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Smith, Jewell Ellen, 1915-1998

"Great Jehoshaphat and Gully Dirt"

But
Doctor Elton wasn't bobbing and bouncing along the way he usually
walked. He was dragging his feet, and when he got to the side of
his big black buggy, he had to catch one hand on the dashboard
and the other on the armrest so he could pull himself up to the
seat.
Papa tugged at the bridle bit of one mare just enough to make
her start backing the buggy a few feet. The doctor gave both
mares a light touch with the whip, and they struck up a smooth
trot. Turning halfway round, Doctor Elton lifted his hand to
Papa.
When I saw Papa was going toward the barn instead of coming
back to the porch, I scooted down the bare, windy hall to the
kitchen.

More and more folks, most of them strangers, kept coming to
the Lawson house. And it seemed that everything was going wrong
and nobody knew what to do. I didn't know what to do either. Mama
said for me just to be sweet and stay out of the way.
Uncle Dan brought Miss Ophelia's children home. But the girls
didn't want to play with me. They just stood around, looking at
the houseful of people.


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