table, to eat whatever was put before him, and make no remarks about it.
So Jack, I suppose, felt he had done his full duty, and deserved and desired credit, when he leaned back in his chair and said he had finished his supper, and added:
"I have done just what you told me to do, mother. I have eat my rossberrys, worms and all, and said nothin'."
"I thought," said Tamer, "I should sink through the floor; and another time I thought I should expire with shame. Jack had been to Sunday-school and the teacher" (the Born Baptist) "made him sign the pledge. Jack loved sweet cider, and I wuz afraid he would break the pledge, he wuz so little, and I thought I would ruther have him wait till he got older and could feel the importance of it, and I told Jack I would have his teacher take his name off the pledge. And that very day she called, and I told her I thought Jack had better wait till he wuz older, and she turned her eyes in a solemn way to Jack and said, 'Jack, do you want to take your name off the pledge?'
"'Yes, I do,' sez Jack, independent as anything.
"'Do you want to drink cider?'
"'Yes, I do, and beer and brandy and whisky and anything else I can git to drink.'"
Sez Tamer, "I could cried, I felt so, and that woman looked on us as if she thought we wuz heathens. Hamen whipped Jack hard for that."
Sez I, "I wouldn't be afraid to bet a cent Hamen and John had plagued Jack about signin' the pledge and told him he couldn't drink any more beer or whisky, thinkin' it wuz smart and cunnin'—didn't they, now?"
