“Why，Ihavebeennoticing。IusedtodespiseanEasternmanbecausehisclotheswerenotWestern。Iwasveryyoungthen，ormaybenotsoveryyoung，asvery——aswhatyousawIwaswhenyoufirstcametoBearCreek。AWesternmanisagoodthing。Andhegenerallyknowsthat。Buthehasaheaptolearn。Andhegenerallydon’tknowthat。SoItooktowatchingtheJudge’sEasternvisitors。TherewasthatMr。Ogdenespecially，fromNewYawk——thegentlemanthatwastherethetimewhenIhadtositupallnightwiththemissionary，yu’know。Hisclothespleasedmebestofall。Fithimsowell，andnothingflash。Igotmyideas，andwhenIknewIwasgoingtomarryyou，IsentmymeasureEast——andIandthetailorareoldenemiesnow。“
　　Benningtonprobablywasdisappointed。Toseegetoutofthetrainmerelyatallmanwithausualstrawhat，andScotchhomespunsuitofaratherbettercutthanmostinBennington——thiswasdull。Andhisconversation——whenheindulgedinany——seemedfittocomeinsidethehouse。
　　Mrs。FlynttookherrevengebysowingbroadcastherthankfulnessthatpoorSamBannetthadbeenMolly’srejectedsuitor。Hehaddonesomuchbetterforhimself。SamhadmarriedarichMissVanScootzer，ofthesecondfamiliesofTroy；andwiththeircombinedrichesthishappycouplestillinhabitthemostexpensiveresidenceinHoosicFalls。
　　ButmostofBenningtonsoonbegantosaythatMollyscow-boycouldbeinvitedanywhereandholdhisown。Thetimecamewhentheyceasedtospeakofhimasacow-boy，anddeclaredthatshehadshownremarkablesense。Butthiswasnotquiteyet。
　　Didthisbrideandgroomenjoytheirvisittoherfamily？
　　Well——well，theydidtheirbest。Everybodydidtheirbest，evenSarahBell。ShesaidthatshefoundnothingtoobjecttointheVirginian；shetoldMollyso。HerhusbandSamdidbetterthanthat。HetoldMollyheconsideredthatshewasinluck。AndpoorMrs。Wood，sittingonthesofa，conversedscrupulouslyandtimidlywithhernovelson-in-law，andsaidtoMollythatshewasastonishedtofindhimsogentle。Andhewasundoubtedlyfine-looking；yes，veryhandsome。ShebelievedthatshewouldgrowtoliketheSouthernaccent。Oh，yes！Everybodydidtheirbest；and，dearreader，ifeverithasbeenyourearthlyportiontolivewithanumberofpeoplewhowerealldoingtheirbest，youdonotneedmetotellyouwhataheavenlyatmospherethiscreates。
　　Andthenthebrideandgroomwenttoseetheoldgreat-auntoveratDunbarton。
　　Theirfirstarrival，theoneatBennington，hadbeenthus:SamBellhadmetthematthetrain，andMrs。Wood，waitinginherparlor，hadembracedherdaughterandreceivedherson-in-law。
　　Amongthemtheyhadmanagedtomaketheoccasionascompletelymournfulasanyfamilypartycanbe，withthewindowblindsup。
　　“Andwithyoupresent，mydear，“saidSamBelltoSarah，“theabsenceofacoffinwasnotfelt。“
　　ButatDunbartontheaffairwentoffdifferently。Theheartoftheancientladyhadtaughtherbetterthings。FromBenningtontoDunbartonisthegoodpartofaday’sjourney，andtheydroveuptothegateintheafternoon。Thegreat-auntwasinhergarden，pickingsomeAugustflowers，andshecalledasthecarriagestopped，“Bringmynephewhere，mydear，beforeyougointothehouse。“
　　Atthis，Molly，steppingoutofthecarriage，squeezedherhusband’shand。“Iknewthatshewouldbelovely，“shewhisperedtohim。Andthensherantoheraunt’sarms，andlethimfollow。
　　Hecameslowly，hatinhand。
　　Theoldladyadvancedtomeethim，tremblingalittle，andholdingoutherhandtohim。“Welcome，nephew，“shesaid。“Whatatallfellowyouare，tobesure。Standoff，sir，andletmelookatyou。“
　　TheVirginianobeyed，blushingfromhisblackhairtohiscollar。
　　Thenhisnewrelativeturnedtoherniece，andgaveheraflower。
　　“Putthisinhiscoat，mydear，“shesaid。“AndIthinkI
　　understandwhyyouwantedtomarryhim。“
　　Afterthisthemaidcameandshowedthemtotheirrooms。Leftaloneinhergarden，thegreat-auntsankonabenchandsatthereforsometime；foremotionhadmadeherveryweak。
　　Upstairs，Molly，sittingontheVirginian’sknee，puttheflowerinhiscoat，andthenlaidherheaduponhisshoulder。
