482

LIFE 01? THE MISSISSIPPI.

All heart and hope went out of me, and the dismal thought keot
floating through my brain, ' If a boy who knows three thousand
verses by heart is not satisfactory, what chance is there for anybody
else?'	^
Of course I never questioned for a moment that the storm was cm
Dutchy's account, or that he or any other inconsequential animal was
worthy of such a majestic demonstration from on high ; the lesson of
it was the only thing that troubled me ; for it convinced me that if

Dutchy, with all Ms
perfections, was not a
delight, it would bevab
for me to turn over a
new leaf, for I must
infallibly fall hopelessly
short of that boy, no
matter how hard I might
try. Nevertheless I did
turn it over—a highly
educated fear complied
me to do that—but sue-
ceeding days of cheerful
ness and sunshine came
bothering around, and
within a month I bad
so drifted backward thai
again T was as lost adl
* we all flew home.'	comfortable as ever.
Breakfast time ap-
proached while I mused these musings and called these anclea^
happenings back to mind; so I got me back into the present and week
down the Mil.
On, my way through town to the hotel, I saw the house wh^i
was my home when I was a boy. At present rates, the people wis^
now occupy it are of no more value than I am ; but in my time
would have been worth not less than five hundred dollars
They are coloured folk.
breakfast, I went out alone again, intending to hunt 'vf