,,the ,,hoosier ,,schoolmaster  ,a      
,story of ,backwoods ,life in ,indiana  
,,revised  with an introduction and     
,notes on the ,district by the ,author1 
,,edward ,,eggleston  ,with ,character  
,sketches by  ,f4 ,,opper  and other    
,illustrations by  ,w4,e4,b4            
,,starkweather   ,,grosset  ,,dunlap    
,,publishers ,,new ,,york  #ahga        
,,as ,a ,,pebble ,,cast ,,upon ,a       
,,great ,,cairn1 ,,this ,,edition ,,is  
,,inscribed ,,to ,,the ,,memory ,,of    
,,james ,,russell ,,lowell1 ,,whose     
,,cordial ,,encouragement ,,to ,,my     
,,early ,,studies ,,of ,,american       
,,dialect ,,is ,,gratefully             
,,remembered4  ,,the ,,author4          
,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,library          
,,edition4  ,,being ,,the ,,history ,,of
 ,a ,,story4   ,,the ,,hoosier          
,,school-,,master was written and       
printed in the autumn of #ahga4 ,it is  
therefore now about twenty-one years    
old1 and the publishers propose to mark 
its coming of age by issuing a library  

edition4 ,i avail myself of the occasion
 to make some needed revisions1 and to  
preface the new edition with an account 
of the origin and adventures of the     
book4 ,if ,i should seem to betray      
unbecoming pride in speaking of a story 
that has passed into several languages  
and maintained an undiminished          
popularity for more than a score of     
years1 ,i count on receiving the        
indulgence commonly granted to paternal 
vanity when celebrating the majority of 
a first-born4 ,with all its faults on   
its head1 this little tale has become a 
classic1 in the bookseller's sense at   
least2 and a public that has shown so   
constant a partiality for it has a right
 to feel some curiosity regarding its   
history4  ,i persuade myself that       
additional extenuation for this         
biography of a book is to be found in   
the relation which ,the ,hoosier        
,school-,master happens to bear to the  
most significant movement in ,american  
literature in our generation4 ,it is the

 file-leader of the procession of       
,american dialect novels4 ,before the   
appearance of this story1 the ,new      
,england folk-speech had long been      
employed for various literary purposes1 
it is true2 and after its use by        
,lowell1 it had acquired a standing that
 made it the classic lingua rustica of  
the ,united ,states4 ,even ,hoosiers and
 ,southerners when put into print1 as   
they sometimes were in rude burlesque   
stories1 usually talked about huskin'   
bees and apple-parin' bees and used many
 other expressions foreign to their     
vernacular4 ,american literature hardly 
touched the speech and life of the      
people outside of ,new ,england2 in     
other words1 it was provincial in the   
narrow sense4  ,i can hardly suppose    
that ,the ,hoosier ,school-,master bore 
any causative relation to that broader  
provincial movement in our literature   
which now includes such remarkable      
productions as the writings of ,mr4     
,cable1 ,mr4 ,harris1 ,mr4 ,page1 ,miss 

,murfree1 ,mr4 ,richard ,malcom         
,johnson1 ,mr4 ,howe1 ,mr4 ,garland1    
some of ,mrs4 ,burnett's stories and    
others quite worthy of inclusion in this
 list4 ,the taking up of life in this   
regional way has made our literature    
really national by the only process     
possible4 ,the ,federal nation has at   
length manifested a consciousness of the
 continental diversity of its forms of  
life4 ,the great ,american novel1 for   
which prophetic critics yearned so      
fondly twenty years ago1 is appearing in
 sections4 ,i may claim for this book   
the distinction1 such as it is1 of being
 the first of the dialect stories that  
depict a life quite beyond ,new ,england
 influence4 ,some of ,mr4 ,bret ,harte's
 brief and powerful tales had already   
foreshadowed this movement toward a     
larger rendering of our life4 ,but the  
romantic character of ,mr4 ,harte's     
delightful stories and the absence of   
anything that can justly be called      
dialect in them mark them as rather     

forerunners than beginners of the       
prevailing school4 ,for some years after
 the appearance of the present novel1 my
 own stories had to themselves the field
 of provincial realism 7if1 indeed1     
there be any such thing as realism7     
before there came the succession of fine
 productions which have made the last   
fourteen years notable4  ,though it had 
often occurred to me to write something 
in the dialect now known as             
,hoosier--the folk-speech of the        
southern part of ,ohio1 ,indiana1 and   
,illinois of forty years ago--,i had    
postponed the attempt indefinitely1     
probably because the only literary use  
that had been made of the allied speech 
of the ,southwest had been in the books 
of the primitive humorists of that      
region4 ,i found it hard to dissociate  
in my own mind the dialect from the     
somewhat coarse boisterousness which    
seemed inseparable from it in the works 
of these rollicking writers4 ,it chanced
 that in #ahga ,taine's lectures on ,art

 in the ,netherlands1 or rather ,mr4    
,john ,durand's translation of them1    
fell into my hands as a book for        
editorial review4 ,these discourses are 
little else than an elucidation of the  
thesis that the artist of originality   
will work courageously with the         
materials he finds in his own           
environment4 ,in ,taine's view1 all life
 has matter for the artist1 if only he  
have eyes to see4  ,many years previous 
to the time of which ,i am now speaking1
 while ,i was yet a young man1 ,i had   
projected a lecture on the ,hoosier     
folk-speech1 and had even printed during
 the war a little political skit in that
 dialect in a ,st4 ,paul paper4 ,so far 
as ,i know1 nothing else had ever been  
printed in the ,hoosier4 ,under the spur
 of ,taine's argument1 ,i now proceeded 
to write a short story wholly in the    
dialect spoken in my childhood by       
rustics on the north side of the ,ohio  
,river4 ,this tale ,i called ,the       
,hoosier ,school-,master4 ,it consisted 

almost entirely of an autobiographical  
narration in dialect by ,mirandy ,means 
of the incidents that form the          
groundwork of the present story4 ,i was 
the newly installed editor of a weekly  
journal1 ,hearth and ,home1 and ,i sent 
this little story in a new dialect to my
 printer4 ,it chanced that one of the   
proprietors of the paper saw a part of  
it in proof4 ,he urged me to take it    
back and make a longer story out of the 
materials1 and he expressed great       
confidence in the success of such a     
story4 ,yielding to his suggestion1 ,i  
began to write this novel from week to  
week as it appeared in the paper1 and   
thus found myself involved in the career
 of a novelist1 which had up to that    
time formed no part of my plan of life4 
,in my inexperience ,i worked at a      
white-heat1 completing the book in ten  
weeks4 ,long before these weeks of eager
 toil were over1 it was a question among
 my friends whether the novel might not 
write finis to me before ,i should see  

the end of it4  ,the sole purpose ,i had
 in view at first was the resuscitation 
of the dead-and-alive newspaper of which
 ,i had ventured to take charge4 ,one of
 the firm of publishers thought much    
less favorably of my story than his     
partner did4 ,i was called into the     
private office and informed with some   
severity that my characters were too    
rough to be presentable in a paper so   
refined as ours4 ,i confess they did    
seem somewhat too robust for a sheet so 
anmic as ,hearth and ,home had been in  
the months just preceding4 ,but when1   
the very next week after this protest   
was made1 the circulation of the paper  
increased some thousands at a bound1 my 
employer's critical estimate of the work
 underwent a rapid change--a change     
based on what seemed to him better than 
merely literary considerations4 ,by the 
time the story closed1 at the end of    
fourteen instalments1 the subscription  
list had multiplied itself four or five 
fold4 ,it is only fair to admit1        

however1 that the original multiplicand 
had been rather small4  ,papers in      
,canada and in some of the other        
,english colonies transferred the novel 
bodily to their columns1 and many of the
 ,american country papers helped        
themselves to it quite freely4 ,it had  
run some weeks of its course before it  
occurred to any one that it might       
profitably be reprinted in book form4   
,the publishers were loath to risk much 
in the venture4 ,the newspaper type was 
rejustified to make a book page1 and    
barely two thousand copies were printed 
for a first edition4 ,i remember        
expressing the opinion that the number  
was too large4  ,the ,hoosier           
,school-,master was pirated with the    
utmost promptitude by the ,messrs4      
,routledge1 in ,england1 for that was in
 the barbarous days before international
 copyright1 when ,english publishers    
complained of the unscrupulousness of   
,american reprinters1 while they        
themselves pounced upon every line of   

,american production that promised some 
shillings of profit4 ,the ,hoosier      
,school-,master was brought out in      
,england in a cheap1 sensational form4  
,the edition of ten thousand has long   
been out of print4 ,for this large      
edition and for the editions issued in  
the ,british colonies and in continental
 ,europe ,i have never received a penny4
 ,a great many men have made money out  
of the book1 but my own returns have    
been comparatively small4 ,for its use  
in serial form ,i received nothing      
beyond my salary as editor4 ,on the     
copyright edition ,i have received the  
moderate royalty allowed to young       
authors at the outset of their work4    
,the sale of the ,american edition in   
the first twenty years amounted to      
seventy thousand copies4 ,the           
peculiarity of this sale is its         
steadiness4 ,after twenty years1 ,the   
,hoosier ,school-,master is selling at  
the average rate of more than three     
thousand copies per annum4 ,during the  

last half-dozen years the popularity of 
the book has apparently increased1 and  
its twentieth year closed with a sale of
 twenty-one hundred in six months4 ,only
 those who are familiar with the book   
trade and who know how brief is the life
 of the average novel will understand   
how exceptional is this long-continued  
popularity4  ,some of the newspaper     
reviewers of twenty years ago were a    
little puzzled to know what to make of a
 book in so questionable a shape1 for   
the ,american dialect novel was then a  
new-comer4 ,but nothing could have given
 a beginner more genuine pleasure than  
the cordial commendation of the leading 
professional critic of the time1 the    
late ,mr4 ,george ,ripley1 who wrote an 
extended review of this book for the    
,tribune4 ,the monthly magazines all    
spoke of ,the ,hoosier ,school-,master  
in terms as favorable as it deserved4 ,i
 cannot pretend that ,i was content with
 these notices at the time1 for ,i had  
the sensitiveness of a beginner4 ,but on

 looking at the reviews in the magazines
 of that day1 ,i am amused to find that 
the faults pointed out in the work of my
 prentice hand are just those that ,i   
should be disposed to complain of now1  
if it were any part of my business to   
tell the reader wherein ,i might have   
done better4  ,the ,nation1 then in its 
youth1 honored ,the ,hoosier            
,school-,master by giving it two pages1 
mostly in discussion of its dialect1 but
 dispensing paradoxical praise and      
censure in that condescending way with  
which we are all familiar enough4       
,according to its critic1 the author had
 understood and described the old       
,western life1 but he had done it quite 
sketchily1 to be sure4 ,yet it was done 
with essential truth and some           
effectiveness4 ,the critic1 however     
instantly stands on the other foot again
 and adds that the book is not a        
captivating one4 ,but he makes amends in
 the very next sentence by an allusion  
to the faithfulness of its transcript of

 the life it depicts1 and then instantly
 balances the account on the adverse    
side of the ledger by assuring the      
reader that it has no interest of       
passion or mental power4 ,but even this 
fatal conclusion is diluted by a        
dependent clause4 ,possibly1 says the   
reviewer1 the good feeling of the       
intertwined love story may conciliate   
the good-will of some of the malcontent4
 ,one could hardly carry further the    
fine art of oscillating between moderate
 commendation and parenthetical         
damnation--an art that lends a          
factitious air of judicial impartiality 
and mental equipoise4 ,beyond question1 
,the ,nation is one of the ablest weekly
 papers in the world2 the admirable     
scholarship of its articles and reviews 
in departments of special knowledge     
might well be a subject of pride to any 
,american4 ,but its inadequate reviews  
of current fiction add nothing to its   
value1 and its habitual tone of         
condescending depreciation in treating  

imaginative literature of indigenous    
origin is one of the strongest          
discouragements to literary production4 
,the main value of good criticism lies  
in its readiness and penetration in     
discovering and applauding merit not    
before recognized1 or imperfectly       
recognized4 ,this is a conspicuous trait
 of ,sainte-,beuve1 the greatest of all 
newspaper critics4 ,he knew how to be   
severe upon occasion1 but he saw talent 
in advance of the public and dispensed  
encouragement heartily1 so that he made 
himself almost a foster-father to the   
literature of his generation in ,france4
 ,but there is a class of anonymous     
reviewers in ,england and ,america who  
seem to hold a traditional theory that  
the function of a critic toward new-born
 talent is analogous to that of ,pharaoh
 toward the infant ,jewish population#a4
  ,during the first year after its      
publication ,the ,hoosier               
,school-,master was translated into     
,french and published in a condensed    

form in the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes4   
,the translator was the writer who signs
 the name ,m4 ,th4 ,bentzon1 and who is 
well known to be ,madame ,blanc4 ,this  
,french version afterward appeared in   
book form in the same volume with one of
 ,mr4 ,thomas ,bailey ,aldrich's stories
 and some other stories of mine4 ,in    
this latter shape ,i have never seen it4
 ,the title given to the story by       
,madame ,blanc was ,le ,matre d'cole de 
,flat ,creek4 ,it may be imagined that  
the translator found it no easy task to 
get equivalents in ,french for          
expressions in a dialect new and        
strange4 ,i'll be dog-on'd appears in   
,french as devil take me 7diable        
m'emporte71 which is not bad2 the devil 
being rather a jolly sort of fellow1 in 
,french4 ,the ,church of the ,best      
,licks seems rather unrenderable1 and ,i
 do not see how the translator could    
have found a better phrase for it than  
,l',eglise des ,racles though racles    
does not convey the double sense of     

licks4 ,jim epelait vite comme l'eclair 
is not a good rendering of ,jim spelled 
like lightning1 since it is not the     
celerity of the spelling that is the    
main consideration4 ,concours           
d'epellation is probably the best       
equivalent for spelling-school1 but it  
seems something more stately in its     
,french dress4 ,when ,bud says1 with    
reference to ,hannah1 ,i never took no  
shine that air way1 the phrase is rather
 too idiomatic for the ,french tongue1  
and it becomes ,i haven't run after that
 hare 7,je n'ai pas chass ce livre-la74 
,perhaps the most sadly amusing thing in
 the translation is the way the meaning 
of the nickname ,shocky is missed in an 
explanatory foot-note4 ,it is1 according
 to the translator1 an abbreviation or  
corruption of the ,english word         
shocking1 which expresses the shocking  
ugliness of the child--qui exprime la   
laideur choquante de l'enfant4  ,a      
,german version of ,the ,hoosier        
,school-,master was made about the time 

of the appearance of the ,french        
translation1 but of this ,i have never  
seen a copy4 ,i know of it only from the
 statement made to me by a ,german      
professor1 that he had read it in       
,german before he knew any ,english4    
,what are the equivalents in ,high      
,german for right smart and dog-on ,i   
cannot imagine4  ,several years after   
the publication of ,the ,hoosier        
,school-,master it occurred to ,mr4 ,h4 
,hansen1 of ,kjge1 in ,denmark1 to      
render it into ,danish4 ,among the      
,danes the book enjoyed a popularity as 
great1 perhaps1 as it has had at home4  
,the circulation warranted ,mr4 ,hansen 
and his publisher in bringing out       
several other novels of mine4 ,the      
,danish translator was the only person  
concerned in the various foreign        
editions of this book who had the       
courtesy to ask the author's leave4     
,under the old conditions in regard to  
international copyright1 an author came 
to be regarded as one not entitled even 

to common civilities in the matter of   
reprinting his works--he was to be      
plundered without politeness4 ,as ,i    
look at the row of my books in the      
unfamiliar ,danish1 ,i am reminded of   
that ,new ,england mother who1 on       
recovering her children carried away by 
the ,canadian ,indians1 found it        
impossible to communicate with a        
daughter who spoke only ,french and a   
son who knew nothing but the speech of  
his savage captors4 ,mr4 ,hansen was    
thoughtful enough to send me the reviews
 of my books in the ,danish newspapers2 
and he had the double kindness to       
translate these into ,english and to    
leave out all but those that were likely
 to be agreeable to my vanity4 ,of these
 ,i remember but a single sentence1 and 
that because it was expressed with      
felicity4 ,the reviewer said of the fun 
in ,the ,hoosier ,school-,master3 ,this 
is humor laughing to keep from bursting 
into tears4  ,a year or two before the  
appearance of ,the ,hoosier             

,school-,master1 a newspaper article of 
mine touching upon ,american dialect    
interested ,mr4 ,lowell1 and he urged me
 to look for the foreign influence that 
has affected the speech of the ,ohio    
,river country4 ,my reverence for him as
 the master in such studies did not     
prevent me from feeling that the        
suggestion was a little absurd4 ,but at 
a later period ,i became aware that     
,north ,irishmen used many of the       
pronunciations and idioms that          
distinctly characterized the language of
 old-fashioned people on the ,ohio4     
,many ,ulster men say wair for were and 
air for are1 for example4 ,connecting   
this with the existence of a            
considerable element of ,scotch-,irish  
names in the ,ohio ,river region1 ,i    
could not doubt that here was one of the
 keys the master had bidden me look for4
 ,while pursuing at a later period a    
series of investigations into the       
culture-history of the ,american people 
in the seventeenth and eighteenth       

centuries1 ,i became much interested in 
the emigration to ,america from the     
north of ,ireland1 a movement that waxed
 and waned as the great ,irish-linen    
industry of the last century declined or
 prospered4 ,the first ,american home of
 these ,irish was ,pennsylvania4 ,a     
portion of them were steady-going1      
psalm-singing1 money-getting people1 who
 in course of time made themselves felt 
in the commerce1 politics1 and          
intellectual life of the nation4 ,there 
was also a dare-devil element1 descended
 perhaps from those rude borderers who  
were deported to ,ireland more for the  
sake of the peace of ,north ,britain    
than for the benefit of ,ireland4 ,in   
this rougher class there was perhaps a  
larger dash of the ,celtic fire that    
came from the wild ,irish women whom the
 first ,scotch settlers in ,ulster made 
the mothers of their progeny4 ,arrived  
in the wilds of ,pennsylvania1 these    
,irishmen built rude cabins1 planted    
little patches of corn and potatoes1 and

 distilled a whiskey that was never     
suffered to grow mellow4 ,the forest was
 congenial to men who spent much the    
larger part of their time in boisterous 
sport of one sort or another4 ,the      
manufacture of the rifle was early      
brought to ,lancaster1 in ,pennsylvania1
 direct from the land of its invention  
by ,swiss emigrants1 and in the         
adventurous ,scotch-,irishman of the    
,pennsylvania frontier the rifle found  
its fellow4 ,irish settlers became      
hunters of wild beasts1 explorers1      
pioneers1 and warriors against the      
,indians1 upon whom they avenged their  
wrongs with relentless ferocity4 ,both  
the ,irish race and the intermingled    
,pennsylvania ,dutch were prolific1 and 
the up-country of ,pennsylvania soon    
overflowed4 ,emigration was held in     
check to the westward for a while by the
 cruel massacres of the ,french and     
,indian wars1 and one river of          
population poured itself southward into 
the fertile valleys of the ,virginia    

mountain country2 another and larger    
flood swept still farther to the south  
along the eastern borders of the        
,appalachian range until it reached the 
uplands of ,carolina4 ,when the militia 
of one county in ,south ,carolina was   
mustered during the ,revolution1 it was 
found that every one of the thirty-five 
hundred men enrolled were natives of    
,pennsylvania4 ,these were mainly sons  
of ,north ,irishmen1 and from the       
,carolina ,irish sprang ,calhoun1 the   
most aggressive statesman that has      
appeared in ,america1 and ,jackson1 the 
most brilliant military genius in the   
whole course of our history4 ,before the
 close of the ,revolution this          
adventurous race had begun to break over
 the passes of the ,alleghanies into the
 dark and bloody ground of ,kentucky and
 ,tennessee4 ,soon afterward a multitude
 of ,pennsylvanians of all stocks--the  
,scotch-,irish and those ,germans1      
,swiss1 and ,hollanders who are commonly
 classed together as the ,pennsylvania  

,dutch1 as well as a large number of    
people of ,english descent--began to    
migrate down the ,ohio ,valley4 ,along  
with them came professional men and     
people of more or less culture1 chiefly 
from eastern ,virginia and ,maryland4   
,there came also into ,indiana and      
,illinois1 from the border ,states and  
from as far south as ,north ,carolina   
and ,tennessee1 a body of poor whites4  
,these semi-nomadic people1 descendants 
of the colonial bond-servants1 formed1  
in the second quarter of the nineteenth 
century1 the lowest rank of ,hoosiers4  
,but as early as #ahde there was a      
considerable exodus of these to         
,missouri4 ,from ,pike ,county1 in that 
,state1 they wended their way to        
,california1 to appear in ,mr4 ,bret    
,harte's stories as ,pikes4 ,the        
movement of this class out of ,indiana  
went on with augmented volume in the    
fifties4 ,the emigrants of this period  
mostly sought the ,states lying just    
west of the ,mississippi1 and the poorer

 sort made the trip in little one-horse 
wagons of the sorriest description1     
laden mainly with white-headed children 
and followed by the yellow curs that are
 the one luxury indispensable to a      
family of this class4 ,to this migration
 and to a liberal provision for popular 
education ,indiana owes a great         
improvement in the average intelligence 
of her people4 ,as early as #ahhj1 ,i   
believe1 the ,state had come to rank    
with some of the ,new ,england ,states  
in the matter of literacy4  ,the        
folk-speech of the ,ohio ,river country 
has many features in common with that of
 the eastern ,middle ,states1 while it  
received but little from the dignified  
eighteenth-century ,english of eastern  
,virginia4 ,there are distinct traces of
 the ,north-,irish in the idioms and in 
the peculiar pronunciations4 ,one finds 
also here and there a word from the     
,pennsylvania ,dutch1 such as waumus for
 a loose jacket1 from the ,german wamms1
 a doublet1 and smearcase for cottage   

cheese1 from the ,german schmierkse4    
,the only ,french word left by the old  
voyageurs1 so far as ,i now remember1 is
 cordelle1 to tow a boat by a rope      
carried along the shore4  ,substantially
 the same folk-speech exists wherever   
the ,pennsylvania migration formed the  
main element of the primitive           
settlement4 ,i have heard the same      
dialect in the ,south ,carolina uplands 
that one gets from a ,posey ,county     
,hoosier1 or rather that one used to get
 in the old days before the vandal      
school-master had reduced the vulgar    
tongue to the monotonous propriety of   
what we call good ,english4  ,in drawing
 some of the subordinate characters in  
this tale a little too baldly from the  
model1 ,i fell into an error common to  
inexperienced writers4 ,it is amusing to
 observe that these portrait characters 
seem the least substantial of all the   
figures in the book4 ,dr4 ,small is a   
rather unrealistic villain1 but ,i knew 
him well and respected him in my boyish 

heart for a most exemplary ,christian of
 good family at the very time that1     
according to testimony afterward given1 
he was diversifying his pursuits as a   
practising physician by leading a gang  
of burglars4 ,more than one person has  
been pointed out as the original of ,bud
 ,means1 and ,i believe there are one or
 two men each of whom flatters himself  
that he posed for the figure of the     
first disciple of the ,church of the    
,best ,licks4 ,bud is made up of        
elements found in some of his race1 but 
not in any one man4 ,not dreaming that  
the story would reach beyond the small  
circulation of ,hearth and ,home1 ,i    
used the names of people in ,switzerland
 and ,decatur counties1 in ,indiana1    
almost without being aware of it4 ,i    
have heard that a young man bearing the 
surname given to one of the rudest      
families in this book had to suffer many
 gibes while a student at an ,indiana   
college4 ,i here do public penance for  
my culpable indiscretion4  ,jeems       

,phillips1 name and all1 is a real      
person whom at the time of writing this 
story ,i had not seen since ,i was a lad
 of nine and he a man of nearly forty4  
,he was a mere memory to me1 and was put
 into the book with some slighting      
remarks which the real ,jeems did not   
deserve4 ,i did not know that he was    
living1 and it did not seem likely that 
the story would have vitality enough to 
travel all the way to ,indiana4 ,but the
 portion referring to ,phillips was     
transferred to the county paper         
circulating among ,jeems' neighbors4    
,for once the good-natured man was1 as  
they say in ,hoosier1 mad1 and he       
threatened to thrash the editor4 ,do you
 think he means you8 demanded the       
editor4 ,to be sure he does1 said the   
champion speller4 ,can you spell8 ,i can
 spell down any master that ever came to
 our district1 he replied4 ,as time     
passed on1 ,phillips found himself a    
lion4 ,strangers desired an introduction
 to him as a notability1 and invited the

 champion to dissipate with them at the 
soda fountain in the village drug store4
 ,it became a matter of pride with him  
that he was the most famous speller in  
the world4 ,two years ago1 while        
visiting the town of my nativity1 ,i met
 upon the street the aged ,jeems        
,phillips1 whom ,i had not seen for more
 than forty years4 ,i would go far to   
hear him spell down a complacent        
school-master once more4  ,the          
publication of this book gave rise to an
 amusing revival of the spelling-school 
as a means of public entertainment1 not 
in rustic regions alone1 but in towns   
also4 ,the furor extended to the great  
cities of ,new ,york and ,london1 and   
reached at last to farthest ,australia1 
spreading to every region in which      
,english is spelled or spoken4 ,but the 
effect of the chapter on the            
spelling-school was temporary and       
superficial2 the only organization that 
came from the spelling-school mania1 so 
far as ,i know1 was an association of   

proof-readers in ,london to discuss     
mooted points4 ,the sketch of the       
,church of the ,best ,licks1 however1   
seems to have made a deep and enduring  
impression upon individuals and to have 
left some organized results4 ,i myself  
endeavored to realize it1 and for five  
years ,i was the pastor of a church in  
,brooklyn1 organized on a basis almost  
as simple as that in the ,flat ,creek   
school-house4 ,the name ,i rendered into
 respectable ,english1 and the ,church  
of the ,best ,licks became the ,church  
of ,christian ,endeavor4 ,it was highly 
successful in doing that which a church 
ought to do1 and its methods of work    
have been widely copied4 ,after my work 
as a minister had been definitely       
closed1 the name and the underlying     
thought of this church were borrowed for
 a young people's society2 and thus the 
little story of good endeavor in        
,indiana seems to have left a permanent 
mark on the ecclesiastical organization 
of the time4  ,if any one1 judging by   

the length of this preface1 should      
conclude that ,i hold my little book in 
undue esteem1 let him know that ,i owe  
it more than one grudge4 ,it is said    
that ,thomas ,campbell1 twenty years    
after the appearance of his best-known  
poem1 was one day introduced as the     
author of ',the ,pleasures of ,hope4'   
,confound ',the ,pleasures of ,hope1' he
 protested2 can't ,i write anything     
else8 ,so1 however much ,i may prefer my
 later work1 more carefully wrought in  
respect of thought1 structure1 and      
style1 this initial novel1 the favorite 
of the larger public1 has become        
inseparably associated with my name4    
,often ,i have mentally applied         
,campbell's imprecation on ,the         
,pleasures of ,hope to this story4 ,i   
could not write in this vein now if ,i  
would1 and twenty-one years have made so
 many changes in me that ,i dare not    
make any but minor changes in this      
novel4 ,the author of ,the ,hoosier     
,school-,master is distinctly not ,i2 ,i

 am but his heir and executor2 and since
 he is a more popular writer than ,i1   
why should ,i meddle with his work8 ,i  
have1 however1 ventured to make some    
necessary revision of the diction1 and  
have added notes1 mostly with reference 
to the dialect4  ,a second grudge       
against this story is that somehow its  
readers persist in believing it to be a 
bit of my own life4 ,americans are      
credulous believers in that miracle of  
the imagination whom no one has ever    
seen in the flesh--the self-made man4   
,some readers of ,the ,hoosier          
,school-,master have settled it for a   
certainty that the author sprang from   
the rustic class he has described4 ,one 
lady even wrote to inquire whether my   
childhood were not represented in       
,shocky1 the little lad out of the      
poor-house4 ,a biographical sketch of me
 in ,italian goes so far as to state    
that among the hard resorts by which ,i 
made a living in my early life was the  
teaching of a ,sunday-school in         

,chicago4  ,no one knows so well as ,i  
the faults of immaturity and            
inexperience that characterize this     
book4 ,but perhaps after all the public 
is right in so often preferring an      
author's first book4 ,there is what     
,emerson would have called a central    
spontaneity about the work of a young   
man that may give more delight to the   
reader than all the precision of thought
 and perfection of style for which we   
strive as life advances4  ,,joshua',s   
,,rock ,,on ,,lake ,,george1 #ahib4     
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #a3 ,since      
writing the passage in the text1 ,i have
 met with the following in ,the         
,speaker1 of ,london3 ,everybody knows  
that when an important work is published
 in history1 philosophy1 or any branch  
of science1 the editor of a respectable 
paper employs an expert to review it2 4 
4 4 indeed1 the more abstruse the       
subject of the book1 the more careful   
and intelligent you will find the       
review4 4 4 4 ,it is equally well known 

that works of fiction and books of verse
 are not treated with anything like the 
same care4 4 4 4 ,a good poem1 play1 or 
novel is at least as fine an achievement
 as a good history2 yet the history gets
 the benefit of an expert's judgment and
 two columns of thoughtful pimse or     
censure1 while the poem1 play1 or novel 
is treated to ten skittish lines by the 
hack who happens to be within nearest   
call when the book comes in4     ,,part 
,,of ,,the ,,preface ,,to ,,the  ,,first
 ,,edition4   ,i may as well confess1   
what it would be affectation to conceal1
 that ,i am more than pleased with the  
generous reception accorded to this     
story as a serial in the columns of     
,hearth and ,home4 ,it has been in my   
mind since ,i was a ,hoosier boy to do  
something toward describing life in the 
back-country districts of the ,western  
,states4 ,it used to be a matter of no  
little jealousy with us1 ,i remember1   
that the manners1 customs1 thoughts1 and
 feelings of ,new ,england country      

people filled so large a place in books1
 while our life1 not less interesting1  
not less romantic1 and certainly not    
less filled with humorous and grotesque 
material1 had no place in literature4   
,it was as though we were shut out of   
good society4 ,and1 with the single     
exception of ,alice ,gary1 perhaps1 our 
,western writers did not dare speak of  
the ,west otherwise than as the unreal  
world to which ,cooper's lively         
imagination had given birth4  ,i had    
some anxiety lest ,western readers      
should take offence at my selecting what
 must always seem an exceptional phase  
of life to those who have grown up in   
the more refined regions of the ,west4  
,but nowhere has the ,school-master been
 received more kindly than in his own   
country and among his own people4  ,some
 of those who have spoken generous words
 of the ,school-master and his friends  
have suggested that the story is an     
autobiography4 ,but it is not1 save in  
the sense in which every work of art is 

an autobiography3 in that it is the     
result of the experience and observation
 of the writer4 ,readers will therefore 
bear in mind that not ,ralph nor ,bud   
nor ,brother ,sodom nor ,dr4 ,small     
represents the writer1 nor do ,i appear1
 as ,talleyrand said of ,madame de      
,stal1 disguised as a woman1 in the     
person of ,hannah or ,mirandy4 ,some of 
the incidents have been drawn from life2
 none of them1 ,i believe1 from my own4 
,i should like to be considered a member
 of the ,church of the ,best ,licks1    
however4  ,it has been in my mind to    
append some remarks1 philological and   
otherwise1 upon the dialect1 but        
,professor ,lowell's admirable and      
erudite preface to the ,biglow ,papers  
must be the despair of every one who    
aspires to write on ,americanisms4 ,to  
,mr4 ,lowell belongs the distinction of 
being the only one of our most eminent  
authors and the only one of our most    
eminent scholars who has given careful  
attention to ,american dialects4 ,but   

while ,i have not ventured to discuss   
the provincialisms of the ,indiana      
backwoods1 ,i have been careful to      
preserve the true usus loquendi of each 
locution4  ,,brooklyn1 ,december1 #ahga4
     ,,contents4  ,,chapter ,i          
,,page ,a ,private ,lesson from a       
,bulldog 4 4 4  #cg  ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,a 
,spell ,coming4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4   
#eb  ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,mirandy1 ,hank1  
and ,shocky 4 4 4 4 4 4  #eg  ,,chapter 
,,iv4 ,spelling ,down the ,master4 4 4 4
 4 4 4  #gj  ,,chapter ,v4 ,the ,walk   
,home 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4  #ij      
,,chapter ,,vi4 ,a ,night at ,pete      
,jones's 4 4 4 4 4 4 4  #ig  ,,chapter  
,,vii ,ominous ,remarks of ,mr4 ,jones4 
4 4 4 4 #aje  ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,the    
,struggle in the ,dark4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #aji
  ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,has ,god ,forgotten  
,shocky8 4 4 4 4 4 4 #aad  ,,chapter ,x4
 ,the ,devil of ,silence4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
4 #aah  ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,miss ,martha   
,hawkins 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #abe         
,,chapter ,,xii4 ,the ,hardshell        

,preacher4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #acc  ,,chapter
 ,,xiii4 ,a ,struggle for the ,mastery4 
4 4 4 4 4 #adc  ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,a     
,crisis with ,bud 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4   
#aej  ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,the ,church of   
the ,best ,licks4 4 4 4 4 #aeg          
,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,the ,church ,militant 
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #afc  ,,chapter       
,,xvii4 ,a ,council of ,war4 4 4 4 4 4 4
 4 4 4 4 #afi  ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,odds 
and ,ends 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #age  
,,chapter ,,xix4 ,face to ,face4 4 4 4 4
 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #ahj  ,,chapter ,,xx4  
,god ,remembers ,shocky4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
 #ahe  ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,miss ,nancy    
,sawyer 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #aib        
,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,pancakes4 4 4 4 4 4 4
 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #aie  ,,chapter        
,,xxiii4 ,a ,charitable ,institution4 4 
4 4 4 4 4 #bjc  ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,the   
,good ,samaritan4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bab
  ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,bud ,wooing4 4 4 4 4
 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bae  ,,chapter      
,,xxvi4 ,a ,letter and its ,consequences
 4 4 4 4 #bbj  ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,a    

,loss and a ,gain 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4   
#bbd  ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,the ,flight4 
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bbh          
,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,the ,trial 4 4 4 4 4 
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bcd  ,,chapter ,,xxx4
 ,brother ,sodom 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4  
#bdi  ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,the ,trial     
,concluded 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bed       
,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,after the ,battle4 4
 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bfi  ,,chapter      
,,xxxiii4 ,into the ,light4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
4 4 4 4 4 #bgd  ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,how 
it ,came ,out 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bgh  
,the ,hoosier ,school-,master4          
,,chapter ,i  ,a ,,private ,,lesson     
,,from ,a ,,bulldog4   ,want to be a    
school-master1 do you8 ,you8 ,well1 what
 would you do in ,flat ,crick deestrick1
 ,i'd like to know8 ,why1 the boys have 
driv off the last two1 and licked the   
one afore them like blazes4 ,you might  
teach a summer school1 when nothin' but 
children come4 ,but ,i 'low it takes a  
right smart man to be school-master in  
,flat ,crick in the winter4 ,they'd     

pitch you out of doors1 sonny1 neck and 
heels1 afore ,christmas4  ,the young    
man1 who had walked ten miles to get the
 school in this district1 and who had   
been mentally reviewing his learning at 
every step he took1 trembling lest the  
committee should find that he did not   
know enough1 was not a little taken     
aback at this greeting from old ,jack   
,means1 who was the first trustee that  
he lighted on4 ,the impression made by  
these ominous remarks was emphasized by 
the glances which he received from ,jack
 ,means's two sons4 ,the older one eyed 
him from the top of his brawny shoulders
 with that amiable look which a big dog 
turns on a little one before shaking    
him4 ,ralph ,hartsook had never thought 
of being measured by the standard of    
muscle4 ,this notion of beating         
education into young savages in spite of
 themselves dashed his ardor4  ,he had  
walked right to where ,jack ,means was  
at work shaving shingles in his own     
front yard4 ,while ,mr4 ,means was      

making the speech which we have set down
 above1 and punctuating it with         
expectorations1 a large brindle bulldog 
had been sniffing at ,ralph's heels1 and
 a girl in a new linsey-woolsey dress1  
standing by the door1 had nearly giggled
 her head off at the delightful prospect
 of seeing a new school-teacher eaten up
 by the ferocious brute4  ,the          
disheartening words of the old man1 the 
immense muscles of the young man who was
 to be his rebellious pupil1 the jaws of
 the ugly bulldog1 and the heartless    
giggle of the girl1 gave ,ralph a       
delightful sense of having precipitated 
himself into a den of wild beasts4      
,faint with weariness and               
discouragement1 and shivering with fear1
 he sat down on a wheelbarrow4  ,you1   
,bull6 said the old man to the dog1     
which was showing more and more a       
disposition to make a meal of the       
incipient pedagogue1 you1 ,bull6 git    
aout#b1 you pup6 ,the dog walked        
sullenly off1 but not until he had given

 ,ralph a look full of promise of what  
he meant to do when he got a good       
chance4 ,ralph wished himself back in   
the village of ,lewisburg1 whence he had
 come4  ,you see1 continued ,mr4 ,means1
 spitting in a meditative sort of a way1
 you see1 we a'n't none of your saft    
sort in these diggings4 ,it takes a man 
to boss this deestrick4 ,howsumdever1 ef
 you think you kin trust your hide in   
,flat ,crick school-house ,i ha'n't got 
no 'bjection4 ,but ef you git licked1   
don't come on us4 ,flat ,crick don't pay
 no 'nsurance1 you bet6 ,any other      
trustees8 ,wal1 yes4 ,but as ,i pay the 
most taxes1 t'others jist let me run the
 thing4 ,you can begin right off a      
,monday4 ,they a'n't been no other      
applications4 ,you see1 it takes grit to
 apply for this school4 ,the last master
 had a black eye for a month4 ,but1 as  
,i wuz sayin'1 you can jist roll up and 
wade in4 ,i 'low you've got spunk1      
maybe1 and that goes for a heap sight   
more'n sinnoo with boys4 ,walk in1 and  

stay over ,sunday with me4 ,you'll hev' 
to board roun'1 and ,i guess you better 
begin here4  ,ralph did not go in1 but  
sat out on the wheelbarrow1 watching the
 old man shave shingles1 while the boys 
split the blocks and chopped wood4 ,bull
 smelled of the new-comer again in an   
ugly way1 and got a good kick from the  
older son for his pains4 ,but out of one
 of his red eyes the dog warned the     
young school-master that he should yet  
suffer for all kicks received on his    
account4  ,ef ,bull once takes a holt1  
heaven and yarth can't make him let go1 
said the older son to ,ralph1 by way of 
comfort4  ,it was well for ,ralph that  
he began to board roun' by stopping at  
,mr4 ,means's4 ,ralph felt that ,flat   
,creek was what he needed4 ,he had lived
 a bookish life2 but here was his lesson
 in the art of managing people1 for he  
who can manage the untamed and strapping
 youths of a winter school in ,hoopole  
,county has gone far toward learning one
 of the hardest of lessons4 ,and in     

