Around the World with Josiah Allen's Wife by Marietta Holley (life changing books TXT) 📗

Heaven, Evangeline Noble. She told me of the blessed work she wuz doin’ in Africa and how happy she wuz in it, for her Master wuz with her tellin’ her what to do from day to day, and she happy in carryin’ out that work and seein’ the light from heaven stream into dark minds and souls.

How much store I set by her, I lay out to send her a barrel of things this fall, some dried apples, canned fruit, good books, a piece of rag carpet and a crazy quilt, not rarin’ ravin’ crazy, but sort o’ beautifully delerious, embroidered with cat stitch round every block.

And the other letter wuz from Miss Meechim. I read Cousin John Richard’s and Evangeline’s, but I put hern on the mantletry piece and thought I wouldn’t read it till about a hour after dinner, mistrustin’ that it would agitate and work me up, so that my food wouldn’t set good.

467

Dorothy’s marriage to Robert Strong had took place a week before, but not a word had I heard from Miss Meechim, and I didn’t know what effect the blow had had on her. Josiah and I had been warmly invited to attend the weddin’, but not feelin’ willin’ to embark on another tower we sent her a pretty present and love, lots and lots of love, and the earnest best wishes of our hearts.

They wuz married in Dorothy’s home in San Francisco, and went immegiately after the ceremony to their new home in the City of Justice to begin their life work there. Dorothy had writ me all the particulars of their marriage. They didn’t want any show and display she said, and they took the money they would have had to spend to make a big wedding with a crowd of guests, elaborate dressing, rich viands, music, flowers, etc. They took this money and gave a holiday to the children in the City of Justice, a beautiful dinner, music and gifts for all.

And they wuz married in a plain, quiet way in the presence of a few relatives and close friends, she dressed in a pretty white muslin (and lookin’ sweet as a rose I knew, though, of course, she didn’t say so). And after a simple lunch, they drove out to their new home. But I hearn, and it come straight, too, that the children of the City of Justice, just worshippin’ Robert Strong as they did, they all on ’em dressed in white, their pretty heads crowned with roses, filled baskets with the sweetest flowers they could find and went out to meet the young couple beyend the gate. And as they approached, they met ’em with rejoicing songs sung in their sweet clear voices and scattered roses and sweet posies in their path, their bright, happy eyes and smilin’ lips givin’ ’em just as sweet a greetin’.

And as they entered into the city at sunset, the workmen met ’em all dressed in holiday attire, and their cheers and blessings followed the carriage till they reached their own door, which wuz banked up with odorous blossoms as high as ever a snow drift blocked up the houses in Jonesville, and 468 they had to fairly wade through the sweet posies to git to their door.

So, surrounded and blessed with love and rejoicings rising from grateful adoring hearts, Robert and Dorothy Strong begun their married life. Love and Mercy standin’ right by their sides like maids of honor, and Honesty and Justice like usher and best man, usherin’ ’em into a useful and happy life of work and toil sweetened forever with gratitude and love. Lovin’ each other as dearly as ever a man and woman did, lovin’ their Lord supremely and showing that love in the way He bade his disciples to in caring for and blessing humanity. They begun that day a power of helpful inspiring influences that would bless the world, go through life with ’em and wait on ’em clear through the swellin’ flood and lead ’em up onto the other shore from their City of Justice and love here, to that sweet continuing City of Rest and Reward.

I felt well about Robert and Dorothy––yes, my heart sung for Joy carryin’ the hull four parts, base, altore, bear tone and sulfireno. That is to say, the different faculties of my head and heart all jined in and sung together in happiness and made a full orkestry.

You know when you hear of some marriages a part of you is pleased, mebby it is Common Sense, whilst Romance and Fancy has to set dumb and demute. Or mebby Fancy sings whilst cold Reason is spreadin’ a wet blanket on her part of the band, chillin’ the notes and spilein’ the instrument. But here Reason, Romance, Love and Common Sense all jined in together and sung the wedding anthem loud and clear.

But Miss Meechim, I felt dubersome about her; Dorothy didn’t mention her in her letter, bein’ so took up with Robert and Love, so I spozed. I knowed well how repugnant matrimony wuz to her and how sternly resolved she wuz that Dorothy should go through life a bachelor maid.

I hated to read Miss Meechim’s letter, I dreaded it like a dog. How did I know but her great disappointment and 469 crushin’ grief to see her hull life work smashed and demolished, had smit her down, and she had passed away writin’ my name on a envelope with her last flicker of life and some stranger pen had writ me of the tragedy.

I put the letter up on the mantletry piece and thought I wouldn’t read it till about a hour after dinner.

And whilst I wuz gittin’ dinner and eatin’ it and went about doin’ up my work afterwards, I eyed that letter some as a cat eyes a dog kennel and hung off from readin’ it. But wantin’ to git the hard job over before night sot in, about the middle of the afternoon I read a few verses of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, put two cushions in the rockin’ chair, took a swaller of spignut and thorough-o’-wort to kinder hold up my strength, and a few whiffs of camfire, and then I put on my near-to specs, opened the letter with a deep sithe and begun to read. But good land! I needn’t have foreboded so; I might have knowed that though her hatred of matrimony wuz great, her egotism and self esteem wuz bigger yet.

