"Missus Squires, I do declare! Why, it does one's eyes good to see
you. And Missus Rider, too--I haven't seen her for an age. Why it
makes me feel young agin to see one of my old beaux around. Eh,
Jerushy."
"A pretty thing you, to be a-talkin' of beaux. Better go and get off
your old clothes first, for you'd scare the crows."
Mrs. Spriggins then became deeply interested in the affairs of her
visitors and began bustling about at a great rate, and making hosts
of excuses for things "not a-lookin' as nice as they had orter, for
Nell had been a-spinnin,' and they had extry work besides."
"Come, come, mother, you needn't be a-puttin' on airs now, for the
folks won't believe you, nohow."
At this sally from Moses Spriggins the younger visitors set up a
laugh, and the older ones smiled and said "Moses is full of fun."
And after a few such preliminaries the party were ensconced in the
best room, enjoying the unbounded hospitality proverbial to the
Sprigginses, while Moses went up to his room to have another spell
at the important letter, and as he read over for the seventh time
the neatly rounded sentences, he felt that he could well afford to
bear reproof for the sake of having the good will of such a man.
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