22 MARCH 



to be fetched back some time or another, you see, 

 ma'am." 



" But you never actually started, Meshach." 



"Not perhaps to say started, but my mind had 

 gone on afore. Enough fer God to fetch me back, 

 anyways. " 



" And why do you think that it would have been 

 wrong for you to go ? " 



" I don't think, ma'am. I knows." 



" And how do you know ? " 



" I shud ha' lost time. On that there v'yage 

 I'd ha' lost maybe a matter o' five or six months as 

 shud ha' bin empl'yed fer God." 



" I don't think you would be more than six weeks 

 on the voyage." 



" Maybe not, ma'am ; but I shud ha' lost six 

 months fer God. I've figured it all out, an' / 

 knows." 



" But how do you know ? " 



" Well, you see, 'tis like this yer. I was a-gwine 

 to start this spring. You minds 'twas early in 

 March I'd settled to leave. Well, ma'am, what 

 season o' the year would it ha' bin when I'd reach 

 Patagonia ? " 



."It would have been autumn there, of course. 

 Their seasons are different from ours." 



" That's right, ma'am ; it would ha' bin autumn. 

 Well now, when I shud come to meet God some 

 day, how'd I 'count to Him fer my wasted 

 summer ? " 



" But it wouldn't have been wasted 



" Betwixt spring an' autumn there's allus a sum- 

 mer ; there's no gettin' over that. I'd ha' left here 



