"Ben here afore?" he asked confidentially of the lady.
"Yes, once or twice. I never came in an ox cart before."
"I guess you hain't," he replied, chewing a blade of rank grass which he had pulled for the purpose. "My judgment is we had a fust-rate entertainment, comin' down."
"I quite agree with you."
"Now in anythin' but an ox cart, you couldn't ha' had it."
"No, not so well, certainly."
"I couldn't ha' had it, anyway, withouten we'd come so softly. I declare, I believe them critters stepped soft o' purpose. It's better'n a book, to hear that girl talk, now, ain't it?"
"Much better than many books."
"She's got a lot o' 'em inside her head. That beats me! She allays was smart, Lois was; but I'd no idee she was so full o' book larnin'. Books is a great thing!" And he heaved a sigh.
"Do you have time to read much yourself, sir?"