The letter stated in glowin’ terms her gratefulness to her Creator to think she had a nephew so bound up in her interest and welfare. She said that she had mentioned one day, durin’ a severe attack of bilerous colic her fears and forebodin’s about Dorothy’s future if she should succumb to the colic and leave her alone. She said that it wuzn’t a week after this that her nephew and Dorothy had confided to her the fact of their engagement.

Sez she, “Not one word to Dorothy have I mentioned or ever shall mention as to Robert’s reasons for sacrificin’ himself to ease my mind, and make me more care free. I wouldn’t for the world,” sez she, “have Dorothy suspect why Robert has made a martyr of himself, and to no one but you, Josiah Allen’s wife,” sez she, “shall I ever breathe it.” But she felt that she could confide in me, and wanted me to know just how it wuz.

So her colossial self esteem carried her through safely, and 470 she wuz as happy as any on ’em. She wuz goin’ to live in a little house Robert had bought for her in San Francisco. Martha, the steady English maid, wuz goin’ to live with her, as she had proved faithful. And she added a few heart breakin’ words of grief and mournfulness about our dear lost Aronette.

And she gin me to understand that sence Aronette’s dretful death in New York she had gradually changed her mind about drinking.

I believe Arvilly’s talk helped convince her, though Miss Meechim would never own it to her dyin’ day, and I d’no as Arvilly would want her to, they just naterally abominate each other.

But ’tennyrate she said she felt that nothing that could lead on to that awful termination and terrible tragedy, could be called genteel. And she said she had had a argument with Rev. Mr. Weakdew, in which they had both got genteelly angry (tearin’ mad I should call it from what she told me of their interview). But I will pass over particulars which filled eight pages of large note paper, the upshot bein’ that she had left his church for good and all, and jined a Temperance mission church down in the city. And she wuz now writin’ tracts to prove that intemperance wuz the beast with seven horns mentioned in Scripture.

Good land! it has got more than seven horns, I believe, and all of ’em dagger sharp and wet with tears and heart’s blood.

She expected, she said, that these tracts would make a end to the liquor power and the social evil, and temperance would rain in the world some time durin’ the comin’ fall.

But they won’t. These evils are sot too firm on American soil, it will take a greater power than Miss Meechim’s tracts to upheave ’em. But I am glad she is sot that way, for every little helps, and the breath of Miss Meechim’s converted soul is blowin’ the right way and when the hull Christian world 471 shall be converted, the united influence will move along a mighty overwhelmin’ power that will sweep these ungodly evils from the face of the earth. Then will come the golden days of peace, righteousness, the reign of the Lord Jesus, for which we pray every day when we say “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

A FEW FROM HUNDREDS OF PRESS NOTICES OF
SAMANTHA AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION
by JOSIAH ALLEN’S WIFE––(Marietta Holley)

Few characters of fiction will live longer than Samantha. A fund of old-fashioned, homely but decidedly sound philosophy, yet an eye for the facetious phases of human nature, witty as well as philosophical. Older readers can remember a few who have pleased for a time and been forgotten, and the few in recent years like David Harum and Eben Holden have been most enthusiastically appreciated. The philosophy of Samantha is broader and deeper than any of these characters. Her insight when dealing with hidden motives is sharper and her wit keener. It is not surprising that the character has so long stood the test of time, and that a new book from the author is regarded as an important event in the book world.

Pittsburg Press

Those who went to the St. Louis Exposition––and those who wished to but did not, can have a good souvenir of the great show, and an account of it that will be interesting years hence as now, in “Samantha at the St. Louis Exposition.”

Samantha and Josiah went to the Fair, “took it all in,” and Samantha relates their experiences in her well-known quaint style. The characteristic illustrations of their adventures by C. Grunwald are great.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

The main points of interest at the Exposition are discussed and moralized over in her inimitable way by Samantha.

The Outlook

Samantha at the St. Louis Exposition, by Josiah Allen’s wife, is a revival of what was perhaps one of the most popular humorous series ever issued. The present volume contains the same pathos and shrewd rustic sense with all the humor of her previous works.

Baker & Taylor’s Monthly Bulletin of Best Selling Books

She has sampled the glories of the St. Louis Fair and described them in language of enduring worth.

Boston Advertiser

A story full of the mixture of wit, pathos, eloquence and common sense.

New York Globe

Very unlike her earlier books in appearance. It has a smart up-to-date binding and striking modern illustrations by Grunwald. But Miss Holley’s part is perfectly natural and familiar. It has lost none of its mirth, none of its common sense, none of its good clear-eyed religious way of looking at things. It is faithful to the spirit of a great deal that is best in American life.

Syracuse Post Standard

G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY
PUBLISHERS        NEW YORK

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY OF
Sir Henry Morgan––Buccaneer
By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY

The New York Tribune says––and it is true––that “Mr. Brady is fond of dashing themes and certainly here he has found a subject to suit his most exacting mood. He has taken a rascal for the hero of his picaresque and rattling romance. The author is lavish in incident and handles one thrilling situation after another with due sense of all the dramatic force that is to be got out of it. His description of the last moments of the old pirate is one of the most effective