“Why, Miss Mimy,” said I, “there a’n’t above four or five messes left, and we can’t get any more till I sell my socks.”

“Wal, never mind, then, you can le’ me take one, an’ mebbe I kin make up the rest at Miss Smilers’s.”

So I went into the pantry to get it, and Aunt Mimy followed me, of course.

“Them’s nice-lookin’ apples,” said she.  “Come from Stephen’s place?  Poor young man, he won’t never want ’em!  S’pose he won’t hev no objection ter my tryin’ a dozen,”—­and she dropped that number into her great pocket.

“Nice-lookin’ butter, tew,” said she.  “Own churnin’?  Wal, you kin du sunthin’, Emerline.  W’en I wuz a heousekeeper, I used ter keep the femily in butter an’ sell enough to Miss Smith—­she thet wuz Mary Breown—­ter buy our shoes, all off uv one ceow.  S’pose I take this pat?”

I was kind of dumfoundered at first; I forgot Aunt Mimy was the biggest beggar in Rockingham County.

“No,” says I, as soon as I got my breath, “I sha’n’t suppose any such thing.  You’re as well able to make your butter as I am to make it for you.”

“Wal, Emerline Ruggles!  I alluz knowed you wuz close ez the bark uv a tree; it’s jest yer father’s narrer-contracted sperrit; you don’ favor yer ma a speck.  She’s ez free ez water.”

“If mother’s a mind to give away her eye-teeth, it don’t follow that I should,” said I; “and I won’t give you another atom; and you just clear out!”

“Wal, you kin keep yer butter, sence you’re so sot on it, an’ I’ll take a leetle dust o’ pork instead.”

“Let’s see you take it!” said I.

“I guess I’ll speak ’ith yer ma.  I shall git a consider’ble bigger piece, though I don’t like ter add t’ ’er steps.”

“Now look here, Miss Mimy,” says I,—­“if you’ll promise not to ask for another thing, and to go right away, I’ll get you a piece of pork.”

So I went down cellar, and fished round in the pork-barrel and found quite a respectable piece.  Coming up, just as my head got level with the floor, what should I see but Miss Jemimy pour all the sugar into her bag and whip the bowl back on the shelf, and turn round and face me as innocent as Moses in the bulrushes.  After she had taken the pork, she looked round a minute and said,—­

“Wal, arter all, I nigh upon forgot my arrant.  Here’s a letter they giv’ me fur Lurindy, at the post-office; ev’rybody else’s afeard ter come up here";—­and by-and-by she brought it up from under all she’d stowed away there.  “Thet jest leaves room,” says she.

“For what?” says I.

“Fur tew or three uv them eggs.”

I put them into her bag and said,

“Now you remember your promise, Aunt Mimy!”