"It was a awful big funeral. Folks was there from all over. I drove out to the graveyard with old Dr. Lumb 'n' Dr. Cogswell from the city. The other one was Susy Carter, 'n' she's so deaf all I could do was to listen to the front seat. Dr. Cogswell said as it was a great pity that a superior man like Rufus Timmans should have had to live his life out on highways 'n' edges by circumstances probably beyond his control. Dr. Lumb said yes, a small community like Meadville could n't never offer nothin' like a addykit scope to a brain like Rufus's. He said he was surprised as Rufus's brain had managed to scratch along as well as it had under the circumstances. He said, with the exception of himself Rufus had never had no one to really talk to. He said, to be frank, he would in confidence remark to Dr. Cogswell as Bessy Timmans was a very inferior person an' no ways up to Rufus. He said as he should n't be personally surprised to know as her feelin's towards Rufus partook more of a element of impatience than of admiration. He said as one night when he was there he was most dumbfounded to see how little attention she paid with Rufus discoursin' on trilobites 'n their relations to the cursory strata. Dr. Cogswell sighed 'n' said he was afraid he'd have to admit as he feared that was mebbe only too likely to be true. He said he felt a sadness because every trilobite as was related by Rufus was of profound value to any scientific student. He said Rufus was one at whose feet them as is learned could easy sit and learn some more. He said Rufus ought to o' gotten out in the world thirty years ago,--but then he sighed again, 'n' said probably circumstances as no one knowed nothing of probably chained him here. It was easy to see as Dr. Lumb had a awful high opinion o' Rufus, but that 'd be only natural, him bein' married to Hannah as was so dead set agin' him, 'n' he shook his head then 'n' said as he believed as Dr. Cogswell had guessed pretty nigh to the truth. He said he knowed as Bessy was born in Meadville, 'n' as her property was there 'n' he said his own opinion was that with the shortsightedness common to her sex she had chained the eagle so as she might stay among her little circle o' petty friendships, 'n' so the noble bird had worn his soul away in captivity, so to speak. "Dr. Cogswell said 'Ah!' 'n' then they both shook their heads together 'n' sighed together. "Hannah did n't go out to the grave. She stayed with Bessy. She took me into the pantry afore we left 'n' said as the spirit o' relief hoverin' in the house was beyond all belief. She said Betty was goin' to take her mother home with her when she went. She said Betty said as she could come back to Meadville whenever she liked, but she said as Bessy said she'd never want to come back. Hannah says Bessy told her as all she asked was to live out her days some place where she 'd never have to hear again what a very superior man Rufus was.