,ralph's time1 things were worse than   
they are now4 ,the older son of ,mr4    
,means was called ,bud ,means4 ,what his
 real name was1 ,ralph could not find   
out1 for in many of these families the  
nickname of ,bud given to the oldest    
boy1 and that of ,sis1 which is the     
birth-right of the oldest girl1         
completely bury the proper ,christian   
name4 ,ralph saw his first strategic    
point1 which was to capture ,bud ,means4
  ,after supper1 the boys began to get  
ready for something4 ,bull stuck up his 
ears in a dignified way1 and the three  
or four yellow curs who were ,bull's    
satellites yelped delightedly and       
discordantly4  ,bill1 said ,bud ,means  
to his brother1 ax the master ef he'd   
like to hunt coons4 ,i'd like to take   
the starch out uv the stuck-up feller4  
',nough said#c1 was ,bill's reply4  ,you
 durn't#d do it1 said ,bud4  ,i don't   
take no sech a dare#e1 returned ,bill1  
and walked down to the gate1 by which   
,ralph stood watching the stars come    

out1 and half wishing he had never seen 
,flat ,creek4  ,i say1 mister1 began    
,bill1 mister1 they's a coon what's been
 a eatin' our chickens lately1 and we're
 goin' to try to ketch#f the varmint4   
,you wouldn't like to take a coon hunt  
nor nothin'1 would you8  ,why1 yes1 said
 ,ralph1 there's nothing ,i should like 
better1 if ,i could only be sure ,bull  
wouldn't mistake me for the coon4  ,and 
so1 as a matter of policy1 ,ralph       
dragged his tired legs eight or ten     
miles1 on hill and in hollow1 after     
,bud1 and ,bill1 and ,bull1 and the     
coon4 ,but the raccoon#g climbed a tree4
 ,the boys got into a quarrel about     
whose business it was to have brought   
the axe1 and who was to blame that the  
tree could not be felled4 ,now1 if there
 was anything ,ralph's muscles were good
 for1 it was climbing4 ,so1 asking ,bud 
to give him a start1 he soon reached the
 limb above the one on which the raccoon
 was4 ,ralph did not know how ugly a    
customer a raccoon can be1 and so got   

credit for more courage than he had4    
,with much peril to his legs from the   
raccoon's teeth1 he succeeded in shaking
 the poor creature off among the yelping
 brutes and yelling boys4 ,ralph could  
not help sympathizing with the hunted   
animal1 which sold its life as dearly as
 possible1 giving the dogs many a       
scratch and bite4 ,it seemed to him that
 he was like the raccoon1 precipitated  
into the midst of a party of dogs who   
would rejoice in worrying his life out1 
as ,bull and his crowd were destroying  
the poor raccoon4 ,when ,bull at last   
seized the raccoon and put an end to it1
 ,ralph could not but admire the decided
 way in which he did it1 calling to mind
 ,bud's comment1 ,ef ,bull once takes a 
holt1 heaven and yarth#h can't make him 
let go4  ,but as they walked home1 ,bud 
carrying the raccoon by the tail1 ,ralph
 felt that his hunt had not been in     
vain4 ,he fancied that even red-eyed    
,bull1 walking uncomfortably close to   
his heels1 respected him more since he  

had climbed that tree4  ,purty peart    
kind of a master1 remarked the old man  
to ,bud1 after ,ralph had gone to bed4  
,guess you better be a little easy on   
him4 ,hey8  ,but ,bud deigned no reply4 
,perhaps because he knew that ,ralph    
heard the conversation through the thin 
partition4  ,ralph woke delighted to    
find it raining4 ,he did not want to    
hunt or fish on ,sunday1 and this steady
 rain would enable him to make friends  
with ,bud4 ,i do not know how he got    
started1 but after breakfast he began to
 tell stories4 ,out of all the books he 
had ever read he told story after story4
 ,and old man ,means1 and old ,miss     
,means1 and ,bud ,means1 and ,bill      
,means1 and ,sis ,means listened with   
great eyes while he told of ,sinbad's   
adventures1 of the ,old ,man of the     
,sea1 of ,robinson ,crusoe1 of ,captain 
,gulliver's experiences in ,liliput1 and
 of ,baron ,munchausen's exploits4      
,ralph had caught his fish4 ,the hungry 
minds of these backwoods people were    

refreshed with the new life that came to
 their imaginations in these stories4   
,for there was but one book in the      
,means library1 and that1 a well-thumbed
 copy of ,captain ,riley's ,narrative1  
had long since lost all freshness4      
,i'll be dog-on'd#i1 said ,bill1        
emphatically1 ef ,i hadn't 'ruther hear 
the master tell them whoppin' yarns than
 to go to a circus the best day ,i ever 
seed6 ,bill could pay no higher         
compliment4  ,what ,ralph wanted was to 
make a friend of ,bud4 ,it's a nice     
thing to have the seventy-four-gun ship 
on your own side1 and the more ,hartsook
 admired the knotted muscles of ,bud    
,means the more he desired to attach him
 to himself4 ,so1 whenever he struck out
 a peculiarly brilliant passage1 he     
anxiously watched ,bud's eye4 ,but the  
young ,philistine kept his own counsel4 
,he listened1 but said nothing1 and the 
eyes under his shaggy brows gave no     
sign4 ,ralph could not tell whether     
those eyes were deep and inscrutable or 

only stolid4 ,perhaps a little of both4 
,when ,monday morning came1 ,ralph was  
nervous4 ,he walked to school with ,bud4
  ,i guess you're a little skeered by   
what the old man said1 a'n't you8       
,ralph was about to deny it1 but on     
reflection concluded that it was best to
 speak the truth4 ,he said that ,mr4    
,means's description of the school had  
made him feel a little down-hearted4    
,what will you do with the tough boys8  
,you a'n't no match for 'em4 ,and ,ralph
 felt ,bud's eyes not only measuring his
 muscles1 but scrutinizing his          
countenance4 ,he only answered3  ,i     
don't know4  ,what would you do with me1
 for instance8 and ,bud stretched       
himself up as if to shake out the       
reserve power coiled up in his great    
muscles4  ,i sha'n't have any trouble   
with you4  ,why1 ,i'm the wust chap of  
all4 ,i thrashed the last master1       
myself4  ,and again the eyes of ,bud    
,means looked out sharply from his      
shadowing brows to see the effect of    

this speech on the slender young man4   
,you won't thrash me1 though1 said      
,ralph4  ,pshaw6 ,i 'low ,i could whip  
you in an inch of your life with my left
 hand1 and never half try1 said young   
,means1 with a threatening sneer4  ,i   
know that as well as you do4  ,well1    
a'n't you afraid of me1 then8 and again 
he looked sidewise at ,ralph4  ,not a   
bit1 said ,ralph1 wondering at his own  
courage4  ,they walked on in silence a  
minute4 ,bud was turning the matter     
over4  ,why a'n't you afraid of me8 he  
said presently4  ,because you and ,i are
 going to be friends4  ,and what about  
t'others8  ,i am not afraid of all the  
other boys put together4  ,you a'n't6   
,the mischief6 ,how's that8  ,well1 ,i'm
 not afraid of them because you and ,i  
are going to be friends1 and you can    
whip all of them together4 ,you'll do   
the fighting and ,i'll do the teaching4 
,the diplomatic ,bud only chuckled a    
little at this2 whether he assented to  
the alliance or not ,ralph could not    

tell4  ,when ,ralph looked round on the 
faces of the scholars--the little faces 
full of mischief and curiosity1 the big 
faces full of an expression which was   
not further removed than second-cousin  
from contempt--when when young ,hartsook
 looked into these faces1 his heart     
palpitated with stage-fright4 ,there is 
no audience so hard to face as one of   
school-children1 as many a man has found
 to his cost4 ,perhaps it is that no    
conventional restraint can keep down    
their laughter when you do or say       
anything ridiculous4  ,hartsook's first 
day was hurried and unsatisfactory4 ,he 
was not of himself1 and consequently not
 master of anybody else4 ,when evening  
came1 there were symptoms of            
insubordination through the whole       
school4 ,poor ,ralph was sick at heart4 
,he felt that if there had ever been the
 shadow of an alliance between himself  
and ,bud1 it was all off now4 ,it seemed
 to ,hartsook that even ,bull had lost  
his respect for the teacher4 ,half that 

night the young man lay awake4 ,at last 
comfort came to him4 ,a reminiscence of 
the death of the raccoon flashed on him 
like a vision4 ,he remembered that quiet
 and annihilating bite which ,bull gave4
 ,he remembered ,bud's certificate1 that
 ,ef ,bull once takes a holt1 heaven and
 yarth can't make him let go4 ,he       
thought that what ,flat ,creek needed   
was a bulldog4 ,he would be a bulldog1  
quiet1 but invincible4 ,he would take   
hold in such a way that nothing should  
make him let go4 ,and then he went to   
sleep4  ,in the morning ,ralph got out  
of bed slowly4 ,he put his clothes on   
slowly4 ,he pulled on his boots in a    
bulldog mood4 ,he tried to move as he   
thought ,bull would move if he were a   
man4 ,he ate with deliberation1 and     
looked everybody in the eyes with a     
manner that made ,bud watch him         
curiously4 ,he found himself continually
 comparing himself with ,bull4 ,he found
 ,bull possessing a strange fascination 
for him4 ,he walked to school alone1 the

 rest having gone on before4 ,he entered
 the school-room preserving a cool and  
dogged manner4 ,he saw in the eyes of   
the boys that there was mischief        
brewing4 ,he did not dare sit down in   
his chair for fear of a pin4 ,everybody 
looked solemn4 ,ralph lifted the lid of 
his desk4 ,bow-wow6 wow-wow6 ,it was the
 voice of an imprisoned puppy1 and the  
school giggled and then roared4 ,then   
everything was quiet4  ,the scholars    
expected an outburst of wrath from the  
teacher4 ,for they had come to regard   
the whole world as divided into two     
classes1 the teacher on the one side    
representing lawful authority1 and the  
pupils on the other in a state of       
chronic rebellion4 ,to play a trick on  
the master was an evidence of spirit2 to
 lick the master was to be the crowned  
hero of ,flat ,creek district4 ,such a  
hero was ,bud ,means2 and ,bill1 who had
 less muscle1 saw a chance to           
distinguish himself on a teacher of     
slender frame4 ,hence the puppy in the  

desk4  ,ralph ,hartsook grew red in the 
face when he saw the puppy4 ,but the    
cool1 repressed1 bulldog mood in which  
he had kept himself saved him4 ,he      
lifted the dog into his arms and stroked
 him until the laughter subsided4 ,then1
 in a solemn and set way1 he began3  ,i 
am sorry1 and he looked round the room  
with a steady1 hard eye--everybody felt 
that there was a conflict coming--,i am 
sorry that any scholar in this school   
could be so mean--the word was uttered  
with a sharp emphasis1 and all the big  
boys felt sure that there would be a    
fight with ,bill ,means1 and perhaps    
with ,bud--could be so mean--as to--shut
 up his brother in such a place as that6
  ,there was a long1 derisive laugh4    
,the wit was indifferent1 but by one    
stroke ,ralph had carried the whole     
school to his side4 ,by the significant 
glances of the boys1 ,hartsook detected 
the perpetrator of the joke1 and with   
the hard and dogged look in his eyes1   
with just such a look as ,bull would    

give a puppy1 but with the utmost       
suavity in his voice1 he said3  ,william
 ,means1 will you be so good as to put  
this dog out of doors8  ,,footnotes3    
,footnote #b3 ,aout is not the common   
form of out1 as it is in certain rustic 
,new ,england regions4 ,the vowel is    
here drawn in this way for imperative   
emphasis1 and it occurs as a consequence
 of drawling speech4  ,footnote #c3     
',nough said is more than enough said   
for the ,french translator1 who takes it
 apparently for a sort of barbarous     
negative and renders it1 ,i don't like  
to speak to him4 ,i need hardly explain 
to any ,american reader that enough said
 implies the ending of all discussion by
 the acceptance of the proposition or   
challenge4  ,footnote #d3 ,durn't1      
daren't1 dasent1 dursent1 and don't dast
 are forms of this variable negative    
heard in the folk-speech of various     
parts of the country4 ,the tenses of    
this verb seem to have got hopelessly   
mixed long ago1 even in literary use1   

and the speech of the people reflects   
the historic confusion4  ,footnote #e3  
,to take a dare is an expression used in
 senses diametrically opposed4 ,its     
common sense is that of the text4 ,the  
man who refuses to accept a challenge is
 said to take a dare1 and there is some 
implication of cowardice in the         
imputation4 ,on the other hand1 one who 
accepts a challenge is said also to take
 the dare4  ,footnote #f3 ,most bad     
,english was once good ,english4 ,ketch 
was used by writers of the sixteenth and
 seventeenth centuries for catch4 ,a    
,new ,hampshire magistrate in the       
seventeenth century spells it caitch1   
and probably pronounced it in that way4 
,ketch1 a boat1 was sometimes spelled   
catch by the first ,american colonists1 
and the far-fetched derivation of the   
word from the ,turkish may be one of the
 fancies of etymologists4  ,footnote #g3
 ,the derivation of raccoon from the    
,french raton1 to which ,mr4 ,skeat     
gives currency1 still holds its place in

 some of our standard dictionaries4 ,if 
,american lexicographers would only read
 the literature of ,american settlement 
they would know that ,mr4 ,skeat's      
citation of a translation of ,buffon is 
nearly two centuries too late4 ,as early
 as #afab ,captain ,john ,smith gives   
aroughcune as the aboriginal ,virginia  
word1 and more than one ,new ,england   
writer used rackoon a few years later4  
,footnote #h3 ,this prefixed y is a mark
 of a very illiterate or antique form of
 the dialect4 ,i have known piece       
yarthen used for a piece of earthen     
ware1 the preposition getting lost in   
the sound of the y4 ,i leave it to      
etymologists to determine its relation  
to that ancient prefix that             
differentiates earn in one sense from   
yearn4 ,but the article before a vowel  
may account for it if we consider it a  
corruption4 ,the earth pronounced in a  
drawling way will produce the yearth4   
,in the ,new ,york ,documents is a      
letter from one ,barnard ,hodges1 a     

settler in ,delaware in the days of     
,governor ,andros1 whose spelling       
indicates a free use of the parasitic y4
 ,he writes yunless1 yeunder 7under71   
yunderstanding1 yeundertake1 and        
yeouffeis 7office74  ,footnote #i3 ,like
 many of the ear-marks of this dialect1 
the verb dog-on came from ,scotland1    
presumably by the way of the north of   
,ireland4 ,a correspondent of ,the      
,nation calls attention to the use of   
dagon as ,scotch dialect in ,barrie's   
,little ,minister1 a recent book4 ,on   
examining that story1 ,i find that the  
word has precisely the sense of our     
,hoosier dog-on1 which is to be         
pronounced broadly as a ,hoosier        
pronounces dog--daug-on4 ,if ,mr4       
,barrie gives his a the broad sound1 his
 dagon is nearly identical with dog-on4 
,here are some detached sentences from  
,the ,little ,minister3  ,beattie spoke 
for more than himself when he said3     
',dagon that ,manse6 ,i never gie a     
swear but there it is glowering at me4' 

',dagon religion1' ,rob retorted        
fiercely2 't spoils a' thing4'  ,there  
was some angry muttering from the crowd1
 and young ,charles ,yuill exclaimed1   
',dagon you1 would you lord it ower us  
on week-days as well as on ,sabbaths8'  
',have you on your ,sabbath shoon or    
have you no on your ,sabbath shoon8'    
',guid care you took ,i should ha'e the 
dagont things on6' retorted the farmer4 
,it will be seen that dagont1 as used   
above1 is the ,scotch form of dog-oned4 
,but ,mr4 ,barrie uses the same form    
apparently for dog-on it in the         
following passage3  ,ay1 there was ,ruth
 when she was na wanted1 but ,ezra1     
dagont1 it looked as if ,ezra had jumped
 clean out o' the ,bible6  ,strangely   
enough1 this word as a verb is not to be
 found in ,jamieson's dictionary of the 
,scottish dialect1 but ,jamieson gives  
dugon as a noun4 ,it is given in the    
supplement to ,jamieson1 however1 as    
dogon1 but still as a noun1 with an     
ancient plural dogonis4 ,it is explained

 as a term of contempt4 ,the example    
cited by ,jamieson is ,hogg's ,winter   
,tales1 ,i4 #bib1 and is as follows3    
,what wad my father say if ,i were to   
marry a man that loot himsel' be        
thrashed by ,tommy ,potts1 a great      
supple wi' a back nae stiffer than a    
willy brand8 4 4 4 ,when one comes to   
close quarters wi' him he's but a dugon4
  ,halliwell and ,wright give dogon as a
 noun1 and mark it ,anglo-,norman1 but  
they apparently know it only from       
,jamieson and the supplement to         
,jamieson1 where dogguin is cited from  
,cotgrave as meaning a filthie old      
curre1 and doguin from ,roquefort1      
defined by brutal1 currish hargneux4 ,a 
word with the same orthography1 doguin1 
is still used in ,french for puppy4 ,it 
is of course a question whether the noun
 dogon and its ,french antecedents are  
connected with the ,american verb       
dog-on4 ,it is easy to conceive that    
such an epithet as dogon might get      
itself mixed up with the word dog1 and  

so become an imprecation4 ,for instance1
 a servant in the family of a friend of 
mine in ,indiana1 wishing to resign her 
place before the return of some         
daughters of the house whom she had     
never seen1 announced that she was going
 to leave before them dog-on girls got  
home4 ,here the word might have been the
 old epithet1 or an abbreviated         
participle4 ,dogged is apparently a     
corruption of dog-on in the phrase ,i'll
 be dogged4 ,i prefer dog-on to dogone1 
because in the dialect the sense of     
setting a dog on is frequently present  
to the speaker1 though far enough away  
from the primitive sense of the word2   
perhaps4     ,,chapter ,,ii4  ,a ,,spell
 ,,coming4   ,there was a moment of     
utter stillness2 but the magnetism of   
,ralph's eye was too much for ,bill     
,means4 ,the request was so polite1 the 
master's look was so innocent and yet so
 determined4 ,bill often wondered       
afterward that he had not fit rather    
than obeyed the request4 ,but somehow he

 put the dog out4 ,he was partly        
surprised1 partly inveighed1 partly awed
 into doing just what he had not        
intended to do4 ,in the week that       
followed1 ,bill had to fight half a     
dozen boys for calling him ,puppy       
,means4 ,bill said he wished he'd licked
 the master on the spot4 ',twould 'a'   
saved five fights out of the six4  ,and 
all that day and the next1 the bulldog  
in the master's eye was a terror to     
evil-doers4 ,at the close of school on  
the second day ,bud was heard to give it
 as his opinion that the master wouldn't
 be much in a tussle1 but he had a heap 
of thunder and lightning in him4  ,did  
he inflict corporal punishment8 inquires
 some philanthropic friend4 ,would you  
inflict corporal punishment if you were 
tiger-trainer in ,van ,amburgh's happy  
family8 ,but poor ,ralph could never    
satisfy his constituency in this regard4
  ,don't believe he'll do1 was ,mr4     
,pete ,jones's comment to ,mr4 ,means4  
,don't thrash enough4 ,boys won't l'arn 

'less you thrash 'em1 says ,i4          
,leastways1 mine won't4 ,lay it on good 
is what ,i says to a master4 ,lay it on 
good4 ,don't do no harm4 ,lickin' and   
l'arnin' goes together4 ,no lickin'1 no 
l'arnin'1 says ,i4 ,lickin' and         
l'arnin1' lickin' and larnin'1 is the   
good ole way4  ,and ,mr4 ,jones1 like   
some wiser people1 was the more pleased 
with his formula that it had an         
alliterative sound4 ,nevertheless1      
,ralph was master from this time until  
the spelling-school came4 ,if only it   
had not been for that spelling-school6  
,many and many a time after the night of
 the fatal spelling-school ,ralph used  
to say1 ,if only it had not been for    
that spelling-school6  ,there had to be 
a spelling-school4 ,not only for the    
sake of my story1 which would not have  
been worth the telling if the           
spelling-school had not taken place1 but
 because ,flat ,creek district had to   
have a spelling-school4 ,it is the only 
public literary exercise known in       

,hoopole ,county4 ,it takes the place of
 lyceum lecture and debating club4 ,sis 
,means1 or1 as she wished now to be     
called1 ,mirandy ,means1 expressed      
herself most positively in favor of it4 
,she said that she 'lowed the folks in  
that district couldn't in no wise do    
without it4 ,but it was rather to its   
social than to its intellectual benefits
 that she referred4 ,for all the        
spelling-schools ever seen could not    
enable her to stand anywhere but at the 
foot of the class4 ,there is one branch 
diligently taught in a backwoods school4
 ,the public mind seems impressed with  
the difficulties of ,english            
orthography1 and there is a solemn      
conviction that the chief end of man is 
to learn to spell4 ',know ,webster's    
,elementary' came down from ,heaven1    
would be the backwoods version of the   
',greek saying but that1 unfortunately  
for the ,greeks1 their fame has not     
reached so far4 ,it often happens that  
the pupil does not know the meaning of a

 single word in the lesson4 ,this is of 
no consequence4 ,what do you want to    
know the meaning of a word for8 ,words  
were made to be spelled1 and men were   
probably created that they might spell  
them4 ,hence the necessity for sending a
 pupil through the spelling-book five   
times before you allow him to begin to  
read1 or indeed to do anything else4    
,hence the necessity for those long     
spelling-classes at the close of each   
forenoon and afternoon session of the   
school1 to stand at the head of which is
 the cherished ambition of every        
scholar4 ,hence1 too1 the necessity for 
devoting the whole of the afternoon     
session of each ,friday to a            
spelling-match4 ,in fact1 spelling is   
the national game in ,hoopole ,county4  
,baseball and croquet matches are as    
unknown as ,olympian chariot-races4     
,spelling and shucking#aj are the only  
public competitions4  ,so the fatal     
spelling-school had to be appointed for 
the ,wednesday of the second week of the

 session1 just when ,ralph felt himself 
master of the situation4 ,not that he   
was without his annoyances4 ,one of     
,ralph's troubles in the week before the
 spelling-school was that he was loved4 
,the other that he was hated4 ,and while
 the time between the appointing of the 
spelling tournament and the actual      
occurrence of that remarkable event is  
engaged in elapsing1 let me narrate two 
incidents that made it for ,ralph a     
trying time4  ,,footnotes3  ,footnote   
#aj3 ,in naming the several parts of the
 ,indian corn and the dishes made from  
it1 the ,english language was put to    
many shifts4 ,such words as tassel and  
silk were poetically applied to the     
blossoms2 stalk1 blade1 and ear were    
borrowed from other sorts of corn1 and  
the ,indian tongues were forced to pay  
tribute to name the dishes borrowed from
 the savages4 ,from them we have hominy1
 pone1 supawn1 and succotash4 ,for other
 nouns words were borrowed from ,english
 provincial dialects4 ,shuck is one of  

these4 ,on the northern belt1 shucks are
 the outer covering of nuts2 in the     
middle and southern regions the word is 
applied to what in ,new ,england is     
called the husks of the corn4 ,shuck1   
however1 is much more widely used than  
husk in colloquial speech--the farmers  
in more than half of the ,united ,states
 are hardly acquainted with the word    
husk as applied to the envelope of the  
ear4 ,husk1 in the ,middle ,states1 and 
in some parts of the ,south and ,west1  
means the bran of the cornmeal1 as      
notably in ,davy ,crockett's verse3     
,she sifted the meal1 she gimme the     
hus'2      ,she baked the bread1 she    
gimme the crus'2      ,she b'iled the   
meat1 she gimme the bone2      ,she     
gimme a kick and sent me home4  ,in     
parts of ,virginia1 before the war1 the 
word husk or hus' meant the cob or spike
 of the corn4 ,i smack you over wid a   
cawn-hus' is a threat ,i have often     
heard one negro boy make to another4    
,cob is provincial ,english for ear1 and

 ,i have known a cob of corn used in    
,canada for an ear of ,indian corn4     
,while writing this note a cob of       
,indian corn --meaning an ear--appears  
in the report of an address by a        
distinguished man at a recent meeting of
 the ,royal ,geographical ,society4 ,a  
lady tells me that she met1 in the book 
of an ,english traveller1 the remarkable
 statement that the ,americans are very 
fond of the young grain called cob4     
,these ,indian-corn words have reached  
an accepted meaning after a competition4
 ,to shell corn1 among the earliest     
settlers of ,virginia1 meant to take it 
out of the envelope1 which was          
presumably called the shell4 ,the       
analogy is with the shelling of pulse4  
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,mirandy1 ,,hank1    
,,and ,,shocky4   ,mirandy had nothing  
but contempt for the new master until he
 developed the bulldog in his character4
 ,mirandy fell in love with the bulldog4
 ,like many other girls of her class1   
she was greatly enamored with the       

subjection of women1 and she stood ready
 to fall in love with any man strong    
enough to be her master4 ,much has been 
said of the strong-minded woman4 ,i     
offer this psychological remark as a    
contribution to the natural history of  
the weak-minded woman4  ,it was at the  
close of that very second day on which  
,ralph had achieved his first victory   
over the school1 and in which ,mirandy  
had been seized with her desperate      
passion for him1 that she told him about
 it4 ,not in words4 ,we do not allow    
that in the most civilized countries1   
and still less would it be tolerated in 
,hoopole ,county4 ,but ,mirandy told the
 master the fact that she was in love   
with him1 though no word passed her     
lips4 ,she walked by him from school4   
,she cast at him what are commonly      
called sheep's-eyes4 ,ralph thought them
 more like calf's eyes4 ,she changed the
 whole tone of her voice4 ,she whined   
ordinarily4 ,now she whimpered4 ,and so 
by ogling him1 by blushing at him1 by   

tittering at him1 by giggling at him1 by
 snickering at him1 by simpering at him1
 by making herself tenfold more a fool  
even than nature had made her1 she      
managed to convey to the dismayed soul  
of the young teacher the frightful      
intelligence that he was loved by the   
richest1 the ugliest1 the silliest1 the 
coarsest1 and the most entirely         
contemptible girl in ,flat ,creek       
district4  ,ralph sat by the fire the   
next morning trying to read a few       
minutes before school-time1 while the   
boys were doing the chores and the bound
 girl was milking the cows1 with no one 
in the room but the old woman4 ,she was 
generally as silent as ,bud1 but now she
 seemed for some unaccountable reason   
disposed to talk4 ,she had sat down on  
the broad hearth to have her usual      
morning smoke2 the poplar table1 adorned
 by no cloth1 stood in the middle of the
 floor2 the unwashed blue teacups sat in
 the unwashed blue saucers2 the unwashed
 blue plates kept company with the      

begrimed blue pitcher4 ,the dirty       
skillets by the fire were kept in       
countenance by the dirtier pots1 and the
 ashes were drifted and strewn over the 
hearth-stones in a most picturesque way4
  ,you see1 said the old woman1 knocking
 the residuum from her cob pipe1 and    
chafing some dry leaf between her       
withered hands preparatory to filling it
 again1 you see1 ,mr4 ,hartsook1 my ole 
man's purty well along in the world4    
,he's got a right smart lot of this     
world's plunder#aa1 one way and another4
 ,and while she stuffed the tobacco into
 her pipe ,ralph wondered why she should
 mention it to him4 ,you see1 we moved  
in here nigh upon twenty-five years ago4
 ',twas when my ,jack1 him as died afore
 ,bud was born1 was a baby4 ,bud'll be  
twenty-one the fif' of next ,june4      
,here ,mrs4 ,means stopped to rake a    
live coal out of the fire with her      
skinny finger1 and then to carry it in  
her skinny palm to the bowl--or to the  
hole--of her cob pipe4 ,when she got the

 smoke a-going1 she proceeded3  ,you    
see1 this yere bottom land was all      
,congress land#ab in them there days1   
and it sold for a dollar and a quarter1 
and ,i says to my ole man1 ',jack1' says
 ,i1 ',jack1 do you git a plenty while  
you're a-gittin'4 ,git a plenty while   
you're a-gittin'1' says ,i1 'fer 'twon't
 never be no cheaper'n 'tis now1' and it
 ha'n't been2 ,i knowed 'twouldn't1 and 
,mrs4 ,means took the pipe from her     
mouth to indulge in a good chuckle at   
the thought of her financial shrewdness4
 ',git a plenty while you're a-gittin'  
says ,i4 ,i could see1 you know1 they   
was a powerful sight of money in        
,congress land4 ,that's what made me    
say1 ',git a plenty while you're        
a-gittin'4' ,and ,jack1 he's wuth lots  
and gobs of money1 all made out of      
,congress land4 ,jack didn't git rich by
 hard work4 ,bless you1 no6 ,not him4   
,that a'n't his way4 ,hard work a'n't1  
you know4 ',twas that air six hundred   
dollars he got along of me1 all salted  

down into ,flat ,crick bottoms at a     
dollar and a quarter a' acre1 and 'twas 
my sayin' ',git a plenty while you're a 
gittin'' as done it4 ,and here the old  
ogre laughed1 or grinned horribly1 at   
,ralph1 showing her few straggling1     
discolored teeth4  ,then she got up and 
knocked the ashes out of her pipe1 and  
laid the pipe away and walked round ,in 
front of ,ralph4 ,after adjusting the   
chunks#ac so that the fire would burn1  
she turned her yellow face toward       
,ralph1 and scanning him closely came   
out with the climax of her speech in the
 remark3 ,you see as how1 ,mr4          
,hartsook1 the man what gits my         
,mirandy'll do well4 ,flat ,crick land's
 wuth nigt upon a hundred a' acre4      
,this gentle hint came near knocking    
,ralph down4 ,had ,flat ,creek land been
 worth a hundred times a hundred dollars
 an acre1 and had he owned five hundred 
times ,means's five hundred acres1 he   
would have given it all just at that    
moment to have annihilated the whole    

tribe of ,meanses4 ,except ,bud4 ,bud   
was a giant1 but a good-natured one4 ,he
 thought he would except ,bud from the  
general destruction4 ,as for the rest1  
he mentally pictured to himself the     
pleasure of attending their funerals4   
,there was one thought1 however1 between
 him and despair4 ,he felt confident    
that the cordiality1 the intensity1 and 
the persistency of his dislike of ,sis  
,means were such that he should never   
inherit a foot of the ,flat ,creek      
bottoms4  ,but what about ,bud8 ,what if
 he joined the conspiracy to marry him  
to this weak-eyed1 weak-headed          
wood-nymph1 or backwoods nymph8  ,if    
,ralph felt it a misfortune to be loved 
by ,mirandy ,means1 he found himself    
almost equally unfortunate in having    
incurred the hatred of the meanest boy  
in school4 ,hank ,banta1 low-browed1    
smirky1 and crafty1 was the first       
sufferer by ,ralph's determination to   
use corporal punishment1 and so ,henry  
,banta1 who was a compound of deceit and

 resentment1 never lost an opportunity  
to annoy the young school-master1 who   
was obliged to live perpetually on his  
guard against his tricks4  ,one morning1
 as ,ralph walked toward the            
school-house1 he met little ,shocky4    
,what the boy's first name or last name 
was the teacher did not know4 ,he had   
given his name as ,shocky1 and all the  
teacher knew was that he was commonly   
called ,shocky1 that he was an orphan1  
that he lived with a family named       
,pearson over in ,rocky ,hollow1 and    
that he was the most faithful and       
affectionate child in the school4 ,on   
this morning that ,i speak of1 ,ralph   
had walked toward the school early to   
avoid the company of ,mirandy4 ,but not 
caring to sustain his dignity longer    
than was necessary1 he loitered along   
the road1 admiring the trunks of the    
maples1 and picking up a beech-nut now  
and then4 ,just as he was about to go on
 toward the school1 he caught sight of  
little ,shocky running swiftly toward   

him1 but looking from side to side1 as  
if afraid of being seen4  ,illustration3
 ,,betsy ,,short  ,well1 ,shocky1 what  
is it8 and ,ralph put his hand kindly on
 the great bushy head of white hair from
 which came ,shocky's nickname4 ,shocky 
had to pant a minute4  ,why1 ,mr4       
,hartsook1 he gasped1 scratching his    
head1 they's a pond down under the      
school-house1 and here ,shocky's breath 
gave out entirely for a minute4  ,yes1  
,shocky1 ,i know that4 ,what about it8  
,the trustees haven't come to fill it   
up1 have they8  ,oh6 no1 sir2 but ,hank 
,banta1 you know-- and ,shocky took     
another breathing spell1 standing as    
dose to ,ralph as he could1 for poor    
,shocky got all his sunshine from the   
master's presence4  ,has ,henry fallen  
in and got a ducking1 ,shocky8  ,oh6 no1
 sir2 he wants to git you in1 you see4  
,well1 ,i won't go in1 though1 ,shocky4 
,but1 you see1 he's been and gone and   
pulled back the board that you have to  
step on to git ahind your desk2 he's    

been and gone and pulled back the board 
so as you can't help a-tippin' it up1   
and a-sowsin' right in ef you step      
there4  ,and so you came to tell me4    
,there was a huskiness in ,ralph's      
voice4 ,he had1 then1 one friend in     
,flat ,creek district--poor little      
,shocky4 ,he put his arm around ,shocky 
just a moment1 and then told him to     
hasten across to the other road1 so as  
to come back to the school-house in a   
direction at right angles to the        
master's approach4 ,but the caution was 
not needed4 ,shocky had taken care to   
leave in that way1 and was altogether   
too cunning to be seen coming down the  
road with ,mr4 ,hartsook4 ,but after he 
got over the fence to go through the    
sugar camp 7or sugar orchard1 as they   
say at the ,east71 he stopped and turned
 back once or twice1 just to catch one  
more smile from ,ralph4 ,and then he    
hied away through the tall trees1 a very
 happy boy1 kicking and ploughing the   
brown leaves before him in his perfect  

delight1 saying over and over again3    
,how he looked at me6 how he did look6  
,and when ,ralph came up to the         
school-house door1 there was ,shocky    
sauntering along from the other         
direction1 throwing bits of limestone at
 fence rails1 and smiling still clear   
down to his shoes at thought of the     
master's kind words4  ,what a quare boy 
,shocky is6 remarked ,betsey ,short1    
with a giggle4 ,he just likes to wander 
round alone4 ,i see him a-comin' out of 
the sugar camp just now4 ,he's been in  
there half an hour4 ,and ,betsey giggled
 again2 for ,betsey ,short could giggle 
on slighter provocation than any other  
girl on ,flat ,creek4  ,when ,ralph     
,hartsook1 with the quiet1 dogged tread 
that he was cultivating1 walked into the
 school-room1 he took great care not to 
seem to see the trap set for him2 but he
 carelessly stepped over the board that 
had been so nicely adjusted4 ,the boys  
who were ,hank's confidants in the plot 
were very busy over their slates1 and   

took pains not to show their            
disappointment4  ,the morning session   
wore on without incident4 ,ralph several
 times caught two people looking at him4
 ,one was ,mirandy4 ,her weak and watery
 eyes stole loving glances over the top 
of her spelling-book1 which she would   
not study4 ,her looks made ,ralph's     
spirits sink to forty below zero1 and   
congeal4  ,but on one of the backless   
little benches that sat in the middle of
 the school-room was little ,shocky1 who
 also cast many love glances at the     
young master2 glances as grateful to his
 heart as ,mirandy's ogling--he was     
tempted to call it ogring--was hateful4 
,look at ,shocky1 giggled ,betsey       
,short1 behind her slate4 ,he looks as  
if he was a-goin' to eat the master up1 
body and soul4  ,and so the forenoon    
wore on as usual1 and those who laid the
 trap had forgotten it1 themselves4 ,the
 morning session was drawing to a close4
 ,the fire in the great old fire-place  
had burnt low4 ,the flames1 which seemed

 to ,shocky to be angels1 had           
disappeared1 and now the bright coals1  
which had played the part of men and    
women and houses in ,shocky's fancy1 had
 taken on a white and downy covering of 
ashes1 and the great half-burnt back-log
 lay there smouldering like a giant     
asleep in a snow-drift4 ,shocky longed  
to wake him up4  ,as for ,henry ,banta1 
he was too much bothered to get the     
answer to a sum he was doing1 to        
remember anything about his trap4 ,in   
fact1 he had quite forgotten that half  
an hour ago in the all-absorbing        
employment of drawing ugly pictures on  
his slate and coaxing ,betsey ,short to 
giggle by showing them slyly across the 
school-room4 ,once or twice ,ralph had  
been attracted to ,betsey's             
extraordinary fits of giggling1 and had 
come so near to catching ,hank that the 
boy thought it best not to run any      
further risk of the beech switches1 four
 or five feet long1 laid up behind the  
master in sight of the school as a      

prophylactic4 ,hence his application    
just now to his sum in long division1   
and hence his puzzled look1 for1 idler  
that he was1 his sums did not solve     
themselves easily4 ,as usual in such    
cases1 he came up in front of the       
master's desk to have the difficulty    
explained4 ,he had to wait a minute     
until ,ralph got through with showing   
,betsey ,short1 who had been seized with
 a studying fit1 and who could hardly   
give any attention to the teacher's     
explanations1 she did want to giggle so 
much6 ,not at anything in particular1   
but just at things in general4  ,while  
,ralph was doing ,betsey's sum for her1 
he was solving a much more difficult    
question4 ,a plan had flashed upon him1 
but the punishment seemed a severe one4 
,he gave it up once or twice1 but he    
remembered how turbulent the ,flat      
,creek elements were2 and had he not    
inly resolved to be as unrelenting as a 
bulldog8 ,he fortified himself by       
recalling again the oft-remembered      

remark of ,bud1 ,ef ,bull wunst takes a 
holt1 heaven and yarth can't make him   
let go4 ,and so he resolved to give     
,hank and the whole school one good     
lesson4  ,just step round behind me1    
,henry1 and you can see how ,i do this1 
said ,ralph4  ,hank was entirely off his
 guard1 and1 with his eyes fixed upon   
the slate on the teacher's desk1 he     
sidled round upon the broad loose board 
misplaced by his own hand1 and in an    
instant the other end of the board rose 
up in the middle of the school-room1    
almost striking ,shocky in the face1    
while ,henry ,banta went down into the  
ice-cold water beneath the school-house4
  ,why1 ,henry6 cried ,ralph1 jumping to
 his feet with well-feigned surprise4   
,how did this happen8 him by the fire4  
,betsey ,short giggled4  ,shocky was so 
tickled that he could hardly keep his   
seat4  ,the boys who were in the plot   
looked very serious indeed4  ,ralph made
 some remarks by way of improving the   
occasion4 ,he spoke strongly of the     

utter meanness of the one who could play
 so heartless a trick on a schoolmate4  
,he said that it was as much thieving to
 get your fun at the expense of another 
as to steal his money4 ,and while he    
talked1 all eyes were turned on         
,hank--all except the eyes of ,mirandy  
,means4 ,they looked simperingly at     
,ralph4 ,all the rest looked at ,hank4  
,the fire had made his face very red4   
,shocky noticed that4 ,betsey ,short    
noticed it1 and giggled4 ,the master    
wound up with an appropriate quotation  
from ,scripture4 ,he said that the      
person who displaced that board had     
better not be encouraged by the         
success--he said success with a curious 
emphasis--of the present experiment to  
attempt another trick of the kind4 ,for 
it was set down in the ,bible that if a 
man dug a pit for the feet of another he
 would be very likely to fall in it     
himself4 ,which made all the pupils look
 solemn1 except ,betsey ,short1 who     
giggled4 ,and ,shocky wanted to4 ,and   

,mirandy cast an expiring look at       
,ralph4 ,and if the teacher was not     
love-sick1 he certainly was sick of     
,mirandy's love4  ,illustration3 ,,hank 
,,banta',s ,,improved ,,plunge ,,bath   
,when school was let out1 ,ralph gave   
,hank every caution that he could about 
taking cold1 and even lent him his      
overcoat1 very much against ,hank's     
will4 ,for ,hank had obstinately refused
 to go home before the school was       
dismissed4  ,then the master walked out 
in a quiet and subdued way to spend the 
noon recess in the woods1 while ,shocky 
watched his retreating footsteps with   
loving admiration4 ,and the pupils not  
in the secret canvassed the question of 
who moved the board4 ,bill ,means said  
he'd bet ,hank did it1 which set ,betsey
 ,short off in an uncontrollable giggle4
 ,and ,shocky listened innocently4  ,but
 that night ,bud said slyly3 ,thunder   
and lightning6 what a manager you air1  
,mr4 ,hartsook6 ,to which ,ralph        
returned no reply except a friendly     

smile4 ,muscle paid tribute to brains   
that time4  ,but ,ralph had no time for 
exultation2 for just here came the      
spelling-school4  ,,footnotes3          
,footnote #aa3 ,this word plunder is    
probably from ,pennsylvania1 as it is   
exactly equivalent to the ,german word  
plunder1 in the sense of household      
effects1 the original meaning of the    
word in ,german4 ,any kind of baggage   
may be called plunder1 but the most     
accepted sense is household goods4 ,it  
is quite seriously used4 ,i have seen   
bills of lading on the ,western waters  
certifying that ,a4,b4 had shipped #a   
lot of plunder2 that is1 household      
goods4 ,it is here used figuratively for
 goods in general4  ,footnote #ab3      
,congress land was the old designation  
for land owned by the government4 ,under
 the ,confederation1 the ,congress was  
the government1 and the forms of speech 
seem to have long retained the notion   
that what belonged to the ,united       
,states was the property of ,congress4  

,footnote #ac3 ,the commonest use of the
 word chunk in the old days was for the 
ends of the sticks of cord-wood burned  
in the great fireplaces4 ,as the sticks 
burned in two1 the chunks fell down or  
rolled back on the wall side of the     
andirons4 ,by putting the chunks        
together1 a new fire was set a-going    
without fresh wood4 ,this use of the    
word is illustrated in a folk-rhyme or  
nursery jingle of the country which has 
neither sense nor elegance to recommend 
it3       ,old ,mother ,hunk      ,she  
got drunk      ,and fell in the fire    
,and kicked up a chunk4      ,,chapter  
,,iv4  ,,spelling ,,down ,,the ,,master4
   ,i 'low1 said ,mrs4 ,means1 as she   
stuffed the tobacco into her cob pipe   
after supper on that eventful ,wednesday
 evening3 ,i 'low they'll app'int the   
,squire to gin out the words to-night4  
,they mos' always do1 you see1 kase he's
 the peartest#ad ole man in this        
deestrick2 and ,i 'low some of the young
 fellers would have to git up and dust  

ef they would keep up to him4 ,and he   
uses sech remarkable smart words4 ,he   
speaks so polite1 too4 ,but laws6 don't 
,i remember when he was poarer nor      
,job's turkey8 ,twenty year ago1 when he
 come to these 'ere diggings1 that air  
,squire ,hawkins was a poar ,yankee     
school-master1 that said 'pail' instid  
of bucket1 and that called a cow a      
'caow1' and that couldn't tell to save  
his gizzard what we meant by 'low#ae and
 by right smart#af4 ,but he's larnt our 
ways now1 an' he's jest as civilized as 
the rest of us4 ,you would-n know he'd  
ever been a ,yankee4 ,he didn't stay    
poar long4 ,not he4 ,he jest married a  
right rich girl6 ,he6 he6 ,and the old  
woman grinned at ,ralph1 and then at    
,mirandy1 and then at the rest1 until   
,ralph shuddered4 ,nothing was so       
frightful to him as to be fawned on by  
this grinning ogre1 whose few lonesome1 
blackish teeth seemed ready to devour   
him4 ,he didn't stay poar1 you bet a    
hoss6 and with this the coal was        

deposited on the pipe1 and the lips     
began to crack like parchment as each   
puff of smoke escaped4 ,he married rich1
 you see1 and here another significant  
look at the young master1 and another   
fond look at ,mirandy1 as she puffed    
away reflectively4 ,his wife hadn't no  
book-larnin'4 ,she'd been through the   
spellin'-book wunst1 and had got as fur 
as 'asperity' on it a second time4 ,but 
she couldn't read a word when she was   
married1 and never could4 ,she warn't   
overly smart4 ,she hadn't hardly got the
 sense the law allows4 ,but schools was 
skase in them air days1 and1 besides1   
book-larnin' don't do no good to a      
woman4 ,makes her stuck up4 ,i never    
knowed but one gal in my life as had    
ciphered into fractions1 and she was so 
dog-on stuck up that she turned up her  
nose one night at a apple-peelin' bekase
 ,i tuck a sheet off the bed to splice  
out the table-cloth1 which was rather   
short4 ,and the sheet was mos' clean    
too4 ,had-n been slep on more'n wunst or

 twicet4 ,but ,i was goin' fer to say   
that when ,squire ,hawkins married      
,virginny ,gray he got a heap o' money1 
or1 what's the same thing mostly1 a heap
 o' good land4 ,and that's better'n     
book-larnin'1 says ,i4 ,ef a gal had    
gone clean through all eddication1 and  
got to the rule of three itself1 that   
would-n buy a feather-bed4 ,squire      
,hawkins jest put eddication agin the   
gal's farm1 and traded even1 an' ef ary 
one of 'em got swindled1 ,i never heerd 
no complaints4  ,and here she looked at 
,ralph in triumph1 her hard face        
splintering into the hideous semblance  
of a smile4 ,and ,mirandy cast a        
blushing1 gushing1 all-imploring1 and   
all-confiding look on the young master4 
,i say1 ole woman1 broke in old ,jack1  
,i say1 wot is all this 'ere spoutin'   
about the ,square fer8 and old ,jack1   
having bit off an ounce of pigtail1     
returned the plug to his pocket4  ,as   
for ,ralph1 he fell into a sort of      
terror4 ,he had a guilty feeling that   

this speech of the old lady's had       
somehow committed him beyond recall to  
,mirandy4 ,he did not see visions of    
breach-of-promise suits4 ,but he        
trembled at the thought of an avenging  
big brother4  ,hanner1 you kin come     
along1 too1 ef you're a mind1 when you  
git the dishes washed1 said ,mrs4 ,means
 to the bound girl1 as she shut and     
latched the back door4 ,the ,means      
family had built a new house in front of
 the old one1 as a sort of advertisement
 of bettered circumstances1 an eruption 
of shoddy feeling2 but when the new     
building was completed1 they found      
themselves unable to occupy it for      
anything else than a lumber room1 and   
so1 except a parlor which ,mirandy had  
made an effort to furnish a little 7in  
hope of the blissful time when somebody 
should set up with her of evenings71 the
 new building was almost unoccupied1 and
 the family went in and out through the 
back door1 which1 indeed1 was the front 
door also1 for1 according to a curious  

custom1 the front of the house was      
placed toward the south1 though the big 
road 7,hoosier for highway7 ran along   
the north-west side1 or1 rather1 past   
the north-west corner of it4  ,when the 
old woman had spoken thus to ,hannah and
 had latched the door1 she muttered1    
,that gal don't never show no gratitude 
fer favors2 to which ,bud rejoined that 
he didn't think she had no great sight  
to be pertickler thankful fer4 ,to which
 ,mrs4 ,means made no reply1 thinking it
 best1 perhaps1 not to wake up her      
dutiful son on so interesting a theme as
 her treatment of ,hannah4 ,ralph felt  
glad that he was this evening to go to  
another boarding place4 ,he should not  
hear the rest of the controversy4       
,ralph walked to the school-house with  
,bill4 ,they were friends again4 ,for   
when ,hank ,banta's ducking and his     
dogged obstinacy in sitting in his wet  
clothes had brought on a serious fever1 
,ralph had called together the big boys1
 and had said3 ,we must take care of one

 another1 boys4 ,who will volunteer to  
take turns sitting up with ,henry8 ,he  
put his own name down1 and all the rest 
followed4  ,william ,means and myself   
will sit up to-night1 said ,ralph4 ,and 
poor ,bill had been from that moment the
 teacher's friend4 ,he was chosen to be 
,ralph's companion4 ,he was ,puppy      
,means no longer6 ,hank could not be    
conquered by kindness1 and the teacher  
was made to feel the bitterness of his  
resentment long after4 ,but ,bill ,means
 was for the time entirely placated1 and
 he and ,ralph went to spelling-school  
together4  ,every family furnished a    
candle4 ,there were yellow dips and     
white dips1 burning1 smoking1 and       
flaring4 ,there was laughing1 and       
talking1 and giggling1 and simpering1   
and ogling1 and flirting1 and courting4 
,what a full-dress party is to ,fifth   
,avenue1 a spelling-school is to        
,hoopole ,county4 ,it is an occasion    
which is metaphorically inscribed with  
this legend3 ,choose your partners4     

