Thus we brought our precious entomologist through the disorder's first crisis, which generally comes exactly on the seventy-second hour, and in due time through the second, which falls, if I remember aright, on the ninth day. What I do recall with certainty, was that it came on one of the days of the city's heaviest mortality and that two of our children, and my next neighbor's wife, came down with the scourge. And O, the beautiful days and the beautiful nights! It seemed the illusion of a dream, that between such land and sky, there should be not one street in that embowered city unsmitten by sorrow and death. Out of yonder fair home on the right, they carried yesterday, the loved mother of five children--but the Baron is better. From this one on the left, will be borne to-morrow such a man as no city can lightly spare, till now a living fulfilment of the word "Be thou clean"--but the entomologist will be ever so much better. To be glad of it, you needed only to hear Senda allude to him as "Mine hussbandt." Why did she never mention him in any other way? The little woman was a riddle to me. I did not see how she could give such a man such a love, and yet I never could see but she was as frank as a public record. Stranger still was it how she could be the marital partner--the mate, to speak plainly--of such a one, without showing or feeling the slightest spiritual debasement. Finally, however, I caught some light. I had stepped over to ask after "Mine hussbandt," everyone else of us being busy with our own sick. Senda was letting Fontenette take her place in the sick-room, which, of course, was shut close. I silently entered the room in front of it, and perceiving that Mrs. Fontenette had drawn her into the other front room, adjoining--a door stood half open between--and was tempting her with refreshments, I sat down to await their next move. So presently I began to hear what they said to each other in their gentle speculations. "A wife who has realized her ideal," Mrs. Fontenette was saying, when Senda interrupted: "Ah! vhat vife is sat? In vhat part of se vorldt does she lif, and how long she is marriedt? No-o, no! Sare is only vun _kindt_ of vife in se _whole_ vorldt vhat realize her ideal hussbandt; and sat is se vife vhat idealize her real hussbandt. Also not se hussbandt and se vife only; I sink you even cannot much Christ-yanity practice vis anybody--close related--vissout you idealize sem. But ze hussbandt and vife-- "You remembeh sat sehmon, 'Be'--O yes, of course. Vell, sat is vun sing se preacher forget to say--May be he haf not se time, but I sink he forget: sat sare is no hussbandt in se whole vorldt--and also sare is no vife--so sp'--spirit'--spirited? no? Ah, yes--spiritual!--yes, sank you. Vhen I catch me a bigk vord I am so proudt, yet, as I hadt a fish caught!"