"Highty-tighty, Miss! You're a weak sister, ef ye can't ceount an' chat, tew. Wal, ter make a long matter short, then ye drop yer thumb onter some thread an' cast up seven stetches an' knit reound fur yer hand, an' every other time you narry them seven stetches away ter one, fur the gore." "Dear me, Aunt Mimy! do be quiet a minute! I believe mother's a-calling." "I'll see," said Aunt Mimy,--and she stepped to the door and listened. "No," says she, coming back on tiptoe,--"an' you didn't think you heern any one neither. It's ruther small work fur ter be foolin' an old woman. Hows'ever, I don' cherish grudges; so, ez I wuz gwine ter say, ye knit thirty-six reounds above wheer ye dropped yer thumb, an' then ye toe off in ev'ry fifth stetch, an' du it reg'Iar, Emerline; an' then take up yer thumb on tew needles, an' on t'other you pick up the stetches I told yer ter cast up, an' knit twelve reounds, an' thumb off 'ith narryin' ev'ry third"---- "Well, Miss Jemimy, I guess I shall know how to knit mittens, now!" "Ef ye don't, 't a'n't my fault. When you've fastened off the eends, you roll 'em up in a damp towel, an' press 'em 'ith a middlin' warm iron on the wrong side. There!" After this, Miss Mimy smoked awhile in silence, satisfied and gratified. At last she knocked the ashes out of her pipe. "Wal," says she, "I must be onter my feet. I'd liked ter seen yer ma, but I won't disturb her, an' you can du ez well. Yer ma promised me a mess o' tea, an' I guess I may ez well take it neow ez any day." "Why, Miss Mimy," said I, "there a'n't above four or five messes left, and we can't get any more till I sell my socks." "Wal, never mind, then, you can le' me take one, an' mebbe I kin make up the rest at Miss Smilers's." So I went into the pantry to get it, and Aunt Mimy followed me, of course. "Them's nice-lookin' apples," said she. "Come from Stephen's place? Poor young man, he won't never want 'em! S'pose he won't hev no objection ter my tryin' a dozen,"--and she dropped that number into her great pocket. "Nice-lookin' butter, tew," said she. "Own churnin'? Wal, you _kin_ du sunthin', Emerline. W'en I wuz a heousekeeper, I used ter keep the femily in butter an' sell enough to Miss Smith--she thet wuz Mary Breown--ter buy our shoes, all off uv one ceow. S'pose I take this pat?" I was kind of dumfoundered at first; I forgot Aunt Mimy was the biggest beggar in Rockingham County. "No," says I, as soon as I got my breath, "I sha'n't suppose any such thing. You're as well able to make your butter as I am to make it for you." "Wal, Emerline Ruggles! I alluz knowed you wuz close ez the bark uv a tree; it's jest yer father's narrer-contracted sperrit; you don' favor yer ma a speck. She's ez free ez water." "If mother's a mind to give away her eye-teeth, it don't follow that I should," said I; "and I won't give you another atom; and you just clear out!"