270 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



ultered various exclamations as 1 coiicliuk'd, and when 

 1 called attention to a figure which I had drawn, show- 

 ing a gate when closed, and the same when opened, 

 even Sarah left her recess in the shadow of the kitchen 

 door to look at it. 



"An' what do they go thro' all thet hother for?" at 

 length she asked. I iiesitated a moment, but observing 

 that the question voiced the wish of others, was about 

 to speak, when Dan took up the answ^er for me. 



"Bress yo' heart, honey," he said. " What do //o' 

 shet yo' doahs fer ? Ef eber dar wur a 'tickler body on 

 dat subject uv shettin' doahs, it's yo', Sairy Ann. 

 An' I's done said, many en' many's the time, dat de 

 'mount uv bother 't yo'd make 'bout dem ole doahs 

 nv yo's, is onreasouable out uv all perportion." 



" Onrcasonable !" cried Sarah, quite thrown off lier 

 guard. '•That's the way with you men — alius the 

 way. Do ye call 't onreasouable to keep flies out of 

 the kitchen w'en ther wuss 'n the plagues uv Egypt ; 

 an' to keep draughts off 'n the l)read dough, an' — but 

 w'ats the use 'n talkin' V" She had retreated to her 

 kitchen door by this time, and turned to hurl at her 

 venerable tornietitor a question which she was wont to 

 sliout at him many times a day. " I'd Jist like to 

 know w'at doors 'er made fer, ef not to shet ?" 



" IIo, ho," langhed Dan, clasping himself in his 

 arms, and rolling his l^ody in his usual way when 

 greatly amused ; '' ho, ho ! I )at's zactly wat de ants tink 

 about it, Sary Ann ! Wy didn't yo' start out wid dat 

 quest'n, an' den yo' needn't 'v axtd nulliu' 'tall." 