,spelling is only a blind in ,hoopole   
,county1 as is dancing on ,fifth        
,avenue4 ,but as there are some in      
society who love dancing for its own    
sake1 so in ,flat ,creek district there 
were those who loved spelling for its   
own sake1 and who1 smelling the battle  
from afar1 had come to try their skill  
in this tournament1 hoping to freshen   
the laurels they had won in their       
school-days4  ,i 'low1 said ,mr4 ,means1
 speaking as the principal school       
trustee1 ,i 'low our friend the ,square 
is jest the man to boss this 'ere       
consarn to-night4 ,ef nobody objects1   
,i'll app'int him4 ,come1 ,square1 don't
 be bashful4 ,walk up to the trough1    
fodder or no fodder1 as the man said to 
his donkey4  ,there was a general giggle
 at this1 and many of the young swains  
took occasion to nudge the girls        
alongside them1 ostensibly for the      
purpose of making them see the joke1 but
 really for the pure pleasure of        
nudging4 ,the ,greeks figured ,cupid as 

naked1 probably because he wears so many
 disguises that they could not select a 
costume for him4  ,the ,squire came to  
the front4 ,ralph made an inventory of  
the agglomeration which bore the name of
 ,squire ,hawkins1 as follows3  #a4 ,a  
swallow-tail coat of indefinite age1    
worn only on state occasions when its   
owner was called to figure in his public
 capacity4 ,either the ,squire had grown
 too large or the coat too small4  #b4  
,a pair of black gloves1 the most       
phenomenal1 abnormal1 and unexpected    
apparition conceivable in ,flat ,creek  
district1 where the preachers wore no   
coats in the summer1 and where a black  
glove was never seen except on the hands
 of the ,squire4  #c4 ,a wig of that    
dirty1 waxen color so common to wigs4   
,this one showed a continual inclination
 to slip off the owner's smooth1 bald   
pate1 and the ,squire had frequently to 
adjust it4 ,as his hair had been red1   
the wig did not accord with his face1   
and the hair ungrayed was doubly        

discordant with a countenance shrivelled
 by age4  #d4 ,a semicircular row of    
whiskers hedging the edge of the jaw and
 chin4 ,these were dyed a frightful     
dead-black1 such a color as belonged to 
no natural hair or beard that ever      
existed4 ,at the roots there was a      
quarter of an inch of white1 giving the 
whiskers the appearance of having been  
stuck on4  #e4 ,a pair of spectacles    
with tortoise-shell rim4 ,wont to slip  
off4  #f4 ,a glass eye1 purchased of a  
peddler1 and differing in color from its
 natural mate1 perpetually getting out  
of focus by turning in or out4  #g4 ,a  
set of false teeth1 badly fitted1 and   
given to bobbing up and down4  #h4 ,the 
,squire proper1 to whom these patches   
were loosely attached4  ,it is an old   
story that a boy wrote home to his      
father begging him to come ,west1       
because mighty mean men get into office 
out here4 ,but ,ralph concluded that    
some ,yankees had taught school in      
,hoopole ,county who would not have held

 a high place in the educational        
institutions of ,massachusetts4 ,hawkins
 had some ,new ,england idioms1 but they
 were well overlaid by a ,western       
pronunciation4  ,ladies and gentlemen1  
he began1 shoving up his spectacles1 and
 sucking his lips over his white teeth  
to keep them in place1 ladies and       
gentlemen1 young men and maidens1 raley 
,i'm obleeged to ,mr4 ,means fer this   
honor1 and the ,squire took both hands  
and turned the top of his head round    
half an inch4 ,then he adjusted his     
spectacles4 ,whether he was obliged to  
,mr4 ,means for the honor of being      
compared to a donkey was not clear4 ,i  
feel in the inmost compartments of my   
animal spirits a most happifying sense  
of the success and futility of all my   
endeavors to sarve the people of ,flat  
,creek deestrick1 and the people of     
,tomkins township1 in my weak way and   
manner4 ,this burst of eloquence was    
delivered with a constrained air and an 
apparent sense of a danger that he1     

,squire ,hawkins1 might fall to pieces  
in his weak way and manner1 and of the  
success and futility of all attempts at 
reconstruction4 ,for by this time the   
ghastly pupil of the left eye1 which was
 black1 was looking away round to the   
left1 while the little blue one on the  
right twinkled cheerfully toward the    
front4 ,the front teeth would drop down 
so that the ,squire's mouth was kept    
nearly closed1 and his words whistled   
through4  ,i feel as if ,i could be     
grandiloquent on this interesting       
occasion1 twisting his scalp round1 but 
raley ,i must forego any such exertions4
 ,it is spelling you want4 ,spelling is 
the corner-stone1 the grand1 underlying 
subterfuge1 of a good eddication4 ,i put
 the spellin'-book prepared by the great
 ,daniel ,webster alongside the ,bible4 
,i do1 raley4 ,i think ,i may put it    
ahead of the ,bible4 ,for if it wurn't  
fer spellin'-books and sich occasions as
 these1 where would the ,bible be8 ,i   
should like to know4 ,the man who got   

up1 who compounded this work of         
inextricable valoo was a benufactor to  
the whole human race or any other4 ,here
 the spectacles fell off4 ,the ,squire  
replaced them in some confusion1 gave   
the top of his head another twist1 and  
felt of his glass eye1 while poor       
,shocky stared in wonder1 and ,betsey   
,short rolled from side to side in the  
effort to suppress her giggle4 ,mrs4    
,means and the other old ladies looked  
the applause they could not speak4  ,i  
app'int ,larkin ,lanham and ,jeems      
,buchanan fer captings1 said the        
,squire4 ,and the two young men thus    
named took a stick and tossed it from   
hand to hand to decide which should have
 the first choice4 ,one tossed the stick
 to the other1 who held it fast just    
where he happened to catch it4 ,then the
 first placed his hand above the second1
 and so the hands were alternately      
changed to the top4 ,the one who held   
the stick last without room for the     
other to take hold had gained the lot4  

,this was tried three times4 ,as ,larkin
 held the stick twice out of three      
times1 he had the choice4 ,he hesitated 
a moment4 ,everybody looked toward tall 
,jim ,phillips4 ,but ,larkin was fond of
 a venture on unknown seas1 and so he   
said1 ,i take the master1 while a buzz  
of surprise ran round the room1 and the 
captain of the other side1 as if afraid 
his opponent would withdraw the choice1 
retorted quickly1 and with a little     
smack of exultation and defiance in his 
voice1 ,and ,i take ,jeems ,phillips4   
,and soon all present1 except a few of  
the old folks1 found themselves ranged  
in opposing hosts1 the poor spellers    
lagging in1 with what grace they could1 
at the foot of the two divisions4 ,the  
,squire opened his spelling-book and    
began to give out the words to the two  
captains1 who stood up and spelled      
against each other4 ,it was not long    
until ,larkin spelled really with one l1
 and had to sit down in confusion1 while
 a murmur of satisfaction ran through   

the ranks of the opposing forces4 ,his  
own side bit their lips4 ,the slender   
figure of the young teacher took the    
place of the fallen leader1 and the     
excitement made the house very quiet4   
,ralph dreaded the loss of prestige he  
would suffer if he should be easily     
spelled down4 ,and at the moment of     
rising he saw in the darkest corner the 
figure of a well-dressed young man      
sitting in the shadow4 ,why should his  
evil genius haunt him8 ,but by a strong 
effort he turned his attention away from
 ,dr4 ,small1 and listened carefully to 
the words which the ,squire did not     
pronounce very distinctly1 spelling them
 with extreme deliberation4 ,this gave  
him an air of hesitation which          
disappointed those on his own side4     
,they wanted him to spell with a dashing
 assurance4 ,but he did not begin a word
 until he had mentally felt his way     
through it4 ,after ten minutes of       
spelling hard words ,jeems ,buchanan1   
the captain on the other side1 spelled  

atrocious with an s instead of a c1 and 
subsided1 his first choice1 ,jeems      
,phillips1 coming up against the        
teacher4 ,this brought the excitement to
 fever-heat4 ,for though ,ralph was     
chosen first1 it was entirely on trust1 
and most of the company were            
disappointed4 ,the champion who now     
stood up against the school-master was a
 famous speller4  ,jim ,phillips was a  
tall1 lank1 stoop-shouldered fellow who 
had never distinguished himself in any  
other pursuit than spelling4 ,except in 
this one art of spelling he was of no   
account4 ,he could not catch well or bat
 well in ball4 ,he could not throw well 
enough to make his mark in that famous  
,west ern game of bull-pen4 ,he did not 
succeed well in any study but that of   
,webster's ,elementary4 ,but in that he 
was--to use the usual ,flat ,creek      
locution--in that he was a boss4 ,this  
genius for spelling is in some people a 
sixth sense1 a matter of intuition4     
,some spellers are born1 and not made1  

and their facility reminds one of the   
mathematical prodigies that crop out    
every now and then to bewilder the      
world4 ,bud ,means1 foreseeing that     
,ralph would be pitted against ,jim     
,phillips1 had warned his friend that   
,jim could spell like thunder and       
lightning1 and that it took a powerful  
smart speller to beat him1 for he knew a
 heap of spelling-book4 ,to have spelled
 down the master is next thing to having
 whipped the biggest bully in ,hoopole  
,county1 and ,jim had spelled down the  
last three masters4 ,he divided the     
hero-worship of the district with ,bud  
,means4  ,for half an hour the ,squire  
gave out hard words4 ,what a blessed    
thing our crooked orthography is6       
,without it there could be no           
spelling-schools4 ,as ,ralph discovered 
his opponent's mettle he became more and
 more cautious4 ,he was now satisfied   
that ,jim would eventually beat him4    
,the fellow evidently knew more about   
the spelling-book than old ,noah        

,webster himself4 ,as he stood there1   
with his dull face and long sharp nose1 
his hands behind his back1 and his voice
 spelling infallibly1 it seemed to      
,hartsook that his superiority must lie 
in his nose4 ,ralph's cautiousness      
answered a double purpose2 it enabled   
him to tread surely1 and it was mistaken
 by ,jim for weakness4 ,phillips was now
 confident that he should carry off the 
scalp of the fourth school-master before
 the evening was over4 ,he spelled      
eagerly1 confidently1 brilliantly4      
,stoop-shouldered as he was1 he began to
 straighten up4 ,in the minds of all the
 company the odds were in his favor4 ,he
 saw this1 and became ambitious to      
distinguish himself by spelling without 
giving the matter any thought4  ,ralph  
always believed that he would have been 
speedily defeated by ,phillips had it   
not been for two thoughts which braced  
him4 ,the sinister shadow of young ,dr4 
,small sitting in the dark corner by the
 water-bucket nerved him4 ,a victory    

over ,phillips was a defeat to one who  
wished only ill to the young            
school-master4 ,the other thought that  
kept his pluck alive was the            
recollection of ,bull4 ,he approached a 
word as ,bull approached the raccoon4   
,he did not take hold until he was sure 
of his game4 ,when he took hold1 it was 
with a quiet assurance of success4 ,as  
,ralph spelled in this dogged way for   
half an hour the hardest words the      
,squire could find1 the excitement      
steadily rose in all parts of the house1
 and ,ralph's friends even ventured to  
whisper that maybe ,jim had cotched his 
match1 after all6  ,but ,phillips never 
doubted of his success4  ,theodolite1   
said the ,squire4  ,t-h-e1 the o-d1 od1 
theod1 o1 theodo1 l-y-t-e1 theodolite1  
spelled the champion4  ,next1 said the  
,squire1 nearly losing his teeth ,in his
 excitement4 ,ralph spelled the word    
slowly and correctly1 and the conquered 
champion sat down ,in confusion4 ,the   
excitement was so great for some minutes

 that the spelling was suspended4       
,everybody ,in the house had shown      
sympathy with one or the other of the   
combatants1 except the silent shadow in 
the corner4 ,it had not moved during the
 contest1 and did not show any interest 
now in the result4  ,gewhilliky         
crickets6 ,thunder and lightning6       
,licked him all to smash6 said ,bud1    
rubbing his hands on his knees1 ,that   
beats my time all holler6  ,and ,betsey 
,short giggled until her tuck-comb fell 
out1 though she was on the defeated     
side4  ,shocky got up and danced with   
pleasure4  ,but one suffocating look    
from the aqueous eyes of ,mirandy       
destroyed the last spark of ,ralph's    
pleasure in his triumph1 and sent that  
awful below-zero feeling all through    
him4  ,he's powerful smart1 is the      
master1 said old ,jack to ,mr4 ,pete    
,jones4 ,he'll beat the whole kit and   
tuck of 'em afore he's through4 ,i      
know'd he was smart4 ,that's the reason 
,i tuck him1 proceeded ,mr4 ,means4     

,yaas1 but he don't lick enough4 ,not   
nigh1 answered ,pete ,jones4 ,no        
lickin'1 no larnin'1 says ,i4  ,it was  
now not so hard4 ,the other spellers on 
the opposite side went down quickly     
under the hard words which the ,squire  
gave out4 ,the master had mowed down all
 but a few1 his opponents had given up  
the battle1 and all had lost their keen 
interest in a contest to which there    
could be but one conclusion1 for there  
were only the poor spellers left4 ,but  
,ralph ,hartsook ran against a stump    
where he was least expecting it4 ,it was
 the ,squire's custom1 when one of the  
smaller scholars or poorer spellers rose
 to spell against the master1 to give   
out eight or ten easy words1 that they  
might have some breathing-spell before  
being slaughtered1 and then to give a   
poser or two which soon settled them4   
,he let them run a little1 as a cat does
 a doomed mouse4 ,there was now but one 
person left on the opposite side1 and1  
as she rose in her blue calico dress1   

,ralph recognized ,hannah1 the bound    
girl at old ,jack ,means's4 ,she had not
 attended school in the district1 and   
had never spelled in spelling-school    
before1 and was chosen last as an       
uncertain quantity4 ,the ,squire began  
with easy words of two syllables1 from  
that page of ,webster1 so well known to 
all who ever thumbed it1 as baker1 from 
the word that stands at the top of the  
page4 ,she spelled these words in an    
absent and uninterested manner4 ,as     
everybody knew that she would have to go
 down as soon as this preliminary       
skirmishing was over1 everybody began to
 get ready to go home1 and already there
 was the buzz of preparation4 ,young men
 were timidly asking girls if they could
 see them safe home1 which was the      
approved formula1 and were trembling in 
mortal fear of the mitten4 ,presently   
the ,squire1 thinking it time to close  
the contest1 pulled his scalp forward1  
adjusted his glass eye1 which had been  
examining his nose long enough1 and     

turned over the leaves of the book to   
the great words at the place known to   
spellers as incomprehensibility1 and    
began to give out those words of eight  
syllables with the accent on the sixth4 
,listless scholars now turned round1 and
 ceased to whisper1 in order to be in at
 the master's final triumph4 ,but to    
their surprise ole ,miss ,meanses' white
 nigger1 as some of them called her in  
allusion to her slavish life1 spelled   
these great words with as perfect ease  
as the master4 ,still not doubting the  
result1 the ,squire turned from place to
 place and selected all the hard words  
he could find4 ,the school became       
utterly quiet1 the excitement was too   
great for the ordinary buzz4 ,would     
,meanses' ,hanner beat the master8 beat 
the master that had laid out ,jim       
,phillips8 ,everybody's sympathy was now
 turned to ,hannah4 ,ralph noticed that 
even ,shocky had deserted him1 and that 
his face grew brilliant every time      
,hannah spelled a word4 ,in fact1 ,ralph

 deserted himself4 ,as he saw the fine1 
timid face of the girl so long oppressed
 flush and shine with interest2 as he   
looked at the rather low but broad and  
intelligent brow and the fresh1 white   
complexion and saw the rich1 womanly    
nature coming to the surface under the  
influence of applause and sympathy--he  
did not want to beat4 ,if he had not    
felt that a victory given would insult  
her1 he would have missed intentionally4
 ,the bulldog1 the stern1 relentless    
setting of the will1 had gone1 he knew  
not whither4 ,and there had come in its 
place1 as he looked in that face1 a     
something which he did not understand4  
,you did not1 gentle reader1 the first  
time it came to you4  ,the ,squire was  
puzzled4 ,he had given out all the hard 
words in the book4 ,he again pulled the 
top of his head forward4 ,then he wiped 
his spectacles and put them on4 ,then   
out of the depths of his pocket he      
fished up a list of words just coming   
into use in those days--words not in the

 spelling-book4 ,he regarded the paper  
attentively with his blue right eye4    
,his black left eye meanwhile fixed     
itself in such a stare on ,mirandy      
,means that she shuddered and hid her   
eyes in her red silk handkerchief4      
,daguerreotype1 sniffed the ,squire4 ,it
 was ,ralph's turn4  ,d-a-u1 dau--      
,next4  ,and ,hannah spelled it right4  
,such a buzz followed that ,betsey      
,short's giggle could not be heard1 but 
,shocky shouted3 ,hanner beat6 my       
,hanner spelled down the master6 ,and   
,ralph went over and congratulated her4 
,and ,dr4 ,small sat perfectly still in 
the corner4  ,and then the ,squire      
called them to order1 and said3 ,as our 
friend ,hanner ,thomson is the only one 
left on her side1 she will have to spell
 against nearly all on t'other side4 ,i 
shall therefore take the liberty of     
procrastinating the completion of this  
interesting and exacting contest until  
to-morrow evening4 ,i hope our friend   
,hanner may again carry off the cypress 

crown of glory4 ,there is nothing better
 for us than healthful and kindly       
simulation4  ,dr4 ,small1 who knew the  
road to practice1 escorted ,mirandy1 and
 ,bud went home with somebody else4 ,the
 others of the ,means family hurried on1
 while ,hannah1 the champion1 stayed    
behind a minute to speak to ,shocky4    
,perhaps it was because ,ralph saw that 
,hannah must go alone that he suddenly  
remembered having left something which  
was of no consequence1 and resolved to  
go round by ,mr4 ,means's and get it4   
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #ad3 ,peart or  
peert is only another form of the old   
word pert--probably an older form4      
,bartlett cites an example of peart as  
far back as ,sir ,philip ,sidney2 and   
,halliwell finds it in various ,english 
dialects4 ,davies1 afterward president  
of ,princeton ,college1 describes ,dr4  
,lardner1 in #aged1 as a little pert old
 gent4 ,i do not know that ,dr4 ,daries 
pronounced his pert as though it were   
peart1 but he uses it in the sense it   

has in the text1 viz41 bright-witted1   
intelligent4 ,the general sense of peart
 is lively1 either in body or mind4     
,footnote #ae3 ,mr4 ,lowell suggested to
 me in #ahfi that this word 'low has no 
kinship with allow1 but is an           
independent word for which he gave a    
,low ,latin original of similar sound4  
,i have not been able to trace any such 
word1 but ,mr4 ,lowell had so much      
linguistic knowledge of the             
out-of-the-way sort that it may be worth
 while to record his impression4        
,bartlett is wrong in defining this     
word1 as he is usually in his attempts  
to explain dialect outside of ,new      
,england4 ,it does not mean to declare1 
assert1 maintain1 etc4 ,it is nearly the
 equivalent of guess in the ,northern   
and ,middle ,states1 and of reckon in   
the ,south4 ,it agrees precisely with   
the ,new ,england calk'late4 ,like all  
the rest of these words it may have a   
strong sense by irony4 ,when a man says1
 ,i 'low that is a purty peart sort of a

 hoss1 he understates for the sake of   
emphasis4 ,it is rarely or never allow1 
but simply 'low4 ,in common with        
calk'late1 it has sometimes a sense of  
purpose or expectation1 as when a man   
says1 ,i 'low to go to town to-morry4   
,footnote #af3 ,no phrase of the        
,hoosier and ,south-western dialect is  
such a stumbling-block to the outsider  
as right smart4 ,the writer from the    
,north or ,east will generally use it   
wrongly4 ,mrs4 ,stowe says1 ,i sold     
right smart of eggs1 but the ,hoosier   
woman as ,i knew her would have said a  
right smart lot of eggs or a right smart
 of eggs1 using the article and         
understanding the noun4 ,a farmer       
omitting the preposition boasts of      
having raised right smart corn this     
year4 ,no expression could have a more  
vague sense than this4 ,in the early    
settlement of ,minnesota it was a custom
 of the land officers to require a      
residence of about ten days on a claim  
in order to the establishment of a      

pre-emption right4 ,one of the receivers
 at a land office under ,buchanan's     
administration was a ,german of much    
intelligence who was very sensitive     
regarding his knowledge of ,english4    
,how long has the claimant lived on his 
claim8 he demanded of a ,hoosier        
witness4 ,oh1 a right smart while1 was  
the reply4 ,the receiver had not the    
faintest notion of the meaning of the   
answer1 but fearing to betray his       
ignorance of ,english he allowed the    
land to be entered1 though the claimant 
had spent but about two hours in        
residing on his quarter-section4        
,,chapter ,v4  ,,the ,,walk ,,home4     
,you expect me to describe that walk4   
,you have had enough of the ,jack       
,meanses and the ,squire ,hawkinses1 and
 the ,pete ,joneses1 and the rest4 ,you 
wish me to tell you now of this         
true-hearted girl and her lover2 of how 
the silvery moonbeams came down in a    
shower--to use ,whittier's favorite     
metaphor--through the maple boughs1     

flecking the frozen ground with light   
and shadow4 ,you would have me tell of  
the evening star1 not yet gone down1    
which shed its benediction on them4 ,but
 ,i shall do no such thing4 ,for the    
moon was not shining1 neither did the   
stars give their light4 ,the tall1 black
 trunks of the maples swayed and shook  
in the wind1 which moaned through their 
leafless boughs4 ,novelists always make 
lovers walk in the moonlight4 ,but if   
love is not1 as the cynics believe1 all 
moonshine1 it can at least make its own 
light4 ,moonlight is never so little    
needed or heeded1 never so much of an   
impertinence1 as in a love-scene4 ,it   
was at the bottom of the first hollow   
beyond the school-house that ,ralph     
overtook the timid girl walking swiftly 
through the dark4 ,he did not ask       
permission to walk with her4 ,love does 
not go by words1 and there are times    
when conventionality is impossible4     
,there are people who understand one    
another at once4 ,when one soul meets   

another1 it is not by pass-word1 nor by 
hailing sign1 nor by mysterious grip    
that they recognize4 ,the subtlest      
freemasonry in the world is this        
freemasonry of the spirit4  ,ralph and  
,hannah knew and trusted4 ,ralph had    
admired and wondered at the quiet       
drudge4 ,but it was when1 in the        
unaccustomed sunshine of praise1 she    
spread her wings a little1 that he loved
 her4 ,he had seen her awake4  ,you1    
,miss ,amelia1 wish me to repeat all    
their love-talk4 ,i am afraid you'd find
 it dull4 ,love can pipe through any    
kind of a reed4 ,ralph talked love to   
,hannah when he spoke of the weather1 of
 the crops1 of the spelling-school4     
,weather1 crops1 and                    
spelling-school--these were what his    
words would say if reported4 ,but below 
all these commonplaces there vibrated   
something else4 ,one can make love a    
great deal better when one doesn't speak
 of love4 ,words are so poor6 ,tones and
 modulations are better4 ,it is an old  

story that ,whitefield could make an    
audience weep by his way of pronouncing 
the word ,mesopotamia4 ,a lover can     
sound the whole gamut of his affection  
in saying ,good-morning4 ,the solemnest 
engagements ever made have been without 
the intervention of speech4  ,and you1  
my ,gradgrind friend1 you think me      
sentimental4 ,two young fools they were1
 walking so slowly though the night was 
sharp1 dallying under the trees1 and    
dreaming of a heaven they could not have
 realized if all their wishes had been  
granted4 ,of course they were fools6    
,either they were fools to be so happy1 
or else some other people are fools not 
to be4 ,after all1 dear ,gradgrind1 let 
them be4 ,there's no harm in it4        
,they'll get trouble enough before      
morning4 ,let them enjoy the evening4 ,i
 am not sure but these lovers whom we   
write down fools are the only wise      
people after all4 ,is it not wise to be 
happy8 ,let them alone4  ,for the first 
time in three years1 for the first time 

since she had crossed the threshold of  
,old ,jack ,means and come under the    
domination of ,mrs4 ,old ,jack ,means1  
,hannah talked cheerfully1 almost gayly4
 ,it was something to have a companion  
to talk to4 ,it was something to be the 
victor even in a spelling-match1 and to 
be applauded even by ,flat ,creek4 ,and 
so1 chatting earnestly about the most   
uninteresting themes1 ,ralph courteously
 helped ,hannah over the fence1 and they
 took the usual short-cut through the   
blue-grass pasture4 ,there came up a    
little shower1 hardly more than a       
sprinkle1 but then ,it was so nice to   
have a shower just as they reached the  
box-elder tree by the spring6 ,it was so
 thoughtful in ,ralph to suggest that   
the shade of a box-elder is dense1 and  
that ,hannah might take cold6 ,and it   
was so easy for ,hannah to yield to the 
suggestion6 ,just as though she had not 
milked the cows in the open lot in the  
worst storms of the last three years6   
,and just as though the house were not  

within a stone's-throw6 ,doubtless it   
was not prudent to stop here4 ,but let  
us deal gently with them4 ,who would not
 stay in an earthy paradise ten minutes 
longer1 even though it did make         
purgatory the hotter afterward8 ,and so 
,hannah stayed4  ,tell me your          
circumstances1 said ,ralph1 at last4 ,i 
am sure ,i can help you in something4   
,no1 no6 you cannot1 and ,hannah's face 
was clouded4 ,no one can help me4 ,only 
time and ,god4 ,i must go1 ,mr4         
,hartsook4 ,and they walked on to the   
front gate in silence and in some       
constraint4 ,but still in happiness4    
,as they came to the gate1 ,dr4 ,small  
pushed past them in his cool1 deliberate
 way1 and mounted his horse4 ,ralph bade
 ,hannah good-night1 having entirely    
forgotten the errand which had been his 
excuse to himself for coming out of his 
way4 ,he hastened to his new home1 the  
house of ,mr4 ,pete ,jones1 the same who
 believed in the inseparableness of     
lickin' and larnin'4  ,you're a purty   

gal1 a'n't you8 ,you're a purty gal1    
a'n't you8 ,you air6 ,yes1 you air and  
,mrs4 ,means seemed so impressed with   
,hannah's prettiness that she choked on 
it1 and could get no further4 ,a purty  
gal6 you6 ,yes6 you air a mighty purty  
gal6 and the old woman's voice rose till
 it could have been heard half a mile4  
,to be a-santerin' along the big road   
after ten o'clock with the master6 ,who 
knows whether he's a fit man fer anybody
 to go with8 ,arter all ,i've been and  
gone and done fer you6 ,that's the way  
you pay me6 ,disgrace me6 ,yes1 ,i say  
disgrace me6 ,you're a mean1 deceitful  
thing4 ,stuck up bekase you spelt the   
master down4 ,ketch me lettin' you got  
to spellin'-school to-morry night6      
,ketch ,,me6 ,yes1 ketch ,,me1 ,i say6  
,looky here1 marm1 said ,bud1 it seems  
to me you're a-makin' a blamed furss    
about nothin'4 ,don't yell so's they'll 
hear you three or four mile4 ,you'll    
have everybody 'tween here and ,clifty  
waked up4 ,for ,mrs4 ,means had become  

so excited over the idea of being caught
 allowing ,hannah to go to              
spelling-school that she had raised her 
last ,ketch me6 to a perfect whoop4     
,that's the way ,i'm treated1 whimpered 
the old woman1 who knew how to take the 
injured innocence dodge as well as      
anybody4 ,that's the way ,i'm treated4  
,you allers take sides with that air    
hussy agin your own flesh and blood4    
,you don't keer how much trouble ,i     
have4 ,not you4 ,not a dog-on'd bit4 ,i 
may be disgraced by that air ongrateful 
critter1 and you set right here in my   
own house and sass me about it4 ,a purty
 fellow you air6 ,an' me a-delvin' and  
a-drudgin' fer you all my born days4 ,a 
purty son1 a'n't you8  ,bud did not say 
another word4 ,he sat in the            
chimney-corner and whistled ,dandy ,jim 
from ,caroline4 ,his diversion had      
produced the effect he sought3 for while
 his tender-hearted mother poured her   
broadside into his iron-clad feelings1  
,hannah had slipped up the stairs to her

 garret bedroom1 and when ,mrs4 ,means  
turned from the callous ,bud to finish  
her assault upon the sensitive girl1 she
 could only gnash her teeth in          
disappointment4  ,stung by the insults  
to which she could not grow insensible1 
,hannah lay awake until the memory of   
that walk through the darkness came into
 her soul like a benediction4 ,the harsh
 voice of the scold died out1 and the   
gentle and courteous voice of ,hartsook 
filled her soul4 ,she recalled piece by 
piece the whole conversation--all the   
commonplace remarks about the weather2  
all the insignificant remarks about the 
crops2 all the unimportant words about  
the spelling-school4 ,not for the sake  
of the remarks4 ,not for the sake of the
 weather4 ,not for the sake of the      
crops4 ,not for the sake of the         
spelling-school4 ,but for the sake of   
the undertone4 ,and then she traveled   
back over the three years of her bondage
 and forward over the three years to    
come1 and fed her heart on the dim hope 

of rebuilding in some form the home that
 had been so happy4 ,and she prayed1    
with more faith than ever before1 for   
deliverance4 ,for love brings faith4    
,somewhere on in the sleepless night she
 stood at the window4 ,the moon was     
shining now1 and there was the path     
through the pasture1 and there was the  
fence1 and there was the box-elder4     
,she sat there a long time4 ,then she   
saw someone come over the fence and walk
 to the tree1 and then on toward ,pete  
,jones's4 ,who could it be8 ,she thought
 she recognized the figure4 ,but she was
 chilled and shivering1 and she crept   
back again into bed1 and dreamed not of 
the uncertain days to come1 but of the  
blessed days that were past--of a father
 and a mother and a brother in a happy  
home4 ,but somehow the school-master was
 there too4     ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,a     
,,night ,,at ,,pete ,,jones',s4   ,when 
,ralph got to ,pete ,jones's he found   
that sinister-looking individual in the 
act of kicking one of his many dogs out 

of the house4  ,come in1 stranger1 come 
in4 ,you'll find this 'ere house full of
 brats1 but ,i guess you kin kick your  
way around among 'em4 ,take a cheer4    
,here1 git out6 go to thunder with you6 
,and with these mild imperatives he     
boxed one of his boys over in one       
direction and one of his girls over in  
the other4 ,i believe in trainin' up    
children to mind when they're spoke to1 
he said to ,ralph apologetically4 ,but  
it seemed to the teacher that he wanted 
them to mind just a little before they  
were spoken to4  ,p'raps you'd like a   
bed4 ,well1 jest climb up the ladder on 
the outside of the house4 ,takes up a   
thunderin' sight of room to have a      
stairs inside1 and we ha'n't got no room
 to spare4 ,you'll find a bed in the    
furdest corner4 ,my ,pete's already got 
half of it1 and you can take t'other    
half4 ,ef ,pete goes to takin' his half 
in the middle1 and tryin' to make you   
take yourn on both sides1 jest kick him4
  ,in this comfortless bed in the       

furdest corner1 ,ralph found sleep out  
of the question4 ,pete took             
three-fourths of the bed1 and ,hannah   
took all of his thoughts4 ,so he lay1   
and looked out through the cracks in the
 clapboards 7as they call rough shingles
 in the old ,west7 at the stars4 ,for   
the clouds had now broken away4 ,and he 
lay thus recounting to himself1 as a    
miser counts the pieces that compose his
 hoard1 every step of that road from the
 time he had overtaken ,hannah in the   
hollow to the fence4 ,then he imagined  
again the pleasure of helping her over1 
and then he retraced the ground to the  
box-elder tree at the spring1 and       
repeated to himself the conversation    
until he came to the part in which she  
said that only time and ,god could help 
her4 ,what did she mean8 ,what was the  
hidden part of her life8 ,what was the  
connection between her and ,shocky8     
,hours wore on1 and still the mind of   
,ralph ,hartsook went back and traveled 
the same road1 over the fence1 past the 

box-elder1 up to the inexplicable part  
of the conversation1 and stood          
bewildered with the same puzzling       
questions about the bound girl's life4  
,at last he got up1 drew on his clothes1
 and sat down on the top of the ladder1 
looking down over the blue-grass pasture
 which lay on the border between the    
land of ,jones and the land of ,means4  
,the earth was white with moonlight4 ,he
 could not sleep4 ,why not walk8 ,it    
might enable him to sleep4 ,and once    
determined on walking1 he did not       
hesitate a moment as to the direction in
 which he should walk4 ,the blue-grass  
pasture 7was it not like unto the garden
 of ,eden87 lay right before him4 ,that 
box-elder stood just in sight4 ,to      
spring over the fence and take the path 
down the hill and over the brook was as 
quickly done as decided upon4 ,to stand 
again under the box-elder1 to climb     
again over the farther fence1 and to    
walk down the road toward the           
school-house was so easy and so         

delightful that it was done without     
thought4 ,for ,ralph was an eager       
man--when he saw no wrong in anything   
that proposed itself1 he was wont to    
follow his impulse without deliberation4
 ,and this keeping company with the     
stars1 and the memory of a delightful   
walk1 were so much better than the      
commonplace ,flat ,creek life that he   
threw himself into his night excursion  
with enthusiasm4  ,at last he stood in  
the little hollow where he had joined   
,hannah4 ,it was the very spot at which 
,shocky1 too1 had met him a few mornings
 before4 ,he leaned against the fence   
and tried again to solve the puzzle of  
,hannah's troubles4 ,for that she had   
troubles he did not doubt4 ,neither did 
he doubt that he could help her if he   
could discover what they were4 ,but he  
had no clue4 ,in the midst of ,this     
meditations he heard the thud of horses'
 hoofs coming down the road4 ,until that
 moment he had not felt his own         
loneliness4 ,he shrank back into the    

fence-corner4 ,the horsemen were        
galloping4 ,there were three of them1   
and there was one figure that seemed    
familiar to ,ralph4 ,but he could not   
tell who it was4 ,neither could he      
remember having seen the horse1 which   
was a sorrel with a white left forefoot 
and a white nose4 ,the men noticed him  
and reined up a little4 ,why he should  
have been startled by the presence of   
these men he could not tell1 but an     
indefinable dread seized him4 ,they     
galloped on1 and he stood still         
shivering with a nervous fear4 ,the cold
 seemed to have got into his bones4 ,he 
remembered that the region lying on     
,flat ,creek and ,clifty ,creek had the 
reputation of being infested with       
thieves1 who practiced horse-stealing   
and house-breaking4 ,for ever since the 
day when ,murrell's confederate bands   
were paralyzed by the death of their    
leader1 there have still existed gangs  
of desperadoes in parts of ,southern    
,indiana and ,illinois1 and in ,iowa1   

,missouri1 ,kentucky1 and the           
,southwest4 ,it is out of these         
materials that border ruffianism has    
grown1 and the nine members of the ,reno
 band who were hanged two or three years
 ago by lynch law#ag1 were remains of   
the bad blood that came into the ,west  
in the days of ,daniel ,boone4 ,shall ,i
 not say that these bands of desperadoes
 still found among the poor whitey1     
dirt-eater class are the outcroppings of
 the bad blood sent from ,england in    
convict-ships8 ,ought an old country to 
sow the fertile soil of a colony with   
such noxious seed8  ,before ,ralph was  
able to move1 he heard the hoofs of     
another horse striking upon the hard    
ground in an easy pace4 ,the rider was  
,dr4 ,small4 ,he checked his horse in a 
cool way1 and stood still a few seconds 
while he scrutinized ,ralph4 ,then he   
rode on1 keeping the same easy gait as  
before1 ,ralph had a superstitious      
horror of ,henry ,small4 ,and1          
shuddering with cold1 he crept like a   

thief over the fence1 past the tree1    
through the pasture1 back to ,pete      
,jones's1 never once thinking of the    
eyes that looked out of the window at   
,means's4 ,climbing the ladder1 he got  
into bed1 and shook as with the ague4   
,he tried to reason himself out of the  
foolish terror that possessed him1 but  
he could not4  ,half an hour later he   
heard a latch raised4 ,were the robbers 
breaking into the house below8 ,he heard
 a soft tread upon the floor4 ,should he
 rise and give the alarm8 ,something    
restrained him4 ,he reflected that a    
robber would be sure to stumble over    
some of the brats4 ,so he lay still and 
finally slumbered1 only awakening when  
the place in which he slept was full of 
the smoke of frying grease from the room
 below4  ,at breakfast ,pete ,jones     
scowled4 ,he was evidently angry about  
something4 ,he treated ,ralph with a    
rudeness not to be overlooked1 as if he 
intended to bring on a quarrel4         
,hartsook kept cool1 and wished he could

 drive from his mind all memory of the  
past night4 ,why should men on horseback
 have any significance to him8 ,he was  
trying to regard things in this way1 and
 from a general desire to keep on good  
terms with his host he went to the      
stable to offer his services in helping 
to feed the stock4  ,don't want no      
saft-handed help6 was all he got in     
return for his well-meant offer4 ,but   
just as he turned to leave the stable he
 saw what made him tremble again4 ,there
 was the same sorrel horse with a white 
left forefoot and a white nose4  ,to    
shake off his nervousness1 ,ralph       
started to school before the time4 ,but1
 plague upon plagues6 ,mirandy ,means1  
who had seen him leave ,pete ,jones's1  
started just in time to join him where  
he came into the big road4 ,ralph was   
not in a good humor after his wakeful   
night1 and to be thus dogged by ,mirandy
 did not help the matter4 ,so he found  
himself speaking crabbedly to the       
daughter of the leading trustee1 in     

spite of himself4  ,hanner's got a bad  
cold this mornin' from bein' out last   
night1 and she can't come to            
spellin'-school to-night1 began         
,mirandy1 in her most simpering voice4  
,ralph had forgotten that there was to  
be another spelling-school4 ,it seemed  
to him an age since the orthographical  
conflict of the past night4 ,this remark
 of ,mirandy's fell upon his ear like an
 echo from the distant past4 ,he had    
lived a lifetime since1 and was not sure
 that he was the same man who was       
spelling for dear life against ,jim     
,phillips twelve hours before4 ,but he  
was sorry to hear that ,hannah had a    
cold4 ,it seemed to him1 in his         
depressed state1 that he was to blame   
for it4 ,in fact1 it seemed to him that 
he was to blame for a good many things4 
,he seemed to have been committing sins 
in spite of himself4 ,broken nerves and 
sleepless nights often result in a      
morbid conscience4 ,and what business   
had he to wander over this very road at 

two o'clock in the morning1 and to see  
three galloping horsemen1 one of them on
 a horse with a white left forefoot and 
a white nose8 ,what business had he     
watching ,dr4 ,small as he went home    
from the bedside of a dying patient near
 daylight in the morning8 ,and because  
he felt guilty he felt cross with       
,mirandy1 and to her remark about       
,hannah he only replied that ,hannah was
 a smart girl4  ,yes1 said ,mirandy1    
,bud thinks so4  ,does he8 said ,ralph4 
,i should say so4 ,what's him and her   
been a-courtin' fer for a year ef he    
didn't think she was smart8 ,marm don't 
like it2 but ef ,bud and her does1 and  
they seem to1 ,i don't see as it's      
marm's lookout4  ,when one is wretched1 
there is a pleasure in being entirely   
wretched4 ,ralph felt that he must have 
committed some unknown crime1 and that  
some ,nemesis was following him4 ,was   
,hannah deceitful8 ,at least1 if she    
were not1 he felt sure that he could    
supplant ,bud4 ,but what right had he to

 supplant ,bud8  ,did you hear the news8
 cried ,shocky1 running out to meet him4
 ,the ,dutchman's house was robbed last 
night4  ,ralph thought of the three men 
on horseback1 and to save his life he   
could not help associating ,dr4 ,small  
with them4 ,and then he remembered the  
sorrel horse with the left forefoot and 
muzzle white1 and he recalled the sound 
he had heard as of the lifting of a     
latch4 ,and it really seemed to him that
 in knowing what he did he was in some  
sense guilty of the robbery4            
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #ag3 ,written in
 #ahga4     ,,chapter ,,vii4  ,,ominous 
,,remarks ,,of ,,mr4 ,,jones4   ,the    
school-master's mind was like ancient   
,gaul--divided into three parts4 ,with  
one part he mechanically performed his  
school duties4 ,with another he asked   
himself1 ,what shall ,i do about the    
robbery8 ,and with the third he debated 
about ,bud and ,hannah4 ,for ,bud was   
not present1 and it was clear that he   
was angry1 and there was a storm        

brewing4 ,in fact1 it seemed to ,ralph  
that there was a storm brewing all round
 the sky4 ,for ,pete ,jones was         
evidently angry at the thought of having
 been watched1 and it was fair to       
suppose that ,dr4 ,small was not in any 
better humor than usual4 ,and so1       
between ,bud's jealousy and revenge and 
the suspicion and resentment of the men 
engaged in the robbery at the           
,dutchman's 7as the only ,german in the 
whole region was called71 ,ralph's      
excited nerves had cause for tremor4 ,at
 one moment he would resolve to have    
,hannah at all costs4 ,in the next his  
conscience would question the           
rightfulness of the conclusion4 ,then he
 would make up his mind to tell all he  
knew about the robbery4 ,but if he told 
his suspicions about ,small1 nobody     
would believe him4 ,and if he told about
 ,pete ,jones1 he really could tell only
 enough to bring vengeance upon himself4
 ,and how could he explain his own walk 
through the pasture and down the road8  

