room. But I, feelin' kinder beat out (eloquent emotions are very tuckerin' on a tower), thought

, I had better have gone ri

chral lookin' female, that I had noticed at the

are the noble and eloquent Josiah Allen's w

stoppin'-I am stopped, as

private seansy. And knowin' you are a great case to investigate into truths, I thought

ld her "I guessed I wouldn't go. I did

derful to see. Why, we will tie the m

ed to tie Thomas J. up when he was little, and naughty; a

homas J.?

d by his first

and the conditions are favorable, the spirits

o think the conditions wus so favorable, and he didn't seem to appear so much, after his father ketched him at

to go to whippin' a ghost. But she didn't seem to notice my remark, fo

ike to talk with you

ly, after a minute's tho

y, and we will call 'em, an

nt, that it has got all frayed out round the bottom, and I have got to mend the fray. But, if any of my kindred are there, you jest mention it to 'em that she that wuz Saman

fun: you don't believe t

ther world, and come down to this boardin'-house, to No. 17, they would know, without havin' to be told, that I was in the

glorious manifestations

soul below, He can, without any of your performances and foolishness; and when I say performences and when I say foolishness, I s

ion of saints? Don't you believe

ast, the pure in heart shall see God. Why,

f Cicely, and c

ration to get ready to go, but it is only a short sail there. And you may go all over the land from house to house, and you will hear in almost every one of some dear friend who died with their faces lit up with the glow of the light shinin' from s

u was one who never condemned any thing

rld for not sayin' a thing hain't so. When you think how big a country the land of Truth is, and how many great unexplored regions lay in it, why should Josiah Allen's wife stand and le

gropin's of the present; and it is not for me, nor Josiah, nor anybody

do, who profess to know all his little social eccentricities. But I simply say, and say honest, that I hain't felt no drawin

angels have ap

angel that I ever heard on, has been harnessed and tackled up with any ropes or strings whatsoever. No! whenever we hear of angels appearin' to men, they have flown down, white-winged and radiant, right out

e they could come

earth, Earth and Heaven drew nearer together, as it were,-the divine and the human. And if we now draw Heaven nearer to us by better, purer lives, who knows," says I dreamily (forgettin' the mejum

e heard Thomas J. read about, but we might, like her, see visions, and hear voices, callin' us to heav

there is strange doi

yself; but, from what I have hear

e are things done tha

ctric light, and many other seemin'ly supernatural works. And who knows but there may s

s, voices from Heaven sp

that He, the mighty King of heaven and earth, would speak to His children through a s

God has spoken to m

that manner. Way back to the creation, when we read of God's speaki

ne, then he heard God's voice. He didn't have to wait for favorable conditions, or set

any tests to call down the spirits. Clear and sudden out of heaven come the Lord's voice speaking to her so

ning, at the tent's door, received the angelic visitants. Sudden, unbeknown to the

. Hannah didn't have to say, 'If you are a spirit, rap so many times.' No: she knew the vo

uest came down from heaven unbidden, and appeared to Daniel alone, in peril; and as he stood by the 'great rive

rt and sustain them who from love to Him go out into rightous warfare. But I don't believe they come through a seansy. I don't, honestly. I don't believ

they didn't have to tie a mejum into a box before they could hear God's voice. No: we read in the Bible of eight different ones who come back from death, and appeared to their fr

s. It don't look reasonable to think He has to employ such means. And it don't look reasonable to me to think, if He wants to speak to one of His children in comfort or consola

eliever," says

ich Stands, Unbeliever in Spiritual Seansys, and also United States. It has a

ay, which is gaulin' in the extreme to

t receptive

that would scare me,

ith in modern spiritual seansys. They seem to me,-and I would say it in a polite, courtous wa

over-polite to her, and not say a word to hurt her feelin's, that

ge creeters there are

the room. But 1,000 and 5 is a small estimate

ry if his papa didn't appear, if he didn't appear? And where the folks went to that I said, come out of their graves? And did they di

el wild as a loon, and C

bedroom for something; and he

and died before their pa's come out, would they come out too? and w

egiatly, and s'pos

ul ammount of thinkin' and medetatin'. Mebby right when I would be a talkin' and a smilin' to folks about the weather or literatoor o

lusion I reached on my first interview with Allen Arthur,-that I

ot, as his mind was, let

ment I loved; and after I had looked round me, and ob

I dast not

ness of uncle Nate Gowdy and Ury Henzy for governmental positions. And after I had enquired round

st not l

that other hands just as free once had had rings slipped into 'em, a

not let

. But the powerful winds that blew through them broad streets of Washington from every side, and from the outside, and from the under side, powerful breezes,

not let

ul thought hanted me,-mebby he would be willin' to sell; and, th

I dast not

dast not l

ble as calm and cool as my toast (which was very cool), when the hired man brought me a letter; and I opened it right there,

