THE PLAIN "ENGLISH" OF IT. 203 



understood, and caring little to be so. I knew that 

 he would be "asleep" during my sermon "on culti- 

 vation : " and he knew that I knew it ; and would 

 not have been awake under the affliction of so many 

 long words for his life and character's sake. But 

 to sleep without an eye or an ear left for sentry- 

 duty that was far from Benjamin Greening. And 

 I, for my part, was satisfied with my audience ; the 

 more so, because I knew that I should find in him 

 an objector, who would not fail to start every diffi- 

 culty which feigned ignorance, or practical knowl- 

 edge, was likely to suggest. 



Mr. Greening, however, was taken with a long fit 

 of silence. Luncheon came and went, and that 

 preoccupying subject he discussed amply and seri- 

 atim in all its branches : but I could see that my 

 dose was not inoperative. The vindication of his 

 old friend the Plow was hot within him, the while ; 

 struggling only with a curiosity to hear the transla- 

 tion into plain English that I had promised him ; 

 and which, he knew, would open plenty of points 

 of attack more assailable than the compact and 

 synthetical phalanx of long words he had inter- 

 rupted so opportunely at "the stones." 



' " So we 're not to have a Steam-Pfcw, then, after 

 all eh, -sir?" he at last began. ""Well, I've heerd 



