"
"He--" said the mother.
"You thought so," said Susan, "but nobody else ever did. Mothers is
always mothers 'n' the best will in the world don't seem able to help
'em out o' the scrape. There's Gran'ma Mullins just cryin' her eyes out
these days over Hiram, 'n' you 'd think Lucy was a sea-serpent and Hiram
was chained to a rock to hear her go on. She says she 's raised Hiram so
careful to be a comfort to her all these years 'n' she says he promised
her when he was only two 'n' a half years old that he 'd never smoke nor
drink nor get married. She says she 's trusted him all his life 'n' this
is the first time as he ever broke his word to her. She says all his
little ways is just so sweet, but she feels sure Lucy won't never let
him dip his bread in the platter-gravy 'n' Hiram 's so _awful_ fond of
platter-gravy. She says he likes to have the potato-smasher right by his
place at the table 'n' pound the meat to make more juice come out, 'n'
she says it 's been nothin' but a joy to her always to let him, 'cause
his father died when he wa'n't but eleven months old. But she says she
just knows Lucy 'll be death on Hiram's potato-smasher, 'n' she says she
most feels as if Lucy was goin' to be death on Hiram, too. She says she
can't look at Hiram these days without chokin' over thinkin' how Lucy 's
goin' to look at him inside o' three months. She says Hiram 's a very
tender nature, he can't be hurried awake mornin's, 'n' if he wakes up in
the night he _has_ to have gingerbread 'n' whistle till he drops off to
sleep again.
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