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She put her head down, an' then she says, 'Yes, Joshuay! yes, dear! An' she got up an' took the pocket-book 'Mandy had gi'n him off the top o' the bureau, an' laid it down on the bed where he could git it. But he shook his head, an' said the word ag'in, an' a queer look as if she was scairt an' pleased flashed over Lyddy Ann's face.
Here Marthy again covered her face with her hands, and Mrs. Chilton took up the tale: "I can see her now, up thar on the hill-shoulder, betwixt you and John on the front log, by Evy's grave-house, and Uncle Joshuay a-hollering and weeping and denouncing like he does, and her setting through it like a rock.
He spat out a stale quid of tobacco and took a fresh one, squinted again toward the butte and looked at Casey. "She's country I never prospected in, back in there. I've follered poorer advice than a Joshuay. Le's try it a whirl."
When she see she'd got to stay there, she begun to cook for herself; but one day, one o' the neighbors heard her pleadin' with Josh, out in the cow-yard, while he was milkin'. "'O Joshuay, she kep' a-sayin' over 'n' over, 'you needn't take me back, if you'll on'y let me do your work! You needn't speak to me, an' I'll live in the other part; but I shall be crazy if you don't let me do your work.
Then finally Uncle Joshuay he thundered at her the third time, 'Hain't it the truth, Sister Dalmanuthy, that the judgment and the curse of God has fell on you for your rebelliousness, like I prophesied, and that you hain't able to see John thar or Marthy thar or the hand thar before your face thar? when Aunt Dalmanuthy riz up sudden, and clinched her hands, and says slow and fierce: 'Man, it is the truth you speak.
The music played softer and softer the melodium, the cordine, and the fiddle and with it, keepin' time with it, the light come softer, too; so lookin' up the scholars seen there in the celestial glow, a solemn company gethered round the boy the he-roes of old Hercules and General Grant, Joshuay and Washington all the mighty fighters of history.
But Uncle Joshuay in especial were possessed to pester her, and inquire were she yet riconciled to the will of God, and warn her of judgment if she refused." "Doubtless Uncle Joshuay's high talk did agg her on," said Mrs. Chilton, impartially, "but she need n't to have blasphemed like she done at Evy's funeral occasion." Marthy covered her face with her hands.
'Lord! says I, 'Josh; that's on'y Genesis! 'twon't do the erysipelas a mite o' good for you to be settin' there reading the be'gats! You better turn to Revelation. But 'twa'n't all on his side, nuther. 'Twas give an' take with them. It used to seem as if Lyddy Ann kind o' worshipped him. 'Josh' we all called him; but she used to say 'Joshuay, an' look at him as if he was the Lord A'mighty."
She died of the breast-complaint; some calls it the galloping consumpt'." "I allus allowed if Uncle Joshuay and them other preachers had a-helt off and let maw alone a while in her grief," broke in Marthy's gentle voice, "she never would have gone so far.
Seems kinda funny; an' that old lady rockin' an' lookin' seems like her an' the Joshuay has kinda throwed in together, hopin' somebody might come along with savvy enough to kinda aw, hell!" So did Casey and his Irish belief in the supernatural fall plump against the limitations of his vocabulary.
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