Susan came next and Susan was a sight! Not only did her ears stand up
with a size and conspicuousness never inherited from either her father
or her mother, but also her right eye was completely closed and she
walked lame.
"The Lord have mercy!" cried Mrs. Lathrop, when the full force of her
friend's affliction effected its complete entrance into her
brain,--"Why, Susan, what--"
"Mrs. Lathrop," said Miss Clegg, "all I can say is I come out better
than the most of 'em, 'n' if you could see Sam Duruy or Mr. Kimball or
the minister you 'd know I spoke the truth. The deacon 'n' Polly is both
in bed 'n' can't see how each other looks, 'n' them as has a eye is
goin' to tend them as can't see at all, an' God help 'em all if young
Dr. Brown an' the mud run dry!" with which pious ejaculation Susan
painfully mounted the steps and sat down with exceeding gentleness upon
a chair.
Mrs. Lathrop stared at her in dumb and wholly bewildered amazement.
After a while Miss Clegg continued.
"It was all the deacon's fault. Him 'n' Polly was so dead set on bein'
fashionable 'n' bein' a contrast to Hiram an Lucy, 'n' I hope to-night
as they lay there all puffed up as they 'll reflect on their folly 'n'
think a little on how the rest of us as did n't care rhyme or reason for
folly is got no choice but to puff up, too. Mrs. Jilkins is awful mad;
she says Mr. Jilkins wanted to wear his straw hat anyhow, 'n' she says
she always has hated his silk hat 'cause it reminds her o' when she was
young 'n' foolish enough to be willin' to go 'n' marry into a family as
was foolish enough to marry into Deacon White.
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