But she said "she couldn't find such nice ones to the store--she
couldn't find shell-work."

"Then," sez I, "I shall go without shell-work."

But she said, "They wuz dretful ornamental to the foot, specially to the
instep, and she shouldn't want to go without 'em."

"But," sez I, "who is a-goin' to see your instep? You hain't a-goin'
round in that crowd with slips on, be you?"

"No," she said, "she didn't spoze she should, but she should feel better
to know that she had on nice stockin's, if there didn't anybody see
'em."

And I thought to myself that I should ruther be upheld by my principles
than the consciousness of shell-work stockin's. But I didn't say so
right out. I see that she wouldn't give up the idee.

And besides the stockin's, which wuz goin' to devour a fearful amount of
time, she had got to embroider three night-shirts for Whitfield with
fine linen floss.

Then I argued with her agin. Sez I, "Good land! I don't believe that
Christopher Columbus ever had any embroidered night-shirts." Sez I, "If
he had waited to have them embroidered, and shell-work stockin's knit,
we might have not been discovered to this day. But," sez I, "good,
sensible creeter, he knew better than to do it when he had everything
else on his hands. And," sez I, "with all your housework to do--and hot