hurd, mi plan has faled, I am a undun Josire. Tung kant xpres mi yernin to see u. I kant tak no kumfort lookin at

vin ko

SI

ov po

bad, mi i

r u shal

gh eatin', anyway), and hastened to my room. Cic

white linen handkerchief, I give vent to some moans of

matter, aun

I sa

uncle! your

matter with h

zy and got a creek, and I must start fo

" and then I showed her the

pled with too many public questions. I ortn't to have left him alone with politics. But I left him for

ence of the partner of his youth and middle age? Will he never re

would know my cream biscuit and other vit

wuzn't crazy, it was the new-fashioned way of spelling;" she said she ha

the side of my sufferin' Josiah. I shall go home on that creek." Says I, "Woman's first duty is to th

s, there; and she wanted to attend to it; she wanted to help all she could; and then, there wus a person high in influence that sh

it worrys me far more than the creek: and I see my partner is a

y come on in a few days: she was all boyed up with the thought t

nkin' about the new spellin', and felt that I approved of

I see the latter was easier to carry. I see they would make our language easier to learn by children and foreigners; it would lop off a lot

feel so, though I love the old things with a love that makes my heart ache sometimes when changes c

rs liked the idee of bein' perched up on a pillion behind the old 4 fathers. I s'pose they hated the idee of gettin' off of that

ry early) to borrow some coals if they had lost their flint. I s'pose they had got attached to that flint, some of 'em, and hated to give it up, thought it would be lonesome. But they had to; and the flint didn't care, it

ents. We are only campin' out, here; and we have to move our tents along, and let the new things push us out

Beautiful, fresh rooms, carpeted with the green moss, with bright young faces bendin' down over 'em. Where are they now? The d

onto the happy heads of the fresh, br

o-day, old Time, but none truer and tenderer than his. But long ago, oh! long ago, the dust covered you-the dust that is older than the pyramids, old, an

elen and Harry-where are you all to-day, I wonder? But though I do not know that, I do know this,-that Time has not stood still with any of you. T

-hopes built upon worldly wealth, worldly fame, household affection, political success-ah I wi

n. But God grant that we may all meet, happy children again, young with th

go, trampled down into dust, and the dust blown away by the rushin' years. Blown away,

after growin' old; sometimes I kinder

s as old as we be, that wuz born, at the same time; and lots of folks are older.

meditate on, Josiah; but it don't ta

't have to work so hard." He said "he'd fairly love to

ll him I said so: he's real fractious on that subjec

ake growin' old any easier to se

oul: the real, person is within. But then, you know, you get sort o' attached to your own body, yo

k to you. Your hands are soft and white; and they are your own too, which makes 'em nearer to you; they have

an older person's hands; you kinder hate to change the face for

open out into the orchard, and the May birds was singin' amidst the apple-blows. The red lips parted with a happy smile; the bright, laughin' eyes, sort o' soft too, and wistful-wishful

rnin'. But it is different, anyhow; and you can't help gettin' kinder homesick, longin'

pose we shall get back our lost youth in the place

stop a minute, and whet his scythe, and give us a chance to get round the swath he cuts, won't ammount to nothin

, and the flowers; and pretty soon the swath will come right towards us, the grass-blades will fall nearer and nearer-a turn of the gleamin' scythe, and we, too, will be gone. The su

ee, we hain't needed so much as we in our egotism think we are

t to be fore mothers and fore fathers, we mustn't set still: we must give the babies a chance to b

follows the autumn, and the years go by! And the clouds sail on through the

twilight follows the sun, and at last t

side of myself. Why, I shouldn't have sensed whether I was settin' on a sofy in a Washington boarding-house (a hard one too), or a bed of flowers in Asia Minor, or

r and wad it up, and ondress), I rousted up out of my revery, and realized I was Josiah Allen's wife on a tower of Principle and Disc

eral times, with hugs according; and then I took leave of Sally and Bub Smith. I paid for my board honorable, although Sally said she would not take any pay for so short a board. But I knew, in her condition, boards

a covered carriage to convey my body to the

ched sight of me, sounded friendl

Your labors of duty and anxiety is over. Soon, s

t word that was

ey looked good to me. There was one man upbraidin' his wife about some domestic matter, with crossness in his tone, but affectionate car

you along towards your heart's home, your heart's desire, as when you have been

lly fringed with stars (there wuzn't a star: I jest put that in for

wus stirred to the very depths of his heart to see me agin; but he struggled for calmness, and told me

must emulate his c

n I can. Do hold the mair sti

ldin' it? Jump in: there i

ss enough in bein' once more by the side of the one you love, whether you speak or not. And, to tell the truth,

stard, and coffee. It wus settled in peace and calmness. He looked unstrung, very unstrung, and wan, considerable wan. But I knew that I and the supper could string him up agin; and I felt that I would not speak of the plan or the creek, or any agitatin' subject, until the supper was over, w

ne you love. But, at the same time, it is bitter to know that your pardner has

ltaneous, as it were, an

said a word about my own adventures at Washington, D.C. Oh, how that plan had worried me! But the minute I mentioned it, Josiah looked as if he would sink.

