He said he had another room as large as this that he staid in most of
his time when he was at home--his writin'-desk wuz in that room. But he
was not here much of the time, only to sleep and to his meals.

And as he said this, what should that almost angel man do but to put a
key in my hand, so Josiah and I could come in any time, whether he wuz
here or not.

Why, I wuz fairly dumbfoundered, and so wuz Josiah. But we thanked him
warm, very warm, warmer than the weather, and that stood more'n ninety
in the shade.

And I told him--for I see that he really meant what he said--I told him
that the chance of comin' in there and settin' down in that cool, big
room, once in a while, as a change from our dry oven, would be a boon.
And I didn't know but it would be the means of savin' our two lives, for
meltin' did seem to be our doom and our state ahead on us, time and time
agin.

And he spoke right up in his pleasant, sincere way, and said, "The more
we used it the more it would please him."

And then he opened the doors of a big bookcase--all carved off the doors
wuz, and the top, and the beautiful head of a white marble female
a-standin' up above it. And he sez--

"Here are a good many books that are fairly lonesome waiting to be read,
and you are more than welcome to read them."

Wall, I thanked him agin, and I told him that he wuz too good to us. And