Susan paused abruptly and sighed. Mrs. Lathrop said never a word. Presently the discourse flowed on again. "Well, there was n't really no wish to say nothin' but good of Rufus, but it is a long drive to Meadville an' we had to talk, 'n' you know as well as I do, Mrs. Lathrop, as it's nigh to impossible to talk long of people if you 're only to say good of 'em. Rufus was there 'n' dead to talk about, 'n' while we naturally wished him well, still we was pretty tired before we got through drivin' sixteen miles to bury him. Gran'ma Mullins said finally as he was certainly a very superior man, but she knowed from her niece Hannah as he was trying to live with. She said Hannah lived with 'em for five years 'n' looked after the children, 'n cheered Bessy up when she was nigh to wore out with bein' married to Rufus. Hannah never had no use for Rufus Timmans herself,--she was awful fond o' Bessy 'n' the boys, but she drawed the line at Rufus, 'n' Gran'ma Mullins says she never minced matters neither. Gran'ma Mullins says as Hannah used to walk right in on Rufus 'n' let fly whenever she felt as the salvation of her soul called on her to speak or bu'st. She said Hannah said what she could n't stand was the way the general public seemed to coincide with Rufus's opinion of himself. Hannah used to say as the general run o' folks did n't have to live with Rufus Timmans an' she did, 'n' she furthermore used to say if the general run o' folks had had to live with Rufus Timmans they would n't o' viewed him from no fancy standpoint no more 'n' she did herself. Hannah used to say as day in 'n' day out was a terrible lettin' in o' light on dark spots, 'n' for her part she had n't got no use for a man as had the whole o' the inside o' the earth by heart 'n' was n't one earthly bit o' good on the outside of it. Hannah said as all she could say was as she wisht as some o' them as admired his superior understandin' could just be in her place one while. Gran'ma Mullins said as there was one time as Hannah never got over, 'n' that was the cistern, she said as Hannah always got mad whenever she told it, 'n' she told it so often, her face stayed always red in the end, jus' from tellin' that story so often. "Seems as Rufus thought mebbe there was a dead rat in the cistern, so he had the cistern cleaned out, 'n' the drouth came on, 'n' Monday come on top o' the drouth, 'n' Hannah pumped her arms most off afore she realized as there wa'n't no water a _tall_, 'n' then she was that mad as she walked right in on Rufus 'n' give it to him.