Men  do  have  sech  spells.  They  are  dretful  good
actin'  at  times.  Why  they  act  better  and  more
subdueder  and  mellerer  at  sometimes  than  at  others,
is  a  deep  subject  which  we  mortals  cannot  as  yet  fully
understand.  Also  visey  versey,  their  cross,  up  head-
eder  times,  over  bearin'  and  actin'.  It  is  a  deep
subject  and  one  freighted  with  a  great  deal  of  freight.
But  Josiah's  goodness  on  this  afternoon  almost
reached  the  Scripteral  and  he  sez,  when  we  first  sot
out,  and  I  see  that  the  horse's  head  wuz  turned  towards
15  221


222  RIDING   ON,

the  Lake.  Sez  he,  "  I  guess  we'll  go  to  the  Lake,
but  where  do  you  want  to  go,  Samantha  ?  I  will  go
anywhere  you  want  to  go."

And  he  still  drove  almost  recklessly  on  lakewards.
And  sez  he,  "  We  had  better  go  straight  on,  but  say
the  word,  and  you  can  go  jest  where  you  want  to."
And  he  urged  the  horse  on  to  still  greater  speed.
And  he  sez  agin,  "  Do  you  want  to  go  any  particular
place,  Samantha  ?  "

"  Yes,"  sez  I,  "  I  had  jest  as  leves  go  there  as  not."

"  Wall,  I  knew  there  would  be  where  you  would
want  to  go."  And  he  drove  on  at  a  good  jog.  But
no  better  jog  than  we  had  been  a  goin'  on.
