I was so much elated by her encouraging words in
the morning that I set to work with a right good will; but before the
preparations were all completed I found that an apple-paring bee at
Uncle Nathan's was no trivial matter, and involved a large amount of
labour. The brass knobs on all the doors, as well as the large brass
andirons in the parlor, had to be polished till they shone like
burnished gold and this with other countless tasks all fell on me; but
the longest and most laborious day comes to a close, and so did this
sixth of October, and tired enough were we all long before night came.
Poor old grandma really entertained the idea that she was of much
assistance, and remained up for an hour or so beyond her usual time of
retiring, "to help things along," as she said. With all my aunts sharp,
crusty ways, one could not but respect her, when they noticed with what
forbearance she treated every whim and fancy of her aged mother, and
upon this occasion when she advised the old lady to retire to rest, and
she replied, "that she must sit up to hurry things along," she did not
press the matter but allowed her to take her own way.
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