Palmer's the awfulest worker I ever saw. He knows his business
but he ain't got any money. We're waitin' on Jake to come.
Palmer owes everybody in town, they won't let him have anything
until he pays. The flitch gave out last night, and we had
nothin' but corn pone, buttermilk and potatoes. Palmer said he
ketched the gout once from high livin', and he did not want to
see another human suffer like he did. I guess his wife's dietin'
too, as she don't set down to eat with us.
Palmer is a wonderful man. He's got his lecture all wrote out
and all the characters and all the costumes for them. He's going
to begin the rehearsals tomorrow. Practicin' we called it. I
looked in the dictionary, rehearsing is to recite, to recount,
to relate, to repeat what has already been said, to recite in
private for experiment and improvement before a public
representation.
I have learned more from Palmer than anybody I was ever with.
The old preacher, Reverend Gideon, writes letters all day; he
has the names of all the churches and preachers and we know
where we are to be weeks before hand.
Jake came today and brought his two horses. They're nice horses
but he won't let you drive them, he wants to drive himself.
Palmer went to the stable while Jake was unhitchin' and I seen
him get money from Jake. We had beefstake for supper, fried, but
it was too dry. She did not make any sop.[C] We had hot biscuits
and good butter, but no pie and cake.
I got acquainted with a boy, Will Peters. He invited me over to
his house several times. I want to go but am ashamed to; they
have pie and cake three times a day just like we all do at home.
Mrs. Palmer talks a little to me now. She still wears the
sun-bonnet but I don't believe it's newralgy that ails her. She
asked me if your name warn't Mary Irons before you married Pap.
I finished the Pilgrim's Progress last night. It's a great book,
you ought to read it. The one we got at home is not complete,
borrow Uncle Tom's.
I'm glad Turkey Evans did not get hold of my shotgun. Palmer's
done all his "work of art," as he calls it. Tonight he reads the
whole thing over to us and then we got to learn our parts. Jake
is going to be "Christian;" that's what I wanted to be but
"Christian" carries a heavy load on his back and Palmer says I'm
not strong enough. Me and Tom must double a dozen different
characters. Mrs. Palmer tried all the clothes for everybody on
me. One of the suits I do not like; it's just like you had
nothin' on but a shirt; it's for "Faith" to wear. I told Palmer
it would not look right before women and children and he said
the costume was patterned after the original plates. I don't
know what he meant but he'll not put "Faith's" clothes on me,
plates or no plates.
[Illustration: "He'll Not Put Faith's Clothes On Me"]
Is Pap coming over before we start? If he is, you have Lin bake
a peck of doughnuts, put them in the big carpet-sack. I'm glad
you got the gun. I wrote Turner Simpson to send you the pup when
it was old enough to wean. Your affectionate son,