A WEEK ON WALDEN'S EIDGE. 139 



the mule lie took the other chair, and we fell 

 into talk about the weather, the crops, and 

 things in general. When the wife finally 

 appeared, I rose, of course ; but she went on 

 in silence and entered the house, while the 

 husband said, " Oh, keep your seat." We 

 continued our conversation till the rain be- 

 gan to fall. Then we picked up our chairs 

 and followed the woman inside. She sat in 

 the middle of the room (young, pretty, newly 

 married, and Sunday -dressed), but never 

 once opened her lips. Her behavior was in 

 strict accordance with local etiquette, I was 

 afterward assured (as if all etiquette were 

 not local) ; but though I admire feminine 

 modesty as much as any man, I cannot say 

 that I found this particular manifestation of 

 it altogether to my liking. Silence is golden, 

 no doubt, and gold is more precious than 

 silver, but in cases of this figurative sort I 

 profess myself a bimetallist. A little silver, 

 I say ; enough for small change, at any rate ; 

 and if we can have a pretty free coinage, 

 why, so much the better, though as to that, 

 it must be admitted, a good deal depends 

 upon the " image and superscription." How- 

 ever, my hostess followed her lights, and 