,what business had he being out of bed  
at two o'clock in the morning8 ,the     
circumstantial evidence was quite as    
strong against him as against the man on
 the horse with the white left forefoot 
and the white nose4 ,suspicion might    
fasten on himself4 ,and then what would 
be the effect on his prospects8 ,on the 
people at ,lewisburg8 ,on ,hannah8 ,it  
is astonishing how much instruction and 
comfort there is in a bulldog4 ,this    
slender school-master1 who had been all 
his life repressing the animal and      
developing the finer nature1 now found a
 need of just what the bulldog had4 ,and
 so1 with the thought of how his friend 
the dog would fight in a desperate      
strait1 he determined to take hold of   
his difficulties as ,bull took hold of  
the raccoon4 ,moral questions he        
postponed for careful decision4 ,but for
 the present he set his teeth together  
in a desperate1 bulldog fashion1 and he 
set his feet down slowly1 positively1   
bulldoggedly4 ,after a wretched supper  

at ,pete ,jones's he found himself at   
the spelling-school1 which1 owing to the
 absence of ,hannah1 and the excitement 
about the burglary1 was a dull affair4  
,half the evening was spent in talking  
in little knots4 ,pete ,jones had taken 
the afflicted ,dutchman under his own   
particular supervision4  ,i s'pose1 said
 ,pete1 that them air fellers what      
robbed your house must a come down from 
,jinkins ,run4 ,they're the blamedest   
set up there ,i ever see4  ,ya-as1 said 
,schroeder1 put how did ,yinkins vellers
 know dat ,i sell te medder to te       
,shquire1 hey8 ,how tid ,yinkins know   
anyting 'bout the ,shquire's bayin' me  
dree huntert in te hard gash--hey8      
,some scoundrels down in these 'ere     
parts is a-layin' in with ,jinkins ,run1
 ,i'll bet a hoss1 said ,pete4 ,ralph   
wondered whether he'd bet the one with  
the white left forefoot and the white   
nose4 ,now1 said ,pete1 ef ,i could find
 the feller that's a-helpin' them       
scoundrels rob us folks1 ,i'd help      

stretch him to the neardest tree4  ,so  
vood ,i1 said ,schroeder4 ,i'd shtretch 
him dill he baid me my dree huntert     
tollars pack1 so ,i vood4  ,and ,betsey 
,short1 who had found the whole affair  
very funny1 was transported with a fit  
of tittering at poor ,schroeder's       
,english4 ,ralph1 fearing that his      
silence would excite suspicion1 tried to
 talk4 ,but he could not tell what he   
knew1 and all that he said sounded so   
hollow and hypocritical that it made him
 feel guilty4 ,and so he shut his mouth1
 and meditated profitably on the subject
 of bull dogs4 ,and when later he       
overheard the garrulous ,jones declare  
that he'd bet a hoss he could p'int out 
somebody as know'd a blamed sight more'n
 they keerd to tell1 he made up his mind
 that if it came to p'inting out he     
should try to be even with ,jones4      
,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,the ,,struggle ,,in
 ,,the ,,dark   ,it was a long1         
lonesome1 fearful night that the        
school-master passed1 lying with nerves 

on edge and eyes wide open in that      
comfortless bed in the furdest corner of
 the loft of ,pete ,jones's house1      
shivering with cold1 while the light    
snow that was falling sifted in upon the
 ragged patch-work quilt that covered   
him4 ,nerves broken by sleeplessness    
imagine many things1 and for the first  
hour ,ralph felt sure that ,pete would  
cut his throat before morning4  ,and    
you1 friend ,callow1 who have blunted   
your palate by swallowing the ,cayenne  
pepper of the penny-dreadfuls1 you wish 
me to make this night exciting by a     
hand-to-hand contest between ,ralph and 
a robber4 ,you would like it better if  
there were a trap-door4 ,there's nothing
 so convenient as a trap-door1 unless it
 be a subterranean passage4 ,and you'd  
like something of that sort just here4  
,it's so pleasant to have one's hair    
stand on end1 you know1 when one is safe
 from danger to one's self4 ,but if you 
want each individual hair to bristle    
with such a ,struggle in the ,dark1 you 

can buy trap-doors and subterranean     
passages dirt cheap at the next         
news-stand4 ,but it was1 indeed1 a real 
and terrible ,struggle in the ,dark that
 ,ralph fought out at ,pete ,jones's4   
,when he had vanquished his fears of    
personal violence by reminding himself  
that it would be folly for ,jones to    
commit murder in his own house1 the     
question of ,bud and ,hannah took the   
uppermost place in his thoughts4 ,and as
 the image of ,hannah spelling against  
the master came up to him1 as the memory
 of the walk1 the talk1 the box-elder   
tree1 and all the rest took possession  
of him1 it seemed to ,ralph that his    
very life depended upon his securing her
 love4 ,he would shut his teeth like the
 jaws of a bulldog1 and all ,bud's      
muscles should not prevail over his     
resolution and his stratagems4  ,it was 
easy to persuade himself that this was  
right4 ,hannah ought not to throw       
herself away on ,bud ,means4 ,men of    
some culture always play their conceit  

off against their consciences4 ,to a man
 of literary habits it usually seems to 
be a great boon that he confers on a    
woman when he gives her his love4       
,reasoning thus1 ,ralph had fixed his   
resolution1 and if the night had been   
shorter1 or sleep possible1 the color of
 his life might have been changed4  ,but
 some time along in the tedious hours   
came the memory of his childhood1 the   
words of his mother1 the old ,bible     
stories1 the aspiration after nobility  
of spirit1 the solemn resolutions to be 
true to his conscience4 ,these angels of
 the memory came flocking back before   
the animal1 the bull-doggedness1 had    
set1 as workers in plaster say4 ,he     
remembered the story of ,david and      
,nathan1 and it seemed to him that he1  
with all his abilities and ambitions and
 prospects1 was about to rob ,bud of the
 one ewe-lamb1 the only thing he had to 
rejoice in in his life4 ,in getting     
,hannah1 he would make himself unworthy 
of ,hannah4 ,and then there came to him 

a vision of the supreme value of a true 
character2 how it was better than       
success1 better than to be loved1 better
 than heaven4 ,and how near he had been 
to missing it6 ,and how certain he was1 
when these thoughts should fade1 to miss
 it6 ,he was as one fighting for a great
 prize who feels his strength failing   
and is sure of defeat4  ,this was the   
real1 awful ,struggle in the ,dark4 ,a  
human soul fighting with heaven in      
sight1 but certain of slipping          
inevitably into hell6 ,it was the same  
old battle4 ,the ,image of ,god fought  
with the ,image of the ,devil4 ,it was  
the same fight that ,paul described so  
dramatically when he represented the    
,spirit as contending with the ,flesh4  
,paul also called this dreadful         
something the ,old ,adam1 and ,i suppose
 ,darwin would call it the remains of   
the ,wild ,beast4 ,but call it what you 
will1 it is the battle that every       
well-endowed soul must fight at some    
point4 ,and to ,ralph it seemed that the

 final victory of the ,evil1 the ,old   
,adam1 the ,flesh1 the ,wild ,beast1 the
 ,devil1 was certain4 ,for1 was not the 
pure1 unconscious face of ,hannah on the
 ,devil's side8 ,and so the battle had  
just as well be given up at once1 for it
 must be lost in the end4  ,but to      
,ralph1 lying there in the still        
darkness1 with his conscience as wide   
awake as if it were the ,day of ,doom1  
there seemed something so terrible in   
this overflow of the better nature which
 he knew to be inevitable as soon as the
 voice of conscience became blunted1    
that he looked about for help4 ,he did  
not at first think of ,god2 but there   
came into his thoughts the memory of a  
travel-worn ,galilean peasant1 hungry1  
sleepy1 weary1 tempted1 tried1 like     
other men1 but having a strange1 divine 
,victory in him by which everything evil
 was vanquished at his coming4 ,he      
remembered how ,he had reached out a    
,hand to every helpless one1 how ,he was
 the ,helper of every weak one4 ,and out

 of the depths of his soul he cried to  
the ,helper1 and found comfort4 ,not    
victory1 but1 what is better1 strength4 
,and so1 without a thought of the       
niceties of theological distinctions1   
without dreaming that it was the        
beginning of a religious experience1 he 
found what he needed1 help4 ,and the    
,helper gave ,his beloved sleep4        
,,chapter ,,ix4  ,,has ,,god ,,forgotten
 ,,shocky8   ,pap wants to know ef you  
would spend to-morry and ,sunday at our 
house8 said one of ,squire ,hawkins's   
girls1 on the very next evening1 which  
was ,friday4 ,the old ,squire was       
thoughtful enough to remember that      
,ralph would not find it very pleasant  
boarding out all the time he was        
entitled to spend at ,pete ,jones's4    
,for in view of the fact that ,mr4 ,pete
 ,jones sent seven children to the      
school1 the master in ,flat ,creek      
district was bound to spend two weeks in
 that comfortable place1 sleeping in a  
preoccupied bed1 in the furdest corner1 

with insufficient cover1 under an       
insufficient roof1 and eating floating  
islands of salt pork fished out of      
oceans of hot lard4 ,ralph was not slow 
to accept the relief offered by the     
hospitable justice of the peace1 whose  
principal business seemed to be the     
adjustment of the pieces of which he was
 composed4 ,and as ,shocky traveled the 
same road1 ,ralph took advantage of the 
opportunity to talk with him4 ,the      
master could not dismiss ,hannah wholly 
from his mind4 ,he would at least read  
the mystery of her life1 if ,shocky     
could be prevailed on to furnish the    
clue4  ,poor old tree6 said ,shocky1    
pointing to a crooked and gnarled elm   
standing by itself in the middle of a   
field4 ,for when the elm1 naturally the 
most graceful of trees1 once gets a bad 
set1 it can grow to be the most         
deformed4 ,this solitary tree had not a 
single straight limb4  ,why do you say  
'poor old tree'8 asked ,ralph4  ',cause 
it's lonesome4 ,all its old friends is  

dead and chopped down1 and there's their
 stumps a-standin' jes like             
grave-stones4 ,it must be lonesome4     
,some folks says it don't feel1 but ,i  
think it does4 ,everything seems to     
think and feel4 ,see it nodding its head
 to them other trees in the woods8 and  
a-wantin' to shake hands6 ,but it can't 
move4 ,i think that tree must a growed  
in the night4  ,why1 ,shocky8  ',cause  
it's so crooked1 and ,shocky laughed at 
his own conceit2 must a growed when they
 was no light so as it could see how to 
grow4  ,and then they walked on in      
silence a minute4 ,presently ,shocky    
began looking up into ,ralph's eyes to  
get a smile4 ,i guess that tree feels   
just like me4 ,don't you8  ,why1 how do 
you feel8  ,kind o' bad and lonesome1   
and like as if ,i wanted to die1 you    
know4 ,felt that way ever sence they put
 my father into the graveyard1 and sent 
my mother to the poor-house and ,hanner 
to ole ,miss ,means's4 ,what kind of a  
place is a poor-house8 ,is it a poorer  

place than ,means's8 ,i wish ,i was dead
 and one of them clouds was a-carryin'  
me and ,hanner and mother up to where   
father's gone1 you know6 ,i wonder if   
,god forgets all about poor folks when  
their father dies and their mother gits 
into the poor-house8 ,do you think ,he  
does8 ,seems so to me4 ,maybe ,god lost 
track of my father when he come away    
from ,england and crossed over the sea4 
,don't nobody on ,flat ,creek keer fer  
,god1 and ,i guess ,god don't keer fer  
,flat ,creek4 ,but ,i would1 though1 ef 
he'd git my mother out of the poor-house
 and git ,hanner away from ,means's1 and
 let me kiss my mother every night1 you 
know1 and sleep on my ,hanner's arm1 jes
 like ,i used to afore father died1 you 
see4  ,ralph wanted to speak1 but he    
couldn't4 ,and so ,shocky1 with his eyes
 looking straight ahead1 and as if      
forgetting ,ralph's presence1 told over 
the thoughts that he had often talked   
over to the fence-rails and the trees4  
,it was real good in ,mr4 ,pearson to   

take me1 wasn't it8 ,else ,i'd a been   
bound out tell ,i was twenty-one1 maybe1
 to some mean man like ,ole ,means4 ,and
 ,i a'n't but seven4 ,and it would take 
me fourteen years to git twenty-one1 and
 ,i never could live with my mother     
again after ,hanner gets done her time4 
',cause1 you see1 ,hanner'll be through 
in three more year1 and ,i'll be ten and
 able to work1 and we'll git a little   
place about as big as ,granny           
,sanders's1 and--  ,ralph did not hear  
another word of what ,shocky said that  
afternoon4 ,for there1 right before     
them1 was ,granny ,sanders's log-cabin1 
with its row of lofty sunflower stalks1 
now dead and dry1 in front1 with its    
rain-water barrel by the side of the low
 door1 and its ash-barrel by the fence4 
,in this cabin lived alone the old and  
shriveled hag whose hideousness gave her
 a reputation for almost supernatural   
knowledge4 ,she was at once doctress and
 newspaper4 ,she collected and          
disseminated medicinal herbs and        

personal gossip4 ,she was in every      
regard indispensable to the intellectual
 life of the neighborhood4 ,in the      
matter of her medical skill we cannot   
express an opinion1 for her yarbs are   
not to be found in the pharmacopoeia of 
science4  ,what took ,ralph's breath was
 to find ,dr4 ,small's fine1 faultless  
horse standing at the door4 ,what did   
,henry ,small want to visit this old    
quack for8     ,,chapter ,x4  ,,the     
,,devil ,,of ,,silence4   ,ralph had    
reason to fear ,small1 who was a native 
of the same village of ,lewisburg1 and  
some five years the elder4 ,some facts  
in the doctor's life had come into      
,ralph's possession in such a way as to 
confirm life-long suspicion without     
giving him power to expose ,small1 who  
was firmly intrenched in the good graces
 of the people of the county-seat       
village of ,lewisburg1 where he had     
grown up1 and of the little cross-roads 
village of ,clifty1 where his shingle   
now hung4  ,small was no ordinary       

villain4 ,he was a genius4 ,your        
ordinary hypocrite talks cant4 ,small   
talked nothing4 ,he was the coolest1 the
 steadiest1 the most silent1 the most   
promising boy ever born in ,lewisburg4  
,he made no pretensions4 ,he set up no  
claims4 ,he uttered no professions4 ,he 
went right on and lived a life above    
reproach4 ,your vulgar hypocrite makes  
long prayers in prayer-meeting4 ,small  
did nothing of the sort4 ,he sat still  
in prayer-meeting1 and listened to the  
elders as a modest young man should4    
,your commonplace hypocrite boasts4     
,small never alluded to himself1 and    
thus a consummate egotist got credit for
 modesty4 ,it is but an indifferent     
trick for a hypocrite to make temperance
 speeches4 ,dr4 ,small did not even     
belong to a temperance society4 ,but he 
could never be persuaded to drink even  
so much as a cup of tea4 ,there was     
something sublime in the quiet voice    
with which he would say1 ,cold water1 if
 you please1 to a lady tempting him with

 smoking coffee on a cold morning4      
,there was no exultation1 no sense of   
merit in the act4 ,everything was done  
in a modest and matter-of-course way    
beautiful to behold4 ,and his face was a
 neutral tint4 ,neither face nor voice  
expressed anything4 ,only a keen reader 
of character might have asked whether   
all there was in that eye could live    
contented with this cool1 austere1      
self-contained life2 whether there would
 not be somewhere a volcanic eruption4  
,but if there was any sea of molten lava
 beneath1 the world did not discover it4
 ,wild boys were sick of having ,small  
held up to them as the most immaculate  
of men#ah4  ,ralph had failed to get two
 schools for which he had applied1 and  
had attributed both failures to certain 
shrugs of ,dr4 ,small4 ,and now1 when he
 found ,small at the house of ,granny   
,sanders1 the center of intelligence as 
well as of ignorance for the            
neighborhood1 he trembled4 ,not that    
,small would say anything4 ,he never    

said anything4 ,he damned people by a   
silence worse than words4  ,granny      
,sanders was not a little flattered by  
the visit4  ,why1 doctor1 howdy1 howdy6 
,come in1 take a cheer4 ,i am glad to   
see you4 ,i 'lowed you'd come4 ,old ,dr4
 ,flounder used to say he larnt lots o' 
things of me4 ,but most of the doctors  
sence hez been kinder stuck up1 you     
know4 ,but ,i know'd you fer a man of   
intelligence4  ,meantime1 ,small1 by his
 grave silence and attention1 had almost
 smothered the old hag with flattery4   
,many's the case ,i've cured with yarbs 
and things4 ,nigh upon twenty year ago  
they was a man lived over on ,wild ,cat 
,run as had a breakin'-out on his side4 
',twas the left side1 jes below the     
waist4 ,doctor couldn't do nothin'4     
',twas ,doctor ,peacham4 ,he never would
 have nothin' to do with 'ole woman's   
cures4' ,well1 the man was goin' to die4
 ,everybody seed that4 ,and they come   
a-drivin' away over here all the way    
from the ,wild ,cat4 ,think of that air6

 ,i never was so flustered4 ,but as soon
 as ,i laid eyes on that air man1 ,i    
says1 says ,i1 that air man1 says ,i1   
has got the shingles1 says ,i4 ,i know'd
 the minute ,i seed it4 ,and if they'd  
gone clean around1 nothing could a saved
 him4 ,i says1 says ,i1 git me a black  
cat4 ,so ,i jist killed a black cat1 and
 let the blood run all over the         
swellin'4 ,i tell you1 doctor1 they's   
nothin' like it4 ,that man was well in a
 month4  ,illustration3 ,,mrs4 ,,means  
,did you use the blood warm8 asked      
,small1 with a solemnity most edifying4 
,these were almost the only words he had
 uttered since he entered the cabin4    
,laws1 yes2 ,i jest let it run right out
 of the cat's tail onto the             
breakin'-out4 ,and fer airesipelus1 ,i  
don't know nothin' so good as the blood 
of a black hen4  ,how old8 asked the    
doctor4  ,there you showed yer science1 
doctor6 ,they's no power in a pullet4   
,the older the black hen the better4    
,and you know the cure fer rheumatiz8   

,and here the old woman got down a      
bottle of grease4 ,that's ile from a    
black dog4 ,ef it's rendered right1     
it'll knock the hind sights off of any  
rheumatiz you ever see4 ,but it must be 
rendered in the dark of the moon4 ,else 
a black dog's ile a'n't worth no more   
nor a white one's4  ,and all this time  
,small was smelling of the uncorked     
bottle1 taking a little on his finger   
and feeling of it1 and thus feeling his 
way to the heart--drier than her        
herbs--of the old witch4 ,and then he   
went round the cabin gravely1 lifting   
each separate bunch of dried yarbs from 
its nail1 smelling of it1 and then1 by  
making an interrogation-point of his    
silent face1 he managed to get a lecture
 from her on each article in her materia
 medica with the most marvelous stories 
illustrative of their virtues4 ,when the
 ,granny had got her fill of his silent 
flattery1 he was ready to carry forward 
his main purpose4  ,there was something 
weird about this silent man's ability to

 turn the conversation as he chose to   
have it go4 ,sitting by the ,granny's   
tea-table1 nibbling corn-bread while he 
drank his glass of water1 having        
declined even her sassafras1 he ceased  
to stimulate her medical talk and opened
 the vein of gossip4 ,once started1     
,granny ,sanders was sure to allude to  
the robbery4 ,and once on the robbery   
the doctor's course was clear4  ,i 'low 
somebody not fur away is in this 'ere   
business6  ,not by a word1 nor even by a
 nod1 but by some motion of the eyelids1
 perhaps1 ,small indicated that he      
agreed with her4  ,who d'ye s'pose 'tis8
  ,but ,dr4 ,small was not in the habit 
of supposing4 ,he moved his head in a   
quiet way1 just the least perceptible   
bit1 but so that the old creature       
understood that he could give light if  
he wanted to4  ,i dunno anybody that's  
been 'bout here long as could be        
suspected4  ,another motion of the      
eyelids indicated ,small's agreement    
with this remark4  ,they a'n't nobody   

come in here lately 'ceppin' the master4
  ,small looked vacantly at the wall4   
,but ,i low he's allers bore a tip-top  
character4  ,the doctor was too busy    
looking at his corn-bread to answer this
 remark even by a look4  ,but ,i think  
these oversmart young men'll bear       
looking arter1 ,i do4  ,dr4 ,small      
raised his eyes and let them shine an   
assent4 ,that was all4  ,shouldn't      
wonder ef our master was overly fond of 
gals4  ,doctor looks down at his plate4 
,had plenty of sweethearts afore he     
walked home with ,hanner ,thomson       
t'other night1 ,i'll bet4  ,did ,dr4    
,small shrug his shoulder8 ,granny      
thought she detected a faint motion of  
the sort1 but she could not be sure4    
,and ,i think as how that a feller what 
trifles with gals' hearts and then runs 
off ten miles1 maybe a'n't no better'n  
he had orter be4 ,that's what ,i says1  
says ,i4  ,to this general remark ,dr4  
,small assented in his invisible--shall 
,i say intangible8--way4  ,i allers     

think1 maybe1 that some folks has found 
it best to leave home and go away4 ,you 
can't never tell4 ,but when people is   
a-bein' robbed it's well to lookout4    
,hey8  ,i think so1 said ,small quietly1
 and1 having taken his hat and bowed a  
solemn and respectful adieu1 he         
departed4  ,he had not spoken twenty    
words1 but he had satisfied the         
news-monger of ,flat ,creek that ,ralph 
was a bad character at home and worthy  
of suspicion of burglary4  ,,footnotes3 
,footnote #ah3 ,the original from which 
this character was drawn is here        
described accurately4 ,the author now   
knows that such people are not to be put
 into books4 ,they are not realistic    
enough4     ,,chapter ,,xi  ,,miss      
,,martha ,,hawkins4   ,it's very good   
for the health to dig in the elements4  
,i was quite emaciated last year at the 
,east1 and the doctor told me to dig in 
the elements4 ,i got me a florial hoe   
and dug1 and it's been most excellent   
for me#ai4 ,time1 the ,saturday         

following the ,friday on which ,ralph   
kept ,shocky company as far as the forks
 near ,granny ,sanders's house4 ,scene1 
the ,squire's garden4 ,ralph helping    
that worthy magistrate perform sundry   
little jobs such as a warm winter day   
suggests to the farmer4 ,miss ,martha   
,hawkins1 the ,squire's niece1 and his  
housekeeper in his present bereaved     
condition1 leaning over the             
palings--pickets she called them--of the
 garden fence1 talking to the master4   
,miss ,hawkins was recently from        
,massachusetts4 ,how many people there  
are in the most cultivated communities  
whose education is partial6  ,it's very 
common for school-master to dig in the  
elements at the ,east1 proceeded ,miss  
,martha4 ,like many other people born in
 the celestial empires 7of which there  
are three--,china1 ,virginia1           
,massachusetts71 ,miss ,martha was not  
averse to reminding outside barbarians  
of her good fortune in this regard4 ,it 
did her good to speak of the ,east4     

,now ,ralph was amused with ,miss       
,martha4 ,she really had a good deal of 
intelligence despite her affectation1   
and conversation with her was both      
interesting and diverting4 ,it helped   
him to forget ,hannah1 and ,bud1 and the
 robbery1 and all the rest1 and she was 
so delighted to find somebody to make an
 impression on that she had come out to 
talk while ,ralph was at work4 ,but just
 at this moment the school-master was   
not so much interested in her           
interesting remarks1 nor so much amused 
by her amusing remarks1 as he should    
have been4 ,he saw a man coming down the
 road riding one horse and leading      
another1 and he recognized the horses at
 a distance4 ,it must be ,bud who was   
riding ,means's bay mare and leading    
,bud's roan colt4 ,bud had been to mill1
 and as the man who owned the horse-mill
 kept but one old blind horse himself1  
it was necessary that ,bud should take  
two4 ,it required three horses to run   
the mill2 the old blind one could have  

ground the grist1 but the two others had
 to overcome the friction of the clumsy 
machine4 ,but it was not about the      
horse-mill that ,ralph was thinking nor 
about the two horses4 ,since that       
,wednesday evening on which he escorted 
,hannah home from the spelling-school he
 had not seen ,bud ,means4 ,if he had   
any lingering doubts of the truth of    
what ,mirandy had said1 they had been   
dissipated by the absence of ,bud from  
school4  ,when ,i was to ,bosting--     
,miss ,martha was to ,boston only once  
in her life1 but as her visit to that   
sacred city was the most important      
occurrence of her life1 she did not     
hesitate to air her reminiscences of it 
frequently4 ,when ,i was to ,bosting1   
she was just saying1 when1 following the
 indication of ,ralph's eyes1 she saw   
,bud coming up the hill near ,squire    
,hawkins's house4 ,bud looked red and   
sulky1 and to ,ralph's and ,miss ,martha
 ,hawkins's polite recognitions he      
returned only a surly nod4 ,they both   

saw that he was angry4 ,ralph was able  
to guess the meaning of his wrath4      
,toward evening ,ralph strolled through 
the ,squire's cornfield toward the      
woods4 ,the memory of the walk with     
,hannah was heavy upon the heart of the 
young master1 and there was comfort in  
the very miserableness of the cornstalks
 with their disheveled blades hanging   
like tattered banners and rattling      
discordantly in the rising wind4        
,wandering without purpose1 ,ralph      
followed the rows of stalks first one   
way and then the other in a zigzag line1
 turning a right angle every minute or  
two4 ,at last he came out in a woods    
mostly of beech1 and he pleased his     
melancholy fancy by kicking the dry and 
silky leaves before him in billows1     
while the soughing of the wind through  
the long1 vibrant boughs and slender    
twigs of the beech forest seemed to put 
the world into the wailing minor key of 
his own despair4  ,what a fascination   
there is in a path come upon suddenly   

without a knowledge of its termination6 
,here was one running in easy1 irregular
 curves through the wood1 now turning   
gently to the right in order to avoid a 
stump1 now swaying suddenly to the left 
to gain an easier descent at a steep    
place1 and now turning wantonly to the  
one side or the other1 as if from very  
caprice in the man who by idle steps    
unconsciously marked the line of the    
foot-path at first4 ,ralph could not    
resist the impulse--who could8--to      
follow the path and find out its        
destination1 and following it he came   
presently into a lonesome hollow1 where 
a brook gurgled among the heaps of bare 
limestone rocks that filled its bed4    
,following the path still1 he came upon 
a queer little cabin built of round     
logs1 in the midst of a small           
garden-patch inclosed by a brush fence4 
,the stick chimney1 daubed with clay and
 topped with a barrel open at both ends1
 made this a typical cabin4             
,illustration3 ,,captain ,,pearson  ,it 

flashed upon ,ralph that this place must
 be ,rocky ,hollow1 and that this was   
the house of old ,john ,pearson1 the    
one-legged basket-maker1 and his        
rheumatic wife--the house that          
hospitably sheltered ,shocky4 ,following
 his impulse1 he knocked and was        
admitted1 and was not a little surprised
 to find ,miss ,martha ,hawkins there   
before him4  ,you here1 ,miss ,hawkins8 
he said when he had returned ,shocky's  
greeting and shaken hands with the old  
couple4  ,bless you1 yes1 said the old  
lady4 ,that blessed gyirl--the old lady 
called her a girl by a sort of figure of
 speech perhaps--that blessed gyirl's   
the kindest creetur you ever saw--comes 
here every day1 most1 to cheer a body up
 with somethin' or nuther4  ,miss       
,martha blushed1 and said she came      
because ,rocky ,hollow looked so much   
like a place she used to know at the    
,east4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,pearson were the 
kindest people4 ,they reminded her of   
people she knew at the ,east4 ,when she 

was to ,bosting--  ,here the old        
basket-maker lifted his head from his   
work1 and said3 ,pshaw6 that talk about 
kyindness 7he was a ,kentuckian and said
 kyindness7 is all humbug4 ,i wonder so 
smart a woman as you don't know better4 
,you come nearder to bein kyind than    
anybody ,i know2 but1 laws a me6 we're  
all selfish akordin' to my tell4  ,you  
wasn't selfish when you set up with my  
father most every night for two weeks1  
said ,shocky as he handed the old man a 
splint4  ,yes1 ,i was1 too6 ,this in a  
tone that made ,ralph tremble4 ,your    
father was a miserable ,britisher4 ,i'd 
fit red-coats1 in the war of            
eighteen-twelve1 and lost my leg by one 
of 'em stickin' his dog-on'd bagonet    
right through it1 that night at ,lundy's
 ,lane2 but my messmate killed him      
though which is a satisfaction to think 
on4 ,and ,i didn't like your father     
'cause he was a ,britisher4 ,but ef he'd
 a died right here in this free country1
 'though nobody to give him a drink of  

water1 blamed ef ,i wouldn't a been     
ashamed to set on the platform at a     
,fourth of ,july barbecue1 and to hold  
up my wooden leg fer to make the boys   
cheer6 ,that was the selfishest thing ,i
 ever done4 ,we're all selfish akordin' 
to my tell4  ,you wasn't selfish when   
you took me that night1 you know1 and   
,shocky's face beamed with gratitude4   
,yes1 ,i war1 too1 you little sass-box6 
,what did ,i take you fer8 ,hey8 ,bekase
 ,i didn't like ,pete ,jones nor ,bill  
,jones4 ,they're thieves1 dog-on 'em6   
,ralph shivered a little4 ,the horse    
with the white forefoot and white nose  
galloped before his eyes again4         
,they're a set of thieves4 ,that's what 
they air4  ,please1 ,mr4 ,pearson1 be   
careful4 ,you'll get into trouble1 you  
know1 by talking that way1 said ,miss   
,hawkins4 ,you're just like a man that  
,i knew at the ,east4  ,why1 do you     
think an old soldier like me1 hobbling  
on a wooden leg1 is afraid of them      
thieves8 ,didn't ,i face the            

,britishers8 ,didn't ,i come home late  
last ,wednesday night8 ,i rather guess  
,i must a took a little too much at     
,welch's grocery1 and laid down in the  
middle of the street to rest4 ,the boys 
thought 'twas funny to crate#bj me4 ,i  
woke up kind o' cold1 'bout one in the  
mornin4' ',bout two o'clock ,i come up  
,means's hill1 and didn't ,i see ,pete  
,jones1 and them others that robbed the 
,dutchman1 and somebody1 ,i dunno who1  
a-crossin' the blue-grass paster towards
 ,jones's8 7,ralph shivered47 ,don't    
shake your finger at me1 old woman4     
,tongue is all ,i've got to fight with  
now2 but ,i'll fight them thieves tell  
the sea goes dry1 ,i will4 ,shocky1 gim 
me a splint4  ,but you wasn't selfish   
when you tuck me4 ,shocky stuck to his  
point most positively4  ,yes1 ,i was1   
you little tow-headed fool6 ,i didn't   
take you kase ,i was good1 not a bit of 
it4 ,i hated ,bill ,jones what keeps the
 poor-house1 and ,i knowed him and ,pete
 would get you bound to some of their   

click1 and ,i didn't want no more       
thieves raised2 so when your mother     
hobbled1 with you a-leadin' her1 poor   
blind thing6 all the way over here on   
that winter night1 and said1 ',mr4      
,pearson1 you're all the friend ,i've   
got1 and ,i want you to save my boy1'   
why1 you see ,i was selfish as ever ,i  
could be in takin' of you4 ,your        
mother's cryin' sot me a-cryin' too4    
,we're all selfish in everything1       
akordin' to my tell4 ,blamed ef we      
ha'n't1 ,miss ,hawkins1 only sometimes  
,i'd think you was real benev'lent ef ,i
 didn't know we war all selfish4        
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #ai3 ,absurd as 
this speech seems1 it is a literal      
transcript of words spoken in the       
author's presence by a woman who1 like  
,miss ,hawkins1 was born in             
,massachusetts4  ,footnote #bj3 ,when   
the first edition of this book appeared1
 the critic who analyzed the dialect in 
,the ,nation confessed that he did not  
know what to crate meant4 ,it was a     

custom in the days of early ,indiana    
barbarism for the youngsters of a       
village1 on spying a sleeping drunkard1 
to hunt up a queensware crate--one of   
the cages of round withes in which      
crockery was shipped4 ,this was turned  
upside down over the inebriate1 and     
loaded with logs or any other heavy     
articles that would make escape         
difficult when the poor wretch should   
come to himself4 ,it was a sort of rude 
punishment for inebriety1 and it        
afforded a frog-killing delight to those
 who executed justice4     ,,chapter    
,,xii4  ,,the ,,hardshell ,,preacher4   
,they's preachin' down to ,bethel       
,meetin'-house to-day1 said the ,squire 
at breakfast4 ,twenty years ,in the     
,west could not cure ,squire ,hawkins of
 saying to for at4 ,i rather guess as   
how the old man ,bosaw will give        
pertickeler fits to our folks to-day4   
,for ,squire ,hawkins1 having been      
expelled from the ,hardshell church of  
which ,mr4 ,bosaw was pastor1 for the   

grave offense of joining a temperance   
society1 had become a member of the     
,reformers1 the very respectable people 
who now call themselves ,disciples1 but 
whom the profane will persist in calling
 ,campbellites4 ,they had a church in   
the village of ,clifty1 three miles     
away4  ,i know that explanations are    
always abominable to story readers1 as  
they are to story writers1 but as so    
many of my readers have never had the   
inestimable privilege of sitting under  
the gospel as it is ministered in       
enlightened neighborhoods like ,flat    
,creek1 ,i find myself under the        
necessity--need-cessity the ,rev4 ,mr4  
,bosaw would call it--of rising to      
explain4 ,some people think the         
,hardshells a myth1 and some sensitive  
,baptist people at the ,east resent all 
allusion to them4 ,but the ,hardshell   
,baptists1 or1 as they are otherwise    
called1 the ,whisky ,baptists1 and the  
,forty-gallon ,baptists1 exist in all   
the old ,western and ,south-western     

,states4 ,they call themselves          
,anti-means ,baptists from their        
,antinomian tenets4 ,their confession of
 faith is a caricature of ,calvinism1   
and is expressed by their preachers     
about as follows3 ,ef you're elected1   
you'll be saved2 ef you a'n't1 you'll be
 damned4 ,god'll take keer of his elect4
 ,it's a sin to run ,sunday-schools1 or 
temp'rince s'cieties1 or to send        
missionaries4 ,you let ,god's business  
alone4 ,what is to be will be1 and you  
can't hender it4 ,this writer has       
attended a ,sunday-school1 the          
superintendent of which was solemnly    
arraigned and expelled from the         
,hardshell ,church for meddling with    
,god's business by holding a            
,sunday-school4 ,of course the          
,hardshells are prodigiously illiterate1
 and often vicious4 ,some of their      
preachers are notorious drunkards4 ,they
 sing their sermons out sometimes for   
three hours at a stretch#ba4  ,ralph    
found that he was to ride the clay-bank 

mare1 the only one of the horses that   
would carry double1 and that            
consequently he would have to take ,miss
 ,hawkins behind him4 ,if it had been   
,hannah instead1 ,ralph might not have  
objected to this young ,lochinvar mode  
of riding with a lady on the croup1 but 
,martha ,hawkins was another affair4 ,he
 had only this consolation2 his keeping 
the company of ,miss ,hawkins might     
serve to disarm the resentment of ,bud4 
,at all events1 he had no choice4 ,what 
designs the ,squire had in this         
arrangement he could not tell2 but the  
clay-bank mare carried him to meeting on
 that ,december morning1 with ,martha   
,hawkins behind4 ,and as ,miss ,hawkins 
was not used to this mode of locomotion1
 she was in a state of delightful fright
 every time the horse sank to the knees 
in the soft1 yellow ,flat ,creek clay4  
,we don't go to church so at the ,east1 
she said4 ,the mud isn't so deep at the 
,east4 ,when ,i was to ,bosting-- but   
,ralph never heard what happened when   

she was to ,bosting1 for just as she    
said ,bosting the mare put her foot into
 a deep hole molded by the foot of the  
,squire's horse1 and already full of    
muddy water4  ,as the mare's foot went  
twelve inches down into this track1 the 
muddy water spurted higher than ,miss   
,hawkins's head1 and mottled her dress  
with golden spots of clay4 ,she gave a  
little shriek1 and declared that she had
 never seen it so at the ,east4  ,the   
journey seemed a little long to ,ralph1 
who found that the subjects upon which  
he and ,miss ,hawkins could converse    
were few2 but ,miss ,martha was         
determined to keep things going1 and    
once1 when the conversation had died out
 entirely1 she made a desperate effort  
to renew it by remarking1 as they met a 
man on horseback1 ,that horse switches  
his tail just as they do at the ,east4  
,when ,i was to ,bosting ,i saw horses  
switch their tails just that way4  ,what
 surprised ,ralph was to see that ,flat 
,creek went to meeting4 ,everybody was  

there--the ,meanses1 the ,joneses1 the  
,bantas1 and all the rest4 ,everybody on
 ,flat ,creek seemed to be there1 except
 the old wooden-legged basket-maker4    
,his family was represented by ,shocky1 
who had come1 doubtless1 to get a       
glimpse of ,hannah1 not to hear ,mr4    
,bosaw preach4 ,in fact1 few were       
thinking of the religious service4 ,they
 went to church as a common resort to   
hear the news1 and to find out what was 
the current sensation4  ,on this        
particular morning there seemed to be   
some unusual excitement4 ,ralph         
perceived it as he rode up4 ,an excited 
crowd1 even though it be at a           
church-door on ,sunday morning1 can not 
conceal its agitation4 ,ralph deposited 
,miss ,hawkins on the stile1 and then   
got down himself1 and paid her the      
closest attention to the door4 ,this    
attention was for ,bud's benefit4 ,but  
,bud only stood with his hands in his   
pockets1 scowling worse than ever4      
,ralph did not go in at the door4 ,it   

was not the ,flat ,creek custom4 ,the   
men gossiped outside1 while the women   
chatted within4 ,whatever may have been 
the cause of the excitement1 ,ralph     
could not get at it4 ,when he entered a 
little knot of people they became       
embarrassed1 the group dissolved1 and   
its component parts joined other        
companies4 ,what had the current of     
conversation to do with him8 ,he        
overheard ,pete ,jones saying that the  
blamed old wooden leg was in it anyhow4 
,he'd been seen goin' home at two in the
 mornin'4 ,and he could name somebody   
else ef he choosed4 ,but it was best to 
clean out one at a time4 ,and just then 
there was a murmur3 ,meetin's took up4  
,and the masculine element filled the   
empty half of the hewed-log church4     
,when ,ralph saw ,hannah looking utterly
 dejected1 his heart smote him1 and the 
great struggle set in again4 ,had it not
 been for the thought of the other      
battle1 and the comforting presence of  
the ,helper1 ,i fear ,bud's interests   

would have fared badly4 ,but ,ralph1    
with the spirit of a martyr1 resolved to
 wait until he knew what the result of  
,bud's suit should be1 and whether1     
indeed1 the young ,goliath had prior    
claims1 as he evidently thought he had4 
,he turned hopefully to the sermon1     
determined to pick up any crumbs of     
comfort that might fall from ,mr4       
,bosaw's meager table4  ,in reporting a 
single specimen passage of ,mr4 ,bosaw's
 sermon1 ,i shall not take the liberty  
which ,thucydides and other ancient     
historians did1 of making the sermon and
 putting it into the hero's mouth1 but  
shall give that which can be vouched    
for4  ,you see1 my respective hearers1  
he began--but alas6 ,i can never picture
 to you the rich red nose1 the see      
sawing gestures1 the nasal resonance1   
the sniffle1 the melancholy minor key1  
and all that4 ,my respective hearers-ah1
 you see-ah as how-ah as my tex'-ah says
 that the ox-ah knoweth his owner-ah1   
and-ah the ass-ah his master's crib-ah4 

,a-h-h6 ,now1 my respective hearers-ah1 
they're a mighty sight of resemblance-ah
 atwext men-ah and oxen-ah ,ralph could 
not help reflecting that there was a    
mighty sight of resemblance between some
 men and asses4 ,but the preacher did   
not see this analogy4 ,it lay too close 
to him1 bekase-ah1 you see1 men-ah is   
mighty like oxen-ah4 ,fer they's a      
tremengious defference-ah atwixt        
defferent oxen-ah1 jest as thar is      
atwext defferent men-ah2 fer the ox     
knoweth-ah his owner-ah1 and the ass-ah1
 his master's crib-ah4 ,now1 my         
respective hearers-ah the preacher's    
voice here grew mellow1 and the         
succeeding sentences were in the most   
pathetic and lugubrious tones1 you all  
know-ah that your humble speaker-ah has 
got-ah jest the best yoke of steers-ah  
in this township-ah4 ,here ,betsey      
,short shook the floor with a suppressed
 titter4 ,they a'n't no sech steers as  
them air two of mine-ah in this whole   
kedentry-ah4 ,them crack oxen over at   

,clifty-ah ha'n't a patchin' to mine-ah4
 ,fer the ox knoweth his owner-ah and   
the ass-ah his master's crib-ah4  ,now1 
my respective hearers-ah1 they's a right
 smart sight of defference-ah atwext    
them air two oxen-ah1 jest like they is 
atwext defferent men-ah4 ,fer-ah here   
the speaker grew earnest1 and sawed the 
air1 from this to the close1 in a most  
frightful way1 fer-ah1 you see-ah1 when 
,i go out-ah in the mornin'-ah to       
yoke-ah up-ah them air steers-ah1 and ,i
 says-ah1 ',wo1 ,berry-ah6 ,wo1         
,berry-ah6 ,,wo1 ,,berry-,,ah'1 why     
,berry-ah jest stands stock still-ah and
 don't hardly breathe-ah while ,i put on
 the yoke-ah1 and put in the bow-ah1 and
 put in the key-ah1 fer1 my             
brethering-ah and sistering-ah1 the ox  
knoweth his owner-ah1 and the ass-ah his
 master's crib-ah4 ,hal-le-lu-ger-ah6   
,but-ah1 my hearers-ah1 but-ah when ,i  
stand at t'other eend of the yoke-ah1   
and say1 ',come1 ,buck-ah6 ,come1       
,buck-ah6 ,,come1 ,,buck-,,ah6 ,,come1  

