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'assiduous trees；' he called 'em。〃
〃_Assidyus_ trees？ Why don't you talk United States while
you're about it； 'n' not fire yer long…range words round here？
_Assidyus！_ What does it mean； anyhow？〃
〃Can't prove it by me。 That's what he called 'em； 'n'
I never forgot it。〃
〃Assidyusassidyusit don't sound as if it meant nothing'； to me。〃
〃Assiduous means 'busy；'〃 said the man from Tennessee；
who had suddenly waked from a brown study； and dropped
off into another as soon as he had given the definition。
〃Busy； does it？ Wall； I guess we ain't no better off
now 'n we ever was。 One tree's 'bout 's busy as another；
as fur 's I can see。〃
〃Wall； there is kind of a meanin' in it to me； but it'sturrible far
fetched；〃 remarked Jabe Slocum； rather sleepily。
〃You see； our ellums and maples 'n' all them trees spends part o'
the year in buddin' 'n' gittin' out their leaves 'n' hangin'
em all over the branches； 'n' then； no sooner air they full grown
than they hev to begin colorin' of 'em red or yeller or brown；
'n' then shakin' 'em off； 'n' this is all extry； you might say；
to their every…day chores o' growin' 'n' cirkerlatin' sap； 'n' spreadin'
'n' thickenin' 'n' shovin' out limbs； 'n' one thing 'n' 'nother；
'n' it stan's to reason that the first 'n' hemlocks 'n' them
California redwoods； that keeps their clo'es on right through the year；
can't be so busy as them that keeps a…dressin' 'n' ondressin'
all the time。〃
〃I guess you're 'bout right；〃 allowed Steve；
〃but I shouldn't never 'a' thought of it in the world。
What yer takin' out o' that bottle； Jabe？ I thought you
was a temperance man。〃
〃I guess he 's like the feller over to Shandagee schoolhouse；
that said he was in favor o' the law； but agin its enforcement！〃
laughed Pitt Packard。
〃I ain't breakin' no law； this is yarb bitters；〃 Jabe answered；
with a pull at the bottle。
〃It's to cirkerlate his blood；〃 said Ob Tarbox；
〃he's too dog…goned lazy to cirkerlate it himself。〃
〃I'm takin' it fer what ails me；〃 said Jabe oracularly；
〃the heart knoweth its own bitterness； 'n' it 's a wise child
that knows its own complaints 'thout goin' to a doctor。〃
〃Ain't yer scared fer fear it'll start yer growth； Laigs？〃 asked little
Brad Gibson； looking at Jabe's tremendous length of limb and foot。
〃Say； how do yer git them feet o' yourn uphill？ Do yer start one ahead；
'n' side…track the other？〃
The tree rang with the laughter evoked by this sally；
but the man from Tennessee never smiled。
Jabe Slocum's imperturbable good humor was not shaken in the very least
by these personal remarks。 〃If I thought 't was a good growin'
medicine； I'd recommend it to your folks； Brad；〃 he replied cheerfully。
〃Your mother says you boys air all so short that when you're diggin'
potatoes； yer can't see her shake the dinner rag 'thout gittin'
up 'n' standing on the potato hills！ If I was a sinikitin feller like you；
I wouldn't hector folks that had made out to grow some。〃
〃Speakin' o' growin'；〃 said Steve Webster； 〃who do you guess
I seen in Boston； when I was workin' there？ That tall Swatkins
girl from the Duck Pond； the one that married Dan Robinson。
It was one Sunday； in the Catholic meetin'…house。 I'd allers wanted
to go to a Catholic meetin'； an' I declare it's about the solemnest
one there is。 I mistrusted I was goin' to everlastin'ly giggle；
but I tell yer I was the awedest cutter yer ever see。
But anyway； the Swatkins girlor Mis' Robinson； she is now
was there as large as life in the next pew to me； jabberin'
Latin； pawin' beads； gettin' up 'n' kneelin' down； 'n' crossin'
herself north； south； east； 'n' west； with the best of 'em。 Poor Dan！
'Grinnin' Dan；' we used to call him。 Well； he don't grin nowadays。
He never was good for much； but he 's hed more 'n his comeuppance！〃
〃Why； what 's the matter with him？ Can't he git work in Boston？〃
〃Matter？ Why； his wife； that I see makin' believe be so
dreadful pious in the Catholic meetin'； she 's carried on wuss 'n
the Old Driver for two years； 'n' now she 's up 'n' left him；
gone with a han'somer man。〃
Down on Steve Webster's hand came Jabe Slocum's immense
paw with a grasp that made him cringe。
〃What the〃began Steve； when the man from Tennessee took up
his scythe and slouched away from the group by the tree。
〃Didn't yer know no better 'n that； yer thunderin' fool？ Can't yer
see a hole in a grindstun 'thout it's hung on yer nose？〃
