My Josiah would have to stand outside and let me go down under the dark, mysterious arches, alone--and he knows jest how I hate to go anywhere alone, or else I would have to stop at the gate and bid him good-by. And no matter how much we knocked at the gate, or how many tears we shed onto it, we couldn't get through till our time come, we had _got_ to be parted. And now if we went on this clear June day through the crystal gateway of the bendin' heavens--we two would be together for weal or for woe. And on whatever new, strange landscape we would have to look on, or wander through, he would be right by me. Whatever strange inhabitants the celestial country held, he would face 'em with me. Close, close by my side, he would go with me through that blue, lovely gateway of the soft June skies into the City of the King. And it wuz a sweet thought to me. Not that I really _wanted_ the world to come to a end that day. No, I kinder wanted to live along for some time, for several reasons: My pardner, the babe, the children, etc.; and then I kinder like to live for the _sake_ of livin'. I enjoy it. But I can say, and say with truth, and solemnity, that the idee didn't scare me none. And as my companion looked down in my face as the time approached, I could see the same thoughts that wuz writ in my eyes a-shinin' in his'n. Wall, as the pinter approached the hour, the excitement grew nearly, if not quite rampant. The believers threw their white robes on over their dresses and coats, and as the pinter slowly moved round from half-past three to quarter to 4--and so on--they shouted, they sung, they prayed, they shook each other's hands--they wuz fairly crazed with excitement and fervor, which they called religion--for they wuz in earnest, nobody could dispute that. Joe and Miss Pool kinder hung together all this time--though I ketched him givin' several wistful looks at Jenette, as much as to say, “Oh, how I hate to leave you, Jenette!” But Miss Pool would roust him up agin, and he would shout and sing with the frienziedest and most zealousest of 'em. Mother Charnick stood with her bag in her hand, and the other hand on the puckerin' string. I don't say what she had in the bag, but I do say this, that she had it fixed so's she could have ondone it in a secont's time. And her eyes wuz intent on the heavens overhead. But they kep calm and serene and cloudless, nothin' to be seen there--no sign, no change--and Ma Charnick kep still and didn't draw the puckerin' string.