Mrs. Bloodgood, however, saw their dilemma, and out she came. The boys hardly knew whether she was for peace or war, for she advanced towards them with tremendous strides, muttering as she came. Her appearance was indeed rather dubious, for her hair was flying, and her face was very red, from the joint exercise of cooking and eating, and helping half a dozen children. And as to the dress, having great respect for the female sex we will say nothing about it; it was, moreover, very warm weather, and a Calamink petticoat was warm enough without the burden of its upper companion, the short gown--but she was just as she was, and we cannot help it. She had a little more nose than most women, that is, it was a very long, sharp, and crooked nose; but the good woman had use for it. And never were boys more astonished when they saw how well it answered her turn; it was a veritable speaking-trumpet, and, although the sounds which issued from it were rather of the nasal order, they were the better calculated to penetrate the very narrow passages to her husband's sounding-board. Having been so long accustomed to use a very high pitch in her communications with the good man, she made no allowance for the more delicate organs of other people, but so drove the sounds into them as truly made their ears to tingle, not only at the time, but a great while after. 'What is it you're wanting?' Jim started; he could not help it. 'Do you want to speak to Bloodgood?' 'Yes, ma'am; I should like to speak with him about some beans and potatoes.' With that she made off to the crib, where she met her good man coming out with a piece of old iron in his hand, and making for the other side of the yard where the plough was. He seemed as regardless of her as he had been of the boys; but as he was stooping over the plough, she put her hand on his shoulder, and gave such a blast in his ear that his soul must have stept out of his body not to have heard it; he immediately raised himself, and, looking at the boys, roared back to her in a strain scarcely less loud,-- 'What do they want?' 'I don't know; something about potatoes and beans.' 'Bees? We 'aint got no bees;' and with that he took one of his tremendous pinches of snuff. 'Beans, beans! don't you hear _that_?' And then turning to Jim and Sam, who had walked up beside her-- 'He grows wus and wus; and it's my candid belief that it's his snuffin' and snuffin' all the time so; his ears, I s'pose, is all stopped clean up; and the only way the sound can git into his head is through his nose, like; and when he stuffs that full, it's like hollerin' agin' a log.' But he did hear _beans_, as she last spoke it. 'Beans? What of 'em?' 'Well, do tell _me_, boys, what you want on 'em, and I'll try to make him hear, for _you_ never can.' With that Jim communicated to her his business, and when she understood it clearly, appeared not a little pleased.