YOURS WITH ALL MY HEART 



an' diggin' out the Meetin' -house cellar, free 

 gratis for nuthin', didn't go down with you'n' 

 I, did it?' said the first speaker with great 

 moderation. 



'No sir-ee!' responded Uncle Siah. "I 

 'low that if these summer folks can loaf 

 round and enjoy theirselves all through the 

 fine w r eather, they've no bizness ter find 

 fault agin our restin' winters. I own I ain't 

 in any great teeter for real bone labor, in 

 season nor out o' season, no more'n they 

 be. That ere college perfesser thought he'd 

 said a mighty sharp thing when he hinted 

 that grocer Locke here had ought ter either 

 upholster the tops o' his barrels or provide 

 us leather patches for our breeches. He 

 ain't in dooty bound ter do nuther one; that's 

 our own lookout. And as for me, I'll defy 

 any o' these kid-gloved fellers to git me off 

 this ere sugar-barrel till I'm good an' ready. 

 I'll stick on it, winter and summer, too, if I 

 choose, till I've gro\ved here!' 



'So say I!' chimed in Reub Ring as he 

 beat a lively tattoo on his barrel with his 

 twisted boot-heels by way of applause, and 

 crunched a fresh peanut, abstracted with a 

 sort of back-handed flourish from the gro- 

 198 