e, Josiah,-you said that plan wou

gro

d make you a lion, and me a liones

oaned

t didn't make you

ut says I firmly, for I wus bou

you a

y she, "

s I, "then

says he bitterl

t have gone off on no towers of discovery, to have found that out. But now," s

Samantha al

, "I have got to f

thought went through me like a arrow,-that my worst apprehens

the job agin. He begun to make a poem when we was first married; but there wuzn't no

acred, to never, never, as long as he lived and breathed, try to write another li

ied this sp

I ever knew spri

then and there, that I made him promise on the Old Testament, never to try to write a line of poetry agi

lap, and sot down, and nearly buried his face in his hands. And the very first piec

he paper in my

ah Allen? Have you been a fightin'?

is hand. "I headed it so, to have a strong, takin' titl

(never havin' had 'em, I didn't know exactly what the symptoms was), and I felt dredfully. But anon, or pretty nigh anon, I grew calme

EN ON A PA

Men of Jonesville and the sur

eartily, and from the depths of my bein', for the hon

nator. I have not got the constitution to stand it. I don't feel well a good deal of the time. My liver is out of order, I am liable to have the ganders any minute, I am bilious, am troubl

ed duties to perform about, nearer and more sacred

arried her in a one-horse wagon and a mare) into my own home. And I feel that it is my first duty to make that home the brightest spot on earth to h

ville 'lection day,-bad men, and bad women. And I am liable to be led

wearin', nor never did.) I don't swear, but I think of them oaths afterwar

y offer to treat me, old friends do, and Samantha is afraid I s

I feel that I am in danger of losin' all them tender, winnin' qualities that first w

happiness is the first thing I must consider. Can I leave her lonely and unhappy while I plunge

, I feel as if that time I must use in strugglin' to promote the welfare

le her on my knee. I must teach her the path of virtue and happiness. If I do not, who will? For though

eacher's salary. I am school-trustee: I have to grapple with the deestrict every spring and fall. The teachers are high-headed, the parents always dissatisfied, and the children act like the Old Har

amantha tends to things on the inside of the house, I have to t

ons to weed-dumb 'em! and six acres of corn to husk. My barn-floor at this time is nearly covered with stooks. How dare I leave my barn in confusion, and, by my disorderly doin's, run the risk of my wive's bein' so disgusted with my want of neatness and shiftlessness, as to cause her to get dissatisfied

. TH

of my pardner. And as I finished, I looked round at him, and I see his looks was dretful. And I says in s

, Josiah Allen! It is as sensible as lots of po

den to me ever sense that appeared in 'The Gimlet.' Tongue can't tell the way t

ew moments almost lost in

together, will you tell your companion how

ld branch off, and take a new turn, and not act so fierce and wolfish after

l agin. But, if you wanted to be a senator, why did

f the Nation. I thought after they read that, they would be fierce to promote me, fierce as blood-hounds. I thought i

u that idee?"

p. She never had been thought any thing off in Jonesville till she wrote that, and that was the makin' of her. And she hadn't half the reason to write it that I have. She hadn't half nor a

red, I jest hankered, after bein' praised up as she was. And I thought," says he with a deep sithe, "I thought I should get as much agin praise as she did. I thought I s

ur tell, they treat yo

of a jungle: I'd teach them Jonesvillians to get out of my way. I'd love, when they was snickerin', and pokin' f

" says I. "Be

, what lifted Letitia Lanfear right up, didn't lift me up

strength to swim in the same water, fly over the same fences, from the same pursuers and avenge

ter in the post-office. Why, I never see the time, even when the children was little, and in cleanin' house, or sugarin'-time, but what I could ride into Jonesville every day, to say nothin'

vote intelligently; study into the laws that govern us both,-that hang us if we break 'em, and protect us if we obe

kin',-a sort of a shrewd, knowin' wink, but a

no idee of st

Zero, or pretty nigh as co

or the speech of people? Didn't yo

I'll tell you the truth. I didn't write it on a single principle, not a darn p

he groaned. It wus a

at made Letitia so populer, makes me a perfect outcast. Hain't we both human bein's-human Me

, for nobody can. It is too deep a conundrum to b

uldn't be soothed; and ag

titia, and it has ondone m

firmly, b

er time, will you not? and pin your fa

nto nothin' nor nobody. I'm do

Some like heat lightenin' on summer evenin's. It hain't so much enjoyment at the time, but you know it is goin

speech of hisen made me know that all private and public peril connected with Hon. Jos