,,buck-,,ah6' why what do you think-ah8 
,buck-ah1 that ornery ole ,buck-ah1     
'stid of comin' right along-ah and      
puttin' his neck under-ah1 acts jest    
like some men-ah what is fools-ah4      
,buck-ah jest kinder sorter stands      
off-ah1 and kinder sorter puts his head 
down-ah this 'ere way-ah1 and kinder    
looks mad-ah1 and says1                 
,boo-oo-,,oo-,,oo-ah6  ,alas6 ,hartsook 
found no spiritual edification there1   
and he was in no mood to be amused4 ,and
 so1 while the sermon drew on through   
two dreary hours1 he forgot the preacher
 in noticing a bright green lizard      
which1 having taken up its winter       
quarters behind the tin candlestick that
 hung just back of the preacher's head1 
had been deceived by the genial warmth  
coming from the great box-stove1 and now
 ran out two or three feet from his     
shelter1 looking down upon the red-nosed
 preacher in a most confidential and    
amusing manner4 ,sometimes he would     
retreat behind the candlestick1 which   

was not twelve inches from the          
preacher's head1 and then rush out      
again4 ,at each reappearance ,betsey    
,short would stuff her handkerchief into
 her mouth and shake in a most          
distressing way4 ,shocky wondered what  
the lizard was winking at the preacher  
about4 ,and ,miss ,martha thought that  
it reminded her of a lizard that she see
 at the ,east1 the time she was to      
,bosting1 in a jar of alcohol in the    
,natural ,history ,rooms4 ,the ,squire  
was not disappointed in his anticipation
 that ,mr4 ,bosaw would attack his      
denomination with some fury4 ,in fact1  
the old preacher outdid himself in his  
violent indignation at these people that
 follow ,campbell-ah1 that thinks-ah    
that obejience-ah will save 'em-ah and  
that belongs-ah to temp'rince           
societies-ah and ,sunday-schools-ah1 and
 them air things-ah1 that's not         
ortherized in the ,bible-ah1 but comes  
of the devil-ah1 and takes folks as     
belongs to 'em to hell-ah4  ,as they    

came out the door ,ralph rallied enough 
to remark3 ,he did attack your people1  
,squire4  ,oh1 yes1 said the ,squire4   
,didn't you see the ,sarpent inspirin'  
him8  ,but the long1 long hours were    
ended and ,ralph got on the clay-bank   
mare and rode up alongside the stile    
whence ,miss ,martha mounted4 ,and as he
 went away with a heavy heart1 he       
overheard ,pete ,jones call out to      
somebody3  ,we'll tend to his case      
,christmas4 ,christmas was two days off4
  ,and ,miss ,martha remarked with much 
trepidation that poor ,pearson would    
have to leave4 ,she'd always been afraid
 that would be the end of it4 ,it       
reminded her of something she heard at  
the ,east1 the time she was down to     
,bosting4  ,,footnotes3  ,footnote #ba3 
,even the ,anti-means ,baptists have    
suffered from the dire spirit of the    
age4 ,they are to-day a very respectable
 body of people calling themselves      
,primitive ,baptists4 ,perhaps the      
description in the text never applied to

 the whole denomination1 but only to the
 ,hardshells of certain localities4     
,some of these intensely conservative   
churches1 ,i have reason to believe1    
were always composed of reputable       
people4 ,but what is said above is not  
in the least exaggerated as a           
description of many of the churches in  
,indiana and ,illinois4 ,their          
opposition to the temperance reformation
 was both theoretical and practical4 ,a 
rather able minister of the denomination
 whom ,i knew as a boy used to lie in   
besotted drunkenness by the roadside4 ,i
 am sorry to confess that he once       
represented the county in the ,state    
legislature4 ,the piece of a sermon     
given in this chapter was heard near    
,cairo1 ,illinois1 in the days before   
the war4 ,most of the preachers were    
illiterate farmers4 ,i have heard one of
 them hold forth two hours at a stretch4
 ,but even in that day there were men   
among the ,hardshells whose ability and 
character commanded respect4 ,this was  

true1 especially in ,kentucky1 where    
able men like the two ,dudleys held to  
the ,antinomian wing of their           
denomination4 ,but the ,hardshells are  
perceptibly less hard than they were4   
,you may march at the rear of the column
 among ,hunkers and ,hardshells if you  
will1 but you are obliged to march4     
,those who will not go voluntarily1 the 
time-spirit1 walking behind1 prods      
onward with a goad4     ,,chapter       
,,xiii4  ,a ,,struggle ,,for ,,the      
,,mastery   ,the school had closed on   
,monday evening as usual4 ,the boys had 
been talking in knots all day4 ,nothing 
but the bulldog in the slender1 resolute
 young master had kept down the rising  
storm4 ,a teacher who has lost moral    
support at home1 can not long govern a  
school4 ,ralph had effectually lost his 
popularity in the district1 and the     
worst of it was that he could not divine
 from just what quarter the ill wind    
came1 except that he felt sure of       
,small's agency in it somewhere4 ,even  

,hannah had slighted him1 when he called
 at ,means's on ,monday morning to draw 
the pittance of pay that was due him4   
,he had expected a petition for a       
holiday on ,christmas day4 ,such        
holidays are deducted from the teacher's
 time1 and it is customary for the boys 
to turn out the teacher who refuses to  
grant them1 by barring him out of the   
school-house on ,christmas and ,new     
,year's morning4 ,ralph had intended to 
grant a holiday if it should be asked1  
but it was not asked4 ,hank ,banta was  
the ringleader in the disaffection1 and 
he had managed to draw the surly ,bud1  
who was present this morning1 into it4  
,it is but fair to say that ,bud was in 
favor of making a request before        
resorting to extreme measures1 but he   
was overruled4 ,he gave it as his solemn
 opinion that the master was mighty     
peart1 and they would be beat anyhow    
some way1 but he would lick the master  
fer two cents ef he warn't so slim that 
he'd feel like he was fighting a baby4  

,and all that day things looked black4  
,ralph's countenance was cold and hard  
as stone1 and ,shocky trembled where he 
sat4 ,betsey ,short tittered rather more
 than usual4 ,a riot or a murder would  
have seemed amusing to her4  ,school was
 dismissed1 and ,ralph1 instead of      
returning to the ,squire's1 set out for 
the village of ,clifty1 a few miles     
away4 ,no one knew what he went for1 and
 some suggested that he had sloped4     
,but ,bud said he warn't that air kind4 
,he was one of them air sort as died in 
their tracks1 was ,mr4 ,hartsook4       
,they'd find him on the ground nex'     
morning1 and he lowed the master war    
made of that air sort of stuff as would 
burn the dog-on'd ole school-house to   
ashes1 or blow it into splinters1 but   
what he'd beat4 ,howsumdever he'd said  
he was a-goin' to help1 and help he     
would2 but all the sinno in ,golier     
wouldn't be no account again the cute   
they was in the head of the master4     
,but ,bud1 discouraged as he was with   

the fear of ,ralph's cute1 went like a  
martyr to the stake and took his place  
with the rest in the school-house at    
nine o'clock at night4 ,it may have been
 ,ralph's intention to preoccupy the    
school-house1 for at ten o'clock ,hank  
,banta was set shaking from head to foot
 at seeing a face that looked like the  
master's at the window4 ,he waked up    
,bud and told him about it4  ,well1 what
 are you a-tremblin' about1 you coward8 
growled ,bud4 ,he won't shoot you2 but  
he'll beat you at this game1 ,i'll bet a
 hoss1 and me1 too1 and make us both as 
'shamed of ourselves as dogs with       
tin-kittles to their tails4 ,you don't  
know the master1 though he did duck you4
 ,but he'll larn you a good lesson this 
time1 and me too1 like as not4 ,and ,bud
 soon snored again1 but ,hank shook with
 fear every time he looked at the       
blackness outside the windows4 ,he was  
sure he heard foot-falls4 ,he would have
 given anything to have been at home4   
,when morning came1 the pupils began to 

gather early4 ,a few boys who were      
likely to prove of service in the coming
 siege were admitted through the window1
 and then everything was made fast1 and 
a snack was eaten4  ,how do you 'low    
he'll get in8 said ,hank1 trying to hide
 his fear4  ,how do ,i 'low8 said ,bud4 
,i don't 'low nothin' about it4 ,you    
might as well ax me where ,i 'low the   
nex' shootin' star is a-goin' to drap4  
,mr4 ,hartsook's mighty onsartin4 ,but  
he'll git in1 though1 and tan your hide 
fer you1 you see ef he don't4 ,ef he    
don't blow up the school-house with     
gunpowder6 ,this last was thrown in by  
way of alleviating the fears of the     
cowardly ,hank1 for whom ,bud had a     
great contempt4  ,the time for school   
had almost come4 ,the boys inside were  
demoralized by waiting4 ,they began to  
hope that the master had sloped4 ,they  
dreaded to see him coming4  ,i don't    
believe he'll come1 said ,hank1 with a  
cold shiver4 ,it's past school-time4    
,yes1 he will come1 too1 said ,bud4 ,and

 he 'lows to come in here mighty quick4 
,i don't know how4 ,but he'll be        
a-standin' at that air desk when it's   
nine o'clock4 ,i'll bet a thousand      
dollars on that4 ,ef he don't take it   
into his head to blow us up6 ,hank was  
now white4  ,some of the parents came   
along1 accidentally of course1 and      
stopped to see the fun1 sure that ,bud  
would thrash the master if he tried to  
break in4 ,small1 on the way to see a   
patient perhaps1 reined up in front of  
the door4 ,still no ,ralph4 ,it was just
 five minutes before nine4 ,a rumor now 
gained currency that he had been seen   
going to ,clifty the evening before1 and
 that he had not come back1 though in   
fact ,ralph had come back1 and had slept
 at ,squire ,hawkins's4  ,there's the   
master1 cried ,betsey ,short1 who stood 
out in the road shivering and giggling  
alternately4 ,for ,ralph at that moment 
emerged from the sugar-camp by the      
school-house1 carrying a board4  ,ho6   
ho6 laughed ,hank1 he thinks he'll smoke

 us out4 ,i guess he'll find us ready4  
,the boys had let the fire burn down1   
and there was now nothing but hot       
hickory coals on the hearth4  ,i tell   
you he'll come in4 ,he didn't go to     
,clifty fer nothing said ,bud1 who sat  
still on one of the benches which leaned
 against the door4 ,i don't know how1   
but they's lots of ways of killing a cat
 besides chokin' her with butter4 ,he'll
 come in--ef he don't blow us all       
sky-high6  ,ralph's voice was now heard1
 demanding that the door be opened4     
,let's open her1 said ,hank1 turning    
livid with fear at the firm1 confident  
tone of the master4  ,bud straightened  
himself up4 ,hank1 you're a coward4     
,i've got a mind to kick you4 ,you got  
me into this blamed mess1 and now you   
want to craw-fish4 ,you jest tech one of
 these 'ere fastenings1 and ,i'll lay   
you out flat of your back afore you can 
say ,jack ,robinson4  ,the teacher was  
climbing to the roof with the board in  
hand4  ,that air won't win1 laughed     

,pete ,jones outside4 ,he saw that there
 was no smoke4 ,even ,bud began to hope 
that ,ralph would fail for once4 ,the   
master was now on the ridge-pole of the 
school-house4 ,he took a paper from his 
pocket1 and deliberately poured the     
contents down the chimney4  ,mr4 ,pete  
,jones shouted ,gunpowder6 and set off  
down the road to be out of the way of   
the explosion4 ,dr4 ,small remembered1  
probably1 that his patient might die    
while he sat here1 and started on4  ,but
 ,ralph emptied the paper1 and laid the 
board over the chimney4 ,what a row     
there was inside6 ,the benches that were
 braced against the door were thrown    
down1 and ,hank ,banta rushed out1      
rubbing his eyes1 coughing frantically1 
and sure that he had been blown up4 ,all
 the rest followed1 ,bud bringing up the
 rear sulkily1 but coughing and sneezing
 for dear life4 ,such a smell of sulphur
 as came from that school-house6        
,betsey had to lean against the fence to
 giggle4  ,illustration3 ,,fire ,,and   

,,brimstone  ,as soon as all were out1  
,ralph threw the board off the chimney1 
leaped to the ground1 entered the       
school-house1 and opened the windows4   
,the school soon followed him1 and all  
was still4  ,would he thrash8 ,this was 
the important question in ,hank ,banta's
 mind4 ,and the rest looked for a battle
 with ,bud4  ,it is just nine o'clock1  
said ,ralph1 consulting his watch1 and  
,i'm glad to see you all here promptly4 
,i should have given you a holiday if   
you had asked me like gentlemen         
yesterday4 ,on the whole1 ,i think ,i   
shall give you a holiday1 anyhow4 ,the  
school is dismissed4  ,and ,hank felt   
foolish4  ,and ,bud secretly resolved to
 thrash ,hank or the master1 he didn't  
care which4  ,and ,mirandy looked the   
love she could not utter4  ,and ,betsey 
giggled4     ,,chapter ,,xiv4  ,a       
,,crisis ,,with ,,bud4   ,ralph sat     
still at his desk4 ,the school had gone4
 ,all at once he became conscious that  
,shocky sat yet in his accustomed place 

upon the hard1 backless bench4  ,why1   
,shocky1 haven't you gone yet8          
,no--sir--,i was waitin' to see if you  
warn't a-goin'1 too--,i--  ,well8  ,i   
thought it would make me feel as if ,god
 warn't quite so fur away to talk to    
you4 ,it did the other day4  ,the master
 rose and put his hand on ,shocky's     
head4 ,was it the brotherhood in        
affliction that made ,shocky's words    
choke him so8 ,or1 was it the weird     
thoughts that he expressed8 ,or1 was it 
the recollection that ,shocky was       
,hannah's brother8 ,hannah so far1 far  
away from him now6 ,at any rate1        
,shocky1 looking up for the smile on    
which he fed1 saw the relaxing of the   
master's face1 that had been as hard as 
stone1 and felt just one hot tear on his
 hand4  ,p'r'aps ,god's forgot you1 too1
 said ,shocky in a sort of half         
soliloquy4 ,better get away from ,flat  
,creek4 ,you see ,god forgets everybody 
down here4 ',cause 'most everybody      
forgets ,god1 'cept ,mr4 ,bosaw1 and ,i 

'low ,god don't no ways keer to be      
remembered by sich as him4 ,leastways ,i
 wouldn't if ,i was ,god1 you know4 ,i  
wonder what becomes of folks when ,god  
forgets 'em8 ,and ,shocky1 seeing that  
the master had resumed his seat and was 
looking absently into the fire1 moved   
slowly out the door4  ,shocky6 called   
the master4  ,the little poet came back 
and stood before him4  ,shocky1 you     
mustn't think ,god has forgotten you4   
,god brings things out right at last4   
,but ,ralph's own faith was weak1 and   
his words sounded hollow and            
hypocritical to himself4 ,would ,god    
indeed bring things out right8  ,he sat 
musing a good while1 trying to convince 
himself of the truth of what he had just
 been saying to ,shocky--that ,god would
 indeed bring things out right at last4 
,would it all come out right if ,bud    
married ,hannah8 ,would it all come out 
right if he were driven from ,flat      
,creek with a dark suspicion upon his   
character8 ,did ,god concern himself    

with these things8 ,was there any ,god8 
,it was the same old struggle between   
,doubt and ,faith4 ,and when ,ralph     
looked up1 ,shocky had departed4  ,in   
the next hour ,ralph fought the old     
battle of ,armageddon4 ,i shall not     
describe it4 ,you will fight it in your 
own way4 ,no two alike4 ,the important  
thing is the ,end4 ,if you come out as  
he did1 with the doubt gone and the     
trust in ,god victorious1 it matters    
little just what shape the battle may   
take4 ,since ,jacob became ,israel there
 have never been two such struggles     
alike1 save in that they all end either 
in victory or in defeat4  ,it was after 
twelve o'clock on that ,christmas day   
when ,ralph put his head out the door of
 the school-house and called out3 ,bud1 
,i'd like to see you4  ,bud did not care
 to see the master1 for he had inly     
resolved to thrash him and have done    
with him4 ,but he couldn't back out1    
certainly not in sight of the others who
 were passing along the road with him4  

,i don't want the rest of you1 said     
,ralph in a decided way1 as he saw that 
,hank and one or two others were        
resolved to come also4  ,thought maybe  
you'd want somebody to see far play1    
said ,hank as he went off sheepishly4   
,if ,i did1 you would be the last one ,i
 should ask1 said ,ralph4 ,there's no   
unfair play in ,bud1 and there is in    
you4 ,and he shut the door4  ,now1 looky
 here1 ,mr4 ,ralph ,hartsook1 said ,bud4
 ,you don't come no gum games over me   
with your saft sodder and all that4     
,i've made up my mind4 ,you've got to   
promise to leave these 'ere digging1 or 
,i've got to thrash you4  ,you'll have  
to thrash me1 then1 said ,ralph1 turning
 a little pale1 but remembering the     
bulldog4 ,but you'll tell me what ,it's 
all about1 won't you8  ,you know well   
enough4 ,folks says you know more 'bout 
the robbery at the ,dutchman's than you 
orter4 ,but ,i don't believe them4 ,fer 
them as says it is liars and thieves    
theirselves4 ',ta'n't fer none of that4 

,and ,i shan't tell you what it is fer4 
,so now1 if you won't travel1 why1 take 
off your coat and git ready fer a       
thrashing4  ,the master took off his    
coat and showed his slender arms4 ,bud  
laid his off1 and showed the physique of
 a prize-fighter4  ,you a'n't a-goin to 
fight me8 said ,bud4  ,not unless you   
make me4  ,why ,i could chaw you all up4
  ,i know that4  ,well1 you're the      
grittiest feller ,i ever did see1 and ef
 you'd jest kep off of my ground ,i     
wouldn't a touched you4 ,but ,i a'n't   
a-goin' to be cut out by no feller a    
livin' 'thout thrashin' him in an inch  
of his life4 ,you see ,i wanted to git  
out of this ,flat ,crick way4 ,we're a  
low-lived set here in ,flat ,crick4 ,and
 ,i says to myself1 ,i'll try to be     
somethin' more nor ,pete ,jones1 and    
dad1 and these other triflin'1          
good-fer-nothin' ones 'bout here4 ,and  
when you come ,i says1 ,there's one     
as'll help me4 ,and what do you do with 
yor book-larnin' and town manners but   

start right out to git away the gal that
 ,i'd picked out1 when ,i'd picked her  
out kase ,i thought1 not bein' ,flat    
,crick born herself1 she might help a   
feller to do better6 ,now ,i won't let  
nobody cut me out without givin' 'em the
 best thrashin' it's in these 'ere arms 
to give4  ,but ,i haven't tried to cut  
you out4  ,you can't fool me4  ,bud1    
listen to me1 and then thrash me if you 
will4 ,i went with that girl once4 ,when
 ,i found you had some claims1 ,i gave  
her up4 ,not because ,i was afraid of   
you1 for ,i would rather have taken the 
worst thrashing you can give me than    
give her up4 ,but ,i haven't spoken to  
her since the night of the first        
spelling-school4  ,you lie6 said ,bud1  
doubling his fists4  ,ralph grew red4   
,you was a-waitin' on her last ,sunday  
right afore my eyes1 and a-tryin' to    
ketch my attention too4 ,so when you're 
ready say so4  ,bud1 there is some      
misunderstanding4 ,hartsook spoke slowly
 and felt bewildered4 ,i tell you that  

,i did not speak to ,hannah last        
,sunday1 and you know ,i didn't4        
,hanner6 ,bud's eyes grew large4        
,hanner6 ,here he gasped for breath1 and
 looked around1 ,hanner6 ,he couldn't   
get any further than the name at first4 
,why1 plague take it1 who said ,hanner8 
,mirandy said you were courting ,hannah1
 said ,ralph1 feeling round in a vague  
way to get his ideas together4          
,mirandy6 ,thunder6 ,you believed       
,mirandy6 ,well6 ,now1 looky here1 ,mr4 
,hartsook1 ef you was to say that my    
sister lied1 ,i'd lick you till yer hide
 wouldn't hold shucks4 ,but ,i say1     
a-twix you and me and the gate-post1    
don't you never believe nothing that    
,mirandy ,means says4 ,her and marm has 
set theirselves like fools to git you4  
,hanner6 ,well1 she's a mighty nice gal1
 but you're welcome to her4 ,i never    
tuck no shine that air way4 ,but ,i was 
out of school last ,thursday and ,friday
 a-shucking corn to take to mill        
a-,saturday4 ,and when ,i come past the 

,squire's and seed you talking to a gal 
as is a gal1 you know--here ,bud        
hesitated and looked foolish--,i felt   
hoppin' mad4  ,bud put on his coat4     
,ralph put on his coat4  ,then they     
shook hands and ,bud went out4 ,ralph   
sat looking into the fire4 ,there was no
 conscientious difficulty now in the way
 of his claiming ,hannah4 ,the dry      
forestick lying on the rude stone       
andirons burst into a blaze4 ,the       
smoldering hope ,in the heart of ,ralph 
,hartsook did the same4 ,he could have  
,hannah ,if he could win her4 ,but there
 came slowly back the recollection of   
his lost standing in ,flat ,creek4      
,there was circumstantial evidence      
against him4 ,it was evident that       
,hannah believed something of this4     
,what other stones ,small might have put
 in circulation he did not know4 ,would 
,small try to win ,hannah's love to     
throw it away again1 as he had done with
 others8 ,at least he would not spare   
any pains to turn the heart of the bound

 girl against ,ralph4  ,the bright flame
 on the forestick1 which ,ralph had been
 watching1 flickered and burned low4    
,,chapter ,,xv4  ,,the ,,church ,,of    
,,the ,,best ,,licks4   ,just as the    
flame on the forestick1 which ,ralph had
 watched so intensely1 flickered and    
burned low1 and just as ,ralph with a   
heavy but not quite hopeless heart rose 
to leave1 the latch lifted and ,bud     
re-entered4  ,i wanted to say something1
 he stammered1 but you know it's hard to
 say it4 ,i ha'n't no book-larnin to    
speak of1 and some things is hard to say
 when a man ha'n't got book-words to say
 'em with4 ,and they's some things a man
 can't hardly ever say anyhow to        
anybody4  ,here ,bud stopped4 ,but      
,ralph spoke in such a matter-of-course 
way in reply that he felt encouraged to 
go on4  ,you gin up ,hanner kase you    
thought she belonged to me4 ,that's     
more'n ,i'd a done by a long shot4 ,now1
 arter ,i left here jest now1 ,i says to
 myself1 a man what can gin up his gal  

on account of sech a feeling fer the    
rights of a ,flat ,cricker like me1 why1
 dog-on it1 says ,i1 sech a man is the  
man as can help me do better4 ,i don't  
know whether you're a ,hardshell or a   
,saftshell1 or a ,methodist1 or a       
,campbellite1 or a ,new ,light1 or a    
,united ,brother1 or a ,millerite1 or   
what-not4 ,but ,i says1 the man what can
 do the clean thing by a ugly feller    
like me1 and stick to it1 when ,i was   
jest ready to eat him up1 is a kind of a
 man to tie to4  ,here ,bud stopped in  
fright at his own volubility1 for he had
 run his words off like a piece learned 
by heart1 as though afraid that if he   
stopped he would not have courage to go 
on4  ,ralph said that he did not belong 
to any church1 and he was afraid he     
couldn't do ,bud much good4 ,but his    
tone was full of sympathy1 and1 what is 
better than sympathy1 a yearning for    
sympathy4  ,you see1 said ,bud1 ,i      
wanted to git out of this low-lived1    
,flat ,crick way of livin'4 ,we're a    

hard set down here1 ,mr4 ,hartsook4 ,and
 ,i'm gittin' to be one of the hardest  
of 'em4 ,but ,i never could git no good 
out of ,bosaw with his whisky and       
meanness4 ,and ,i went to the ,mount    
,tabor church concert4 ,i heard a man   
discussin' baptism1 and regeneration1   
and so on4 ,that didn't seem no cure for
 me1 ,i went to a revival over at       
,clifty4 ,well1 'twarn't no use4 ,first 
night they was a man that spoke about   
,jesus ,christ in sech a way that ,i    
wanted to foller him everywhere4 ,but ,i
 didn't feel fit4 ,next night ,i come   
back with my mind made up that ,i'd try 
,jesus ,christ1 and see ef he'd have me4
 ,but laws6 they was a big man that     
night that preached hell4 ,not that ,i  
don't believe they's a hell4 ,they's    
plenty not a thousand miles away as     
deserves it1 and ,i don't know as ,i'm  
too good for it myself4 ,but he pitched 
it at us1 and stuck it in our faces in  
sech a way that ,i got mad4 ,and ,i     
says1 ,well1 ef ,god sends me to hell he

 can't make me holler 'nough nohow4 ,you
 see my dander was up4 ,and when my     
dander's up1 ,i wouldn't gin up fer the 
devil his-self4 ,the preacher was so    
insultin' with his way of doin' it4 ,he 
seemed to be kind of glad that we was to
 be damned1 and he preached somethin'   
like some folks swears4 ,it didn't sound
 a bit like the ,christ the little man  
preached about the night afore4 ,so what
 does me and a lot of fellers do but    
slip out and cut off the big preacher's 
stirrups1 and hang 'em on to the rider  
of the fence1 and then set his hoss     
loose6 ,and from that day1 sometimes ,i 
did1 and sometimes ,i didn't1 want to be
 better4 ,and to-day it seemed to me    
that you must know somethin' as would   
help me4  ,nothing is worse than a      
religious experience kept ready to be   
exposed to the gaze of everybody1       
whether the time is appropriate or not4 
,but never was a religious experience   
more appropriate than the account which 
,ralph gave to ,bud of his ,struggle in 

the ,dark4 ,the confession of his       
weakness and wicked selfishness was a   
great comfort to ,bud4  ,do you think   
that ,jesus ,christ would--would--well1 
do you think he'd help a poor1 unlarnt  
,flat ,cricker like me8  ,i think he was
 a sort of a ,flat ,creeker himself1    
said ,ralph1 slowly and very earnestly4 
,you don't say8 said ,bud1 almost       
getting off his seat4  ,why1 you see the
 town he lived in was a rough place4 ,it
 was called ,nazareth1 which meant      
',bush-town4'  ,you don't say8  ,and he 
was called a ,nazarene1 which was about 
the same as 'backwoodsman4'  ,and ,ralph
 read the different passages which he   
had studied at ,sunday-school1          
illustrating the condescension of       
,jesus1 the stories of the publicans1   
the harlots1 the poor1 who came to him4 
,and he read about ,nathanael1 who lived
 only six miles away1 saying1 ',can any 
good thing come out of ,nazareth8'      
,jus' what ,clifty folks says about     
,flat ,crick1 broke in ,bud4  ,do you   

think ,i could begin without being      
baptized8 he added presently4  ,why not8
 ,let's begin now to do the best we can1
 by his help4  ,you mean1 then1 that    
,i'm to begin now to put in my best     
licks for ,jesus ,christ1 and that he'll
 help me8  ,this shocked ,ralph's       
veneration a little4 ,but it was the    
sincere utterance of an earnest soul4   
,it may not have been an orthodox start1
 but it was the one start for ,bud4 ,and
 there be those who have repeated with  
the finest sthetic appreciation the old 
,english liturgies who have never known 
religious aspiration so sincere as that 
of this ignorant young ,hercules1 whose 
best confession was that he meant       
hereafter to put in his best licks for  
,jesus ,christ4 ,and there be those who 
can define repentance and faith to the  
turning of a hair who never made so     
genuine a start for the kingdom of      
,heaven as ,bud ,means did4  ,ralph said
 yes1 that he thought that was just it4 
,at least1 he guessed if there was      

something more1 the man that was putting
 in his best licks would be sure to find
 it out4  ,do you think he'd help a     
feller8 ,seems to me it would be number 
one to have ,god help you4 ,not to help 
you fight other folks1 but to help you  
when it comes to fighting the devil     
inside4 ,but you see ,i don't belong to 
no church  ,well1 let's you and me have 
one right off4 ,two people that help one
 another to serve ,god make a church4   
,i am afraid this ecclesiastical theory 
will not be considered orthodox4 ,it was
 ,ralph's1 and ,i write it down at the  
risk of bringing him into condemnation4 
,but other people before the days of    
,bud and ,ralph have discussed church   
organization when they should have been 
doing ,christian work4 ,for both of them
 had forgotten the danger that hung over
 the old basket-maker1 until ,shocky    
burst into the school-house1 weeping4   
,indeed1 the poor1 nervous little frame 
was ready to go into convulsions4  ,miss
 ,hawkins--  ,bud started at mention of 

the name4  ,miss ,hawkins has just been 
over to say that a crowd is going to tar
 and feather ,mr4 ,pearson to-night4    
,and-- here ,shocky wept again4 ,and he 
won't run1 but he's took up the old     
flintlock1 and he'll die in his tracks4 
,,chapter ,,xvi4  ,,the ,,church        
,,militant4   ,bud was doubly enlisted  
on the side of ,john ,pearson1 the      
basket-maker4 ,in the first place1 he   
knew that this persecution of the       
unpopular old man was only a blind to   
save somebody else2 that they were      
thieves who cried1 ,stop thief6 ,and he 
felt consequently that this was a chance
 to put his newly-formed resolutions    
into practice4 ,the ,old ,testament     
religious life1 which consists in       
fighting the ,lord's enemies1 suited    
,bud's temper and education4 ,it might  
lead to something better4 ,it was the   
best possible to him1 now4 ,but ,i am   
afraid ,i shall have to acknowledge that
 there was a second motive that moved   
,bud to this championship4 ,the good    

heart of ,martha ,hawkins having        
espoused the cause of the basket-maker1 
the heart of ,bud ,means could not help 
feeling warmly on the same side4        
,blessed is that man in whose life the  
driving of duty and the drawing of love 
impel the same way6 ,but why speak of   
the driving of duty8 ,for already ,bud  
was learning the better lesson of       
serving ,god for the love of ,god4  ,the
 old basket-maker was the most unpopular
 man in ,flat ,creek district4 ,he had  
two great vices4 ,he would go to ,clifty
 and have a spree once in three months4 
,and he would tell the truth in a most  
unscrupulous manner4 ,a man given to    
plain speaking was quite as             
objectionable in ,flat ,creek as he     
would have been in ,france under the    
,empire1 the ,commune1 or the ,republic1
 and almost as objectionable as he would
 be in any refined community in         
,america4 ,people who live in glass     
houses have a horror of people who throw
 stones4 ,and the old basket-maker1     

having no friends1 was a good           
scape-goat4 ,in driving him off1 ,pete  
,jones would get rid of a dangerous     
neighbor and divert attention from      
himself4 ,the immediate crime of the    
basket-maker was that he had happened to
 see too much4  ,mr4 ,hartsook1 said    
,bud1 when they got out into the road1  
you'd better go straight home to the    
,squire's4 ,bekase ef this lightnin'    
strikes a second time it'll strike awful
 closte to you4 ,you hadn't better be   
seen with us4 ,which way did you come1  
,shocky8  ,why1 ,i tried to come down   
the holler1 but ,i met ,jones right by  
the big road1 and he sweared at me and  
said he'd kill me ef ,i didn't go back  
and stay4 ,and so ,i went back to the   
house and then slipped out through the  
graveyard4 ,you see ,i was bound to come
 ef ,i got skinned4 ,for ,mr4           
,pearson's1 stuck to me and ,i mean to  
stick to him1 you see4  ,bud led ,shocky
 through the graveyard4 ,but when they  
reached the forest path from the        

graveyard he thought that perhaps it was
 not best to show his hand1 as he       
expressed it1 too soon4  ,now1 ,shocky1 
he said1 do you run ahead and tell the  
ole man that ,i want to see him right   
off down by the ,spring-in-rock4 ,i'll  
keep closte behind you1 and ef anybody  
offers to trouble you1 do you let off a 
yell and ,i'll be thar in no time4      
,when ,ralph left the school-house he   
felt mean4 ,there were ,bud and ,shocky 
gone on an errand of mercy1 and he1 the 
truant member of the ,church of the     
,best ,licks1 was not with them4 ,the   
more he thought of it the more he seemed
 to be a coward1 and the more he        
despised himself2 so1 yielding as usual 
to the first brave impulse1 he leaped   
nimbly over the fence and started       
briskly through the forest in a         
direction intersecting the path on which
 were ,bud and ,shocky4 ,he came in     
sight just in time to see the first     
conflict of the ,church in the          
,wilderness with her foes4  ,for        

,shocky's little feet went more swiftly 
on their eager errand than ,bud had     
anticipated4 ,he got farther out of     
,bud's reach than the latter intended he
 should1 and he did not discover ,pete  
,jones until ,pete1 with his            
hog-drover's whip1 was right upon him4  
,shocky tried to halloo for ,bud1 but he
 was like one in a nightmare4 ,the yell 
died into a whisper which could not have
 been heard ten feet4  ,i shall not     
repeat ,mr4 ,jones's words4 ,they were  
frightfully profane4 ,but he did not    
stop at words4 ,he swept his whip round 
and gave little ,shocky one terrible    
cut4 ,then the voice was released1 and  
the piercing cry of pain brought ,bud   
down the path flying4  ,you             
good-for-nothing scoundrel1 growled     
,bud1 you're a coward and a thief to be 
a-beatin' a little creetur like him6 and
 with that ,bud walked up on ,jones1 who
 prudently changed position in such a   
way as to get the upper side of the     
hill4  ,well1 ,i'll gin you the upper   

side1 but come on1 cried ,bud1 ef you   
a'n't afeared to fight somebody besides 
a poor little sickly baby or a crippled 
soldier4 ,come on6  ,illustration3 ,bud 
,means comes to the rescue of ,shocky4  
,pete was no insignificant antagonist4  
,he had been a great fighter1 and his   
well-seasoned arms were like iron4 ,he  
had not the splendid set of ,bud1 but he
 had more skill and experience in the   
rude tournament of fists to which the   
backwoods is so much given4 ,now1 being 
out of sight of witnesses and sure that 
he could lie about the fight afterward1 
he did not scruple to take advantages   
which would have disgraced him forever  
if he had taken them in a public fight  
on election day or at a muster4 ,he took
 the uphill side1 and he clubbed his    
whip-stalk1 striking ,bud with all his  
force with the heavy end1 which1        
coward-like1 he had loaded with lead4   
,bud threw up his strong left arm and   
parried the blow1 which1 however1 was so
 fierce that it fractured one of the    

bones of the arm4 ,throwing away his    
whip ,pete rushed upon ,bud furiously1  
intending to overpower him1 but ,bud    
slipped quickly to one side and let     
,jones pass down the hill1 and as ,jones
 came up again ,means dealt him one     
crushing blow that sent him full length 
upon the ground4 ,nothing but the leaves
 saved him from a most terrible fall4   
,jones sprang to his feet more angry    
than ever at being whipped by one whom  
he regarded as a boy1 and drew a long   
dirk-knife4 ,but he was blind with rage1
 and ,bud dodged the knife1 and this    
time gave ,pete a blow on the nose which
 marred the homeliness of that feature  
and doubled the fellow up against a tree
 ten feet away4  ,ralph came in sight in
 time to see the beginning of the fight1
 and he arrived on the ground just as   
,pete ,jones went down under the        
well-dealt blow from the only remaining 
fist of ,bud ,means4  ,while ,ralph     
examined ,bud's disabled left arm ,pete 
picked himself up slowly1 and1 muttering

 that he felt consid'able shuck up like1
 crawled away like a whipped puppy4 ,to 
every one whom he met1 ,pete1 whose     
intellect seemed to have weakened in    
sympathy with his frame1 remarked feebly
 that he was consid'able shuck up like1 
and vouchsafed no other explanation4    
,even to his wife he only said that he  
felt purty consid'able shuck up like1   
and that the boys would have to get on  
to-night without him4 ,there are some   
scoundrels whose very malignity is      
shaken out of them for the time being by
 a thorough drubbing4  ,i'm afraid      
you're going to have trouble with your  
arm1 ,bud1 said ,ralph tenderly4  ,never
 mind2 ,i put in my best licks fer ,him 
that air time1 ,mr4 ,hartsook4 ,ralph   
shivered a little at thought of this1   
but if it was right to knock ,jones down
 at all1 why might not ,bud do it       
heartily as unto the ,lord8  ,gideon did
 not feel any more honest pleasure in   
chastising the ,midianites than did ,bud
 in sending ,pete ,jones away purty     

consid'able shuck up like4     ,,chapter
 ,,xvii4  ,a ,,council ,,of ,,war4      
,shocky1 whose feet had flown as soon as
 he saw the final fall of ,pete ,jones1 
told the whole story to the wondering   
and admiring ears of ,miss ,hawkins1 who
 unhappily could not remember anything  
at the ,east just like it2 to the       
frightened ears of the rheumatic old    
lady who felt sure her ole man's talk   
and stubbornness would be the ruin of   
him1 and to the indignant ears of the   
old soldier who was hobbling up and     
down1 sentinel-wise1 in front of his    
cabin1 standing guard over himself4     
,no1 ,i won't leave1 he said to ,ralph  
and ,bud4 ,you see ,i jest won't4 ,what 
would ,gin'ral ,winfield ,scott say ef  
he knew that one of them as fit at      
,lundy's ,lane backed out1 retreated1   
run fer fear of a passel of thieves8    
,no1 sir2 me and the old flintlock will 
live and die together4 ,i'll put a      
thunderin' charge of buckshot into the  
first one of them scoundrels as comes up

 the holler4 ,it'll be another ,lundy's 
,lane4 ,and you1 ,mr4 ,hartsook1 may    
send ,scott word that ole ,pearson1 as  
fit at ,lundy's ,lane under him1 died   
a-fightin' thieves on ,rocky ,branch1 in
 ,hoopole ,kyounty1 ,state of ,injeanny4
  ,and the old man hobbled faster and   
faster1 taxing his wooden leg to the    
very utmost1 as if his victory depended 
on the vehemence with which he walked   
his beat4  ,mrs4 ,pearson sat wringing  
her hands and looking appealingly at    
,martha ,hawkins1 who stood in the door1
 in despair1 looking appealingly at     
,bud4 ,bud was stupefied by the old     
man's stubbornness and his own pain1 and
 in his turn appealed mutely to the     
master1 in whose resources he had       
boundless confidence4 ,ralph1 seeing    
that all depended on him1 was taxing his
 wits to think of some way to get round 
,pearson's stubbornness4 ,shocky hung to
 the old man's coat and pulled away at  
him with many entreating words1 but the 
venerable1 bare-headed sentinel strode  

up and down furiously1 with his         
flintlock on his shoulder and his       
basket-knife in his belt4  ,just at this
 point somebody could be seen           
indistinctly through the bushes coming  
up the hollow4  ,halt6 cried the old    
hero4 ,who goes there8  ,it's me1 ,mr4  
,pearson4 ,don't shoot me1 please4  ,it 
was the voice of ,hannah ,thomson4      
,hearing that the whole neighborhood was
 rising against the benefactor of       
,shocky and of her family1 she had      
slipped away from the eyes of her       
mistress1 and run with breathless haste 
to give warning in the cabin on ,rocky  
,branch4 ,seeing ,ralph1 she blushed1   
and went into the cabin4  ,well1 said   
,ralph1 the enemy is not coming yet4    
,let us hold a council of war4  ,this   
thought came to ,ralph like an          
inspiration4 ,it pleased the old man's  
whim1 and he sat down on the door-step4 
,now1 ,i suppose1 said ,ralph1 that     
,general ,winfield ,scott always looked 
into things a little before he went into

 a fight4 ,didn't he8  ,to be sure1     
assented the old man4  ,well1 said      
,ralph4 ,what is the condition of the   
enemy8 ,i suppose the whole             
neighborhood's against us4  ,to be sure1
 said the old man4 ,the rest were       
silent1 but all felt the statement to be
 about true4  ,next1 said ,ralph1 ,i    
suppose ,general ,winfield ,scott would 
always inquire into the condition of his
 own troops4 ,now let us see4 ,captain  
,pearson has ,bud1 who is the right     
wing1 badly crippled by having his arm  
broken in the first battle4 7,miss      
,hawkins looked pale47  ,to be sure1    
said the old man4  ,and ,i am the left  
wing1 pretty good at giving advice1 but 
very slender in a fight4  ,to be sure1  
said the old man4  ,and ,shocky and     
,miss ,martha and ,hannah good aids1 but
 nothing in a battle4  ,to be sure1 said
 the basket-maker1 a little doubtfully4 
,now let's look at the arms and         
accouterments1 ,i think you call them4  
,well1 this old musket has been loaded--

  ,this ten year1 said the old lady4    
,and the lock is so rusty that you could
 not cock it when you wanted to take aim
 at ,hannah4  ,the old man looked       
foolish1 and muttered ,to be sure4  ,and
 there isn't another round of ammunition
 in the house4  ,the old man was silent4
  ,now let us look at the incumbrances4 
,here's the old lady and ,shocky4 ,if   
you fight1 the enemy will be pleased4   
,it will give them a chance to kill you4
 ,and then the old lady will die and    
they will do with ,shocky as they       
please4  ,to be sure1 said the old man  
reflectively4  ,now1 said ,ralph1       
,general ,winfield ,scott1 under such   
circumstances1 would retreat in good    
order4 ,then1 when he could muster his  
forces rightly1 he would drive the enemy
 from his ground4  ,to be sure1 said the
 old man4 ,what ort ,i to do8  ,have you
 any friends8  ,well1 yes2 ther's my    
brother over in ,jackson ,kyounty4 ,i   
mout go there4  ,well1 said ,bud1 do you
 just go down to ,spring-in-rock and    

stay there4 ,them folks won't be here   
tell midnight4 ,i'll come fer you at    
nine with my roan colt1 and ,i'll set   
you down over on the big road on        
,buckeye ,run4 ,then you can git on the 
mail-wagon that passes there about five 
o'clock in the mornin'1 and go over to  
,jackson ,county and keep shady till we 
want you to face the enemy and to swear 
agin some folks4 ,and then well send fer
 you4  ,to be sure1 said the old man in 
a broken voice4 ,i reckon ,general      
,winfield ,scott wouldn't disapprove of 
such a maneuver as that thar4  ,miss    
,martha beamed on ,bud to his evident   
delight1 for he carried his painful arm 
part of the way home with her4 ,ralph   
noticed that ,hannah looked at him with 
a look full of contending emotions4 ,he 
read admiration1 gratitude1 and doubt in
 the expression of her face1 as she     
turned toward home4  ,well1 good-by1 ole
 woman1 said ,pearson1 as he took up his
 little handkerchief full of things and 
started for his hiding-place2 good-by4  

