"'The Infanty may feel real hurt to not have me pay no attention to
her,' still I felt that I had Right on my side.
"Sez I, 'It is enough to kill a young woman to have to be on the go all
the time, as she has had to.' Sez I, 'The American Eagle has jest driv
her about from pillar to post. And Uncle Sam has most wore his old legs
out a-escortin' her about "from pleasure to palaces," as the Him reads.'
"And then, sez I, 'She has had considerable to do with Ward McAllister,
and he's dretful wearin'.'
"He's well-meanin', no doubt, and I have a good deal of sympathy for
him. For, as I told Josiah, he's gittin' along in years, and I don't
know what pervision eternity would give to him in the way of
entertainment and use. He can't expect to go on there to all eternity
a-samplin' wine, and tyin' neckties, and makin' button-hole bokays.
"And I don't suppose that he will be allowed to sort out the angels, and
learn 'em to bow and walk backwards, and brand some on 'em four hundred,
and pick out a few and brand 'em one hundred, and keep some on 'em back,
and let some on 'em in, and act.
"I d'no what is a-goin' to be done in the next world, the home of
eternal Truth and Realities, with a man who has spent his hull life
a-smoothin' out and varnishin' the husks of life, and hain't paid no
attention to the kernel.
"He tires America dretful, Ward duz, and I spoze like as not he'd be
still more tuckerin' to Spain, not bein' used to him, and then, too,
she's smaller, Spain is, and mebby can't stand so much countin' and
actin'. So, as I said to Josiah, 'The Infanty is a-havin' a hard time
on't with the Ward McAllisters of society;' for, sez I, 'Though she has
set 'em a pattern of simple courtesy and good manners every time she's
had a chance, I knew them four hundred well enough to know that it
wouldn't be took.' I knew that the American Republic, as showed out by
Ward McAllister and his 'postles, wouldn't be contented to use the
simple, quiet courtesy of a Royal Princess.
"No; I knew America and Jonesville would have to see 'em a-goin' on, and
actin', and a-plannin' which foot ort to be advanced first, and how many
long breaths and how many short ones could be genteelly drawed by 'em
durin' a introduction, and how many buttons their gloves must have, and
how many inches the tops of their heads ort to come from the floor when
they bowed, and whether their little fingers ort to be held still, or
allowed to move a little.
"And while Ward and his 'postles was drawed up in a line on one side of
the ball-room, and not dastin' to move hand or foot for fear they
wouldn't be moved genteel, you got dead tired a-waitin' for 'em to make
a move of some kind.
"It wuz a weary, tuckerin' sight to America and me, and must have been
dretful for you to gone through.
"And I sez to Josiah, 'It is no wonder that the Infanty got so tired of
them performances that she had to set down and rest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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