“Tommy, my boy, come here. You and I have not had a frolic to-day. You are at that new spelling-book every moment. What do you find in that book?” Thomas ran to his accustomed place between the knees of uncle Jesse, and looking him in the face, and catching hold of his beard of a week’s growth, responded:-- “I find a heap of things. Here are pretties.[35] Jest look at that ’ere boy in the tree. He’s stealing apples, and sez he won’t come down.” “O, pshaw, Tom, that’s all a story. You don’t b’lieve a boy would get into an apple tree in the day time, when he know’d the old farmer would see him?” “Well, I don’t know, but the master said it’s jest like bad boys, and he knows.” “Now, Tommy, tell me honestly, how do you like the master?” “He’s fust rate; and all the boys say so.” “How many times has he whipped you?” “He duz no such thing. He says ef he can’t get along without fighting, he’ll jest quit.” “Has Sis’ got a flogging yet?” “No, _sir-ee_--Sis’ and the Master are great friends.” “Does Joe Sikes come to school yet?” “I recon he duz. Joe can’t stay away, no how he can fix it.” “But Joe Sikes in old Virginia, was the hardest case in school. He had Mr. Birch hold of him regularly as the day came round.” “So he did here. Mr. O’Cafferty gave him some of the all-firedest thrashings I ever seed, and he only got worser.” “How in the world does Mr. Clark contrive to manage that fellow?” “He jest talks it into him. And I he’rn Joe say he’d no heart to insult so good a man as the master.” “Now, Tom, tell me honestly which you’d rather do--stay at home, play with the dogs, and hunt coons at night, or go to that school?” “I’d go to school as long as I liv’d ef I could have such a master as Mr. Clark.” “Well, Tom, I must give you up. Mr. Clark’s bought you, that’s certain. You’re a gone coon for huntin.”[36] Calling up Susan, he said, “Come, Sis’, and tell uncle what you think of the master?” “He’s the best man in all Canetuck.” “But some of those big girls down the creek don’t like him.” “Yes, they duz,” responded Susan, whose whole soul had become enlisted in the mysteries of the new spelling book. “Now, Susy, let me hear you read your lesson for to-morrow.” Susan had just commenced the table for “easy readings,” and of course she had to proceed with great care. She took her station by her uncle, with the new copy of Webster in one hand, and pointing the fore-finger of the other to the word as her eyes passed along the line, she read slowly and distinctly, without missing three words: “No man may put off the law of God; My joy is in his law all the day. I must not go in the way of sin. Let me not go in the way of ill men.” “Well done, Susan;--you are right smart, and do your master much credit.”