　　“Ididn’tknowoldladiescouldbethatway，“hesaid。“D’yu’
　　reckontherearemany？“
　　“Oh，Idon’tknow，“saidthegirl。“I’msohappy！“
　　Nowattea，andduringtheevening，thegreat-auntcarriedoutherplansstillfurther。Atfirstshedidthechiefpartofthetalkingherself。NordidsheaskquestionsaboutWyomingtoosoon。Shereachedthatinherownway，andfoundouttheonethingthatshedesiredtoknow。ItwasthroughGeneralStarkthatsheleduptoit。
　　“Thereheis，“shesaid，showingthefamilyportrait。“Andaroughtimehemusthavehadofitnowandthen。NewHampshirewasfulloffineyoungmeninthosedays。ButnowadaysmostofthemhavegoneawaytoseektheirfortunesintheWest。Dotheyfindthem，Iwonder？“
　　“Yes，ma’am。Allthegoodonesdo。“
　　“Butyoucannotallbe——whatisthename？——CattleKings。“
　　“That’shavingitsday，ma’am，rightnow。Andwearegettingreadyforthechange——someofusare。
　　“Andwhatmaybethechange，andwhenisittocome？“
　　“Whenthenaturalpastureiseatenoff，“heexplained。“Ihaveseenthatcomingalongwhile。Andifthethievesaregoingtomakeusdriveourstockaway，we’lldriveit。Iftheydon’t，we’llhavebigpasturesfenced，andhayandshelterreadyforwinter。Whatwe’llspendinimprovements，we’llmorethansaveinwages。Iamwellfixedforthenewconditions。Andthen，whenI
　　tookupmyland，Ichoseaplacewherethereiscoal。Itwillnotbelongbeforethenewrailroadneedsthat。“
　　Thustheoldladylearnedmoreofherniece’shusbandinoneeveningthantheBenningtonfamilyhadascertainedduringhiswholesojournwiththem。ForbytouchinguponWyominganditsfuture，sherousedhimtotalk。HefoundhermindalivetoWesternquestions:irrigation，theIndians，theforests；andsoheexpanded，revealingtoherhiswideobservationandhisshrewdintelligence。Heforgotentirelytobeshy。ShesentMollytobed，andkepthimtalkingforanhour。Thensheshowedhimoldthingsthatshewasproudof，“because，“shesaid，“we，too，hadsomethingtodowithmakingourcountry。AndnowgotoMolly，oryou’llboththinkmeatiresomeoldlady。“
　　“Ithink——“hebegan，butwasnotquiteequaltoexpressingwhathethought，andsuddenlyhisshynessfloodedhimagain。
　　“Inthatcase，nephew，“saidshe，“I’mafraidyou’llhavetokissmegoodnight。“
　　Andsoshedismissedhimtohiswife，andtohappinessgreaterthaneitherofthemhadknownsincetheyhadleftthemountainsandcometotheEast。“He’lldo，“shesaidtoherself，nodding。
　　TheirvisittoDunbartonwasallhappinessandreparationforthedolefuldaysatBenningtonTheoldladygavemuchcomfortandadvicetohernieceinprivate，andwhentheycametoleave，shestoodatthefrontdoorholdingboththeirhandsamoment。
　　“Godblessyou，mydears，“shetoldthem。“Andwhenyoucomenexttime，I’llhavethenurseryready。“
　　Andsoithappenedthatbeforesheleftthisworld，thegreat-auntwasabletoholdinherarmsthefirstoftheirmanychildren。
　　JudgeHenryatSunkCreekhadhisweddingpresentready。HisgrowingaffairsinWyomingneededhispresenceinmanyplacesdistantfromhisranch，andhemadetheVirginianhispartner。
　　Whenthethievesprevailedatlength，astheydid，forcingcattleownerstoleavethecountryorberuined，theVirginianhadforestalledthiscrash。TheherdsweredrivenawaytoMontana。
　　Then，in1889，camethecattlewar，when，afterputtingtheirmeninoffice，andcomingtoownsomeofthenewspapers，thethievesbroughtruinonthemselvesaswell。Forinabrokencountrythereisnothinglefttosteal。
　　Buttherailroadcame，andbuiltabranchtothatlandoftheVirginian’swherethecoalwas。Bythattimehewasanimportantman，withastronggriponmanyvariousenterprises，andabletogivehiswifeallandmorethansheaskedordesired。
　　SometimesshemissedtheBearCreekdays，whensheandhehadriddentogether，andsometimesshedeclaredthathisworkwouldkillhim。Butitdoesnotseemtohavedoneso。TheireldestboyridesthehorseMonte；and，strictlybetweenourselves，Ithinkhisfatherisgoingtolivealongwhile。
　　End