〃What hev I done？〃 asked Steve； as if dumfounded。
〃Done？ Where 've yer ben； that yer don't know Dixie's wife
's left him？〃
〃Where 've I ben？ Hain't I ben workin' in Boston fer
a year； 'n' since I come home last week； hain't I ben tendin'
sick folks； so 't I couldn't git outside the dooryard？
I never seen the man in my life till yesterday； in the field；
'n' I thought he was one o' them dark…skinned Frenchies from
Guildford that hed come up here fer hayin'。〃
〃Mebbe I spoke too sharp；〃 said Jabe apologetically；
〃but we 've ben scared to talk wives； or even women folks；
fer a month o' Sundays； fer fear Dixie 'd up 'n' tumble on his scythe；
or do somethin' crazy。 You see it's this way （I'd ruther
talk than work； 'n' we ain't workin' by time to…day； anyway；
on account of the circus comin'）： 'Bout a year 'n' a half ago；
this tall； han'some feller turned up here in Pleasant River。
He inhailed from down South somewheres； but he didn't
like his work there； 'n' drifted to New York； 'n' then
to Boston； 'n' then he remembered his mother was a State o'
Maine woman； 'n' he come here to see how he liked。
We didn't take no stock in him at first；we never hed one o'
that nigger…tradin' secedin' lot in amongst us；but he was
pleasant spoken 'n' a square； all…round feller； 'n' didn't
git off any secesh nonsense； 'n' it ended in our likin'
him first…rate。 Wall； he got work in the cannin' fact'ry over on
the Butterfield road； 'n' then he fell in with the Maddoxes。
You 've hearn tell of 'em； they're relation to Pitt here。〃
〃I wouldn't own 'em if I met 'em on Judgement Bench！〃
exclaimed Pitt Packard hotly。 〃My stepfather's second wife married Mis'
Maddox's first husband after he got divorced from her； 'n' that's
all there is to it； they ain't no bloody…kin o' mine； 'n' I don't
call 'em relation。〃
〃Wall； Pitt's relations or not； they're all wuss 'n the Old Driver；
as yer said 'bout Dan Robinson's wife。 Dixie went to board there。
Mis Maddox was all out o' husbands jest then；she 'd jest
disposed of her fourth； somehow or 'nother； she always hed
a plenty 'n' to spare； though there's lots o' likely women
folks round here that never hed one chance； let alone four。
Her daughter Fidelity was a chip o' the old block。 Her father
hed named her Fidelity after his mother； when she wa'n't nothin'
but a two…days…old baby； 'n' he didn't know how she was goin' to turn out；
if he 'd 'a' waited two months； I believe I could 'a' told him。
_In_fidelity would 'a' ben a mighty sight more 'propriate； but either
of 'em is too long fer a name； so they got to callin' her Fiddy。
Wall； Fiddy didn't waste no time； she was nigh onto eighteen years
old when Dixie went there to board； 'n' she begun huneyfuglin'
him's soon as ever she set eyes on him。 Folks warned him；
but 't wa'n't no use； he was kind o' bewitched with her from the first。
She wa'n't so han'some； neither。 Blamed 'f I know how they do it；
let 'em alone； 'f yer know when yer 're well off； 's my motter。
She was red…headed； but her hair become her somehow when she curled
'n' frizzed it over a karosene lamp； 'n' then wound it round 'n'
round her head like ropes o' carnelian。 She hedn't any particular
kind of a nose nor mouth nor eyes； but gorry！ when she looked at yer；
yer felt kind as if yer was turnin' to putty inside。〃
〃I know what yer mean；〃 said Steve interestedly。
〃She hed a figger jest like them fashion…paper pictures you
've seen； an' the very day any new styles come to Boston Fiddy
Maddox would hev 'em before sundown； the biggest bustles 'n'
the highest hats 'n' the tightest skirts 'n' the longest tails
to 'em； she'd git 'em somehow； anyhow！ Dixie wa'n't out o'
money when he come here； an' a spell afterwards there was
more 'n a thousand dollars fell to him from his father's
folks down South。 Well； Fiddy made that fly； I tell you！
Dixie bought a top buggy 'n' a sorrel hoss； 'n' they was on the road
most o' the time when he wa'n't to work； 'n' when he was；
she 'd go with Lem Simmons； 'n' Dixie none the wiser。
Mis Maddox was lookin' up a new husband jest then； so 't she
didn't interfere〃
〃She was the same kind o' goods； anyhow；〃 interpolated Ob Tarbox。
〃Yes； she was one of them women folks that air so light…minded
you can't anchor 'em down with a sewin'…machine； nor a dishpan；
nor a husband 'n' young ones； nor no namable kind of a thing；
the least wind blows 'em here 'n'