Samantha at Saratoga [73]
he wuz a pushin' himself round the room with his umberell. And I sez, "What is the matter now, Josiah Allen; what are you a doin' now?" "Oh I am a walkin' on snow-shoes, Samantha! But I don't see," sez he a stoppin' to rest, for he seemed tuckered out, "I don't see how the savages got round as they did and performed such journeys. You put 'em on, Samantha," sez he, "and see if you can get on any faster in 'em." Sez I, coldly, "The savages probable did'nt have both feet on one shoe, Josiah Allen, as you have. I shall put on no snowshoes in the middle of July; but if I did, I should put 'em on accordin' to a little mite of sense. I should try to use as much sense as a savage any way." "Why, how it would look to have one foot on that great big snow-shoe. I always did like a good close fit in my shoes. And you see I have room enough and to spare for both on 'em on this. Why it wouldn't look dressy at all, Samantha, to put 'em on as you say." Sez I very coldly, "I don't see anything over and above dressy in your looks now, Josiah Allen, with both of your feet tied down onto that one shoe, and you a tryin' to move off when you can't. I can't see anything over and above ornamental in it, Josiah Allen." "Oh! you are never willin' to give in that I look dressy, Samantha. But I s'pose I can put my feet where you say. You are so sot, but they are too big for me -- I shall look like a fool." I looked at him calmly over my specks, and sez I, "I guess I sha'n't notice the difference or realize the change. I wonder," sez I, in middlin' cold axents, "how you think you are a lookin' now, Josiah Allen." "Oh! keep a naggin' at me!" sez he. But I see he wuz a gittin' kinder sick of the idee. "What you mean by puttin' 'em on at all is more than I can say," sez I, "a tryin to walk on snowshoes right in dog-days." "I put 'em on," Samantha, sez he, a beginnin' to unstrap 'em, "I put 'em on because I wanted to feel like a savage." "Wall," sez I, "I have seen you at times durin' the last 20 years, when I thought you realized how they felt without snow-shoes on, either." (These little interchanges of confidence will take place in every-day life.) But at that very minute Ardelia Tutt rapped at the door, and Josiah hustled them snow-shoes into the closet, and that wuz the last trial I had with him about 'em. He had borrowed 'em. Wall, Ardelia wuz dretful pensive, and soft actin' that night, she seemed real tickled to see us, and to get where we wuz. She haint over and above suited with the boardin' place where she is, I think. I don't believe they have very good food, though she won't complain, bein' as they are relations on her own side. And then she is sech a good little creeter anyway. But I had my suspicions. She didn't seem very happy. She said she had been down to the park that afternoon, she and the young chap that has been a payin' her so much attention lately, Bial Flamburg. She said they had sot down there by the deer park most all the afternoon a watchin' the deer. She spoke dretful well of the deer. And they are likely deer for anything I know. But she seemed sort a pensive and low spirited. Mebby she is a beginnin' to find Bial Flamburg out. Mebby she is a beginnin' to not like his ways. He drinks and smokes, that I know, and I've mistrusted worse things on him.
XIV. LAKE GEORGE AND MOUNT McGREGOR.
It wuz on a nice pleasant day that Ardelia Tuit, Josiah Allen, and me, met by previous agreement quite early in the mornin', A. M., and sot out for Lake George. It is so nigh, that you can step onto the cars, and go out and see George any time of day. It seemed to me jest as if George wuz glad we had come, for there wuz a broad happy smile all over his face, and a sort of a dimplin' look, as if he wanted to laugh right out. All the beckonin' shores and islands, with their beautiful houses on 'em, and the distant forests, and the trees a bendin' over George, all seemed to sort a smile out a welcome to us. We had a most beautiful day, and got back quite late in the afternoon, P. M. And the next day, a day heavenly
XIV. LAKE GEORGE AND MOUNT McGREGOR.
It wuz on a nice pleasant day that Ardelia Tuit, Josiah Allen, and me, met by previous agreement quite early in the mornin', A. M., and sot out for Lake George. It is so nigh, that you can step onto the cars, and go out and see George any time of day. It seemed to me jest as if George wuz glad we had come, for there wuz a broad happy smile all over his face, and a sort of a dimplin' look, as if he wanted to laugh right out. All the beckonin' shores and islands, with their beautiful houses on 'em, and the distant forests, and the trees a bendin' over George, all seemed to sort a smile out a welcome to us. We had a most beautiful day, and got back quite late in the afternoon, P. M. And the next day, a day heavenly