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"Eben Small," she said, as she shook her fingers in his face, "you're a disgrace to the community! Now, not a word! Don't speak! I know what you've been doing, you and my husband and Elnathan Hewett! You've been drinking hard cider at Rufus Applesnack's store! I'm going to take Eli home, and I'll give him a dressing down he won't soon forgit! I tell ye not to speak! You ain't gut nuthin' to say!"
People laughed, and neighbors who had not spoken to one another since the quarrel over the price of wood fell into murmured, approving talk. Elnathan Pritchett, blushing and hesitating, twitched at his father's sleeve. "But, father Miss Martin We're keeping her out of a position." That young lady made one more effort to reach these impenetrable people.
I can get it for two dollars a month." "With all these things in it?" "No, with nothing in it. But I can buy the things, Elnathan, get them cheap at the second-hand store. And I can cook to beat well to beat some women anyway " He paused to think a moment of Adelizy, one of the pauper cooks. "Yes," he thought, "Adelizy has her days. She's systematic.
Elnathan, who was, apparently, half asleep, looked up. "Hey?" he queried. "Mr. Colton? Yes, he's here. Want him, do you?" "Yes. Where is he?" "Up yonder somewheres. There he is, by Sarah Burgess's table. Mr. Colton! Mr. Col ton! Somebody wants ye!" "What in blazes did you yell like that for?" protested the coachman, springing from the carriage. "Stop it, d'ye hear?"
"Yas, an jestices' fees, an sheriff fees is baout ez bad ez lawyer's," said Israel Goodrich, whose countenance was beginning to glow from the influence of his potations. "I tell you wesh'd be a dern sight better off 'f'all the courts wuz stopped. Most on ye is young fellers, 'cept you Elnathan Hamlin, thar.
But tenny rate, the upshot of the matter wuz that the nurse thought she would keep half of the Master's orders she wouldn't let The Little Maid out of her sight. So she hired a cab she had plenty of money, Elnathan didn't stent her on wages. He had his good qualities, Elnathan did.
And, although there had been days when Elnathan had recklessly brought home a ten-cent pie and half a dozen doughnuts from the baker's as his share of provision for their common dinner, Mr. Lightenhome felt that he had managed well. And yet there were only fifty dollars of the original six hundred left, and the poorhouse was looming once more on the old man's sight. He sighed.
He did not buy more. He needed new flannels, but he did not buy them. Instead he tried to patch the old ones, and Elnathan, coming in suddenly, caught him doing it. "Why, Uncle Chris!" he exclaimed. "What are you patching those old things for? Why don't you pitch 'em out and get new ones?" The old man kept silent till he had his needle threaded.
He looked as if he wuz rejoiced that his temporary thraldom to sentiment wuz over, and common sense and practical gain wuz in the ascendancy agin. And though it hain't much matter, I will say I read his marriage in the paper the next week: "Amaziah Pomper to Euphrasia, relict of Elnathan Fatt."
As soon as the sick men were a little revived from the exhaustion of their journey, tubs of water were provided in the shed, and they washed themselves all over, Elnathan and Perez assisting in the repulsive task. Then, their filthy prison garments being thrown away, they were dressed in old clothing of Elnathan's, and their hair and matted beards were shorn off with scissors.
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