第40章 MISS G.WASHINGTON FLAMM(3)

still, I wuz determined to keep my eyes out, and if I see her goin' into anything dangerus, I wuz goin' to reject her overtures to take us.But thinkses I to myself, "We always said I believed we should travel to the stars some time, but I little thought it would be to-day, or that I should go in a buggy."Josiah shared my feelin's I could see, for he whispered to me, "Don't le's go, Samantha, it must be dangerus!"But I whispered back, "Le's wait, Josiah, and see.We won't do nothin' percipitate, but," sez I, "this is a chance that we most probable never will have ag'in.Don't le's be hasty." We talked these things in secret, while Miss Flamm wuz a bendin' over, and conversin' with the dog.For Josiah would ruther have died than not be s'pozed to be "Oh Fay," as Maggie would say, in everything fashionable.And it has always been my way to wait and see, and count 10, or even 20, before speakin'.

And then Miss Flamin sez sunthin' about what beautiful fried potatoes you could get there in the moon, and you could always get them, any time you wanted 'em.

And the very next time she went to kissin' the dog so voyalently as not to notice us, my Josiah whispered to me and sez, "Did you have any idee that wuz what the old man wuz a doin'? I knew he wuz always a settin' up there in the moon, but it never passed my mind that he wuz a fryin' potatoes."But I sez, "Keep still, Josiah.It is a deep subject, a great undertakin', and it requires caution and deliberation."But he sez,"I haint a goin', Samantha! Nor I haint a goin' to let you go.It is dangerus."But I kinder nudged him, for she had the dog down on her lap, and was ready to resoom conversation.And about that time we got to the entrance of the spring, and one of her relatives got down and opened the carriage door.

I wondered ag'in that she didn't introduce us.But I didn't care if she didn't.I felt that I wuz jest as good as they wuz, if they wuz so haughty.But Josiah wantin' to make himself agreeable to 'em (he hankers after gettin' into high society), he took off his hat and bowed low to 'em, before he got out, and sez he, "I am proud to know you, sir," and tried to shake hands with him.But the man rejected his overtoors and looked perfectly wooden, and oninterested.A big-feelin', high-headed creeter.

Josiah Allen is as good as he is any day.And I whispered to him and sez, "Don't demean yourself by tryin' to force your company onto them any more.""Wall," he whispered back, "I do love to move in high circles."Sez I, "Then I shouldn't think you would be so afraid of the undertakin' ahead on us.If neighborin' with the old man in the moon, and eatin' supper with him, haint movin' in high circles, then I don't know what is.""But I don't want to go into anything dangerus," sez he.

But jest then Miss Flamm.spoke to me, and I moved forward by her side and into a middlin' big room, and in the middle wuz a great sort of a well like, with the water a bubblin' up into a clear crystal globe, and a sprayin' up out of it, in a slender misty sparklin' spray.It wuz a pretty sight.And we drinked a glass full of it a piece, and then we wandered out of the back door-way, and went down into the pretty; old-fashioned garden back of the house.

Josiah and me and Miss Flamm went.The dog and the two relatives didn't seem to want to go.The relatives sot up there straight as two sticks, one of 'em holdin' the dog, and they didn't even look round at us.

"Felt too big to go with us," sez Josiah, bitterly, as we went down the steps."They won't associate with me.""Wall, I wouldn't care if I wuz in your place, Josiah Allen," sez I, "you are jest as good as they be, and I know it.""You couldn't make 'em think so, dumb 'em," sez he.

I liked the looks of it down there.It seems sometimes as if Happiness gets kinder homesick, in the big dusty fashionable places, and so goes back to the wild, green wood, and kinder wanders off, and loafs round, amongst the pine trees, and cool sparklin' brooks and wild flowers and long shinin' grasses and slate stuns, and etc., etc.

I don't believe she likes it half so well up in the big hotel gardens or Courtin' yards, as she does down there.You see it seems as if Happiness would have to be more dressed up, up there, and girted down, and stiff actin', and on her good behavior, and afraid of actin' or lookin' onfashionable.But down here by the side of the quiet little brook, amongst the cool, green grasses, fur away from diamonds, and satins, and big words, and dogs, and parasols, and so many, many that are a chasin' of her and a follerin' of her up, it seemed more as if she loved to get away from it all, and get where she could take her crown off, lay down her septer, onhook her corset, and put on a long loose gown, and lounge round and enjoy herself (metafor).

We had a happy time there.We went over the little rustick bridges which would have been spilte in my eyes if they had been rounded off on the edges, or a mite of paint on 'em.Truly, Ifelt that I had seen enough of paint and gildin' to last me through a long life, and it did seem such a treat to me to see a board ag'in, jest a plain rough bass-wood board, and some stuns a lyin' in the road, and some deep tall grass that you had to sort a wade through.

Miss Flamm seemed to enjoy it some down there, though she spoke of the dog, which she had left up with her relatives.

"3 big-feelin' ones together," I whispered to Josiah.

And he sez, "Yes, that dog is a big-feelin' little cuss-tomer.

And if I wuz a chipmunk he couldn't bark at me no more than he duz."And I looked severe at Josiah and sez I, "If you don't jine your syllables closer together you will see trouble, Josiah Allen.

You'll find yourself swearin' before you know it.""Oh shaw, sez he, "customer haint a swearin' word; ministers use it.I've hearn 'em many a time.""Yes," sez I, "but they don't draw it out as you did, Josiah Allen.""Oh! wall! Folks can't always speak up pert and quick when they are off on pleasure exertions and have been barked at as long as I have been.But now I've got a minutes chance," sez he, "let me tell you ag'in, don't you make no arraingments to go to the Moon.