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Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894

"The Poet at the Breakfast-Table"


--But yesterday she comes up to me after breakfast, and asks me to go up
with her into her little room. Now, says I to myself, I shall hear all
about it. I saw she looked as if she'd got some of her trouble off her
mind, and I guessed that it was settled, and so, says I to myself, I must
wish her joy and hope it's all for the best, whatever I think about it.
--Well, she asked me to set down, and then she begun. She said that she
was expecting to have a change in her condition of life, and had asked me
up so that I might' have the first news of it. I am sure--says I--I
wish you both joy. Merriage is a blessed thing when folks is well
sorted, and it is an honorable thing, and the first meracle was at the
merriage in Canaan. It brings a great sight of happiness with it, as
I've had a chance of knowing, for my hus--
The Landlady showed her usual tendency to "break" from the conversational
pace just at this point, but managed to rein in the rebellious diaphragm,
and resumed her narrative.
--Merriage!--says she,--pray who has said anything about merriage?--I
beg your pardon, ma'am,--says I,--I thought you had spoke of changing
your condition and I--She looked so I stopped right short.
-Don't say another word, says she, but jest listen to what I am going to
tell you.
--My friend, says she, that you have seen with me so often lately, was
hunting among his old Record books, when all at once he come across an
old deed that was made by somebody that had my family name.


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