第28章 JOSIAH AND SAMANTHA TAKE A LONG WALK(1)

Wall, we hadn't been to Saratoga long before Aunt Polly Pixley came over to see us, for Aunt Polly had been as good as her word and had come to Saratoga, to her 2d cousins, the Mr.Pixley'ses, where Ardelia wuz a stopping.Ardelia herself is a distant relation to Aunt Polly, quite distant, about 40 or 50 miles distant when they are both to home.

Wall, the change in Aunt Polly is wonderful, perfectly wonderful.

She don't look like the same woman.

She took her knittin' work and come in the forenoon, for a all day's visit, jest as she wuz used to in the country, good old soul - and I took her right to my room and done well by her, and we talked considerable about other wimmen, not runnin' talk, but good plain talk.

She thinks a sight of the Saratoga water, and well she may, if that is what has brung her up, for she wuz always sick in Jonesville, kinder bedrid.And when she sot out for Saratoga she had to have a piller to put on the seat behind her to sort a prop her up (hen's feather).

And now, she told me she got up early every mornin' and walked down to the spring for a drink of the water - walked afoot.And she sez, "It is astonishin' how much good that water is a doin'

me; for," sez she, "when I am to home I don't stir out of the house from one day's end to the other; and here," sez she, "I set out doors all day a'most, a listenin' to the music in the park mornin' and evenin' I hear every strain on't."Aunt Polly is the greatest one for music I ever see, or hearn on.

And I sez to her, "Don't you believe that one great thing that is helpin' you, is bein' where you are kep' gay and cheerful, - by music and good company; and bein' out so much in the sunshine and pure air." (Better air than Saratoga has got never wuz made; that is my opinion and Josiah's too.) And sez I, "I lay a good deal to that air.""No," she said, "it wuz the water."

Sez I, "The water is good, I don't make no doubts on't." But Icontinued calmly - for though I never dispute, I do most always maintain my opinion - and I sez again calmly, "There has been a great change in you for the better, sense you come here, Miss Pixley.But some on't I lay to your bein' where things are so much more cheerful and happyfyin'.You say you haint heerd a strain of music except a base viol for over 14 years before you come here.And though base viols if played right may be melodious, yet Sam Pixley's base viol wuz a old one, and sort a cracked and grumbly in tone, and he wuzn't much of a player anyway, and to me, base viols always sounded kinder base anyway."And sez I, "Don't you believe a gettin' out of your little low dark rooms, shaded by Pollard willers and grave stuns, and gettin'

out onto a place where you can heer sweet music from mornin' till night, a liftin' you up and makin' you happier - don't you believe that has sunthin' to do with your feelin' so much better - that and the pure sweet air of the mountains comin' down and bein'

softened and enriched by the breath of the valley, and the minerals, makin' a balmy atmosphere most full of balm - I lay a good deal to that.""Oh no," sez she, "it is the water."

"Yes," sez I, in a very polite way, - I will be polite, "the water is good, first rate."But at that very minute, word come to her that she had company, and she sot sail homewards immegetly, and to once.

And now I don't care anything for the last word, some wimmen do, but I don't.But I sez to her, as I watched her a goin' down the stairway, steppin' out like a girl almost, sez I, "How well you do seem, Aunt Polly; and I lay a good deal on't to that air."Now who would have thought she would speak out from the bottom of the stairway and say, "No, it is the water?"Wall, the water is good, there haint no doubt, and anyway, through the water and the air, and bein' took out of her home cares, and old surroundin's onto a brght happy place, the change in Polly Pixley is sunthin' to be wondered at.

Yes, the water is good.And it is dretful smart, knowin' water too.Why, wouldn't anybody think that when it all comes from the same place, or pretty nigh the same place anyway, that they would get kinder flustrated and mixed up once in a while?

But they don't.These hundreds and thousands of years, and Idon't know how much longer, they have kep' themselves separate from each other, livin' nigh neighbors there down under the ground, but never neighborin' with each other, or intermarryin' in each other's families.No, they have kep' themselves apart, livin' exclosive down below and bubblin' up exclosive.

They know how to make each other keep their proper distance, and Is'pose through all the centuries to come they will bubble up, right side by side, entirely different from each other.

Curius, hain't it? Dretful smart, knowin' waters they be, fairly sparklin' and flashin' with light and brightness, and intelligence.

They are for the healin' and refreshin' of ,the nations, and the nations are all here this summer, a bein' healed by 'em.But still I lay a good deal to that air.

Amongst the things that Aunt Polly told me about wimmen that day, wuz this, that Ardelia Tutt had got a new Bo, Bial Flamburg, by name.

She said Mr.Flamburg had asked Ardelia's 3d cousin to introduce him to her, and from that time his attentions to her had been unremittent, voyalent, and close.She said that to all human appearance he wuz in love with her from his hat band down to his boots and she didn't know what the result would be, though she felt that the situation wuz dangerus, and more'n probable Abram Gee had more trouble ahead on him.(Aunt Polly jest worships Abram Gee, jest as everybody duz that gets to know him well.)And I too, felt that the situation wuz dubersome.For Ardelia Iknew wuz one of the soft little wimmen that has got to have men a trailin' round after 'em; and her bein' so uncommon tender hearted, and Mr.Flamburg so deep in love, I feared the result.