,i didn't never think ,i'd desart you1  
and ef the old flintlock hadn't a been  
rusty1 ,i'd a staid and died right here 
by the ole cabin4 ,but ,i reckon 'ta'n't
 best to be brash#bb4 ,and ,shocky      
looked after him1 as he hobbled away    
over the stones1 more than ever         
convinced that ,god had forgotten all   
about things on ,flat ,creek4 ,he       
gravely expressed his opinion to the    
master the next day4  ,,footnotes3      
,footnote #bb3 ,the elaborate           
etymological treatment of this word in  
its various forms in our best dictionary
 is a fine illustration of the fact that
 something more than scholarship is     
needed for penetrating the mysteries of 
current folk-speech4 ,brash--often      
bresh--in the sense of refuse boughs of 
trees1 is only another form of brush2   
the two are used as one word by the     
people4 ,brash in the sense of brittle  
has no conscious connection with the    
noun in popular usage1 but it is        
accounted by the people the same word as

 brash in the sense of rash or          
impetuous4 ,the suggestion in the       
,century ,dictionary that the words     
spelled brash are of modern formation   
violates the soundest canon of          
antiquarian research1 which is that a   
word phrase or custom widely diffused   
among plain or rustic people is of      
necessity of ancient origin4 ,now brash1
 the adjective1 exists in both senses in
 two or three of the most widely        
separated dialects of the ,united       
,states1 and hence must have come from  
,england4 ,indeed1 it appears in        
,wright's ,dictionary of ,provincial    
,english in precisely the sense it has  
in the text4     ,,chapter ,,xviii4     
,,odds ,,and ,,ends4   ,the             
,spring-in-rock1 or1 as it was          
sometimes1 by a curious perversion1     
called1 the rock-in-spring1 was a spring
 running out of a cave-like fissure in a
 high limestone cliff4 ,here the old man
 sheltered himself on that dreary       
,christmas evening1 until ,bud brought  

his roan colt to the top of the cliff   
above1 and he and ,ralph helped the old 
man up the cliff and into the saddle4   
,ralph went back to bed1 but ,bud1 who  
was only too eager to put in his best   
licks1 walked by the side of old ,john  
,pearson the six miles over to ,buckeye 
,run1 and at last1 after eleven o'clock1
 he deposited him in a hollow sycamore  
by the road1 there to wait the coming of
 the mail-wagon that would carry him    
into ,jackson ,county4  ,good-by1 said  
the basket-maker1 as ,bud mounted the   
colt to return4 ,ef ,i'm wanted jest    
send me word1 and ,i'll make a forrard  
movement any time4 ,i don't like this   
'ere thing of running off in the        
night-time4 ,but ,i reckon ,general     
,winfield ,scott would a ordered a      
retreat ef he'd a been in my shoes4 ,i'm
 lots obleeged to you4 ,akordin' to my  
tell1 we're all of us selfish in        
everything2 but ,i'll be dog-on'd ef ,i 
don't believe you and one or two more is
 exceptions4  ,whether it was that the  

fact that ,pete ,jones had got          
consid'able shuck up demoralized his    
followers1 or whether it was that the   
old man's flight was suspected1 the mob 
did not turn out in very great force1   
and the tarring was postponed           
indefinitely1 for by the time they came 
together it became known somehow that   
the man with a wooden leg had outrun    
them all4 ,but the escape of one devoted
 victim did not mollify the feelings of 
the people toward the next one4  ,by the
 time ,bud returned his arm was very    
painful1 and the next day he went under 
,dr4 ,small's treatment to reduce the   
fracture4 ,whatever suspicions ,bud     
might have of ,pete ,jones1 he was not  
afflicted with ,ralph's dread of the    
silent young doctor4 ,and if there was  
anything ,small admired it was physical 
strength and courage4 ,small wanted ,bud
 on his side1 and least of all did he   
want him to be ,ralph's champion4 ,so   
that the silent1 cool1 and skillful     
doctor went to work to make an          

impression on ,bud ,means4  ,other      
influences were at work upon him also4  
,mrs4 ,means volleyed and thundered in  
her usual style about his takin' up with
 a one-legged thief1 and runnin' arter  
that master that was a mighty suspicious
 kind of a customer1 akordin' to her    
tell4 ,she'd allers said so4 ,ef she'd a
 been consulted he wouldn't a been      
hired4 ,he warn't fit company fer       
nobody4  ,and old ,jack ,means 'lowed   
,bud must want to have their barns burnt
 like some other folkses had been4 ,fer 
his part1 he had sense enough to know   
they was some people as it wouldn't do  
to set a body's self agin4 ,and as fer  
him1 he didn't butt his brains out agin 
a buckeye-tree4 ,not when he was sober4 
,and so they managed1 during ,bud's     
confinement to the house1 to keep him   
well supplied with all the ordinary     
discomforts of life4  ,but one visit    
from ,martha ,hawkins1 ten words of     
kindly inquiry from her1 and the remark 
that his broken arm reminded her of     

something she had seen at the ,east and 
something somebody said the time she was
 to ,bosting1 were enough to repay the  
champion a thousand fold for all that he
 suffered4 ,indeed1 that visit1 and the 
recollection of ,ralph's saying that    
,jesus ,christ was a sort of a ,flat    
,creeker himself1 were manna in the     
wilderness to ,bud4  ,poor ,shocky was  
sick4 ,the excitement had been too much 
for him1 and though his fever was very  
slight it was enough to produce just a  
little delirium4 ,either ,ralph or ,miss
 ,martha was generally at the cabin4    
,they're coming1 said ,shocky to ,ralph1
 they're coming4 ,pete ,jones is a-going
 to bind me out for a hundred years4 ,i 
wish ,hanner would hold me so's he      
couldn't4 ,god's forgot all about us    
here in ,flat ,creek1 and there's nobody
 to help it4  ,and he shivered at every 
sudden sound4 ,he was never free from   
this delirious fright except when the   
master held him tight in his arms4 ,he  
staggered around the floor1 the very    

shadow of ,shocky1 and was so terrified 
by the approach of darkness that ,ralph 
staid in the cabin on ,wednesday night  
and ,miss ,hawkins staid on ,thursday   
night4 ,on ,friday1 ,bud sent a note to 
,ralph1 askin him to come and see him4  
,you see1 ,mr4 ,hartsook1 ,i ha'n't     
forgot what was said about puttin' in   
our best licks for ,jesus ,christ4 ,i've
 been a-trying to read some about him   
while ,i set here4 ,and ,i read where he
 said somethin about doing fer the least
 of his brethren being as the same like 
as if it was done fer ,jesus ,christ    
his-self4 ,now there's ,shocky4 ,i      
reckon1 p'r'aps1 as anybody is a little 
brother of ,jesus ,christ1 it is that   
,shocky4 ,pete ,jones and his brother   
,bill is determined to have him back    
there to-morry4 ,bekase you see1 ,pete's
 one of the ,county ,commissioners and  
to-morry's the day that they bind out4  
,he wants to bind out that boy jes' to  
spite ole ,pearson and you and me4 ,you 
see1 the ole woman's been helped by the 

neighbors1 and he'll claim ,shocky to be
 a pauper1 and they a'n't no human soul 
here as dares to do a thing contrary to 
,pete4 ,couldn't you git him over to    
,lewisburg8 ,i'll lend you my roan colt4
  ,ralph thought a minute4 ,he dared not
 take ,shocky to the uncle's where he   
found his only home4 ,but there was     
,miss ,nancy ,sawyer1 the old maid who  
was everybody's blessing4 ,he could ask 
her to keep him4 ,and1 at any rate1 he  
would save ,shocky somehow4  ,as he went
 out in the dusk1 he met ,hannah in the 
lane4     ,,chapter ,,xix4  ,,face ,,to 
,,face4   ,in the lane1 in the dark1    
under the shadow of the barn1 ,ralph met
 ,hannah carrying her bucket of milk    
7they have no pails in ,indiana7#bc4 ,he
 could see only the white foam on the   
milk1 and ,hannah's white face4 ,perhaps
 it was well that he could not see how  
white ,hannah's face was at that moment 
when a sudden trembling made her set    
down the heavy bucket4 ,at first neither
 spoke4 ,the recollection of all the joy

 of that walk together in the night came
 upon them both4 ,and a great sense of  
loss made the night seem supernaturally 
dark to ,ralph4 ,nor was it any lighter 
in the hopeless heart of the bound girl4
 ,the presence of ,ralph did not now1 as
 before1 make the darkness of her life  
light4  ,hannah-- said ,ralph presently1
 and stopped4 ,for he could not finish  
the sentence4 ,with a rush there came   
upon him a consciousness of the         
suspicions that filled ,hannah's mind4  
,and with it there came a feeling of    
guilt4 ,he saw himself from her         
stand-point1 and felt a remorse almost  
as keen as it could have been had he    
been a criminal4 ,and this sudden and   
morbid sense of his guilt as it appeared
 to ,hannah paralyzed him4 ,but when    
,hannah lifted her bucket with her hand1
 and the world with her heavy heart1 and
 essayed to pass him1 ,ralph rallied and
 said3  ,you don't believe all these    
lies that are told about me4  ,i don't  
believe anything1 ,mr4 ,hartsook2 that  

is1 ,i don't want to believe anything   
against you4 ,and ,i wouldn't mind      
anything they say if it wasn't for two  
things--here she stammered and looked   
down4  ,if it wasn't for what8 said     
,ralph with a spice of indignant denial 
in his voice4  ,hannah hesitated1 but   
,ralph pressed the question with        
eagerness4  ,i saw you cross that       
blue-grass pasture the night--the night 
that you walked home with me4 ,she would
 have said the night of the robbery1 but
 her heart smote her1 and she adopted   
the more kindly form of the sentence4   
,ralph would have explained1 but how8   
,i did cross the pasture1 he began1     
but--  ,just here it occurred to ,ralph 
that there was no reason for his night  
excursion across the pasture4 ,hannah   
again took up her bucket1 but he said3  
,tell me what else you have against me4 
,i haven't anything against you4 ,only  
,i am poor and friendless1 and you      
oughtn't to make my life any heavier4   
,they say that you have paid attention  

to a great many girls4 ,i don't know why
 you should want to trifle with me4     
,ralph answered her this time4 ,he spoke
 low4 ,he spoke as though he were       
speaking to ,god4 ,if any man says that 
,i ever trifled with any woman1 he lies4
 ,i have never loved but one1 and you   
know who that is4 ,and ,god knows4  ,i  
don't know what to say1 ,mr4 ,hartsook4 
,hannah's voice was broken4 ,these      
solemn words of love were like a river  
in the desert1 and she was like a       
wanderer dying of thirst4 ,i don't know1
 ,mr4 ,hartsook4 ,if ,i was alone1 it   
wouldn't matter4 ,but ,i've got my blind
 mother and my poor ,shocky to look     
after4 ,and ,i don't want to make       
mistakes4 ,and the world is so full of  
lies ,i don't know what to believe4     
,somehow ,i can't help believing what   
you say4 ,you seem to speak so true4    
,but--  ,but what8 said ,ralph4  ,but   
you know how ,i saw you just as kind to 
,martha ,hawkins on ,sunday as--as--    
,han--ner6 ,it was the melodious voice  

of the angry ,mrs4 ,means1 and ,hannah  
lifted her pail and disappeared4        
,standing in the shadow of his own      
despair1 ,ralph felt how dark a night   
could be when it had no promise of      
morning4  ,and ,dr4 ,small1 who had been
 stabling his horse just inside the     
barn1 came out and moved quietly into   
the house just as though he had not     
listened intently to every word of the  
conversation4  ,as ,ralph walked away he
 tried to comfort himself by calling to 
his aid the bulldog in his character4   
,but somehow it did not do him any good4
 ,for what is a bulldog but a stoic     
philosopher8 ,stoicism has its value1   
but ,ralph had come to a place where    
stoicism was of no account4 ,the memory 
of the ,helper1 of his sorrow1 his brave
 and victorious endurance1 came when    
stoicism failed4 ,happiness might go out
 of life1 but in the light of ,christ's 
life happiness seemed but a small       
element anyhow4 ,the love of woman might
 be denied him1 but there still remained

 what was infinitely more precious and  
holy1 the love of ,god4 ,there still    
remained the possibility of heroic      
living4 ,working1 suffering1 and        
enduring still remained4 ,and he who can
 work for ,god and endure for ,god1     
surely has yet the best of life left4   
,and1 like the knights who could find   
the ,holy ,grail only in losing         
themselves1 ,hartsook1 in throwing his  
happiness out of the count1 found the   
purest happiness1 a sense of the victory
 of the soul over the tribulations of   
life4 ,the man who knows this victory   
scarcely needs the encouragement of the 
hope of future happiness4 ,there is a   
real heaven in bravely lifting the load 
of one's own sorrow and work4  ,and it  
was a good thing for ,ralph that the    
danger hanging over ,shocky made        
immediate action necessary4             
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #bc3 ,the total 
absence of the word pail not only from  
the dialect1 but even from cultivated   
speech in the ,southern and ,border     

,states until very recently1 is a fact  
,i leave to be explained on further     
investigation4 ,the word is an old one  
and a good one1 but ,i fancy that its   
use in ,england could not have been     
generally diffused in the seventeenth   
century4 ,so a ,hoosier or a ,kentuckian
 never pared an apple1 but peeled it4   
,much light might be thrown on the      
origin and history of our dialects by   
investigating their deficiencies4       
,,chapter ,,xx4  ,,god ,,remembers      
,,shocky4   ,at four o'clock the next   
morning1 in the midst of a driving snow1
 ,ralph went timidly up the lane toward 
the homely castle of the ,meanses4 ,he  
went timidly1 for he was afraid of      
,bull4 ,but he found ,bud waiting for   
him1 with the roan colt bridled and     
saddled4 ,the roan colt was really a    
large three-year-old1 full of the finest
 sort of animal life1 and having1 as    
,bud declared1 a mighty sight of hoss   
sense fer his age4 ,he seemed to        
understand at once that there was       

something extraordinary on hand when he 
was brought out of his comfortable      
quarters at four in the morning in the  
midst of a snow-storm4 ,bud was sure    
that the roan colt felt his             
responsibility4  ,in the days that      
followed1 ,ralph often had occasion to  
remember this interview with ,bud1 who  
had risked much in bringing his         
fractured arm out into the cold1 damp   
air4 ,jonathan never clave to ,david    
more earnestly than did ,bud this       
,december morning to ,ralph4  ,you see1 
,mr4 ,hartsook1 said ,bud1 ,i wish ,i   
was well myself4 ,it's hard to set      
still4 ,but it's a-doing me a heap of   
good4 ,i'm like a boy at school4 ,and   
,i'm a-findin' out that doing one's best
 licks fer others ain't all they is of  
it1 though it's a good part4 ,i feel    
like as if ,i must git ,him1 you know1  
to do lots for me4 ,they's always some  
sums too hard fer a feller1 and he has  
to ax the master to do 'em1 you know4   
,but see1 the roan's a-stomping round4  

,he wants to be off4 ,do you know ,i    
think that hoss knows something's up8 ,i
 think he puts in his best licks fer me 
a good deal better than ,i do fer ,him4 
,ralph pressed ,bud's right hand4 ,bud  
rubbed his face against the colt's nose 
and said3 ,put in your best licks1 old  
fellow4 ,and the colt whinnied4 ,how a  
horse must want to speak6 ,for ,bud was 
right4 ,men are gods to horses1 and they
 serve their deities with a faithfulness
 that shames us4  ,then ,ralph sprang   
into the saddle1 and the roan1 as if    
wishing to show ,bud his willingness1   
broke into a swinging gallop1 and was   
soon lost to the sight of his master in 
the darkness and the snow4 ,when ,bud   
could no more hear the sound of the     
roan's footsteps he returned to the     
house1 to lie awake picturing to himself
 the journey of ,ralph with ,shocky and 
the roan colt4 ,it was a great comfort  
to ,bud that the roan1 which was almost 
a part of himself1 represented him in   
this ride4 ,and he knew the roan well   

enough to feel sure that he would do    
credit to his master4 ,he'll put in his 
best licks1 ,bud whispered to himself   
many a time before daybreak4  ,the      
ground was but little frozen1 and the   
snow made the roads more slippery than  
ever4 ,but the rough-shod roan handled  
his feet dexterously and with a playful 
and somewhat self-righteous air1 as     
though he said3 ,didn't ,i do it        
handsomely that time8 ,down slippery    
hills1 through deep mud-holes covered   
with a slender film of ice he trod with 
perfect assurance4 ,and then up over the
 rough stones of ,rocky ,hollow1 where  
there was no road at all1 he picked his 
way through the darkness and snow4      
,ralph could not tell where he was at   
last1 but gave the reins to the roan1   
who did his duty bravely1 and not       
without a little flourish1 to show that 
he had yet plenty of spare power4  ,a   
feeble candle-ray1 making the dense     
snow-fall visible1 marked for ,ralph the
 site of the basket-maker's cabin4 ,miss

 ,martha had been admitted to the       
secret1 and had joined in the conspiracy
 heartily1 without being able to recall 
anything of the kind having occurred at 
the ,east1 and not remembering having   
seen or heard of anything of the sort   
the time she was to ,bosting4 ,she had  
,shocky all ready1 having used some of  
her own capes and shawls to make him    
warm4  ,miss ,martha came out to meet   
,ralph when she heard the feet of the   
roan before the door4  ,o ,mr4          
,hartsook6 is that you8 ,what a storm4  
,this is jest the way it snows at the   
,east4 ,shocky's all ready4 ,he didn't  
know a thing about it tell ,i waked him 
this morning4 ,ever since that he's been
 saying that ,god hasn't forgot1 after  
all4 ,it's made me cry more'n once4 ,and
 ,shocky kissed ,mrs4 ,pearson1 and told
 her that when he got away from ,flat   
,creek he'd tell ,god all about it1 and 
,god would bring ,mr4 ,pearson back     
again4 ,and then ,martha ,hawkins lifted
 the frail little form1 bundled in      

shawls1 in her arms1 and brought him out
 into the storm2 and before she handed  
him up he embraced her1 and said3 ,o    
,miss ,hawkins6 ,god ha'n't forgot me1  
after all4 ,tell ,hanner that ,he ha'n't
 forgot4 ,i'm going to ask him to git   
her away from ,means's and mother out of
 the poor-house4 ,i'll ask him just as  
soon as ,i get to ,lewisburg4  ,ralph   
lifted the trembling form into his arms1
 and the little fellow only looked up in
 the face of the master and said3 ,you  
see1 ,mr4 ,hartsook1 ,i thought ,god had
 forgot4 ,but he ha'n't4  ,and the words
 of the little boy comforted the master 
also4 ,god had not forgotten him1       
either6  ,from the moment that ,ralph   
took ,shocky into his arms1 the conduct 
of the roan colt underwent an entire    
revolution4 ,before that he had gone    
over a bad place with a rush1 as though 
he were ambitious of distinguishing     
himself by his brilliant execution4 ,now
 he trod none the less surely1 but he   
trod tenderly4 ,the neck was no longer  

arched4 ,he set himself to his work as  
steadily as though he were twenty years 
old4 ,for miles he traveled on in a     
long1 swinging walk1 putting his feet   
down carefully and firmly4 ,and ,ralph  
found the spirit of the colt entering   
into himself4 ,he cut the snow-storm    
with his face1 and felt a sense of      
triumph over all his difficulties4 ,the 
bulldog's jaws had been his teacher1 and
 now the steady1 strong1 and            
conscientious legs of the roan inspired 
him4  ,shocky had not spoken4 ,he lay   
listening to the pattering music of the 
horse's feet1 doubtless framing the     
footsteps of the roan colt into an      
anthem of praise to the ,god who had not
 forgot4 ,but as the dawn came on1      
making the snow whiter1 he raised       
himself and said half-aloud1 as he      
watched the flakes chasing one another  
in whirling eddies1 that the snow seemed
 to be having a good time of it4 ,then  
he leaned down again on the master's    
bosom1 full of a still joy1 and only    

roused himself from his happy reverie to
 ask what that big1 ugly-looking house  
was4  ,see1 ,mr4 ,hartsook1 how big it  
is1 and how little and ugly the windows 
is6 ,and the boards is peeling off all  
over it1 and the hogs is right in the   
front yard4 ,it don't look just like a  
house4 ,it looks dreadful4 ,what is it8 
,ralph had dreaded this question4 ,he   
did not answer it1 but asked ,shocky to 
change his position a little1 and then  
he quickened the pace of the horse4 ,but
 ,shocky was a poet1 and a poet         
understands silence more quickly than he
 does speech4 ,the little fellow        
shivered as the truth came to him4  ,is 
that the poor-house8 he said1 catching  
his breath4 ,is my mother in that place8
 ,won't you take me in there1 so as ,i  
can just kiss her once8 ',cause she     
can't see much1 you know4 ,and one kiss 
from me will make her feel so good4 ,and
 ,i'll tell her that ,god ha'n't forgot4
 ,he had raised up and caught hold of   
,ralph's coat4  ,ralph had great        

difficulty in quieting him4 ,he told him
 that if he went in there ,bill ,jones  
might claim that he was a runaway and   
belonged there4 ,and poor ,shocky only  
shivered and said he was cold4 ,a minute
 later1 ,ralph found that he was shaking
 with a chill1 and a horrible dread came
 over him4 ,what if ,shocky should die8 
,it was only a minute's work to get     
down1 take the warm horse-blanket from  
under the saddle1 and wrap it about the 
boy1 then to strip off his own overcoat 
and add that to it4 ,it was now         
daylight1 and finding1 after he had     
mounted1 that ,shocky continued to      
shiver1 he put the roan to his best     
speed for the rest of the way1 trotting 
up and down the slippery hills1 and     
galloping away on the level ground4 ,how
 bravely the roan laid himself to his   
work1 making the fence-corners fly past 
in a long procession6 ,but poor little  
,shocky was too cold to notice them1 and
 ,ralph shuddered lest ,shocky should   
never be warm again1 and spoke to the   

roan1 and the roan stretched out his    
head1 and dropped one ear back to hear  
the first word of command1 and stretched
 the other forward to listen for danger1
 and then flew with a splendid speed    
down the road1 past the patches of      
blackberry briars1 past the elderberry  
bushes1 past the familiar red-haw tree  
in the fence-corner1 over the bridge    
without regard to the threat of a       
five-dollar fine1 and at last up the    
long lane into the village1 where the   
smoke from the chimneys was caught and  
whirled round with the snow4            
,,chapter ,,xxi4  ,,miss ,,nancy        
,,sawyer4   ,in a little old cottage in 
,lewisburg1 on one of the streets which 
was never traveled except by a solitary 
cow seeking pasture or a countryman     
bringing wood to some one of the        
half-dozen families living in it1 and   
which in summer was decked with a       
profusion of the yellow and white       
blossoms of the dog-fennel--in this     
unfrequented street1 so generously and  

unnecessarily broad1 lived ,miss ,nancy 
,sawyer and her younger sister          
,semantha4 ,miss ,nancy was a           
providence1 one of those old maids that 
are benedictions to the whole town2 one 
of those in whom the mother-love1       
wanting the natural objects on which to 
spend itself1 overflows all bounds and  
lavishes itself on every needy thing1   
and grows richer and more abundant with 
the spending1 a fountain of             
inexhaustible blessing4 ,there is no    
nobler life possible to any one than to 
an unmarried woman4 ,the more shame that
 some choose a selfish one1 and thus    
turn to gall all the affection with     
which they are endowed4 ,miss ,nancy    
,sawyer had been ,ralph's ,sunday-school
 teacher1 and it was precious little1 so
 far as information went1 that he       
learned from her2 for she never could   
conceive of ,jerusalem as a place in any
 essential regard very different from   
,lewisburg1 where she had spent her     
life4 ,but ,ralph learned from her what 

most ,sunday-school teachers fail to    
teach1 the great lesson of              
,christianity1 by the side of which all 
antiquities and geographies and         
chronologies and exegetics and other    
niceties are as nothing4  ,and now he   
turned the head of the roan toward the  
cottage of ,miss ,nancy ,sawyer as      
naturally as the roan would have gone to
 his own stall in the stable at home4   
,the snow had gradually ceased to fall1 
and was eddying round the house1 when   
,ralph dismounted from his foaming      
horse1 and1 carrying the still form of  
,shocky as reverently as though it had  
been something heavenly1 knocked at     
,miss ,nancy ,sawyer's door4  ,with     
natural feminine instinct that lady     
started back when she saw ,hartsook1 for
 she had just built a fire in the stove1
 and she now stood at the door with     
unwashed face and uncombed hair4  ,why1 
,ralph ,hartsook1 where did you drop    
down from--and what have you got8  ,i   
came from ,flat ,creek this morning1 and

 ,i brought you a little angel who has  
got out of heaven1 and needs some of    
your motherly care4  ,shocky was brought
 in4 ,the chill shook him now by fits   
only1 for a fever had spotted his cheeks
 already4  ,who are you8 said ,miss     
,nancy1 as she unwrapped him4  ,i'm     
,shocky1 a little boy as ,god forgot1   
and then thought of again4     ,,chapter
 ,,xxii4  ,,pancakes4   ,half an hour   
later1 ,ralph1 having seen ,miss ,nancy 
,sawyer's machinery of warm baths and   
simple remedies safely in operation1 and
 having seen the roan colt comfortably  
stabled1 and rewarded for his           
faithfulness by a bountiful supply of   
the best hay and the promise of oats    
when he was cool--half an hour later    
,ralph was doing the most ample1        
satisfactory1 and amazing justice to his
 ,aunt ,matilda's hot buckwheat-cakes   
and warm coffee4 ,and after his life in 
,flat ,creek1 ,aunt ,matilda's house did
 look like paradise4 ,how white the     
table-cloth1 how bright the coffee-pot1 

how clean the wood-work1 how glistening 
the brass door-knobs1 how spotless      
everything that came under the sovereign
 sway of ,mrs4 ,matilda ,white6 ,for in 
every ,indiana village as large as      
,lewisburg1 there are generally a       
half-dozen women who are admitted to be 
the best housekeepers4 ,all others are  
only imitators4 ,and the strife is      
between these for the pre-eminence4 ,it 
is at least safe to say that no other in
 ,lewisburg stood so high as an enemy to
 dirt1 and as a rat1 roach1 and mouse   
exterminator1 as did ,mrs4 ,matilda     
,white1 the wife of ,ralph's maternal   
uncle1 ,robert ,white1 ,esq41 a lawyer  
in successful practice4 ,of course no   
member of ,mrs4 ,white's family ever    
stayed at home longer than was          
necessary4 ,her husband found his       
office--which he kept in as bad a state 
as possible in order to maintain an     
equilibrium in his life--much more      
comfortable than the stiffly clean house
 at home4 ,from the time that ,ralph had

 come to live as a chore-boy at his     
uncle's1 he had ever crossed the        
threshold of ,aunt ,matilda's temple of 
cleanliness with a horrible sense of    
awe4 ,and ,walter ,johnson1 her son by a
 former marriage1 had--poor1 weak-willed
 fellow6--been driven into bad company  
and bad habits by the wretchedness of   
extreme civilization4 ,and yet he showed
 the hereditary trait1 for all the      
genius which ,mrs4 ,white consecrated to
 the glorious work of making her house  
too neat to be habitable1 her son       
,walter gave to tying exquisite knots in
 his colored cravats and combing his    
oiled locks so as to look like a dandy  
barber4 ,and she had no other children4 
,the kind ,providence that watches over 
the destiny of children takes care that 
very few of them are lodged in these    
terribly clean houses4  ,but ,walter was
 not at the table1 and ,ralph had so    
much anxiety lest his absence should be 
significant of evil1 that he did not    
venture to inquire after him as he sat  

there between ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,white     
disposing of ,aunt ,matilda's cakes with
 an appetite only justified by his long 
morning's ride and the excellence of the
 brown cakes1 the golden honey1 and the 
coffee1 enriched1 as ,aunt ,matilda's   
always was1 with the most generous      
cream4 ,aunt ,matilda was so absorbed in
 telling of the doings of the ,dorcas   
,society that she entirely forgot to be 
surprised at the early hour of ,ralph's 
arrival4 ,when she had described the    
number of the garments finished to be   
sent to the ,five ,points ,mission1 or  
the ,home for the ,friendless1 or the   
,south ,sea ,islands1 ,i forget which1  
,ralph thought he saw his chance1 while 
,aunt ,matilda was in a benevolent mood1
 to broach a plan he had been revolving 
for some time4 ,but when he looked at   
,aunt ,matilda's immaculate--horribly   
immaculate--housekeeping1 his heart     
failed him1 and he would have said      
nothing had she not inadvertently opened
 the door herself4  ,how did you get    

here so early1 ,ralph8 and ,aunt        
,matilda's face was shadowed with a     
coming rebuke4  ,by early rising1 said  
,ralph4 ,but1 seeing the gathering frown
 on his aunt's brow1 he hastened to tell
 the story of ,shocky as well as he     
could4 ,mrs4 ,white did not give way to 
any impulse toward sympathy until she   
learned that ,shocky was safely housed  
with ,miss ,nancy ,sawyer4  ,yes1       
,sister ,sawyer has no family cares1 she
 said by way of smoothing her slightly  
ruffled complacency1 she has no family  
cares1 and she can do those things4     
,sometimes ,i think she lets people     
impose on her and keep her away from the
 means of grace1 and ,i spoke to our new
 preacher about it the last time he was 
here1 and asked him to speak to ,sister 
,sawyer about staying away from the     
ordinances to wait on everybody1 but he 
is a queer man1 and he only said that he
 supposed ,sister ,sawyer neglected the 
inferior ordinances that she might      
attend to higher ones4 ,but ,i don't see

 any sense in a minister of the gospel  
calling prayer-meeting a lower ordinance
 than feeding catnip-tea to ,mrs4       
,brown's last baby4 ,but hasn't this    
little boy--,shocking1 or what do you   
call him8--got any mother8  ,yes1 said  
,ralph1 and that was just what ,i was   
going to say4 ,and he proceeded to tell 
how anxious ,shocky was to see his      
half-blind mother1 and actually ventured
 to wind up his remarks by suggesting   
that ,shocky's mother be invited to stay
 over ,sunday in ,aunt ,matilda's house4
  ,bless my stars6 said that astounded  
saint1 fetch a pauper here8 ,what crazy 
notions you have got6 ,fetch her here   
out of the poor-house8 ,why1 she        
wouldn't be fit to sleep in my-- here   
,aunt ,matilda choked4 ,the bare thought
 of having a pauper in her billowy beds1
 whose snowy whiteness was frightful to 
any ordinary mortal1 the bare thought of
 the contagion of the poor-house taking 
possession of one of her beds1 smothered
 her4 ,and then you know sore eyes are  

very catching4  ,ralph boiled a little4 
,aunt ,matilda1 do you think ,dorcas was
 afraid of sore eyes8  ,it was a center 
shot1 and the lawyer-uncle1 lawyerlike1 
enjoyed a good hit4 ,and he enjoyed a   
good hit at his wife best of all1 for he
 never ventured on one himself4 ,but    
,aunt ,matilda felt that a direct reply 
was impossible4 ,she was not a lawyer   
but a woman1 and so dodged the question 
by making a counter-charge4  ,it seems  
to me1 ,ralph1 that you have picked up  
some very low associates4 ,and you go   
around at night1 ,i am told4 ,you get   
over here by daylight1 and ,i hear that 
you have made common cause with a lame  
soldier who acts as a spy for thieves1  
and that your running about of night is 
likely to get you into trouble4  ,ralph 
was hit this time4 ,i suppose1 he said1 
that you've been listening to some of   
,henry ,small's lies4  ,why1 ,ralph1 how
 you talk6 ,the worst sign of all is    
that you abuse such a young man as ,dr4 
,small1 the most exemplary ,christian   

young man in the county4 ,and he is a   
great friend of yours1 for when he was  
here last week he did not say a word    
against you1 but looked so sorry when   
your being in trouble was mentioned4    
,didn't he1 ,mr4 ,white8  ,mr4 ,white1  
as in duty bound1 said yes1 but he said 
yes in a cool1 lawyerlike way1 which    
showed that he did not take quite so    
much stock in ,dr4 ,small as his wife   
did4 ,this was a comfort to ,ralph1 who 
sat picturing to himself the silent     
flattery which ,dr4 ,small's eyes paid  
to his ,aunt ,matilda1 and the quiet    
expression of pain that would flit      
across his face when ,ralph's name was  
mentioned4 ,and never until that moment 
had ,hartsook understood how masterful  
,small's artifices were4 ,he had managed
 to elevate himself in ,mrs4 ,white's   
estimation and to destroy ,ralph at the 
same time1 and had managed to do both by
 a contraction of the eyebrows6  ,but   
the silence was growing painful and     
,ralph thought to break it and turn the 

current of talk from himself by asking  
after ,mrs4 ,white's son4  ,where is    
,walter8  ,oh6 ,walter's doing well4 ,he
 went down to ,clifty three weeks ago to
 study medicine with ,henry ,small4 ,he 
seems so fond of the doctor1 and the    
doctor is such an excellent man1 you    
know1 and ,i have strong hopes that     
,wallie will be led to see the error of 
his ways by his association with ,henry4
 ,i suppose he would have gone to see   
you but for the unfavorable reports that
 he heard4 ,i hope1 ,ralph1 you too will
 make the friendship of ,dr4 ,small4    
,and for the sake of your poor1 dead    
mother--here ,aunt ,matilda endeavored  
to show some emotion--for the sake of   
your poor dead mother--  ,but ,ralph    
heard no more4 ,the buckwheat-cakes had 
lost their flavor4 ,he remembered that  
the colt had not yet had his oats1 and  
so1 in the very midst of ,aunt          
,matilda's affecting allusion to his    
mother1 like a stiff-necked reprobate   
that he was1 ,ralph ,hartsook rose      

abruptly from the table1 put on his hat1
 and went out toward the stable4  ,i    
declare1 said ,mrs4 ,white1 descending  
suddenly from her high moral            
stand-point1 ,i declare that boy has    
stepped right on the threshold of the   
back-door1 and she stuffed her white    
handkerchief into her pocket1 and took  
down the floor-cloth to wipe off the    
imperceptible blemish left by ,ralph's  
boot-heels4 ,and ,mr4 ,white followed   
his nephew to the stable to request that
 he would be a little careful what he   
did about anybody in the poor-house1 as 
any trouble with the ,joneses might     
defeat ,mr4 ,white's nomination to the  
judgeship of the ,court of ,common      
,pleas4     ,,chapter ,,xxiii4  ,a      
,,charitable ,,institution4   ,when     
,ralph got back to ,miss ,nancy         
,sawyer's1 ,shocky was sitting up in bed
 talking to ,miss ,nancy and ,miss      
,semantha4 ,his cheeks were a little    
flushed with fever and the excitement of
 telling his story2 theirs were wet with

 tears4 ,ralph1 whispered ,miss ,nancy1 
as she drew him into the kitchen1 ,i    
want you to get a buggy or a sleigh1 and
 go right over to the poor-house and    
fetch that boy's mother over here4      
,it'll do me more good than any sermon  
,i ever heard to see that boy in his    
mother's arms to-morrow4 ,we can keep   
the old lady over ,sunday4  ,ralph was  
delighted1 so delighted that he came    
near kissing good ,miss ,nancy ,sawyer1 
whose plain face was glorified by her   
generosity4  ,but he did not go to the  
poor-house immediately4 ,he waited until
 he saw ,bill ,jones1 the               
,superintendent of the ,poor-,house1 and
 ,pete ,jones1 the ,county              
,commissioner1 who was still somewhat   
shuck up1 ride up to the court-house4   
,then he drove out of the village1 and  
presently hitched his horse to the      
poor-house fence1 and took a survey of  
the outside4 ,forty hogs1 nearly ready  
for slaughter1 wallowed in a pen in     
front of the forlorn and dilapidated    

house2 for though the commissioners     
allowed a claim for repairs at every    
meeting1 the repairs were never made1   
and it would not do to scrutinize ,mr4  
,jones's bills too closely1 unless you  
gave up all hope of renomination to     
office4 ,one curious effect of political
 aspirations in ,hoopole ,county1 was to
 shut the eyes that they could not see1 
to close the ears that they could not   
hear1 and to destroy the sense of smell4
 ,but ,ralph1 not being a politician1   
smelled the hog-pen without and the     
stench within1 and saw everywhere the   
transparent fraud1 and heard the echo of
 ,jones's cruelty4  ,a weak-eyed girl   
admitted him1 and as he did not wish to 
make his business known at once1 he     
affected a sort of idle interest in the 
place1 and asked to be allowed to look  
round4 ,the weak-eyed girl watched him4 
,he found that all the women with       
children1 twenty persons in all1 were   
obliged to sleep in one room1 which1    
owing to the hill-slope1 was partly     

under ground1 and which had but half a  
window for light1 and no ventilation1   
except the chance draft from the door4  
,jones had declared that the women with 
children must stay there--he warn't     
goin' to have brats a-runnin' over the  
whole house4 ,here were vicious women   
and good women1 with their children1    
crowded like chickens in a coop for     
market4 ,and there were1 as usual in    
such places1 helpless1 idiotic women    
with illegitimate children4 ,of course  
this room was the scene of perpetual    
quarreling and occasional fighting4  ,in
 the quarters devoted to the insane1    
people slightly demented and raving     
maniacs were in the same rooms1 while   
there were also those utter wrecks which
 sat in heaps on the floor1 mumbling and
 muttering unintelligible words1 the    
whole current of their thoughts         
hopelessly muddled1 turning around upon 
itself in eddies never ending4  ,that   
air woman1 said the weak-eyed girl1 used
 to holler a heap when she was brought  

in here4 ,but ,pap knows how to subjue  
'em4 ,he slapped her in the mouth every 
time she hollered4 ,she don't make no   
furss now1 but jist sets down that way  
all day1 and keeps a-whisperin'4  ,ralph
 understood it4 ,when she came in she   
was the victim of mania2 but she had    
been beaten into hopeless idiocy4       
,indeed this state of incurable         
imbecility seemed the end toward which  
all traveled4 ,shut in these bare rooms1
 with no treatment1 no exercise1 no     
variety1 and meager food1 cases of      
slight derangement soon grew into       
chronic lunacy4  ,one young woman1      
called ,phil1 a sweet-faced person1     
apparently a farmer's wife1 came up to  
,ralph and looked at him kindly1 playing
 with the buttons on his coat in a      
childlike simplicity4 ,her blue-drilling
 dress was sewed all over with patches  
of white1 representing ornamental       
buttons4 ,the womanly instinct toward   
adornment had in her taken this childish
 turn4  ,don't you think they ought to  

let me go home8 she said with a         
sweetness and a wistful1 longing1       
home-sick look1 that touched ,ralph to  
the heart4 ,he looked at her1 and then  
at the muttering crones1 and he could   
see no hope of any better fate for her4 
,she followed him round the barn-like   
rooms1 returning every now and then to  
her question4 ,don't you think ,i might 
go home now8  ,the weak-eyed girl had   
been called away for a moment1 and      
,ralph stood looking into a cell1 where 
there was a man with a gay red plume in 
his hat and a strip of red flannel about
 his waist4 ,he strutted up and down    
like a drill-sergeant4  ,i am ,general  
,andrew ,jackson1 he began4 ,people     
don't believe it1 but ,i am4 ,i had my  
head shot off at ,bueny ,visty1 and the 
new one that growed on isn't nigh so    
good as the old one2 it's tater on one  
side#bd4 ,that's why they take advantage
 of me to shut me up4 ,but ,i know some 
things4 ,my head is tater on one side1  
but it's all right on t'other4 ,and when

