Page:Samantha on Children's Rights.djvu/326

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requests of Tamer and Hamen, and the still more urgent pleas of Anna and Jack, we stayed for several days, Josiah and Hamen goin' out for two days a-runnin' to neighborin' farmers to see the operations of a new and curiously constructed windmill. Josiah talks of rarin' one up to home, and so duz Hamen. So, as Josiah seemed to be contented and happy, I tried to be the same, though I felt I wuz confronted by more curious, complicated problems than any windmill that ever beat the air.

Oh, how Tamer's cold, icy demeanor chilled my heart! How Anna's sweet, patient, submissive air wrung the same almost to burstin' on't! How the actions of Hamen and his brother to little Jack, foolin' him, deceivin' him, and Tamer's scrupulous attention to his clothes and hair, and paying no attention whatever to his childish soul needs, how all that wrought on the heart aforesaid!

Von Crank went home on the train the relation took, so there wuz one queer element less to contend with, and I trust I wuz thankful for that mercy. After Von Crank left the queerest element that wuz left I think in our soul atmosphere wuz Celestine's pictures. They looked queer, yes, indeed, they did! but her mind wuz all entangled in their strange scenery, forgittin' she had a sweet, lovely child right by her side. And she wuz a lovely child. I realized it more and more durin' the days when we wuz so much together, her Ma bein' on the piazza and not to be disturbed. Mary's eyes wuz so bright and big and soft and had the very same look in 'em that Jack's had sometimes, they seemed to be lookin' fur off into mysteries we couldn't see. And I spoze they see 'em, too, though in a strange fashion, too pure and fine to be uttered in our language.