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as she stood in the door； 〃you've seen the last of me！〃
〃No such luck！〃 he said； and whipped up his horse。
Charity baked a great pile of biscuits； and left them
on the kitchen table with a pitcher of skimmed milk。
（She wouldn't give him anything to complain of； not she！）
She then put a few clothes in a bundle； and； tying on her shaker；
prepared to walk to Pleasant River； twelve miles distant。
As she locked the door and put the key in its accustomed place
under the mat； a pleasant young man drove up and explained
that he was the advance agent of the Sypher's Two…in…One
Menagerie and Circus； soon to appear in that vicinity。
He added that he should be glad to give her five tickets
to the entertainment if she would allow him to paste a few
handsome posters on that side of her barn next the road；
that their removal was attended with trifling difficulty；
owing to the nature of a very superior paste invented by himself；
that any small boy； in fact； could tear them off in an hour；
and be well paid by the gift of a ticket。
The devil entered into Charity （not by any means for the first
time）； and she told the man composedly that if he would give her
ten tickets he might paper over the cottage as well as the barn；
for they were going to tear it down shortly and build a larger one。
The advance agent was delighted； and they passed a pleasant
hour together； Charity holding the paste…pot； while the talkative
gentleman glued six lions and an elephant on the roof；
a fat lady on the front door； a tattooed man between the windows；
living skeletons on the blinds； and ladies insufficiently
clothed in all the vacant spaces and on the chimneys。
Nobody went by during the operation； and the agent remarked；
as he unhitched his horse； that he had never done a neater job。
〃Why； they'll come as far to see your house as they will
to the circus！〃 he exclaimed。
〃I calculate they will；〃 said Charity； as she latched the gate
and started for Pleasant River。
I am not telling Charity Stover's story； so I will only add
that the bill…poster was mistaken in the nature of his paste；
and greatly undervalued its adhesive properties。
The temper of Prudence； the youngest sister； now Mrs。 Todd；
paled into insignificance beside that of the others； but it was
a very pretty thing in tempers nevertheless； and would have been
thought remarkable in any other family in Scarboro。
You may have noted the fact that it is a person's virtues
as often as his vices that make him difficult to live with。
Mrs。 Todd's masterfulness and even her jealousy might have
been endured； by the aid of fasting and prayer； but her neatness；
her economy； and her forehandedness made a combination that
only the grace of God could have abided with comfortably；
so that Jerry Todd's comparative success is a matter of
local tradition。 Punctuality is a praiseworthy virtue enough；
but as the years went on； Mrs。 Todd blew her breakfast horn
at so early an hour that the neighbors were in some doubt
as to whether it might not herald the supper of the day before。
They also predicted that she would have her funeral before she
was fairly dead； and related with great gusto that when she
heard there was to be an eclipse of the sun on Monday；
the 26th of July； she wished they could have it the 25th；
as Sunday would be so much more convenient than wash…day。
She had oilcloth on her kitchen to save the floor； and oilcloth
mats to save the oilcloth； yet Jerry's boots had to be taken off
in the shed； and he was required to walk through in his stocking feet。
She blackened her stove three times a day； washed her dishes in the woodhouse；
in order to keep her sink clean； and kept one pair of blinds open
in the sitting…room； but spread newspapers over the carpet wherever
the sun shone in。
It was the desire of Jerry's heart to give up the
fatigues and exposures of stage…driving； and 〃keep store；〃
but Mrs。 Todd deemed it much better for him to be in the open
air than dealing out rum and molasses to a roystering crew。
This being her view of the case； it is unnecessary to state
that he went on driving the stage。
〃Do you wear a flannel shirt； Jerry？〃 asked Pel Frost once。
〃I don' know；〃 he replied； 〃ask Mis' Todd； she keeps the books。〃
〃Women…folks〃 （he used to say to a casual passenger）； 〃like all
other animiles； has to be trained up before they're real good comp'ny。