 ,i know a thing in the left side of my 
head1 ,i know it4 ,lean down here4 ,let 
me tell you something out of the left   
side4 ,not out of the tater side1 mind  
ye4 ,i wouldn't a told you if he hadn't 
locked me up fer nothing4 ,bill ,jones  
is a thief6 ,he sells the bodies of the 
dead paupers1 and then sells the empty  
coffins back to the county agin4 ,but   
that a'n't all--  ,just then the        
weak-eyed girl came back1 and1 as ,ralph
 moved away1 ,general ,jackson called   
out3 ,that a'n't all4 ,i'll tell the    
rest another time4 ,and that a'n't out  
of the tater side1 you can depend on    
that4 ,that's out of the left side4     
,sound as a nut on that side6  ,but     
,ralph began to wonder where he should  
find ,hannah's mother4  ,don't go in    
there1 cried the weak-eyed girl1 as     
,ralph was opening a door4 ,ole         
,mowley's in there1 and she'll cuss you4
  ,oh6 well1 if that's all1 her curses  
won't hurt1 said ,hartsook1 pushing open
 the door4 ,but the volley of blasphemy 

and vile language that he received made 
him stagger4 ,the old hag paced the     
floor1 abusing everybody that came in   
her way4 ,and by the window1 in the same
 room1 feeling the light that struggled 
through the dusty glass upon her face1  
sat a sorrowful1 intelligent            
,englishwoman4 ,ralph noticed at once   
that she was ,english1 and in a few     
moments he discovered that her sight was
 defective4 ,could it be that ,hannah's 
mother was the room-mate of this        
loathsome creature1 whose profanity and 
obscenity did not intermit for a moment8
  ,happily the weak-eyed girl had not   
dared to brave the curses of ,mowley4   
,ralph stepped forward to the woman by  
the window1 and greeted her4  ,is this  
,mrs4 ,thomson8  ,that is my name1 sir1 
she said1 turning her face toward       
,ralph1 who could not but remark the    
contrast between the thorough refinement
 of her manner and her coarse1 scant1   
unshaped pauper-frock of blue drilling4 
,i saw your daughter yesterday4  ,did   

you see my boy8  ,there was a           
tremulousness in her voice and an       
agitation in her manner which disclosed 
the emotion she strove in vain to       
conceal4 ,for only the day before ,bill 
,jones had informed her that ,shocky    
would be bound out on ,saturday1 and    
that she would find that goin' agin him 
warn't a payin' business1 so much as    
some others he mout mention4  ,ralph    
told her about ,shocky's safety4 ,i     
shall not write down the conversation   
here4 ,critics would say that it was an 
overwrought scene4 ,as if all the world 
were as cold as they6 ,all ,i can tell  
is that this refined woman had all she  
could do to control herself in her      
eagerness to get out of her             
prison-house1 away from the blasphemies 
of ,mowley1 away from the insults of    
,jones1 away from the sights and sounds 
and smells of the place1 and1 above all1
 her eagerness to fly to the little     
shocky-head from whom she had been      
banished for two years4 ,it seemed to   

her that she could gladly die now1 if   
she could die with that flaxen head upon
 her bosom4  ,and so1 in spite of the   
opposition of ,bill ,jones's son1 who   
threatened her with every sort of evil  
if she left1 ,ralph wrapped ,mrs4       
,thomson's blue drilling in ,nancy      
,sawyer's shawl1 and bore the feeble    
woman off to ,lewisburg4 ,and as they   
drove away1 a sad1 childlike voice cried
 from the gratings of the upper window1 
,good-by6 good-by6 ,ralph turned and saw
 that it was ,phil1 poor ,phil1 for whom
 there was no deliverance#be4 ,and all  
the way back ,ralph pronounced mental   
maledictions on the ,dorcas ,society1   
not for sending garments to the ,five   
,points or the ,south ,sea ,islands1    
whichever it was1 but for being so blind
 to the sorrow and poverty within its   
reach4 ,he did not know1 for he had not 
read the reports of the ,boards of      
,state ,charities1 that nearly all      
alms-houses are very much like this1 and
 that the ,state of ,new ,york is not   

better in this regard than ,indiana4    
,and he did not know that it is true in 
almost all other counties1 as it was in 
his own1 that ,christian people do not  
think enough of ,christ to look for him 
in these lazar-houses4  ,and while      
,ralph denounced the ,dorcas ,society1  
the eager1 hungry heart of the mother   
ran1 flew toward the little white-headed
 boy4  ,no1 ,i can not do it2 ,i can not
 tell you about that meeting4 ,i am sure
 that ,miss ,nancy ,sawyer's tea tasted 
exceedingly good to the pauper1 who had 
known nothing but cold water for years1 
and that the bread and butter were      
delicious to a palate that had eaten    
poor-house soup for dinner1 and coarse  
poor-house bread and vile molasses for  
supper1 and that without change for     
three years4 ,but ,i can not tell you   
how it seemed that evening to ,miss     
,nancy ,sawyer1 as the poor ,english    
lady sat in speechless ecstacy1 rocking 
in the old splint-bottomed rocking-chair
 in the fire-light1 while she pressed to

 her bosom with all the might of her    
enfeebled arms1 the form of the little  
,shocky1 who half-sobbed and half-sang1 
over and over again1 ,god ha'n't forgot 
us1 mother2 ,god ha'n't forgot us4      
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #bd3 ,some time 
after this book appeared ,dr4           
,brown-,squard announced his theory of  
the dual brain4 ,a writer in an ,english
 magazine called attention to the fact  
that the discovery had been anticipated 
by an imaginative writer1 and cited the 
passage in the text as proving that the 
author of ,the ,hoosier ,school-,master 
had outrun ,dr4 ,brown-,squard in       
perceiving the duality of the brain4 ,it
 is a matter for surprise that an       
author1 even an imaginative one1 should 
have made so great a discovery without  
suspecting its meaning until it was     
explained by some one else4  ,footnote  
#be3 ,the reader may be interested to   
know that ,phil was drawn from the life1
 as was old ,mowley and in part ,general
 ,jackson also4 ,between #ahfg and      

#ahgj1 ,i visited many jails and        
poor-houses with philanthropic purpose1 
publishing the results of my examination
 in some cases in ,the ,chicago         
,tribune4 ,some of the abuses pointed   
out were reformed1 others linger till   
this day1 ,i believe4     ,,chapter     
,,xxiv4  ,,the ,,good ,,samaritan4      
,the ,methodist church to which ,mrs4   
,matilda ,white and ,miss ,nancy ,sawyer
 belonged was the leading one in        
,lewisburg1 as it was in most           
county-seat villages in ,indiana4 ,if ,i
 may be permitted to express my candid  
and charitable opinion of the difference
 between the two women1 ,i shall have to
 use the old ,quaker locution1 and say  
that ,miss ,sawyer was a ,methodist and 
likewise a ,christian2 ,mrs4 ,white was 
a ,methodist1 but ,i fear she was not   
likewise4  ,as to the first part of this
 assertion1 there was no room to doubt  
,miss ,nancy's piety4 ,she could get    
happy in class-meeting 7for who had a   
better right871 and could witness a good

 experience in the quarterly love-feast4
 ,but it is not upon these grounds that 
,i base my opinion of ,miss ,nancy4 ,do 
not even the ,pharisees the same8 ,she  
never dreamed that she had any right to 
speak of ,christian ,perfection 7which1 
as ,mrs4 ,partington said of total      
depravity1 is an excellent doctrine if  
it is lived up to72 but when a woman's  
heart is full of devout affections and  
good purposes1 when her head devises    
liberal and ,christlike things1 when her
 hands are always open to the poor and  
always busy with acts of love and       
self-denial1 and when her feet are ever 
eager to run upon errands of mercy1 why1
 if there be anything worthy of being   
called ,christian ,perfection in this   
world of imperfection1 ,i do not know   
why such an one does not possess it4    
,what need of analyzing her experiences 
in vacuo to find out the state of her   
soul8  ,how ,miss ,nancy managed to live
 on her slender income and be so        
generous was a perpetual source of      

perplexity to the gossips of ,lewisburg4
 ,and now that she declared that ,mrs4  
,thomson and ,shocky should not return  
to the poor-house there was a general   
outcry from the whole ,committee of     
,intermeddlers that she would bring     
herself to the poor-house before she    
died4 ,but ,nancy ,sawyer was the       
richest woman in ,lewisburg1 though     
nobody knew it1 and though she herself  
did not once suspect it4  ,how ,miss    
,nancy and the preacher conspired       
together1 and how they managed to bring 
,mrs4 ,thomson's case up at the time of 
the ,sacramental ,service in the        
afternoon of that ,sunday in ,lewisburg1
 and how the preacher made a touching   
statement of it just before the regular 
,collection for the ,poor was taken1 and
 how the warm-hearted ,methodists put in
 dollars instead of dimes while the     
,presiding ,elder read those passages   
about ,zaccheus and other liberal       
people1 and how the congregation sang   
,he dies1 the ,friend of sinners dies   

more lustily than ever1 after having    
performed this ,christian act--how all  
this happened ,i can not take up the    
reader's time to tell4 ,but ,i can      
assure him that the nearly blind        
,english woman did not room with        
blasphemous old ,mowley any more1 and   
that the blue-drilling pauper frock gave
 way to something better1 and that grave
 little ,shocky even danced with        
delight1 and declared that ,god hadn't  
forgot1 though he'd thought that ,he    
had4 ,and ,mrs4 ,matilda ,white remarked
 that it was a shame that the collection
 for the poor at a ,methodist           
sacramental service should be given to a
 woman who was a member of the ,church  
of ,england1 and like as not never      
soundly converted6  ,and ,shocky slept  
in his mother's arms and prayed ,god not
 to forget ,hannah1 while ,shocky's     
mother knit stockings for the store day 
and night1 and day and night she prayed 
and hoped4     ,,chapter ,,xxv4  ,,bud  
,,wooing4   ,the ,sunday that ,ralph    

spent in ,lewisburg1 the ,sunday that   
,shocky spent in an earthly paradise1   
the ,sunday that ,mrs4 ,thomson spent   
with ,shocky instead of old ,mowley1 the
 ,sunday that ,miss ,nancy thought was  
just like heaven1 was also an eventful  
,sunday with ,bud ,means4 ,he had long  
adored ,miss ,martha in his secret      
heart1 but1 like many other giants1     
while brave enough to face and fight    
dragons1 he was a coward in the presence
 of the woman that he loved4 ,let us    
honor him for it4 ,the man who loves a  
woman truly1 reverences her profoundly  
and feels abashed in her presence4 ,the 
man who is never abashed in the presence
 of womanhood1 the man who tells his    
love without a tremor1 is a shallow     
egotist4 ,bud's nature was not fine4    
,but it was deep1 true1 and manly4 ,to  
him ,martha ,hawkins was the chief of   
women4 ,what was he that he should      
aspire to possess her8 ,and yet on that 
,sunday1 with his crippled arm carefully
 bound up1 with his cleanest shirt1 and 

with his heavy boots freshly oiled with 
the fat of the raccoon1 he started      
hopefully through fields white with snow
 to the house of ,squire ,hawkins4 ,when
 he started his spirits were high1 but  
they descended exactly in proportion to 
his proximity to the object of his love4
 ,he thought himself not dressed well   
enough ,he wished his shoulders were not
 so square1 and his arms not so stout4  
,he wished that he had book-larnin'     
enough to court in nice1 big words4 ,and
 so1 by recounting his own deficiencies1
 he succeeded in making himself feel    
weak1 and awkward1 and generally        
good-for-nothing1 by the time he walked 
up between the rows of dead hollyhocks  
to the ,squire's front door1 to tap at  
which took all his remaining strength4  
,miss ,martha received her perspiring   
lover most graciously1 but this only    
convinced ,bud more than ever that she  
was a superior being4 ,if she had       
slighted him a bit1 so as to awaken his 
combativeness1 his bashfulness might    

have disappeared4  ,it was in vain that 
,martha inquired about his arm and      
complimented his courage4 ,bud could    
only think of his big feet1 his clumsy  
hands1 and his slow tongue4 ,he answered
 in monosyllables1 using his red silk   
handkerchief diligently4  ,is your arm  
improving8 asked ,miss ,hawkins4  ,yes1 
,i think it is1 said ,bud1 hastily      
crossing his right leg over his left1   
and trying to get his fists out of      
sight4  ,have you heard from ,mr4       
,pearson8  ,no1 ,i ha'n't1 answered     
,bud1 removing his right foot to the    
floor again1 because it looked so big1  
and trying to push his left hand into   
his pocket4  ,beautiful sunshine1 isn't 
it8 said ,martha4  ,yes1 'tis1 answered 
,bud1 sticking his right foot up on the 
rung of the chair and putting his right 
hand behind him4  ,this snow looks like 
the snow we have at the ,east1 said     
,martha4 ,it snowed that way the time ,i
 was to ,bosting4  ,did it8 said ,bud1  
not thinking of the snow at all nor of  

,boston1 but thinking how much better he
 would have appeared had he left his    
arms and legs at home4  ,i suppose ,mr4 
,hartsook rode your horse to ,lewisburg8
  ,yes1 he did2 and ,bud hung both hands
 at his side4  ,you were very kind4     
,this set ,bud's heart a-going so that  
he could not say anything1 but he looked
 eloquently at ,miss ,hawkins1 drew both
 feet under the chair1 and rammed his   
hands into his pockets4 ,then1 suddenly 
remembering how awkward he must look1 he
 immediately pulled his hands out again1
 and crossed his legs4 ,there was a     
silence of a few minutes1 during which  
,bud made up his mind to do the most    
desperate thing he could think of--to   
declare his love and take the           
consequences4  ,you see1 ,miss ,hawkins1
 he began1 forgetting boots and fists in
 his agony1 ,i thought as how ,i'd come 
over here to-day1 and--but here his     
heart failed him utterly--and--see--you4
  ,i'm glad to see you1 ,mr4 ,means4    
,and ,i thought ,i'd tell you--,martha  

was sure it was coming now1 for ,bud was
 in dead earnest--and ,i thought ,i'd   
just like to tell you1 ef ,i only know'd
 jest how to tell it right--here ,bud   
got frightened1 and did not dare close  
the sentence as he had intended--,i     
thought as how you might like to        
know--or ruther ,i wanted to tell       
you--that--the--that ,i--that we--all of
 us--think--that--,i--that we are going 
to have a spellin'-school a ,chewsday   
night4  ,i'm real glad to hear it1 said 
the bland but disappointed ,martha4 ,we 
used to have spelling-schools at the    
,east4 ,but ,miss ,martha could not     
remember that they had them to ,bosting4
  ,hard as it is for a bashful man to   
talk1 it is still more difficult for him
 to close the conversation4 ,most men   
like to leave a favorable impression1   
and a bashful man is always waiting with
 the forlorn hope that some favorable   
turn in the talk may let him out without
 absolute discomfiture4 ,and so ,bud    
stayed a long time1 and how he ever did 

get away he never could tell4           
,,chapter ,,xxvi4  ,a ,,letter ,,and    
,,its ,,consequences4   ,,squar         
,,haukins  this is too ,lett u no that u
 beter be ,keerful hoo yoo an yore      
familly tacks cides with fer peepl wont 
,stan it too hev the ,men wat's sportin 
the wuns wat's robin us1 sported bi yor 
,fokes kepin kumpne with 'em1 u been a  
ossifer ov the ,lau1 yor ,ha wil bern as
 qick as to an yor ,barn tu1 so ,tak    
kere4 ,no mor ad pressnt4  ,this letter 
accomplished its purpose4 ,the ,squire's
 spectacles slipped off several times   
while he read it4 ,his wig had to be    
adjusted4 ,if he had been threatened    
personally he would not have minded it  
so much4 ,but the hay stacks were dearer
 to him than the apple of his glass eye4
 ,the barn was more precious than his   
wig4 ,and those who hoped to touch ,bud 
in a tender place through this letter   
knew the ,squire's weakness far better  
than they knew the spelling-book4 ,to   
see his new red barn with its large     

,mormon hay-press inside1 and the       
mounted ,indian on the vane1 consumed1  
was too much for the ,hawkins heart to  
stand4 ,evidently the danger was on the 
side of his niece4 ,but how should he   
influence ,martha to give up ,bud8      
,martha did not value the hay-stacks    
half so highly as she did her lover4    
,martha did not think the new red barn1 
with the great ,mormon press inside and 
the galloping ,indian on the vane1 worth
 half so much as a moral principle or a 
kind-hearted action4 ,martha1 bless her6
 would have sacrificed anything rather  
than forsake the poor4 ,but ,squire     
,hawkins's lips shut tight over his     
false teeth in a way that suggested     
astringent purse-strings1 and ,squire   
,hawkins could not sleep at night if the
 new red barn1 with the galloping       
,indian on the vane1 were in danger4    
,martha must be reached somehow4  ,so1  
with many adjustings of that most       
adjustable wig8 with many turnings of   
that reversible glass eye8 the ,squire  

managed to frighten ,martha by the      
intimation that he had been threatened1 
and to make her understand1 what it cost
 her much to understand1 that she must  
turn the cold shoulder to chivalrous1   
awkward ,bud1 whom she loved most       
tenderly1 partly1 perhaps1 because he   
did not remind her of anybody she had   
ever known at the ,east4  ,tuesday      
evening was the fatal time4             
,spelling-school was the fatal occasion4
 ,bud was the victim4 ,pete ,jones had  
his revenge4 ,for ,bud had been all the 
evening trying to muster courage enough 
to offer himself as ,martha's escort4   
,he was not encouraged by the fact that 
he had spelled even worse than usual1   
while ,martha had distinguished herself 
by holding her ground against ,jeems    
,phillips for half an hour4 ,but he     
screwed his courage to the sticking     
place1 not by quoting to himself the    
adage1 ,faint heart never won fair lady1
 which1 indeed1 he had never heard1 but 
by reminding himself that ef you don't  

resk notin' you'll never git nothin'4   
,so1 when the spelling-school had       
adjourned1 he sidled up to her1 and1    
looking dreadfully solemn and a little  
foolish1 he said3  ,kin ,i see you safe 
home8  ,and she1 with a feeling that her
 uncle's life was in danger1 and that   
his salvation depended upon her         
resolution--she1 with a feeling that she
 was pronouncing sentence of death on   
her own great hope1 answered huskily3   
,no1 ,i thank you4  ,if she had only    
known that it was the red barn with the 
,indian on top that was in danger1 she  
would probably have let the galloping   
brave take care of himself4  ,it seemed 
to ,bud1 as he walked home mortified1   
disgraced1 disappointed1 hopeless1 that 
all the world had gone down in a        
whirlpool of despair4  ,might a knowed  
it1 he said to himself4 ,of course1 a   
smart gal like ,martha a'n't agoin' to  
take a big1 blunderin' fool that can't  
spell in two syllables4 ,what's the use 
of tryin'8 ,a ,flat ,cricker ,is a ,flat

 ,cricker4 ,you can't make nothin' else 
of him1 no more nor you can make a      
,chiny hog into a ,berkshire4           
,,chapter ,,xxvii4  ,a ,,loss ,,and ,a  
,,gain4   ,dr4 ,small1 silent1          
attentive1 assiduous ,dr4 ,small1 set   
himself to work to bind up the wounded  
heart of ,bud ,means1 even as he had    
bound up his broken arm4 ,the flattery  
of his fine eyes1 which looked at ,bud's
 muscles so admiringly1 which gave      
attention to his lightest remark1 was   
not lost on the young ,flat ,creek      
,hercules4 ,outwardly at least ,pete    
,jones showed no inclination to revenge 
himself on ,bud4 ,was it respect for    
muscle1 or was it the influence of      
,small8 ,at any rate1 the concentrated  
extract of the resentment of ,pete      
,jones and his clique was now ready to  
empty itself upon the head of ,hartsook4
 ,and ,ralph found himself in his dire  
extremity without even the support of   
,bud1 whose good resolutions seemed to  
give way all at once4 ,there have been  

many men of culture and more favorable  
surroundings who have thrown themselves 
away with less provocation4 ,as it was1 
,bud quit school1 avoided ,ralph1 and   
seemed more than ever under the         
influence of ,dr4 ,small1 besides       
becoming the intimate of ,walter        
,johnson1 ,small's student and ,mrs4    
,matilda ,white's son4 ,they made a     
strange pair--,bud with his firm jaw and
 silent1 cautious manner1 and ,walter   
,johnson with his weak chin1 his nice   
neck-ties1 and general dandy appearance4
  ,to be thus deserted in his darkest   
hour by his only friend was the         
bitterest ingredient in ,ralph's cup4   
,in vain he sought an interview4 ,bud   
always eluded him4 ,while by all the    
faces about him ,ralph learned that the 
storm was getting nearer and nearer to  
himself4 ,it might delay4 ,if it had    
been ,pete ,jones alone1 it might blow  
over4 ,but ,ralph felt sure that the    
relentless hand of ,dr4 ,small was      
present in all his troubles4 ,and he had

 only to look into ,small's eye to know 
how inextinguishable was a malignity    
that burned so steadily and so quietly4 
,but there is no cup of unmixed         
bitterness4 ,with an innocent man there 
is no night so dark that some star does 
not shine4 ,ralph had one strong        
sheet-anchor4 ,on his return from       
,lewisburg on ,monday ,bud had handed   
him a note1 written on common blue      
foolscap1 in round1 old-fashioned hand4 
,it ran3       ,dear ,sir3 ,anybody who 
can do so good a thing as you did for   
our      ,shocky1 can not be bad4 ,i    
hope you will forgive me4 ,all the      
appearances in the world1 and all that  
anybody says1 can not make      me think
 you anything else but a good man4 ,i   
hope ,god will reward      you4 ,you    
must not answer this1 and you hadn't    
better see me again1      or think any  
more of what you spoke about the other  
night4 ,i shall      be a slave for     
three years more1 and then ,i must work 
for my mother      and ,shocky2 but ,i  

felt so bad to think that ,i had spoken 
so hard to      you1 that ,i could not  
help writing this4 ,respectfully1       
,,hannah ,,thomson4       ,to ,,mr4 ,r4 
,,hartsook1 ,,esq4  ,ralph read it over 
and over4 ,what else he did with it ,i  
shall not tell4 ,you want to know       
whether he kissed it1 and put it into   
his bosom4 ,many a man as intelligent   
and manly as ,hartsook has done quite as
 foolish a thing as that4 ,you have been
 a little silly perhaps--if it is       
silly--and you have acted in a          
sentimental sort of a way over such     
things4 ,but it would never do for me to
 tell you what ,ralph did4 ,whether he  
put the letter into his bosom or not1 he
 put the words into his heart1 and1     
metaphorically speaking1 he shook that  
little blue billet1 written on coarse   
foolscap paper--he shook that little    
letter full of confidence1 in the face  
and eyes of all the calamities that     
haunted him4 ,if ,hannah believed in    
him1 the whole world might distrust him4

 ,when ,hannah was in one scale and the 
whole world in the other1 of what       
account was the world8 ,justice may be  
blind1 but all the pictures of blind    
cupids in the world can not make ,love  
blind4 ,and it was well that ,ralph     
weighed things in this way4 ,for the    
time was come in which he needed all the
 courage the blue billet could give him4
     ,,chapter ,,xxviii4  ,,the         
,,flight4   ,about ten days after       
,ralph's return to ,flat ,creek things  
came to a crisis4  ,the master was      
rather relieved at first to have the    
crisis come4 ,he had been holding       
juvenile ,flat ,creek under his feet by 
sheer force of will4 ,and such an       
exercise of psychic power is very       
exhausting4 ,in racing on the ,ohio the 
engineer sometimes sends the largest of 
the firemen to hold the safety valve    
down1 and this he does by hanging       
himself to the lever by his hands4      
,ralph felt that he had been holding the
 safety-valve down1 and that he was so  

weary of the operation that an explosion
 would be a real relief4 ,he was a      
little tired of having everybody look on
 him as a thief4 ,it was a little       
irksome to know that new bolts were put 
on the doors of the houses in which he  
had staid4 ,and now that ,shocky was    
gone1 and ,bud had turned against him1  
and ,aunt ,matilda suspected him1 and   
even poor1 weak1 exquisite ,walter      
,johnson would not associate with him1  
he felt himself an outlaw indeed4 ,he   
would have gone away to ,texas or the   
new gold fields in ,california had ,it  
not been for one thing4 ,that letter on 
blue foolscap paper kept a little warmth
 in his heart4  ,his course from school 
on the evening that something happened  
lay through the sugar-camp4 ,among the  
dark trunks of the maples1 solemn and   
lofty pillars1 he debated the case4 ,to 
stay1 or to flee8 ,the worn nerves could
 not keep their present tension much    
longer4  ,it was just by the brook1 or1 
as they say in ,indiana1 the branch#bf1 

that something happened which brought   
him to a sudden decision4 ,ralph never  
afterward could forget that brook4 ,it  
was a swift-running little stream1 that 
did not babble blatantly over the       
stones4 ,it ran through a thicket of    
willows1 through the sugar-camp1 and out
 into ,means's pasture4 ,ralph had just 
passed through the thicket1 had just    
crossed the brook on the half-decayed   
log that spanned it1 when1 as he emerged
 from the water-willows on the other    
side1 he started with a sudden shock4   
,for there was ,hannah1 with a white1   
white face1 holding out a little note   
folded like an old-fashioned            
thumb-paper4  ,go quick6 she stammered  
as she slipped it ,into ,ralph's hand1  
inadvertently touching his fingers with 
her own--a touch that went tingling     
through the school-master's nerves4 ,but
 she had hardly said the words until she
 was gone down the brookside path and   
over into the pasture4 ,a few minutes   
afterward she drove the cows up into the

 lot and meekly took her scolding from  
,mrs4 ,means for being gone sech an     
awful long time1 like a lazy1           
good-fer-nothin piece of goods that she 
was4  ,ralph opened the thumb-paper     
note1 written on a page torn from an old
 copy-book1 in ,bud's hand-write and    
running3       ,mr4 ,heartsook          
deer ,sur3  ,i ,put in my best licks1   
taint no use4 ,run fer yore life4 ,a    
plans on foot to tar an fether or wuss  
to-night4 ,go rite off4 ,things is awful
 juberous#bg4       ,,bud4  ,the first  
question with ,ralph was whether he     
could depend on ,bud4 ,but he soon made 
up his mind that treachery of any sort  
was not one of his traits4 ,he had      
mourned over the destruction of ,bud's  
good resolutions by ,martha ,hawkins's  
refusal1 and being a disinterested party
 he could have comforted ,bud by        
explaining ,martha's mitten4 ,but he    
felt sure that ,bud was not treacherous4
 ,it was a relief1 then1 as he stood    
there to know that the false truce was  

over1 and worst had come to worst4  ,his
 first impulse was to stay and fight4   
,but his nerves were not strong enough  
to execute so foolhardy a resolution4   
,he seemed to see a man behind every    
maple-trunk4 ,darkness was fast coming  
on1 and he knew that his absence from   
supper at his boarding-place could not  
fail to excite suspicion4 ,there was no 
time to be lost4 ,so he started4  ,once 
run from a danger1 and panic is apt to  
ensue4 ,the forest2 the stalk-fields1   
the dark hollows through which he       
passed1 seemed to be peopled with       
terrors4 ,he knew ,small and ,jones well
 enough to know that every avenue of    
escape would be carefully picketed4 ,so 
there was nothing to do but to take the 
shortest path to the old trysting place1
 the ,spring-in-rock4  ,here he sat and 
shook with terror4 ,angry with himself1 
he inly denounced himself for a coward4 
,but the effect was really a physical   
one4 ,the chill and panic now were the  
reaction from the previous strain4  ,for

 when the sound of his pursuers' voices 
broke upon his ears early in the        
evening1 ,ralph shook no more2 the warm 
blood set back again toward the         
extremities1 and his self-control       
returned when he needed it4 ,he gathered
 some stones about him1 as the only     
weapons of defense at hand4 ,the mob was
 on the cliff above4 ,but he thought    
that he heard footsteps in the bed of   
the creek below4 ,if this were so1 there
 could be no doubt that his hiding-place
 was suspected4  ,o ,hank6 shouted ,bud 
from the top of the cliff to some one in
 the creek below1 be sure to look at the
 ,spring-in-rock--,i think he's there4  
,this hint was not lost on ,ralph1 who  
speedily changed his quarters by        
climbing up to a secluded1 shelf-like   
ledge above the spring4 ,he was none too
 soon1 for ,pete ,jones and ,hank ,banta
 were soon looking all around the spring
 for him1 while he held a twenty-pound  
stone over their heads ready to drop    
upon them in case they should think of  

looking on the ledge above4  ,when the  
crowd were gone ,ralph knew that one    
road was open to him4 ,he could follow  
down the creek to ,clifty1 and thence he
 might escape4 ,but1 traveling down to  
,clifty1 he debated whether it was best 
to escape4 ,to flee was to confess his  
guilt1 to make himself an outlaw1 to put
 an insurmountable barrier between      
himself and ,hannah1 whose              
terror-stricken and anxious face as she 
stood by the brook-willows haunted him  
now1 and was an involuntary witness to  
her love4  ,long before he reached      
,clifty his mind was made up not to flee
 another mile4 ,he knocked at the door  
of ,squire ,underwood4 ,but ,squire     
,underwood was also a doctor1 and had   
been called away4 ,he knocked at the    
door of ,squire ,doolittle4 ,but ,squire
 ,doolittle had gone to ,lewisburg4 ,he 
was about to give up all hope of being  
able to surrender himself to the law    
when he met ,squire ,hawkins1 who had   
come over to ,clifty to avoid           

responsibility for the ill-deeds of his 
neighbors which he was powerless to     
prevent4  ,is that you1 ,mr4 ,hartsook8 
,yes1 and ,i want you to arrest me and  
try me here in ,clifty4  ,,footnotes3   
,footnote #bf3 ,i have already mentioned
 the absence of pail and pare from the  
ancient ,hoosier folk-speech4 ,brook is 
likewise absent4 ,the illiterate        
,indiana countryman before the ,civil   
,war1 let us say1 had no pails1 pared no
 apples1 husked no corn1 crossed no     
brooks4 ,the same is true1 ,i believe1  
of the ,south generally4 ,as the first  
settlers on the ,southern coast entered 
the land by the rivers1 each smaller    
stream was regarded as a branch of the  
larger one4 ,a small stream was         
therefore called a branch4 ,the word    
brook was probably lost in the first    
generation4 ,but a small stream is often
 called a run in the ,middle and        
,southern belt4 ,halliwell gives rundel 
as used with the same signification in  
,england1 and he gives ryn in the same  

sense from an old manuscript4  ,footnote
 #bg3 ,juberous is in none of the       
vocabularies that ,i have seen4 ,i once 
treated this word in print as an        
undoubted corruption of dubious1 and    
when used subjectively it apparently    
feels the influence of dubious1 as where
 one says3 ,i feel mighty juberous about
 it4 ,but it is much oftener applied as 
in the text to the object of fear1 as   
,the bridge looks kind o' juberous4     
,halliwell gives the verb juberd and    
defines it as to jeopard or endanger4   
,it is clearly a dialect form of        
jeopard1 and ,i make no doubt that      
juberous is a dialect variation of      
jeopardous1 occasionally used as a form 
of dubious4     ,,chapter ,,xxix4  ,,the
 ,,trial4   ,the prosecuting attorney   
7for so the ,state's attorney is called 
in ,indiana7 had been sent for the night
 before4 ,ralph refused all legal help4 
,it was not wise to reject counsel1 but 
all his blood was up1 and he declared   
that he would not be cleared by legal   

quibbles4 ,if his innocence were not    
made evident to everybody1 he would     
rather not be acquitted on a preliminary
 examination4 ,he would go over to the  
circuit court and have the matter sifted
 to the bottom4 ,but he would have been 
pleased had his uncle offered his       
counsel1 though he would have declined  
it4 ,he would have felt better to have  
had a letter from home somewhat         
different from the one he received from 
his ,aunt ,matilda by the hand of the   
prosecuting attorney4 ,it was not very  
encouraging or very sympathetic1 though 
it was very characteristic4   ,dear     
,ralph3  ,this is what ,i have always   
been afraid of4 ,i warned you faithfully
 the last time ,i saw you4 ,my skirts   
are clear of your blood1 ,i can not     
consent for your uncle to appear as your
 counsel or to go your bail4 ,you know  
how much it would injure him in the     
county1 and he has no right to suffer   
for your evil acts4 ,o my dear nephew6  
for the sake of your poor1 dead mother--

  ,we never shall know what the rest of 
that letter was4 ,whenever ,aunt        
,matilda got to ,ralph's poor1 dead     
mother in her conversation ,ralph ran   
out of the house4 ,and now that his     
poor1 dead mother was again made to do  
service in his aunt's pious rhetoric1 he
 landed the letter on the hot coals     
before him1 and watched it vanish into  
smoke with a grim satisfaction4  ,ralph 
was a little afraid of a mob4 ,but      
,clifty was better than ,flat ,creek1   
and ,squire ,hawkins1 with all his      
faults1 loved justice1 and had a        
profound respect for the majesty of the 
law1 and a profound respect for his own 
majesty when sitting as a court         
representing the law4 ,whatever         
maneuvers he might resort to in business
 affairs in order to avoid a conflict   
with his lawless neighbors1 he was      
courageous and inflexible on the bench4 
,the ,squire was the better part of him4
 ,with the co-operation of the          
constable1 he had organized a posse of  

men who could be depended on to enforce 
the law against a mob4  ,by the time the
 trial opened in the large school-house 
in ,clifty at eleven o'clock1 all the   
surrounding country had emptied its     
population into ,clifty1 and all ,flat  
,creek was on hand ready to testify to  
something4 ,those who knew the least    
appeared to know the most1 and were     
prodigal of their significant winks and 
nods4 ,mrs4 ,means had always suspected 
him4 ,she seed some mighty suspicious   
things about him from the word go4      
,she'd allers had her doubts whether he 
was jist the thing1 and ef her ole man  
had axed her1 liker-n not he never'd a  
been hired4 ,she'd seed things with her 
own livin' eyes that beat all she ever  
seed in all her born days4 ,and ,pete   
,jones said he'd allers knowed ther     
warn't no good in sech a feller4        
,couldn't stay abed when he got there4  
,and ,granny ,sanders said1 ,law's      
sakes6 nobody'd ever a found him out ef 
it hadn't been fer her4 ,didn't she go  

all over the neighborhood a-warnin'     
people8 ,fer her part1 she seed straight
 through that piece of goods4 ,he was   
fond of the gals1 too6 ,nothing was so  
great a crime in her eyes as to be fond 
of the gals4  ,the constable paid       
unwitting tribute to ,william the       
,conquerer by crying ,squire ,hawkins's 
court open with an ,oyez6 or1 as he     
said1 ,o yes6 and the ,squire asked     
,squire ,underwood1 who came in at that 
minute1 to sit with him4 ,from the      
start1 it was evident to ,ralph that the
 prosecuting attorney had been          
thoroughly posted by ,small1 though1    
looking at that worthy's face1 one would
 have thought him the most disinterested
 and philosophical spectator in the     
court-room4  ,bronson1 the prosecutor1  
was a young man1 and this was his first 
case since his election4 ,he was very   
ambitious to distinguish himself1 very  
anxious to have ,flat ,creek influence  
on his side in politics2 and1           
consequently1 he was very determined to 

send ,ralph ,hartsook to ,state prison1 
justly or unjustly1 by fair means or    
foul4 ,to his professional eyes this was
 not a question of right and wrong1 not 
a question of life or death to such a   
man as ,ralph4 ,it was ,george ,h4      
,bronson's opportunity to distinguish   
himself4 ,and so1 with many knowing and 
confident nods and hints1 and with much 
deference to the two squires1 he opened 
the case1 affecting great indignation at
 ,ralph's wickedness1 and uttering      
,delphic hints about striped pants and  
shaven head1 and the grating of         
prison-doors at ,jeffersonville4  ,and1 
now1 if the court please1 ,i am about to
 call a witness whose testimony is very 
important indeed4 ,mrs4 ,sarah ,jane    
,means will please step forward and be  
sworn4  ,this ,mrs4 ,means did with     
alacrity4 ,she had met the prosecutor1  
and impressed him with her dark hints4  
,she was sworn4  ,now1 ,mrs4 ,means1    
have the goodness to tell us what you   
know of the robbery at the house of     

,peter ,schroeder1 and the part         
defendant had in it4  ,well1 you see1 ,i
 allers suspected that air young man--  
,here ,squire ,underwood stopped her1   
and told her that she must not tell her 
suspicions1 but facts4  ,well1 it's     
facts ,i am a-going to tell1 she sniffed
 indignantly4 ,it's facts that ,i mean  
to tell4 ,here her voice rose to a keen 
pitch1 and she began to abuse the       
defendant4 ,again and again the court   
insisted that she must tell what there  
was suspicious about the school-master4 
,at last she got it out4  ,well1 fer one
 thing1 what kind of gals did he go     
with8 ,hey8 ,why1 with my bound gal1    
,hanner1 a-loafin' along through the    
blue-grass paster at ten o'clock1 and   
keepin' that gal that's got no protector
 but me out that a-way1 and destroyin'  
her character by his company1 that a'n't
 fit fer nobody4  ,here ,bronson saw    
that he had caught a tartar4 ,he said he
 had no more questions to ask of ,mrs4  
,means1 and that1 unless the defendant  

wished to cross-question her1 she could 
stand aside4 ,ralph said he would like  
to ask her one question4  ,did ,i ever  
go with your daughter ,miranda8  ,no1   
you didn't1 answered the witness1 with a
 tone and a toss of the head that let   
the cat out1 and set the court-room in a
 giggle4 ,bronson saw that he was       
gaining nothing1 and now resolved to    
follow the line which ,small had        
indicated4  ,pete ,jones was called1 and
 swore point-blank that he heard ,ralph 
go out of the house soon after he went  
to bed1 and that he heard him return at 
two in the morning4 ,this testimony was 
given without hesitation1 and made a    
great impression against ,ralph in the  
minds of the justices4 ,mrs4 ,jones1 a  
poor1 brow-beaten woman1 came on the    
stand in a frightened way1 and swore to 
the same lies as her husband4 ,ralph    
cross-questioned her1 but her part had  
been well learned4  ,there1 seemed now  
little hope for ,ralph4 ,but just at    
this moment who should stride into the  

school-house but ,pearson1 the          
one-legged old soldier basket-maker8 ,he
 had crept home the night before1 to see
 ef the ole woman didn't want somethin'1
 and hearing of ,ralph's arrest1 he     
concluded that the time for him to make 
a forrard movement had come1 and so he  
determined to face the foe4  ,looky     
here1 ,squar1 he said1 wiping the       
perspiration from his brow1 looky here4 
,i jes want to say that ,i kin tell as  
much about this case as anybody4  ,let  
us hear it1 then1 said ,bronson1 who    
thought he would nail ,ralph now for    
certain4  ,so1 with many allusions to   
the time he fit at ,lundy's ,lane1 and  
some indignant remarks about the pack of
 thieves that driv him off1 and a       
passing tribute to ,miss ,martha        
,hawkins1 and sundry other digressions1 
in which he had to be checked1 the old  
man told how he'd drunk whisky at       
,welch's store that night1 and how      
,welch's whisky was all-fired mean1 and 
how it allers went straight to his head1

 and how he had got a leetle too much1  
and how he had felt kyinder gin aout by 
the time he got to the blacksmith's     
shop1 and how he had laid down to rest1 
and how as he s'posed the boys had      
crated him1 and how he thought it war   
all-fired mean to crate a old soldier   
what fit the ,britishers1 and lost his  
leg by one of the blamed critters       
a-punchin' his bagonet#bh through it2   
and how when he woke up it was all-fired
 cold1 and how he rolled off the crate  
and went on towurds home1 and how when  
he got up to the top of ,means's hill he
 met ,pete ,jones and ,bill ,jones1 and 
a slim sort of a young man1 a-ridin'2   
and how he know'd the ,joneses by ther  
hosses1 and some more things of that    
kyind about 'em2 but he didn't know the 
slim young man1 tho' he tho't he might  
tell him ef he seed him agin kase he was
 dressed up so slick and town-like4 ,but
 blamed ef he didn't think it hard that 
a passel o thieves sech as the ,joneses 
should try to put ther mean things on to

 a man like the master1 that was so     
kyind to him and to ,shocky1 tho'1 fer  
that matter1 blamed ef he didn't think  
we was all selfish1 akordin' to his     
tell4 ,had seed somebody that night     
a-crossin' over the blue-grass paster4  
,didn't know who in thunder 'twas1 but  
it was somebody a-makin' straight fer   
,pete ,jones's4 ,hadn't seed nobody     
else1 'ceptin' ,dr4 ,small1 a short ways
 behind the ,joneses4  ,hannah was now  
brought on the stand4 ,she was greatly  
agitated1 and answered with much        
reluctance4 ,lived at ,mr4 ,means's4    
,was eighteen years of age in ,october4 
,had been bound to ,mrs4 ,means three   
years ago4 ,had walked home with ,mr4   
,hartsook that evening1 and1 happening  
to look out of the window toward        
morning1 she saw some one cross the     
pasture4 ,did not know who it was4      
,thought it was ,mr4 ,hartsook4 ,here   
,mr4 ,bronson 7evidently prompted by a  
suggestion that came from what ,small   
had overheard when he listened in the   

barn7 asked her if ,mr4 ,hartsook had   
ever said anything to her about the     
matter afterward4 ,after some           
hesitation1 ,hannah said that he had    
said that he crossed the pasture4 ,of   
his own accord8 ,no1 she spoke of it    
first4 ,had ,mr4 ,hartsook offered any  
explanations8 ,no1 he hadn't4 ,had he   
ever paid her any attention afterward8  
,no4 ,ralph declined to cross-question  
,hannah4 ,to him she never seemed so    
fair as when telling the truth so       
sublimely4  ,bronson now informed the   
court that this little trick of having  
the old soldier happen in1 in the flick 
of time1 wouldn't save the prisoner at  
the bar from the just punishment which  
an outraged law visited upon such crimes
 as his4 ,he regretted that his duty as 
a public prosecutor caused it to fall to
 his lot to marshal the evidence that   
was to blight the prospects and blast   
the character1 and annihilate for ever1 
so able and promising a young man1 but  
that the law knew no difference between 

the educated and the uneducated1 and    
that for his part he thought ,hartsook a
 most dangerous foe to the peace of     
society4 ,the evidence already given    
fastened suspicion upon him4 ,the       
prisoner had not yet been able to break 
its force at all4 ,the prisoner had not 
even dared to try to explain to a young 
lady the reason for his being out at    
night4 ,he would now conclude by giving 
the last touch to the dark evidence that
 would sink the once fair name of ,ralph
 ,hartsook in a hundred fathoms of      
infamy4 ,he would ask that ,henry ,banta
 be called4  ,hank came forward         
sheepishly1 and was sworn4 ,lived about 
a hundred yards from the house that was 
robbed4 ,he seen ole man ,pearson and   
the master and one other feller that he 
didn't know come away from there        
together about one o'clock4 ,he heerd   
the horses kickin'1 and went out to the 
stable to see about them4 ,he seed two  
men come out of ,schroeder's back door  
and meet one man standing at the gate4  

