Susan Clegg and Her Friend Mrs. Lathrop

unger woman bore to the elder was a further bond between them. Owing to the death of her mother some twenty years before, Susan had fallen into the position of

e had married and as a consequence felt and was fe

which sweeps under the beds too often. It therefore came about that the one and only recreation which the friends could enjoy together to any great extent was visiting over the fence. Visiting over the fence is an occupation in which any woman may indulge without fear of unkind criticism. If she takes occasion to run in next door, she is of course leaving the house which she ought to be k

tly, and when she started for the place of meeting it was her invariable custom to stop and pull a number

ut since Mrs. Lathrop, in her position of experienced adviser, was deeply interested in S

was ever rife on her lips. What he required done for him and what he required done to him were the main ends of her existence, and the demands of his comfort, daily or annual, resulted in numerous phrases of a startling but thoroughly intelligible order. Of such a sort was her usual S

er startled; yet one July evening when Susan said suddenly, "I 've fi

s nice. I put it away in camphor balls, 'n' Lord knows I don't look forward to the gettin' it ou

Mrs. Lathrop began, maste

n' of it all this afternoon when I sat there by him hemmin' the braid on the skirt, 'n' I could n't but think 't if I sit 'n' wait very much longer I sh'll suddenly find myself pretty far advanced in years afore I know it. This world's made f'r the young 's well's the old, 'n' you c'n believe me or not jus' 's you please, Mrs. Lathrop, but

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this summer he 'd have to pay f'r half of next winter's coal. 'N' so my mind's made up, 'n' you c'n talk yourself blind, 'f you feel so inclined, Mrs. Lathrop, but you can't change hide or hair o' my way o' thinkin'. I 've made up my mind to get married, 'n' I 'm goin' to set right ab

rs. Br--" Mrs. Lathrop gasped,

. Any man who wants a little chit o' eighteen wouldn't suit my taste much, 'n' anyhow I never thought of him; I only asked him to come in in a friendly way 'n' tell me how long he thinks 't father may live. I don't see my way to makin' any sort o' plans with father so dreffle indefinite, 'n' a man who was fool enough to marry me,

Mrs. Lathrop asked, resum

nd fault over another man's bein' always to home. O' course he would n't be still like father is, but I ain't never been one to look gift-horses in the mouth, 'n' I d'n' know 's I 'd ought to expect another man

d acquiescently bu

ewhat from her confiden

turn him out o' the window afore Mrs. Brown's son comes. After he's gone I'l

d Susan went to sleep with her o

gy, and Amelia Fitch held the horse while he went inside to inspect Mr. Clegg. The visit

Miss Clegg emerged from her kitchen door, her fac

eady. I asked him to set some sort of a figger on father, 'n' he would n't so much 's set down himself. Stood on one leg 'n' backed towards the door every other word, 'n' me, father's only child, standin' there at his mercy. Said 't last 's he might die to-morrow 'n' might live twenty years. I tell you my patience pretty near went at tha

ed and shook her

Brown's son, but I thought maybe he'd learn better later. Anyway I 'm goin' right ahead with my marriage. It'll have to be the minister now, 'n' I can't see what I 've ever done 't I sh'd have two men around the house 't once like they 'll be, but that's all in the hands o' Fate, 'n' so I j

a placid little innocent of nine-and-twenty years-was still in bed and asleep. Susan was up and washing her breakfa

'-" Mrs. Lathrop

," was the i

on the top rail of the fence, and Miss Clegg be

true 'n' beyond a question so, 'n' therefore I may 's well be frank 'n' open 'n' remark 't our minister ain't no good a tall.-'N I d'n' know

eyes became particularly wide ope

wn to it till I got there; but my way is to live open 'n' aboveboard, 'n' so to my shame be 't told 't the minister-with all 't he's got eight children 'n' I ain't even married-is certainly as sharp as me. Last night when I see him comin' up the walk I never 'd 'a' believed 's he c'd get away again so easy, but it just goes to show what a world o' deceit this is, 'n' seein' 's I have father to clean from his windows aroun' to-day, I 'll ask you to excuse me 'f I don't draw the subjeck out none, but

e-" began M

children all got themselves launched 'n' 't it was n't his fault her dyin' o' Rachel Rebecca. When he said 'dyin',' I broke in 'n' said 't it was Bible-true 's there was 's good fish in the sea 's ever was caught out of it, 'n' he was impolite enough to interrupt 'n' tell me to my face 'Yes, but when a man had been caught once he was n't easy caught again.' I will own 't I was more 'n put out 't that, for o' course when I said fish I meant his wife 'n' me, but when he pretended to think 't I meant him I begin to doubt 's it was worth while to tackle him further. One man can lead a horse to water, but a thousand can't get him to stick his nose in 'f he don't want to, 'n' I thank my stars 't I ain't got nothin' 'n me as craves to marry a man 's appears dead-set ag'in' the idea. I asked him '

