Samantha Among the Brethren | Page 9

that menaced it, and lookin', also, perhaps, for a
possible mate, for the comin' gander--restless, wobblin', oneasy,
miserable.
Why, she brought the school-house down, and got the audience all
wrought up with pity, and sympathy. Oh, how Submit Tewksbury did
weep; she wept aloud (she had been disappointed, but of this more
bimeby).

And then she went on and compared that lonesome voyager to two
blissful wedded ones. A pair of white swans floatin' down the waveless
calm, bathed in silvery light, floatin' down a shinin' stream that wuz
never broken by rough waves, bathed in a sunshine that wuz never
darkened by a cloud.
And then she went on to bring up lots of other things to compare the
two states to--flowery things and sweet, and eloquent.
She compared single life to quantities of things, strange, weird,
melancholy things, and curius. Why, they wuz so powerful that every
one of 'em brought the school-house down.
And then she compared married life to two apple blossoms hangin'
together on one leafy bough on the perfumed June air, floatin' back and
forth under the peaceful benediction of summer skies.
And she compared it to two white lambs gambolin' on the velvety
hill-side. To two strains of music meltin' into one dulcet harmony,
perfect, divine harmony, with no discordant notes.
Josiah hunched me, he wanted me to cry there, at that place, but I
wouldn't. He did, he cried like an infant babe, and I looked close and
searchin' to see if my handkerchief covered up all his vest.
He didn't seem to take no notice of his clothes at all, he wuz a-weepin'
so--why, the whole schoolhouse wept, wept like a babe.
But I didn't. I see it wuz a eloquent and powerful effort. I see it was
beautiful as anything could be, but it lacked that one thing I have
mentioned prior and before this time. It lacked megumness.
I knew they wuz all impressive and beautful illustrations, I couldn't
deny it, and I didn't want to deny it. But I knew in my heart that the
lonely goose that she had talked so eloquent about, I knew that though
its path might be tegus the most of the time, yet occasionally it stepped
upon velvet grass and blossomin' daisies. And though the happy
wedded swans floated considerable easy a good deal of the time, yet

occasionally they had their wings rumpled by storms, thunder storms,
sudden squalls, and et cetery, et cetery.
And I knew the divine harmony of wedded love, though it is the
sweetest that earth affords, I knew that, and my Josiah knew it--the
very sweetest and happiest strains that earthly lips can sing.
Yet I knew that it wuz both heavenly sweet, and divinely sad, blended
discord and harmony. I knew there wuz minor chords in it, as well as
major, I knew that we must await love's full harmony in heaven. There
shall we sing it with the pure melody of the immortals, my Josiah and
me. But I am a eppisodin', and to continue and resoom.
Wall, we wuz invited to meet the young female after the lecture wuz
over, to be introduced to her and talk it over.
She wuz the Methodist minister's wive's cousin, and the minister's wife
told me she wuz dretful anxious to get my opinion on the lecture. I
spoze she wanted to get the opinion of one of the first wimmen of the
day. For though I am fur from bein' the one that ort to mention it, I have
heard of such things bein' said about me all round Jonesville, and as far
as Loontown and Shackville. And so, I spoze, she wanted to get hold of
my opinion.
Wall, I wuz introduced to her, and I shook hands with her, and kissed
her on both cheeks, for she is a sweet girl and I liked her looks.
I could see that she was very, VERY sentimental, but she had a sweet,
confidin', innocent look to her, and I give her a good kissin' and I meant
it. When I like a person, I do like 'em, and visy-versey.
But at the same time my likin' for a person mustn't be strong enough to
overthrow my principles. And when she asked me in her sweet axents,
"How I liked her lecture, and if I could see any faults in it?" I leaned up
against Duty, and told her, "I liked it first-rate, but I couldn't agree with
every word of it."
Here Josiah Allen give me a look sharp enough to take my head clear

off, if looks could behead anybody. But they can't.
And I kept right on, calm and serene, and sez I, "It wuz very full of
beautiful idees, as full of 'em as a rose-bush