"'An ugly habit, ma'am--that of spitting. We Kentuckians carry it to

great excess. Foreigners, I'm told, count it monstrous vulgar--effect

of tobacco-chewing, ma'am--a deuced bad habit, I grant you, but 'tis

a habit, and there's no leaving it off, even if we would. I don't

think Kentuckians, as a people, a bit more vulgar than English, or

French, or Turks, or any other respectable people of other countries.' "'No, sir, certainly not; but the transaction--what you saw.' "Ah yes! beg pardon; but, as I was saying, something really quite

suspicious! Just as I was about to spit, when I went to the window,

some ten minutes ago--perhaps you did not observe, but I did not

spit. Good reason for it, ma'am--might have done mischief"

"How, sir?"

"Ah that brings me to the question I want to ask: any handsome

young ladies living about here, ma'am?--here, in your neighborood?"

"Why, yes, sir," answered the old tabby, with something like

surprise; there's several--there's the Masons, just opposite: the

Bagbys, next door to them below, and Mr. Wilford's daughter: all

of them would be considered pretty by some persons. On the same

side with us, there's Mrs. Freeman and her two daughters, but the

widow is accounted by many the youngest looking and prettiest of

the whole, though, to my thinking, that's saying precious little for

any. Next door to us is a Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, who have a daughter,

and she IS rather pretty, but I don't know much about them. It might

be a mother's vanity, sir, but I think I may be proud of having a

daughter myself, who is about as pretty as any of the best among

them; and that's saying a great deal less for her than might be

said."

"Ah, indeed--you a daughter, ma'am? But she is not grown-up, of

course--a mere child?"

"Oh, I beg your pardon, sir, said the old creature, tickled up to

the eyes, and looking at me with the sweetest smiles; though it

may surprise you very much, she is not only no child, but a woman

grown; and, what's more, I think she will be made a wife this very

night."

"Egad, then I suspect she's not the only one that's about to

be made a wife of. I suspect some one of these young ladies, your

neighbors, will be very soon in the same condition."

"Indeed, sir--pray, who?--how do you know? and the old tabby edged

herself along the sofa until she almost got jam up beside me."

"Well, said I, I don't KNOW exactly, but I'm deucedly suspicious

of it, and, more than that, there's some underhand work going on."

"This made her more curious than ever; and her hands and feet, and

indeed her whole body, got such a fidgeting, that I fancied she

began to think of getting St. Vitus for a bedfellow. Her eagerness

made her ask me two or three times what made me think so; and, seeing

her anxiety, I purposely delayed in order to worry her. I wished

to see how far I could run her up. When I did begin to explain,

I went to work in a round-about way enough--something thus, old

Kentuck--as I began: "Well, ma'am, this tobacco-chewing, as I said

before, carried me, as you witnessed, constantly to the window.

I don't know that I chew more than many others, but I know I chew

too much for my good, and for decency, too, ma'am."




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