to chew and looked

and then she asked, "Was

tared at her

ight in the face o' the minister 'n' the whole congregation 'n' had 'n' held some man, no matter who nor when nor where. Marryin' was goin' to have been a pleasure, now it's a business. I'm goin' to get a horse 'n' buggy this afte

hire-" suggest

, but if Mr. Sperrit's got it in him to talk like the minister did, I'm free to confess 't, I'd rather be alone to listen. 'N' really, Mrs. Lathrop

ise. Each returned up her own path to her own domicile, and it was long af

?" Mrs. Lathrop asked.

; "oh, yes, I went. I had a nice ride too, 'n' I do bel

filled it to the brim with expecta

" she fin

ubles. I didn't call that a very encouragin' beginnin', but my mind was made up not to let it be my fault 'f the horse was a dead waste o' fifty cents, 'n' so I said to him 't if he'd marry any woman with a little money he could easy buy the little Jones farm right next him, 'n' then 't 'd be

rop stopp

' Society 's he's goin' to ma

g almost

r, as keeps h

iend n

drew in a s

I was only to 'M.' 'N' he's goin' to marry her! Oh, well, I d'n' know 's it makes any difference to me. In my opinion a man as 'd be fool enough t

was a

st the-" Mrs. Lat

ame. Seems 't I can't remember

e was ano

never see nothin' to lead me to doubt 'em-'t he's stingy 'n' mean for all he's forever makin' so merry at other folks' expense; but I believe 't there's good in everythin' 'f yo

in'-" began

her neighbor; "the mosquitoes is

parted for

Fourth of July appearing to hang heavily over all. Susan broug

nce. I could n't seem to bring him around to the seriousness of the thing nohow. 'N' I come right out square 'n' open in the very beginnin' too, for Lord knows I 'm dead sick o' beatin' around the bush o' men's natural shyness. He whirled himself clean around two times 'n' then said 's long 's I was so frank with him 't it 'd be nothin' but a joy for him to be equally frank with me 'n' jus' say 's he'd rather not.

op chewed

ilin' them eight children 'n' the minister on top o' father, 'n' then the next night it was a good jump out to that farm, f'r I never was one to know any species o' fellow-feelin' with pigs 'n' milkin'. 'N' last night!-well, you know I never liked Mr. Weskin anyhow. But I d'n' know who I can get now. There

rted to speak, b

eelin' 't it 'd be kind o' awkward to go up to him 'n' have to begin by askin' him what my name 'd be 'f I married him. Maybe there's them 's could do suc

pted to get in a word an

in the town. I've thought 'n' thought 'n' I

ccess. Jathrop was her son, so baptized through a fearful slip of

start that she dropped

t never thought of him once, 'n' him so handy r

aid Mrs. Lathrop,

Lathrop. But I had good cause to worry, 'n' now 't it's over I don't mind mentionin' the reason 'n' tellin' you frank 'n' plain 't I'd begun on my things. I cut out a pink nightgown last night, a real fussy one, 'n' I felt sick all over 't the thought 't perhaps I'd wasted all that cloth. There wasn't nothin' foolish about cutt

op chewed

h Jathrop? Do you suppose it'll matter any

p shook her

little fellow! Everybody was lookin' for him to grow up a real credit to you then. Well, 's far 's that goes, it's a ill wind 't blows no good, 'n'

looked prou

the first thing in the mornin'? That'll save me

us good sense of this proposition

he dishes washed up. I hope to Heaven father'll sleep more this night 'n he did last. He was awful restless last night. He kept

u thin

ggravatin' is worse. If it is, then he is too. But, lor, there ain't no manner o' use

ced herself, so to speak, and the

her neighbor. When she did approach the spot where the other stoo

was within easy hearing. "I d'n' know what I want to get married f'r, when I'm b

p chewed an

ret so many times 't I do believe I dusted all overhead with my hair afore mornin'. My ears is full o' cobwebs too, 'n' you know 's well 's I do 't I never was one to fancy cobwebs about me. They say 't every cloud has a silver linin', but I can't see no s

or a few seconds; then she gave herself a little s

at did Ja

ortable indeed, and in lieu of

d him, di

s,

what 'd

in't

ody! What reas

ur father's liv

own property, 'n' I'll take it very kindly o' you, Mrs. Lathrop, to make that piece o' news clear to your son. My father's got bank-stock, 'n' he owns them