,when they got closter he knowed        
,pearson by his wooden leg and the      
master by his hat4 ,on cross-examination
 he was a little confused when asked why
 he hadn't told of it before1 but said  
that he was afraid to say much1 bekase  
the folks was a-talkin' about hanging   
the master1 and he didn't want no       
lynchin'4  ,the prosecution here rested1
 ,bronson maintaining that there was    
enough evidence to justify ,ralph's     
committal to await trial4 ,but the court
 thought that as the defendant had no   
counsel and offered no rebutting        
testimony1 it would be only fair to hear
 what the prisoner had to say in his own
 defense4  ,all this while poor ,ralph  
was looking about the room for ,bud4    
,bud's actions had of late been         
strangely contradictory4 ,but had he    
turned coward and deserted his friend8  
,why else did he avoid the session of   
the court8 ,after asking himself such   
questions as these1 ,ralph would wonder 
at his own folly4 ,what could ,bud do if

 he were there8 ,there was no human     
power that could prevent the victim of  
so vile a conspiracy as this1 lodging in
 that worst of ,state prisons at        
,jeffersonville1 a place too bad for    
criminals4 ,but when there is no human  
power to help1 how naturally does the   
human mind look for some divine         
intervention on the side of ,right6 ,and
 ,ralph's faith in ,providence looked in
 the direction of ,bud4 ,but since no   
,bud came1 he shut down the valves and  
rose to his feet1 proudly1 defiantly1   
fiercely calm4  ,it's of no use for me  
to say anything4 ,peter ,jones has sworn
 to a deliberate falsehood1 and he knows
 it4 ,he has made his wife perjure her  
poor soul that she dare not call her    
own4 ,here ,pete's fists clenched1 but  
,ralph in his present humor did not care
 for mobs4 ,the spirit of the bulldog   
had complete possession of him4 ,it is  
of no use for me to tell you that ,henry
 ,banta has sworn to a lie1 partly to   
revenge himself on me for punishments ,i

 have given him1 and partly1 perhaps1   
for money4 ,the real thieves are in this
 court-room4 ,i could put my finger on  
them4  ,to be sure1 responded the old   
basket-maker4 ,ralph looked at ,pete    
,jones1 then at ,small4 ,the fiercely   
calm look attracted the attention of the
 people4 ,he knew that this look would  
probably cost him his life before the   
next morning4 ,but he did not care for  
life4 ,the testimony of ,miss ,hannah   
,thomson is every word true1 ,i believe 
that of ,mr4 ,pearson to be true4 ,the  
rest is false4 ,but ,i can not prove it4
 ,i know the men ,i have to deal with4  
,i shall not escape with ,state prison4 
,they will not spare my life4 ,but the  
people of ,clifty will one day find out 
who are the thieves4 ,ralph then        
proceeded to tell how he had left ,pete 
,jones's1 ,mr4 ,jones's bed being       
uncomfortable2 how he had walked through
 the pasture2 how he had seen three men 
on horseback3 how he had noticed the    
sorrel with the white left forefoot and 

white nose2 how he had seen ,dr4 ,small2
 how1 after his return1 he had heard    
some one enter the house1 and how he had
 recognized the horse the next morning4 
,there1 said ,ralph desperately1        
leveling his finger at ,pete1 there is a
 man who will yet see the inside of a   
penitentiary1 ,i shall not live to see  
it1 but the rest of you will4 ,pete     
quailed4 ,ralph's speech could not of   
course break the force of the testimony 
against him4 ,but it had its effect1 and
 it had effect enough to alarm ,bronson1
 who rose and said3  ,i should like to  
ask the prisoner at the bar one         
question4  ,ask me a dozen1 said        
,hartsook1 looking more like a king than
 a criminal4  ,well1 then1 ,mr4         
,hartsook4 ,you need not answer unless  
you choose2 but what prompted you to    
take the direction you did in your walk 
on that evening8  ,this shot brought    
,ralph down4 ,to answer this question   
truly would attach to friendless ,hannah
 ,thomson some of the disgrace that now 

belonged to him4  ,i decline to answer1 
said ,ralph4  ,of course1 ,i do not want
 the prisoner to criminate himself1 said
 ,bronson significantly4  ,during this  
last passage ,bud had come in1 but1 to  
,ralph's disappointment he remained near
 the door1 talking to ,walter ,johnson1 
who had come with him4 ,the magistrates 
put their heads together to fix the     
amount of bail1 and1 as they differed1  
talked for some minutes4 ,small now for 
the first time thought best to make a   
move in his own proper person4 ,he could
 hardly have been afraid of ,ralph's    
acquittal4 ,he may have been a little   
anxious at the manner in which he had   
been mentioned1 and at the significant  
look of ,ralph1 and he probably meant to
 excite indignation enough against the  
school-master to break the force of his 
speech1 and secure the lynching of the  
prisoner1 chiefly by people outside his 
gang4 ,he rose and asked the court in   
gentlest tones to hear him4 ,he had no  
personal interest in this trial1 except 

his interest in the welfare of his old  
schoolmate1 ,mr4 ,hartsook4 ,he was     
grieved and disappointed to find the    
evidence against him so damaging and he 
would not for the world add a feather to
 it1 if it were not that his own name   
had been twice alluded to by the        
defendant1 and by his friend1 and       
perhaps his confederate1 ,john ,pearson4
 ,he was prepared to swear that he was  
not over in ,flat ,creek the night of   
the robbery later than ten o'clock1 and 
while the statements of the two persons 
alluded to1 whether maliciously intended
 or not1 could not implicate him at all1
 he thought perhaps this lack of        
veracity in their statements might be of
 weight in determining some other       
points4 ,he therefore suggested--he     
could only suggest1 as he was not a     
party to the case in any way--that his  
student1 ,mr4 ,walter ,johnson1 be      
called to testify as to his--,dr4       
,small's--exact whereabouts on the night
 in question4 ,they were together in his

 office until two1 when he went to the  
tavern and went to bed4  ,squire        
,hawkins1 having adjusted his teeth1 his
 wig1 and his glass eye1 thanked ,dr4   
,small for a suggestion so valuable1 and
 thought best to put ,john ,pearson     
under arrest before proceeding further4 
,mr4 ,pearson was therefore arrested1   
and was heard to mutter something about 
a passel of thieves1 when the court     
warned him to be quiet4  ,walter        
,johnson was then called4 ,but before   
giving his testimony1 ,i must crave the 
reader's patience while ,i go back to   
some things which happened nearly a week
 before and which will serve to make it 
intelligible4  ,,footnotes3  ,footnote  
#bh3 ,this form1 bagonet1 is not in the 
vocabularies1 but it was spoken as ,i   
have written it4 ,the ,century          
,dictionary gives bagnet1 and ,halliwell
 and ,wright both give baginet with the 
g soft apparently1 though neither the   
one nor the other is very explicit in   
distinguishing transcriptions from old  

authors from phonetic spellings of      
dialect forms4 ,i fancy that this       
bagonet is impossible as a corruption of
 bayonet1 and that it points to some    
other derivation of that word than the  
doubtful one from ,bayonne4             
,,chapter ,,xxx4  ,,brother ,,sodom4    
,in order to explain ,walter ,johnson's 
testimony and his state of mind1 ,i must
 carry the reader back nearly a week4   
,the scene was ,dr4 ,small's office4    
,bud and ,walter ,johnson had been      
having some confidential conversation   
that evening1 and ,bud had got more out 
of his companion than that exquisite but
 weak young man had intended4 ,he looked
 round in a frightened way4  ,you see1  
said ,walter1 if ,small knew ,i had told
 you that1 ,i'd get a bullet some night 
from somebody4 ,but when you're         
initiated it'll be all right4 ,sometimes
 ,i wish ,i was out of it4 ,but1 you    
know1 ,small's this kind of a man4 ,he  
sees through you4 ,he can look through a
 door--and there he shivered1 and his   

voice broke down into a whisper4 ,but   
,bud was perfectly cool1 and doubtless  
it was the strong coolness of ,bud that 
made ,walter1 who shuddered at a shadow1
 come to him for sympathy and unbosom   
himself of one of his guilty secrets4   
,let's go and hear ,brother ,sodom      
preach to-night1 said ,bud4  ,no1 ,i    
don't like to4  ,he don't scare you8    
,there was just a touch of ridicule in  
,bud's voice4 ,he knew ,walter1 and he  
had not counted amiss when he used this 
little goad to prick a skin so          
sensitive4 ,brother ,sodom was the      
nickname given by scoffers to the       
preacher--,mr4 ,soden--whose manner of  
preaching had so aroused ,bud's         
combativeness1 and whose saddle-stirrups
 ,bud had helped to amputate4 ,for      
reasons of his own1 ,bud thought best to
 subject young ,johnson to the heat of  
,mr4 ,soden's furnace4  ,peter          
,cartwright boasts that1 on a certain   
occasion1 he shook his brimstone wallet 
over the people4 ,mr4 ,soden could never

 preach without his brimstone wallet4   
,there are those of refinement so       
attenuated that they will not admit that
 fear can have any place in religion4   
,but a religion without fear could never
 have evangelized or civilized the      
,west1 which at one time bade fair to   
become a perdition as bad as any that   
,brother ,sodom ever depicted4 ,and     
against these on the one side1 and the  
,brother ,sodoms on the other1 ,i shall 
interrupt my story to put this chapter  
under shelter of that wise remark of the
 great ,dr4 ,adam ,clark1 who says ,the 
fear of ,god is the beginning of wisdom1
 the terror of ,god confounds the soul2 
and that other saying of his3 ,with the 
fear of ,god the love of ,god is ever   
consistent2 but where the terror of the 
,lord reigns1 there can neither be fear1
 faith1 nor love2 nay1 nor hope either4 
,and yet ,i am not sure that even the   
,brother ,sodoms were made in vain4  ,on
 this evening ,mr4 ,soden was as        
terrible as usual4 ,bud heard him       

without flinching4 ,small1 who sat      
farther forward1 listened with pious    
approval4 ,mr4 ,soden1 out of distorted 
figures pieced together from different  
passages of ,scripture1 built a hell1   
not quite1 ,miltonic1 nor yet ,dantean1 
but as ,miltonic and ,dantean as his    
unrefined imagination could make it4 ,as
 he rose toward his climax of hideous   
description1 ,walter ,johnson trembled  
from head to foot and sat close to ,bud4
 ,then1 as burly ,mr4 ,soden1 with great
 gusto1 depicted materialistic tortures 
that startled the nerves of everybody   
except ,bud1 ,walter wanted to leave1   
but ,bud would not let him4 ,for some   
reason he wished to keep his companion  
in the crucible as long as possible4    
,young man6 cried ,mr4 ,soden1 and the  
explosive voice seemed to come from the 
hell that he had created--young man6 you
 who have followed the counsel of evil  
companions--here he paused and looked   
about1 as if trying to find the man he  
wanted1 while ,walter crept up close to 

,bud and shaded his face--,i mean you   
who have chosen evil pursuits and who   
can not get free from bad habits and    
associations that are dragging you down 
to hell6 ,you are standing on the very  
crumbling brink of hell to-night4 ,the  
smell of the brimstone is on your       
garments2 the hot breath of hell is in  
your face6 ,the devils are waiting for  
you6 ,delay and you are damned6 ,you may
 die before daylight6 ,you may never get
 out that door6 ,the awful angel of     
death is just ready to strike you down6 
,here some shrieked with terror1 others 
sobbed1 and ,brother ,sodom looked with 
approval on the storm he had awakened4  
,the very harshness of his tone1 his    
lofty egotism of manner1 that which had 
roused all ,bud's combativeness1 shook  
poor ,walter as a wind would shake a    
reed4 ,in the midst of the general      
excitement he seized his hat and        
hastened out the door4 ,bud followed1   
while ,soden shot his lightnings after  
them1 declaring that young men who ran  

away from the truth would dwell in      
torments forever4  ,bud had not counted 
amiss when he thought that ,mr4 ,soden's
 preaching would be likely to arouse so 
mean-spirited a fellow as ,walter4 ,so  
vivid was the impression that ,johnson  
begged ,bud to return to the office with
 him4 ,he felt sick1 and was afraid that
 he should die before morning4 ,he      
insisted that ,bud should stay with him 
all night4 ,to this ,means readily      
consented1 and by morning he had heard  
all that the frightened ,walter had to  
tell4  ,and now let us return to the    
trial1 where ,ralph sits waiting the    
testimony of ,walter ,johnson1 which is 
to prove his statement false4           
,,chapter ,,xxxi4  ,,the ,,trial        
,,concluded4   ,i do not know how much  
interest the gentle reader may feel in  
,bud4 ,but ,i venture to hope that there
 are some ,buddhists among my readers   
who will wish the contradictoriness of  
his actions explained4 ,the first dash  
of disappointment had well-nigh upset   

him4 ,and when a man concludes to throw 
overboard his good resolutions1 he      
always seeks to avoid the witness of    
those resolutions4 ,hence ,bud1 after   
that distressful ,tuesday evening on    
which ,miss ,martha had given him the   
sack1 wished to see ,ralph less than any
 one else4 ,and yet when he came to     
suspect ,small's villainy1 his whole    
nature revolted at it4 ,but having      
broken with ,ralph1 he thought it best  
to maintain an attitude of apparent     
hostility1 that he might act as a       
detective1 and1 perhaps1 save his friend
 from the mischief that threatened him4 
,as soon as he heard of ,ralph's arrest 
he determined to make ,walter ,johnson  
tell his own secret in court1 because he
 knew that it would be best for ,ralph  
that ,walter should tell it4 ,bud's     
telling at second-hand would not be     
conclusive4 ,and he sincerely desired to
 save ,walter from prison4 ,for ,walter 
,johnson was the victim of ,dr4 ,small1 
or of ,dr4 ,small and such novels as    

,the ,pirate's ,bride1 ,claude ,duval1  
,the ,wild ,rover of the ,west ,indies1 
and the cheap biographies of such men as
 ,murrell4 ,small found him with his    
imagination inflamed by the history of  
such heroes1 and opened to him the path 
to glory for which he longed4  ,the     
whole morning after ,ralph's arrest ,bud
 was working on ,walter's conscience and
 his fears4 ,the poor fellow1 unable to 
act for himself1 was torn asunder       
between the old ascendency of ,small and
 the new ascendency of ,bud ,means4 ,bud
 finally frightened him1 by the fear of 
the penitentiary1 into going to the     
place of trial4 ,but once inside the    
door1 and once in sight of ,small1 who  
was more to him than ,god1 or1 rather1  
more to him than the devil--for the     
devil was ,walter's ,god1 or1 perhaps1  
,i should say1 ,walter's ,god was a     
devil--once in sight of ,small1 he      
refused to move an inch farther4 ,and   
,bud1 after all his perseverance1 was   
about to give up in sheer despair4      

,fortunately1 just at that moment       
,small's desire to relieve himself from 
the taint of suspicion and to crush     
,ralph as completely as possible1 made  
him overshoot the mark by asking that   
,walter be called to the stand1 as we   
have before recounted4 ,he knew that he 
had no tool so supple as the cowardly   
,walter4 ,in the very language of the   
request1 he had given ,walter an        
intimation of what he wanted him to     
swear to4 ,walter listened to ,small's  
words as to his doom4 ,he felt that he  
should die of indecision4 ,the perdition
 of a man of his stamp is to have to    
make up his mind4 ,such men generally   
fall back on some one more positive1 and
 take all their resolutions ready-made4 
,but here ,walter must decide for       
himself4 ,for the constable was already 
calling his name2 the court1 the        
spectators1 and1 most of all1 ,dr4      
,small1 were waiting for him4 ,he moved 
forward mechanically through the dense  
crowd1 ,bud following part of the way to

 whisper1 ,tell the truth or go to      
penitentiary4 ,walter shook and shivered
 at this4 ,the witness with difficulty  
held up his hand long enough to be      
sworn4  ,please tell the court1 said    
,bronson1 whether you know anything of  
the whereabouts of ,dr4 ,small on the   
night of the robbery at ,peter          
,schroeder's4  ,small had detected      
,walter's agitation1 and1 taking alarm1 
had edged his way around so as to stand 
full in ,walter's sight1 and there1 with
 keen1 magnetic eye on the weak orbs of 
the young man1 he was able to assume his
 old position1 and sway the fellow      
absolutely4  ,on the night of the       
robbery--,walter's voice was weak1 but  
he seemed to be reading his answer out  
of ,small's eyes--on the night of the   
robbery ,dr4 ,small came home before--  
here the witness stopped and shook and  
shivered again4 ,for ,bud1 detecting the
 effect of ,small's gaze1 had pushed his
 great hulk in front of ,small1 and had 
fastened his eyes on ,walter with a look

 that said1 ,tell the truth or go to    
penitentiary4  ,i can't1 ,i can't4 ,o   
,god6 ,what shall ,i do8 the witness    
exclaimed1 answering the look of ,bud4  
,for it seemed to him that ,bud had     
spoken4 ,to the people and the court    
this agitation was inexplicable4 ,squire
 ,hawkins's wig got awry1 his glass eye 
turned in toward his nose1 and he had   
great difficulty in keeping his teeth   
from falling out4 ,the excitement became
 painfully intense4 ,ralph was on his   
feet1 looking at the witness1 and       
feeling that somehow ,bud and ,dr4      
,small--his good angel and his          
demon--were playing an awful game1 or   
which he was the stake4 ,the crowd      
swayed to and fro1 but remained utterly 
silent1 waiting to hear the least       
whisper from the witness1 who stood     
trembling a moment with his hands over  
his face1 and then fainted4  ,the       
fainting of a person in a crowd is a    
signal for everybody else to make fools 
of themselves4 ,there was a rush toward 

the fainting man1 there was a cry for   
water4 ,everybody asked everybody else  
to open the window1 and everybody wished
 everybody else to stand back and give  
him air4 ,but nobody opened the window1 
and nobody stood back4 ,the only        
perfectly cool man in the room was      
,small4 ,with a quiet air of            
professional authority he pushed forward
 and felt the patient's pulse1 remarking
 to the court that he thought it was a  
sudden attack of fever with delirium4   
,when ,walter revived1 ,dr4 ,small would
 have removed him1 but ,ralph insisted  
that his testimony should be heard4     
,under pretense of watching his patient1
 ,small kept close to him4 ,and ,walter 
began the same old story about ,dr4     
,small's having arrived at the office   
before eleven o'clock1 when ,bud came up
 behind the doctor and fastened his eyes
 on the witness with the same           
significant look1 and ,walter1 with     
visions of the penitentiary before him  
halted1 stammered1 and seemed about to  

faint again4  ,if the court please1 said
 ,bronson1 this witness is evidently    
intimidated by that stout young man1    
pointing to ,bud4 ,i have seen him twice
 interrupt witness's testimony by       
casting threatening looks at him1 ,i    
trust the court will have him removed   
from the court-room4  ,after a few      
moments' consultation1 during which     
,squire ,hawkins held his wig in place  
with one hand and alternately adjusted  
his eye and his spectacles with the     
other1 the magistrates1 who were utterly
 bewildered by the turn things were     
taking1 decided that ,it could do no    
harm1 and that it was best to try the   
experiment of removing ,bud4 ,perhaps   
,johnson would then be able to get      
through with his testimony4 ,the        
constable therefore asked ,bud if he    
would please leave the room4 ,bud cast  
one last look at the witness and walked 
out like a captive bear4  ,ralph stood  
watching the receding form of ,bud4 ,the
 emergency had made him as cool as      

,small ever was4 ,bud stopped at the    
door1 where he was completely out of    
sight of the witness1 concealed by the  
excited spectators1 who stood on the    
benches to see what was going on in     
front4  ,the witness will please        
proceed1 said ,bronson4  ,if the court  
please--it was ,ralph who spoke--,i     
believe ,i have as much at stake in this
 trial as any one4 ,that witness is     
evidently intimidated4 ,but not by ,mr4 
,means4 ,i ask that ,dr4 ,small be      
removed out of sight of the witness4  ,a
 most extraordinary request1 truly4     
,this was what ,small's bland           
countenance said2 he did not open his   
lips4  ,it's no more than fair1 said    
,squire ,hawkins1 adjusting his wig1    
that the witness be relieved of         
everything that anybody might think     
affects his veracity in this matter4    
,dr4 ,small1 giving ,walter one         
friendly1 appealing look1 moved back by 
the door1 and stood alongside ,bud1 as  
meek1 quiet1 and disinterested as any   

man in the house4  ,the witness will now
 proceed with his testimony4 ,this time 
it was ,squire ,hawkins who spoke4      
,bronson had been attacked with a       
suspicion that this witness was not just
 what he wanted1 and had relapsed into  
silence4  ,walter's struggle was by no  
means ended by the disappearance of     
,small and ,bud4 ,there came the        
recollection of his mother's stern      
face--a face which had never been a     
motive toward the right1 but only a goad
 to deception4 ,what would she say if he
 should confess8 ,just as he had        
recovered himself1 and was about to     
repeat the old lie which had twice died 
upon his lips at the sight of ,bud's    
look1 he caught sight of another face1  
which made him tremble again4 ,it was   
the lofty and terrible countenance of   
,mr4 ,soden4 ,one might have thought1   
from the expression it wore1 that the   
seven last vials were in his hands1 the 
seven apocalyptic trumpets waiting for  
his lips1 and the seven thunders sitting

 upon his eyebrows4 ,the moment that    
,walter saw him he smelled the brimstone
 on his own garments1 he felt himself   
upon the crumbling brink of the         
precipice1 with perdition below him4    
,now ,i am sure that ,brother ,sodoms   
were not made wholly in vain4 ,there are
 plenty of mean-spirited men like       
,walter ,johnson1 whose feeble          
consciences need all the support they   
can get from the fear of perdition1 and 
who are incapable of any other          
conception of it than a coarse and      
materialistic ones ,let us set it down  
to the credit of ,brother ,sodom1 with  
his stiff stock1 his thunderous face1   
and his awful walk1 that his influence  
over ,walter was on the side of truth4  
,please proceed1 said ,squire ,hawkins  
to ,walter4 ,the ,squire's wig lay on   
one side1 he had forgotten to adjust his
 eye1 and he leaned forward1 tremulous  
with interest4  ,well1 then1 said       
,walter1 looking not at the court nor at
 ,bronson nor at the prisoner1 but      

furtively at ,mr4 ,soden--well1 then1 if
 ,i must--and ,mr4 ,soden's awful face  
seemed to answer that he surely         
must--well1 then1 ,i hope you won't send
 me to prison--this to ,squire ,hawkins1
 whose face reassured him--but1 oh6 ,i  
don't see how ,i can6 ,but one look at  
,mr4 ,soden assured him that he could   
and that he must1 and so1 with an agony 
painful to the spectators1 he told the  
story in driblets4 ,how1 while yet in   
,lewisburg1 he had been made a member of
 a gang of which ,small was chief2 how  
they concealed from him the names of all
 the band except six1 of whom the       
,joneses and ,small were three4  ,here  
there was a scuffle at the door4 ,the   
court demanded silence4  ,dr4 ,small's  
trying to git out1 plague take him1 said
 ,bud1 who stood with his back planted  
against the door4 ,i'd like the court to
 send and git his trunk afore he has a  
chance to burn up all the papers that's 
in it4  ,constable1 you will arrest ,dr4
 ,small1 ,peter ,jones1 and ,william    

,jones4 ,send two deputies to bring     
,small's trunk into court1 said ,squire 
,underwood4  ,the prosecuting attorney  
was silent4  ,walter then told of the   
robbery at ,schroeder's1 told where he  
and ,small had whittled the fence while 
the ,joneses entered the house1 and     
confirmed ,ralph's story by telling how 
they had seen ,ralph in a fence-corner1 
and how they had met the basket-maker on
 the hill4  ,to be sure1 said the old   
man1 who had not ventured to hold up his
 head1 after he was arrested1 until     
,walter began his testimony4  ,walter   
felt inclined to stop1 but he could not 
do it1 for there stood ,mr4 ,soden1     
looking to him like a messenger from the
 skies1 or the bottomless pit1 sent to  
extort the last word from his guilty    
soul ,he felt that he was making a clean
 breast of it--at the risk of perdition1
 with the penitentiary thrown in1 if he 
faltered4 ,and so he told the whole     
thing as though it had been the day of  
doom1 and by the time he was through1   

,small's trunk was in court4  ,here a   
new hubbub took place at the door4 ,it  
was none other than the crazy pauper1   
,tom ,bifield1 who personated ,general  
,andrew ,jackson in the poor-house4 ,he 
had caught some inkling of the trial1   
and had escaped in ,bill ,jones's       
absence4 ,his red plume was flying1 and 
in his tattered and filthy garb he was  
indeed a picturesque figure4  ,squar1   
said he1 elbowing his way through the   
crowd1 ,i kin tell you sornethin'4 ,i'm 
,gineral ,andrew ,jackson4 ,lost my head
 at ,bueny ,visty4 ,this head growed on4
 ,it a'n't good fer much4 ,one side's   
tater4 ,but t'other's sound as a nut4   
,now1 ,i kind give you information4     
,bronson1 with the quick perceptions of 
a politician1 had begun to see which way
 future winds would probably blow4 ,if  
the court please1 he said1 this man is  
not wholly sane1 but we might get       
valuable information out of him4 ,i     
suggest that his testimony be taken for 
what it is worth4  ,no1 you don't swar  

me1 broke in the lunatic4 ,not if ,i    
knows myself4 ,you see1 when a feller's 
got one side of his head tater1 he's    
mighty onsartain like4 ,you don't swar  
me1 fer ,i can't tell what minute the   
tater side'll begin to talk4 ,i'm       
talkin' out of the lef' side now1 and   
,i'm all right4 ,but you don't swar me4 
,but ef you'll send some of your        
constables out to the barn at the       
pore-house and look under the hay-mow in
 the north-east corner1 you'll find some
 things maybe as has been a-missin' fer 
some time4 ,and that a'n't out of the   
tater side1 nuther4  ,meantime ,bud did 
not rest4 ,hearing the nature of the    
testimony given by ,hank ,banta before  
he entered1 he attacked ,hank and vowed 
he'd send him to prison if he didn't    
make a clean breast4 ,hank was a        
thorough coward1 and1 now that his      
friends were prisoners1 was ready enough
 to tell the truth if he could be       
protected from prosecution4 ,seeing the 
disposition of the prosecuting attorney1

 ,bud got from him a promise that he    
would do what he could to protect ,hank4
 ,that worthy then took the stand1      
confessed his lie1 and even told the    
inducement which ,mr4 ,pete ,jones had  
offered him to perjure himself4  ,to be 
sure1 said ,pearson4  ,squire ,hawkins1 
turning his right eye upon him1 while   
the left looked at the ceiling1 said3   
,be careful1 ,mr4 ,pearson1 or ,i shall 
have to punish you for contempt4  ,why1 
,squar1 ,i didn't know 'twas any sin to 
hev a healthy contemp' fer sech a thief 
as ,jones6  ,the ,squire looked at ,mr4 
,pearson severely1 and the latter1      
feeling that he had committed some      
offense without knowing it1 subsided    
into silence4  ,bronson now had a keen  
sense of the direction of the gale4  ,if
 the court please1 said he1 ,i have     
tried to do my duty in this case4 ,it   
was my duty to prosecute ,mr4 ,hartsook1
 however much ,i might feel assured that
 he was innocent1 and that he would be  
able to prove his innocence4 ,i now     

enter a nolle in his case and that of   
,john ,pearson1 and ,i ask that this    
court adjourn until to-morrow1 in order 
to give me time to examine the evidence 
in the case of the other parties under  
arrest4 ,i am proud to think that my    
efforts have been the means of sifting  
the matter to the bottom1 of freeing    
,mr4 ,hartsook from suspicion1 and of   
detecting the real criminals4  ,ugh6    
said ,mr4 ,pearson1 who conceived a     
great dislike to ,bronson4  ,the court1 
said ,squire ,hawkins1 congratulates    
,mr4 ,hartsook on his triumphant        
acquittal4 ,he is discharged from the   
bar of this court1 and from the bar of  
public sentiment1 without a suspicion of
 guilt4 ,constable1 discharge ,ralph    
,hartsook and ,john ,pearson4  ,old     
,jack ,means1 who had always had a warm 
side for the master1 now proposed three 
cheers for ,mr4 ,hartsook1 and they were
 given with a will by the people who    
would have hanged him an hour before4   
,mrs4 ,means gave it as her opinion that

 ,jack ,means allers wuz a fool6  ,this 
court1 said ,dr4 ,underwood1 has one    
other duty to perform before adjourning 
for the day4 ,recall ,hannah ,thomson4  
,i jist started her on ahead to git     
supper and milk the cows1 said ,mrs4    
,means4 ,a'n't a-goin' to have her      
loafin' here all day4  ,constable1      
recall her4 ,this court can not adjourn 
until she returns6  ,hannah had gone but
 a little way1 and was soon in the      
presence of the court1 trembling for    
fear of some new calamity4  ,hannah     
,thomson--it was ,squire ,underwood who 
spoke--,hannah ,thomson1 this court     
wishes to ask you one or two questions4 
,yes1 sir1 but her voice died to a      
whisper4  ,how old did you say you were8
  ,eighteen1 sir1 last ,october4  ,can  
you prove your age8  ,yes1 sir--by my   
mother4  ,for how long are you bound to 
,mr4 ,means8  ,till ,i'm twenty-one4    
,this court feels in duty bound to      
inform you that1 according to the laws  
of ,indiana1 a woman is of age at       

eighteen1 and as no indenture could be  
made binding after you had reached your 
majority1 you are the victim of a       
deception4 ,you are free1 and if it can 
be proven that you have been defrauded  
by a willful deception1 a suit for      
damages will lie4  ,ugh6 said ,mrs4     
,means4 ,you're a purty court1 a'n't    
you1 ,dr4 ,underwood8  ,be careful1     
,mrs4 ,means1 or ,i shall have to fine  
you for contempt of court4  ,but the    
people1 who were in the cheering humor1 
cheered ,hannah and the justices1 and   
then cheered ,ralph again4 ,granny      
,sanders shook hands with him1 and      
allers knowed he'd come out right4 ,it  
allers 'peared like as if ,dr4 ,small   
warn't jist the sort to tie to1 you     
know4 ,and old ,john ,pearson went home1
 after drinking two or three glasses of 
,welch's whisky1 keeping time to an     
imaginary triumphal march1 and feeling  
prouder than he had ever felt since he  
fit the ,britishers under ,scott at     
,lundy's ,lane4 ,he told his wife that  

the master had jist knocked the         
hind-sights offen that air young lawyer 
from ,lewisburg4  ,walter was held to   
bail that he might appear as a witness1 
and ,ralph might have sent his aunt a   
,roland for an ,oliver4 ,but he only    
sent a note to his uncle1 asking him to 
go ,walter's bail4 ,if he had been      
resentful1 he could not have wished for 
a more complete revenge than the day had
 brought4     ,,chapter ,,xxxii4        
,,after ,,the ,,battle4   ,nothing can  
be more demoralizing in the long run    
than lynch law4 ,and yet lynch law often
 originates in a burst of generous      
indignation which is not willing to     
suffer a bold oppressor to escape by    
means of corrupt and cowardly courts4   
,it is oftener born of fear4 ,both      
motives powerfully agitated the people  
of the region round about ,clifty as    
night drew on after ,ralph's acquittal4 
,they were justly indignant that ,ralph 
had been made the victim of such a      
conspiracy1 and they were frightened at 

the unseen danger to the community from 
such a band as that of ,small's4 ,it was
 certain that they did not know the full
 extent of the danger as yet4 ,and what 
,small might do with a jury1 or what    
,pete ,jones might do with a sheriff1   
was a question4 ,i must not detain the  
reader to tell how the mob rose4 ,nobody
 knows how such things come about4      
,their origin is as inexplicable as that
 of an earthquake4 ,but1 at any rate1 a 
rope was twice put round ,small's neck  
during that night1 and both times ,small
 was saved only by the nerve and address
 of ,ralph1 who had learned how unjust  
mob law may be4 ,as for ,small1 he      
neither trembled when they were ready to
 hang him1 nor looked relieved when he  
was saved1 nor showed the slightest     
flush of penitence or gratitude4 ,he    
bore himself in a quiet1 gentlemanly way
 throughout1 like the admirable villain 
that he was4  ,he waived a preliminary  
examination the next day2 his father    
went his bail1 and he forfeited bail and

 disappeared from the county and from   
the horizon of my story4 ,two reports   
concerning ,small have been in          
circulation--one that he was running a  
faro-bank in ,san ,francisco1 the other 
that he was curing consumption in ,new  
,york by some quack process4 ,if this   
latter were true1 it would leave it an  
open question whether ,ralph did well to
 save him from the gallows4 ,pete ,jones
 and ,bill1 as usually happens to the   
rougher villains1 went to prison1 and   
when their terms had expired moved to   
,pike ,county1 ,missouri4  ,but it is   
about ,hannah that you wish to hear1 and
 that ,i wish to tell4 ,she went        
straight from the court room to ,flat   
,creek1 climbed to her chamber1 packed  
in a handkerchief all her earthly goods1
 consisting chiefly of a few family     
relics1 and turned her back on the house
 of ,means forever4 ,at the gate she met
 the old woman1 who shook her fist in   
the girl's face and gave her a parting  
benediction in the words3 ,you mis'able1

 ongrateful critter you1 go 'long4 ,i'm 
glad to be shed of you6 ,at the barn she
 met ,bud1 and he told her good-by with 
a little huskiness in his voice1 while a
 tear glistened in her eyes4 ,bud had   
been a friend in need1 and such a friend
 one does not leave without a pang4     
,where are you going8 ,can ,i--  ,no1   
no6 ,and with that she hastened on1     
afraid that ,bud would offer to hitch up
 the roan colt4 ,and she did not want to
 add to his domestic unhappiness by     
compromising him in that way4  ,it was  
dusk and was raining when she left4 ,the
 hours were long1 the road was lonely1  
and after the revelations of that day it
 did not seem wholly safe4 ,but from the
 moment that she found herself free1 her
 heart had been ready to break with an  
impatient homesickness4 ,what though    
there might be robbers in the woods8    
,what though there were ten rough miles 
to travel8 ,what though the rain was in 
her face8 ,what though she had not      
tasted food since the morning of that   

exciting day8 ,flat ,creek and bondage  
were behind2 freedom1 mother1 ,shocky1  
and home were before her1 and her feet  
grew lighter with the thought4 ,and if  
she needed any other joy1 it was to know
 that the master was clear4 ,and he     
would come8 ,and so she traversed the   
weary distance1 and so she inquired and 
found the house1 the beautiful1 homely  
old house of beautiful1 homely old      
,nancy ,sawyer1 and knocked1 and was    
admitted1 and fell down1 faint and      
weary1 at her blind mother's feet1 and  
laid her tired head in her mother's lap 
and wept and wept like a child1 and     
said1 ,o mother6 ,i'm free6 ,i'm free6  
while the mother's tears baptized her   
face1 and the mother's trembling fingers
 combed out her tresses4 ,and ,shocky   
stood by her and cried3 ,i knowed ,god  
wouldn't forget you1 ,hanner6  ,hannah  
was ready now to do anything by which   
she could support her mother and        
,shocky4 ,she was strong1 and inured to 
toil4 ,she was willing and cheerful1 and

 she would gladly have gone to service  
if by that means she could have         
supported the family4 ,and1 for that    
matter her mother was already able      
nearly to support herself by her        
knitting4 ,but ,hannah had been         
carefully educated when young1 and at   
that moment the old public schools were 
being organized into a graded school1   
and the good minister1 who shall be     
nameless1 because he is1 perhaps1 still 
living in ,indiana1 and who in          
,methodist parlance was called the      
preacher-in-charge of ,lewisburg        
,station--this good minister and ,miss  
,nancy ,sawyer got ,hannah a place as   
teacher in the primary department4 ,and 
then a little house with four rooms was 
rented1 and a little1 a very little     
furniture was put into it1 and the old  
sweet home was established again4 ,the  
father was gone1 never to come back     
again4 ,but the rest were here4 ,and    
somehow ,hannah kept waiting for        
somebody else to come4     ,,chapter    

,,xxxiii4  ,,into ,,the ,,light4   ,for 
two weeks longer ,ralph taught at the   
,flat ,creek school-house4 ,he was      
everybody's hero4 ,and he was ,bud's    
idol4 ,he did what he could to get ,bud 
and ,martha together1 and though ,bud   
always saw her safe home after this1 and
 called on her every ,sunday evening1   
yet1 to save his life1 he could not     
forget his big fists and his big feet   
long enough to say what he most wanted  
to say1 and what ,martha most wanted him
 to say4  ,at the end of two weeks      
,ralph found himself exceedingly weary  
of ,flat ,creek1 and exceedingly glad to
 hear from ,mr4 ,means that the         
school-money had gin out4 ,it gave him a
 good excuse to return to ,lewisburg1   
where his heart and his treasure were4  
,a certain sense of delicacy had kept   
him from writing to ,hannah just yet4   
,when he got to ,lewisburg he had good  
news4 ,his uncle1 ashamed of his        
previous neglect1 and perhaps with an   
eye to his nephew's growing popularity1 

had got him the charge of the grammar   
department in the new graded school in  
the village4 ,so he quietly arranged to 
board at a boarding-house4 ,his aunt    
could not have him about1 of which fact 
he was very glad4 ,she could not but    
feel1 she said1 that he might have taken
 better care of ,walter than he did1    
when they were only four miles apart4   
,he did not hasten to call on ,hannah4  
,why should he8 ,he sent her a message1 
of no consequence in itself1 by ,nancy  
,sawyer4 ,then he took possession of his
 school2 and then1 on the evening of the
 first day of school1 he went1 as he had
 appointed to himself1 to see ,hannah   
,thomson4  ,and she1 with some sweet    
presentiment1 had got things ready by   
fixing up the scantily-furnished room as
 well as she could4 ,and ,miss ,nancy   
,sawyer1 who had seen ,ralph that       
afternoon1 had guessed that he was going
 to see ,hannah4 ,it's wonderful how    
much enjoyment a generous heart can get 
out of the happiness of others4 ,is not 

that what ,he meant when he said of such
 as ,miss ,sawyer that they should have 
a hundred-fold in this life for all     
their sacrifices8 ,did not ,miss ,nancy 
enjoy a hundred weddings and have the   
love of five hundred children8 ,and so  
,miss ,nancy just happened over at ,mrs4
 ,thomson's humble home1 and1 just in   
the most matter-of-course way1 asked    
that lady and ,shocky to come over to   
her house4 ,shocky wanted ,hannah to    
come too4 ,but ,hannah blushed a little1
 and said that she would rather not4    
,and when she was left alone1 ,hannah   
fixed her hair two or three times1 and  
swept the hearth1 and moved the chairs  
first one way and then another1 and did 
a good many other needless things4      
,needless3 for a lover1 if he be a      
lover1 does not see furniture or dress4 
,and then she sat down by the fire1 and 
tried to sew1 and tried to look         
unconcerned1 and tried to feel          
unconcerned1 and tried not to expect    
anybody1 and tried to make her heart    

keep still4 ,and tried in vain4 ,for a  
gentle rap at the door sent her pulse up
 twenty beats a minute and made her face
 burn4 ,and ,hartsook was for the first 
time1 abashed in the presence of        
,hannah4 ,for the oppressed girl had1 in
 two weeks1 blossomed out into the      
full-blown woman4  ,and ,ralph sat down 
by the fire1 and talked of his school   
and her school1 and everything else but 
what he wanted to talk about4 ,and then 
the conversation drifted back to ,flat  
,creek1 and to the walk through the     
pasture1 and to the box-elder tree1 and 
to the painful talk in the lane4 ,and   
,hannah begged to be forgiven1 and      
,ralph laughed at the idea that she had 
done anything wrong4 ,and she praised   
his goodness to ,shocky1 and he drew her
 little note out of--,but ,i agreed not 
tell you where he kept it4 ,and then she
 blushed1 and he told how the note had  
sustained him1 and how her white face   
kept up his courage in his flight down  
the bed of ,clifty ,creek4 ,and he sat a

 little nearer1 to show her the note    
that he had carried in his bosom--,i    
have told it6 ,and--but ,i must not     
proceed4 ,a love-scene1 ever so         
beautiful in itself1 will not bear      
telling4 ,and so ,i shall leave a little
 gap just here1 which you may fill up as
 you please4 4 4 4 ,somehow1 they never 
knew how1 they got to talking about the 
future instead of the past1 after that1 
and to planning their two lives as one  
life4 ,and 4 4 4 ,and when ,miss ,nancy 
and ,mrs4 ,thomson returned later in the
 evening1 ,ralph was standing by the    
mantel-piece1 but ,shocky noticed that  
his chair was close to ,hannah's4 ,and  
good ,miss ,nancy ,sawyer looked in     
,hannah's face and was happy4           
,,chapter ,,xxxiv4  ,,how ,,it ,,came   
,,out   ,we are all children in reading 
stories4 ,we want more than all else to 
know how it all came out at the end1    
and1 if our taste is not perverted1 we  
like it to come out well4 ,for my part1 
ever since ,i began to write this story1

 ,i have been anxious to know how it was
 going to come out4  ,well1 there were  
very few invited4 ,it took place at ten 
in the morning4 ,the preacher-in-charge 
came1 of course4 ,miss ,nancy ,sawyer   
was there4 ,but ,ralph's uncle was away1
 and ,aunt ,matilda had a sore throat   
and couldn't come4 ,perhaps the memory  
of the fact that she had refused ,mrs4  
,thomson1 the pauper1 a bed for two     
nights1 affected her throat4 ,but ,miss 
,nancy and her sister were there1 and   
the preacher4 ,and that was all1 besides
 the family1 and ,bud and ,martha4 ,of  
course ,bud and ,martha came4 ,and      
driving ,martha to a wedding in a jumper
 was the one opportunity ,bud needed4   
,his hands were busy1 his big boots were
 out of sight1 and it was so easy to    
slip from ,ralph's love affair to his   
own1 that ,bud somehow1 in pulling      
,martha ,hawkins's shawl about her1     
stammered out half a proposal1 which    
,martha1 generous soul1 took for the    
whole ceremony1 and accepted4 ,and ,bud 

was so happy that ,ralph guessed from   
his face and voice that the agony was   
over1 and ,bud was betrothed at last to 
the gal as was a gal4  ,and after ,ralph
 and ,hannah were married--there was no 
trip1 ,ralph only changed his           
boarding-place and became head of the   
house at ,mrs4 ,thomson's               
thereafter--after it was all over1 ,bud 
came to ,mr4 ,hartsook1 and1 snickering 
just a little1 said as how as him and   
,martha had fixed it all up1 and now    
they wanted to ax his advice2 and       
,martha proud but blushing1 came up and 
nodded assent4 ,bud said as how as he   
hadn't got no book-larnin' nor nothin'1 
and as how as he wanted to be somethin'1
 and put in his best licks fer ,him1 you
 know'4 ,and that ,marthy1 she was of   
the same way of thinkin'1 and that was a
 blessin'4 ,and the ,squire was a-goin' 
to marry agin'1 and ,marthy would ruther
 vacate4 ,and his mother and ,mirandy   
was sech as he wouldn't take no wife to4
 ,and he thought as how ,mr4 ,hartsook  

might think of some way or some place   
where he and ,marthy mout make a livin' 
fer the present1 and put in their best  
licks fer ,him1 you know4  ,ralph       
thought a moment4 ,he was about to make 
an allusion to ,hercules and the ,augean
 stables1 but he remembered that ,bud   
would not understand it1 though it might
 remind ,martha of something she had    
seen at the ,east1 the time she was to  
,bosting4  ,bud1 my dear friend1 said   
,ralph1 it looks a little hard to ask   
you to take a new wife--here ,bud looked
 admiringly at ,martha--to the          
poor-house4 ,but ,i don't know anywhere 
where you can do so much good for       
,christ as by taking charge of that     
place1 and ,i can get the appointment   
for you4 ,the new commissioners want    
just such a man4  ,what d'ye say1       
,marthy8 said ,bud4  ,why1 somebody     
ought to do for the poor1 and ,i should 
like to do it4  ,and so ,hercules       
cleaned the ,augean stables4  ,and so my
 humble1 homely ,hoosier story of twenty

 years ago#bi draws to a close1 and not 
without regret ,i take leave of ,ralph  
and ,hannah2 and ,shocky1 and ,bud1 and 
,martha1 and ,miss ,nancy1 and of my    
readers4         99       99       99   
99       99  ,p4,s4--,a copy of the     
,lewisburg ,jeffersonian came into my   
hands to-day1 and ,i see by its columns 
that ,ralph ,hartsook is principal of   
the ,lewisburg ,academy4 ,it took me    
some time1 however1 to make out that the
 sheriff of the county1 ,mr4 ,israel ,w4
 ,means1 was none other than my old     
friend ,bud1 of the ,church of the ,best
 ,licks4 ,i was almost as much puzzled  
over his name as ,i was when ,i saw an  
article in a city paper1 by ,prof4      
,w4,j4 ,thomson1 on ,poor-,houses4 ,i   
should not have recognized the writer as
 ,shocky1 had ,i not known that ,shocky 
has given his spare time to making      
outcasts feel that ,god has not forgot4 
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #bi3 ,written in
 #ahga4   ,,the ,,end