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about out here. She keeps getting surprised at everything, and going “Oh, look at that!” And she gives out of breath easy. But she’s pretty in a way. She’s got a slightly small chin and big eyes.
    â€œThat’s in a city,” says Mrs. Copeland to Mr. Copeland, “not out here, and you know the Mormons ain’t gone to do it—drying people out.”
    â€œI don’t see why not. It ain’t exactly drying,” says Mr. Copeland, “but it preserves them
like
they’d been dried. Hand me that bowl. No. That one. Look, it’s serious business. Chemistry, and anatomy, and surgery.”
    â€œIs that like college?” says Sister.
    â€œPapa sewed up Grandma’s mouth,” said Brother.
    â€œWhat!?” said Star.
    â€œNot her mouth,” said Mrs. Copeland. “Her cheek. Hole in her cheek.”
    â€œNo. It’s different from college,” said Mr. Copeland. “But it’s the same in some ways. The studies were as hard as college.”
    Sister says, “Why you need Grandma Copeland’s room for it?”
    â€œIt just might get a little crowded out there in the kitchen. When we get the funeral home built in town, that’ll be a little better. That’ll give us more space.”
    â€œWell, I don’t like cooking in here in the summer,” says Mrs. Copeland. “Or outside.”
    â€œIf it picks up like I think it is, I’ll build another summer kitchen.”
    â€œIs the man with the dog involved with this new business?” asks Star.
    â€œNo,” says Mr. Copeland. “He’s just a friend of Zack’s.”
    â€œHe
looks
like he might be involved with funerals,” said Mrs. Copeland. “Zack said he used to live in Mumford Rock, but I don’t remember him, and he seems to be somebody you’d remember. Do you remember him, P.J.?”
    â€œI can’t say as I do, but I tell you—about funerals—it’s a very respectable business. You need to see that school in Denver—and who all is going there to learn. A lot of people in the furniture business is going into it, and the sooner we get into it the better. When somebody else starts a funeral home in Mumford Rock, and you can bet they will, we want to have a top-notch one going already, and we got to advertise to get going fast and sure. Once you get this business into a family, they’ll stay with you if you don’t mess up.”
    â€œPass the dumplings,” says Brother.
    â€œâ€˜Please,’” says Mrs. Copeland.
    â€œPlease,” says Brother.
    â€œLet me show you-all something,” says Mr. Copeland. “Bumpy, go get me that grip.”
    â€œI ain’t finished eating,” says Mrs. Copeland.
    After supper Mr. Copeland took off Grandma Copeland’s bonnet, braked her rolling chair, and leaned her back until she was almost flat down against the footstool with her knees up. Then he put a pillow under her head and started rubbing Glo-Tex on herface until she had some color like a person who wasn’t sick. Grandma is usually pale and kind of yellow. Mainly because she’s so far back in her bonnet and don’t get no sun.
    When he got to her mole he rubbed around it, then he said, “I wonder couldn’t I take that thing off.” I thought he was just joshing. Mr. Copeland gets to joshing every once in a while.
    â€œThey bleed bad,” said Mrs. Copeland.
    Then he wraps one of Grandma Copeland’s mole hairs around his finger like he’s pulling up grass and yanks it out. Grandma Copeland slaps his hand and looks at him like she’s been shot. I thought for sure she was going to say something. She don’t ever talk.
    â€œMama, I can’t fix you up,” he says, “lessen we clean you up a little.” He starts to pull the other one, but she slaps his hand again and so he gets out his pocketknife. “Whoa, horsey, calm down. I’ll do