He came to our house twice on business: once to see about road laws, and again about tax rates.

Father was mightily pleased at first, because Mr.Pryor seemed to have books, and to know everything, and father thought it would be fine to be neighbours.

But the minute Mr.Pryor finished business he began to argue that every single thing father and mother believed was wrong.

He said right out in plain English that God was a myth.

Father told him pretty quickly that no man could say that in his house; so he left suddenly and had not been back since, and father didn't want him ever to come again.
Then their neighbours often saw the woman around the house and garden.
She looked and acted quite as well as any one, so probably she was not half so sick as my mother, who had nursed three of us through typhoid fever, and then had it herself when she was all tired out.