“And then agin two persons may meet, comin’ from each side of the world; and they will look right through each other’s eyes, down into their souls, and see each other’s image there; born so, born friends, entirely unbeknown to them. Thousands of miles apart, and all the insperations of heaven and earth; all the influence of life, education, joy and sorrow, has been fitting them for each other (unbeknown to them); twin souls, and they not knowin’ of it.” “Speakin’ of twin——” says Josiah. But I wus soarin’ too high to light down that minute; so I kep’ on, though his interruption wus a-lowerin’ me down gradual. Says I, “Be good and kind to everybody, and Mr. Bambers’es folks, as you have opportunity; but before you make bosom friends of ’em, wait and see if your soul speaks.” Says I, firmly, “Mine don’t in the case of the Bamberses.” “Speakin’ of twin,” says Josiah, agin, “Did you ever see so beautiful a twin as Mr. Bambers’es twin is? What a pity they lost the mate to it! Their ma says it is perfectly wonderful the way that babe takes to me. I held it all the while she was ironin’ this forenoon. And the two boys foller me ’round all day, tight to my heels, instead of their father. Bamber says they think I am the prettiest man they ever see.” Before I had time to say a word back, Bamber’s wife’s sister opened the door and come in unexpected, and said, “that Mrs. Bamber wanted to borrow the loan of ten pounds of side pork, some flour, the dish-kettle, and my tooth-brush.” I let ’em all go, for I wus determined to use ’em well, but I told Josiah, after she went off with ’em, “that I did hate to lend my tooth-brush, the worst kind.” And Josiah ’most snapped my head off, and muttered about my not bein’ neighborly, and that I did not feel a mite about neighberin’, as he did. And I made a vow, then and there, (inside of my mind), that I wouldn’t say a word to Josiah Allen on the subject, not if they borrowed us out of house and home. Thinkses I, I can stand it as long as he can; if they spile our things, he has got to pay for new ones; if they waste our property, he has got to lose it; if they spile our comfort he’s got to stand it as well as I have; and knowin’ the doggy obstinacy of his sect, I considered this great truth that the stiller I kep’, and the less I said about ’em, the quicker he’d get sick of ’em; so I held firm. And never let on to Josiah but what it wus solid comfort to me to have ’em there, all the time, a’most; and not havin’ a minute I could call my own, and havin’ ’em borrow everything under the sun that ever wus borrowed; garden-sass of all kinds, and the lookin’-glass, groceries, vittles, cookin’ utensils, stove pipe, a feather bed, bolsters, bed-clothes, and the New Testament.