You have to begin with 'em early； and begin as you mean to hold out。
When they once git in the habit of takin' the bit in their teeth and
runnin'； it's too late for you to hold 'em in。〃
It was only to strangers that he aired his convictions
on the training of 〃womenfolks；〃 though for that matter
he might safely have done it even at home； for everybody
in Limington knew that it would always have been too late
to begin with the Widder Bixby； since； like all the Stovers
of Scarboro； she had been born with the bit in her teeth。
Jerry had never done anything he wanted to since he had
married her； and he hadn't really wanted to do that。
He had been rather candid with her on this point （as candid
as a tender…hearted and obliging man can be with a woman who is
determined to marry him； and has two good reasons why she should
to every one of his why he shouldn't）； and this may have been
the reason for her jealousy。 Although by her superior force
she had overborne his visible reluctance； she； being a woman；
or at all events of the female gender； could never quite forget
that she had done the wooing。
Certainly his charms were not of the sort to tempt women from the strict
and narrow path； yet the fact remained that the Widder Bixby was jealous；
and more than one person in Limington was aware of it。
Pelatiah； otherwise 〃Pel〃 Frost； knew more about the matter than most
other folks； because he had unlimited time to devote to general culture。
Though not yet thirty years old； he was the laziest man in York County。
（Jabe Slocum had not then established his record； and Jot Bascom had ruined
his by cutting his hay before it was dead in the summer of '49； always alluded
to afterwards in Pleasant River as the year when gold was discovered
and Jot Bascom cut his hay。）
Pel was a general favorite in half a dozen villages；
where he was the life of the loafers' bench。 An energetic
loafer can attend properly to one bench； but it takes
genius as well as assiduity to do justice to six of them。
His habits were decidedly convivial； and he spent a good deal
of time at the general musters； drinking and carousing with
the other ne'er…do…weels。 You may be sure he was no favorite
of Mrs。 Todd's； and she represented to him all that is most
undesirable in womankind； his taste running decidedly to rosy；
smiling； easy…going ones who had no regular hours for meals；
but could have a dinner on the table any time in fifteen
minutes after you got there。
Now； a certain lady with a noticeable green frock and a white
〃drawn…in〃 cape bonnet had graced the Midnight Cry on its journey
from Limington to Saco on three occasions during the month of July。
Report said that she was a stranger who had appeared at the post…office
in a wagon driven by a small； freckled boy。
The first trip passed without comment； the second
provoked some discussion； on the occasion of the third；
Mrs。 Todd said nothing； because there seemed nothing to say；
but she felt so out…of…sorts that she cut Jerry's hair close
to his head； though he particularly fancied the thin fringe
of curls at the nape of his neck。
Pel Frost went over to Todd's one morning to borrow an axe；
and seized a favorable opportunity to ask casually； 〃Oh； Mis'
Todd； did Jerry find out the name o' that woman in a green dress
and white bunnit that rid to Saco with him last week？〃
〃Mr。 Todd's got something better to do than get acquainted
with his lady passengers；〃 snapped Mrs。 Todd； 〃'specially as they
always ride inside。〃
〃I know they gen'ally do；〃 said Pel； shouldering the axe
（it was for his mother's use）； but this one rides up in front part o'
the way； so I thought mebbe Jerry 'd find out something 'bout her。
She's han'some as a picture； but she must have a good strong back
to make the trip down 'n' up in one day。〃
Nothing could have been more effective or more
effectual than this blow dealt with consummate skill。
Having thus driven the iron into Mrs。 Todd's soul；
Pel entertained his mother with an account of the interview
while she chopped the kindling…wood。 He had no special end
in view when； Iago…like； he dropped his first poisoned seed
in Mrs。 Todd's fertile mind； or； at most； nothing worse
than the hope that matters might reach an unendurable point；
and Jerry might strike for his altars and his fires。
Jerry was a man and a brother； and petticoat government must
be discouraged whenever and wherever possible； or the world would
soon cease to be a safe place to live in。