did, she jest slighted her, and acted as if she wuzn't half so much worth as the blank pieces of canvas she handled from day to day, for them she could cover with her own idees and images. It seemed queer to me, queer as a dog.
Anna wuz not in very good sperits, but she went round the house good tempered if ruther sad, helpin' her Ma all she could, and, in fact, takin' the brunt of the work on herself, for Arabeller wuz not to be depended on, and Tamer's various diseases wuz worse and more aggravatin' than they had been. Cicero, as usual, wuz steeped to the chin in cigarettes and his wild novels of buckaneers and pirates and couldn't be depended on for help only at meal times, then he come out strong and helped to make way with the food in a masterful way.
Hamen and his brother John wuz real busy about their bizness, and I didn't see much on 'em, only at the table when they partook of their food hastily and departed. But Tamer seemed to want to make it as pleasant as she could for me, and as Celestine spent so much time outdoors engrossed with her painting, she and I had lots of time to visit together, though, as I always did at Hamen's, I see lots of things I didn't fancy, though I hain't no hand to complain.
I don't believe in relations findin' fault with each other, and I am very close mouthed, but of course I can't help seein' every time I am there that Tamer is sot and overbearin' and very onreasonable. Why, she don't think that Tirzah Ann is the best housekeeper in Jonesville, she jest the same as told me there wuz others jest as good. And she believes that in the big cities there is lawyers that know as much as our Thomas Jefferson.
I pity Tamer from the bottom of my heart, she is failin' in her mind. But she can't help it, she has weakened her
