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Updated: June 11, 2025
She was devoted to her son, and more or less overshadowed by his prerogative as "menfolks" born to absorb the cream of things; but the elderly good sense in her was alive to the certainty that if Amarita had not been so yielding, Elihu would never have been so bumptious.
Amarita made a picture of childlike misery. Her eyes had the piteous look of coming tears, and she swallowed once or twice before speech was possible. "O Elihu," she breathed, "you don't really s'pose that, do you?" "Course he will," said Elihu. "That's the way they do come drivin' along a time o' day when there's no menfolks to home, and take in the womenfolks.
Elihu's mother a large, loosely made, blond old lady sat by the window, out of range of the lamplight even, knitting by feeling, and doubling her pleasures through keeping her glance out of the window, where a new moon hung. While she felt the warmth of indoor comfort wafting about her, Amarita cast up a hesitating yet altogether happy look at her husband.
At last it was the day appointed for town meeting, and Elihu was at his task for the last time, making a fair copy for his townsmen's eyes. It was about four in the afternoon, and the smell of hot apple-sauce was in the air. Amarita meant to have supper early, so that she could give her mind untrammeled to getting her husband into his bosomed shirt and starting him on his quest.
And when it come to your plans" she stopped here, and Elihu absently put his hand to the roll in his pocket "when it come to them, I said you might show 'em to the minister and the doctor and everybody else. But, Elihu, there ain't O Elihu, you ain't put a single closet in that house!" Elihu stood there in silence, and Amarita sat on the packing-case, feeling her heart beat.
Amarita started almost, it might have been, with some inner consciousness not to be given away. "Oh no," said she. "I ain't feverish, mother Meade. Maybe I'm kinder flurried, Elihu's goin' out and all." "Goin' to take the womenfolks along with ye, Elihu?" called the old lady, a satirical note beating into her voice. Elihu looked up absently from his paper.
"I guess I set by Elihu enough, an' more too, but it does go ag'inst the grain to see you makin' out he's the greatest man that ever stepped. 'Twon't be long before ye can't live with him. Can't either of us!" Amarita was silent, staring straight at the old lady, who glanced up presently and blinked at her.
Old Mis' Meade almost groaned, and went away to her bedroom, as if she could not endure the hearing of the coming contest or to see the slain. "What agent?" asked Elihu. He had gone back to his seat by the fire, and Amarita, answering, stood with her hand upon the devastated table. "Why, the book agent. He come in a buggy, and he had this set with him." "Set o' what?" "Why, set o' books.
They know women ain't got no business trainin'. How do they know it? Because they've tried it over 'n' over, and every time they've come out ahead." The tears were dropping now, and Amarita walked hastily away to conceal them, and got down her dish-pan, although the table was not yet cleared. By the time she had turned from the sink again, a shadow of her hopefulness came wanly back.
But Amarita leaned forward across the table, her eager eyes upon the paper. She had forgotten her resentment. It was happiness to her to see Elihu doing what he liked and succeeding in it. "O Elihu," said she, "show it to me, won't you? Tell me what the rooms are." But he was rolling up his work. "No," he said; "wait till I get a little further along. Then I will.
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