asked me

at 'd you

your father wa

yebrows moved

father?" she asked without waiting

mother died, I

ake a look at him now 'n' tell

throp r

I can't. I'll go

off, come right over 'n' you'll fin

h her hands, and then sallied over to view Mr. Clegg. The two fr

and his features had been crossed and recrossed by the finger of Time until their original characteristics were nearly obliterated. The expression upon his face resembled nothing so much as a sketch whi

ds the ordering of an unsightly fold in the wide smoothness of the counterpane, led to her bending herself to do a similar kindne

le I'm sewin'. You see, his havin' been paralyzed so many years has

s. Lathrop; "

ain," said the hostess

n, and there Mrs. Lathrop seat

how?" the younge

rop cough

d I feel a

, in great surpri

nk it was t

o' the heat, 'n' he hates

rop cough

terest bordered

's noways true, but I have heard

s?" cried t

hey hold the lif

's eyes op

said, with a species of determined resignation in he

an rose too. They went out the kitchen door toget

use me thinkin' o' Jathrop any m

cksmith if I was you; he l

eavily and turned t

of lint had come tumbling down upon her head. Under such circumstances it was but natural that a determination to some day clean the shelf should have slowly but surely been developed. Accordingly she climbed up on the edge of the sink and undertook the initiatory proceedings. The lowe

e sizzled sweetly on the stove, the newspaper rustled less and less, Mrs. Lathrop's

f things end

at first unable to discern from which direction the ear-splitting screams proceeded. Then, in a second, her senses returned to her, and she ran as fast as she could to the fence. As she approached the boundary, she saw Susan standing in one of her upstairs windows and yelling at the top of h

it, for

ors and shaking a

's it 'd work so qu

t wo

feath

e fea

r's fe

rcy, Susan, y

, I

in't

, he

rop stood

eyes with her

the older woma

did

the question of

ever tell you; it's too

t y

s to takin' the say-so o' other folks unto myself. 'N' I didn't really consider 't I was doin' so this time, f'r i

osity getting the better of her symp

bbing, and essa

n a nut-shell, we settled to move him, 'n' I moved him. I know I didn't hurt him one bit, for I'm 's handy with-at least, I was's handy with him 's I am with a broom. 'N' I laid him on the lounge, 'n' dumped that b

d, and there was

rs. Lathrop a

'd done, I was that upset 't I just run 's quick 's ever

ce, finally broken by Mrs. Lathr

as you I would

ink o' me doin' it! To think o' all these years 't I've tended father night 'n' day, 'n' the

know what a good

n't seem to comfort me none. Perhaps you'd better make me some

Lathrop, "'n' I

said the berea

the two friends stood by the fence. The orphan gir

but she's doin' nicely, 'n' the minister makes up f'r anythin'. I do wish 't you'd seen him that afternoon, Mrs. Lathrop; he did look so most awful sheepish, 'n' his clean collar give him dead away afore he ever opened his mouth. He set out by sayin' 't the consolations of religion was mine f'r the askin', but I didn't take the hint, 'n' so he had to jus' come out flat 'n' say 't he'd been thinkin' it over 'n' he'd changed his mind. I held my head good 'n' high 't that, I c'n assure you, 'n' it was a pretty sorry look he give me when I said 't I'd been thinkin' it over too, 'n' I'd changed my mind too. He could 'a' talked to me till doomsday about his bein' a consolation, I'd know it was nothin' 't changed him but me comin' into them go

niscently; Mrs. Lathrop's eyes

e 'n' I be now, 'n' you'll be doin' me the only kindness 't it's in you to do me now if you'll jus' take your garden stuff 'n' give it to some one 's is poor 'n' needin'.' He looked so crestfallen 't I made up my mind 't it was then or never to settle my whole score with him, so I up 'n' looked him right in the eye 'n' I says to him, I says, 'Mr. Sperrit, you didn't seem to jus' realize what it meant to me

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p, 'n' it's natural 't, seein' you can't help yourself, you look upon him 's better 'n' nothin', but still I will remark 't Jathrop's the last straw on top o' my hump, 'n' this mornin' when I throwed out the dish-water 'n' hit him by accident jus' comin' in, my patience clean gin out. I didn't feel no manner o' sympathy over his soapy wetness, 'n' I spoke my mind right then 'n' there.

rop sighe

g echoed

nice gover'ment bonds savin' up for me in his desk! No, I sha'n't consider no more as to gettin' married. While it looked discouragin' I hung on 'n' never give up hope, but I sh'd be showin' very little o' my natural share o' brains 'f I didn't know 's plain 's the moon above 't 'f I get to be eighty 'n' the fancy takes me I c'n easy get a husband any day with those bonds. While I couldn't seem to lay hands on no man I was wild to have one-now 't I know I c'n have any man 't I fancy, I don't want no man a tall. It'll always be a pleasure to look back on my love-makin', 'n' I wouldn't be no woman 'f down in the bottom of my h

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