I found Cicely a cryin,' though there was a softer, more contented look in her eyes than I had seen there for a long time.
And I says, “What is the matter, Cicely?”
And she says,—
“Oh! if I had been a better woman, I could have seen my mother! she has been here!”
“Why, Cicely!” says I. “Here, take some of this jell.”
But she put it away, and says in a sort of a solemn, happy tone,—
“She has been here!”