He will go down to the grave a-thinkin’ that that wuz George Washington’s potash-kettle, and them mended-up places he found in it wuz made by the hired man a-kickin’ at it when he was mad at George. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _Abel Perry’s Funeral._ ---------- JOSIAH ALLEN and me had visitors, along the last of the winter,—Abel Perry’ses folks from ’way out beyond Loontown. They come in good sperits and the mornin’ train, and spent three days and three nights with us. You see, they wuz relations of ourn, and had been for some time, entirely onbeknown to us, and they come a-huntin’ us up. They said “they thought relations ort to be hunted up, and hang together.” They said “the idee of huntin’ us up had come to ’em after readin’ my book.” They told me so, and I said, “Wall.” I didn’t add nor demenish to that one “Wall.” For I didn’t want to act too backward, nor too forward. I jest kep’ kinder neutral, and said, “Wall.” You see, Abel’s father’s sister-in-law wuz step-mother to my aunt’s second-cousin on her father’s side. And Abel said that “he had felt more and more, as years went by, that it wuz a burnin’ shame for relations to not know and love each other.” He said “he felt that he loved Josiah and me dearly.” I didn’t say right out whether it wuz reciprokated or not. I kinder said, “Wall,” ag’in. And I told Josiah, in perfect confidence and the wood-house chamber, “that I had seen nearer relations than Mr. Perry’ses folks wuz to us.” Howsumever, I done well by ’em. Josiah killed a fat turkey, and I baked it, and done other things for their comfort, and we had quite a good time. Abel wuz ruther flowery and enthusiastick, and his mouth and voice wuz ruther large, but he meant well, I should judge, and we had quite a good time. She wuz very freckled, and a second-day Baptist by perswasion, and was piecin’ up a crazy bedquilt. She went a-visitin’ a good deal, and got pieces of the wimmen’s dresses where she visited for blocks. So it wuz quite a savin’ bedquilt, and very good-lookin’, considerin’. [Illustration: “Josiah killed a fat turkey.”] But to resoom and continue on. Abel’s folks made us promise on our two sacred honors, Josiah’s honor and mine, that we would pay back the visit, for, as Abel said, “for relatives to live so clost to each other, and not visit back and forth, wuz a burnin’ shame and a disgrace.” And Josiah promised that we would go right away after sugarin’. We wouldn’t promise on the New Testament, as Abel wanted us to (he is dretful enthusiastick); but we gin good plain promises that we would go, and laid out to keep our two words. So along a week or so after sugarin’, Josiah beset me one day to go over to Mr. Perry’ses. Josiah liked Abel; there wuz sunthin’ in his intense enthusiastick nature and extravagant methods that wuz congenial to Josiah.