in that black crew for an innocent young life like Dora's? Have you got the heart," sez I, "to try to entice that young girl into such a life as you know the wife of a dissipated man must lead—into woe and wretchedness, and an early grave, most likely?"
"I would reform," sez he; "I would become a different man for her sake."
"Why haven't you, then?" sez I. "Why haven't you reformed in all these years when you wuz on probation, as you may say, a-tryin' to win her love? Do you think that you'd do better when you wuz sure of her and she wuz in your power? Now," sez I, "I don't want to be hash to you, and I don't want to hender you from singin' that
'While the lamp holds out to burn
The vilest sinner may return,'
but I don't want you to sing it here; I want you to go away and let Dora alone."
"I never will," sez he.
"Well," sez I, "I will see about that;" and I got up and went to the back door and called out loud: "Josiah, I want you and Ury to come right here!"
Well, my conscience has twitted me about that performance more'n a hundred times sence, if it has once. But, then, I would kinder argy back, when I would git all wore out with that conscience a-proddin' me, I did want Josiah to come that very minute, and I would have liked to see Ury step in, there hain't a doubt on't. And what of it, what if Ury wuz to Three Mile Bay for a load of spruce; and what if Josiah Allen wuz two milds and a half away in our wood-lot, I wanted 'em, there hain't a doubt of that, and I didn't lie.
And I spoze I might jest as well tell it right here as
