Did 'Bije--did your father know this Mr.Corot well ?" "Know him?
Certainly not.

Why should you think such a thing as that ?" "Well, he bought the picture of him, and so I s'pose likely he knew him.
There was a young feller come to South Denboro three or four year ago and offered to paint a picture of our place for fifteen dollars.
Abbie--that's Abbie Baker, she's one of our folks, you know, your third cousin, Caroline; keepin' house for me, she is--Abbie wanted me to have him do the job, but I wa'n't very particular about it, so it never come to nothin'.

He done two or three places, though, and I swan 'twas nice work! He painted Sam Cahoon's old ramshackle house and barn, and you'd hardly know it, 'twas so fixed up and fine, in the picture.

White paint and green grass and everything just like real.

He left out the places where the pickets was off the fence and the blinds hangin' on one hinge.
I told Abbie, I says, 'Abbie, that painter's made Sam's place look almost respectable, and if that ain't a miracle, I don't know what is.
I would think Sam would blush every time he sees that picture.' Ho, ho! Abbie seemed to cal'late that Sam Cahoon's blushin' would be the biggest miracle of the two.