JOHN AT WOOD. 35 



just as soon be a deckhand as to be captain." He had 

 John's measure to the fraction of an inch. John worked 

 because he was forced to do it; if by diligently applying 

 himself for a year he could attain a competency, he would 

 have said, "I would rather go a-fishmV 



I have said that John was a long-legged boy. He was 

 also a very quiet fellow never in any boyish fights or 

 troubles. These qualities commended him to Mr. Charles 

 Crouch, a harness-maker and superintendent of the Meth- 

 odist Sunday-school, and John was in demand for the 

 May anniversary to carry the centre pole of the banner, 

 while two shorter boys steadied the corners with cord and 

 tassel. "Jine the Sunday-school," said John to me; "I'll 

 get you to hold a corner of the banner, and we will get the 

 first whack at the refreshments when we stop in Albany." 

 I "jined," and at the first meeting there was a pathetic 

 appeal for funds for missionaries, and I chipped in the 

 only sixpence I had, and which John and I had figured to 

 spend in this way: six fish-hooks at Coshy Lansing's, 2 

 cents; ten knots of blue-fish line at Tom Simmond's, 2 

 cents; lead at Pop Huyler's blacksmith shop, 2 cents. 

 "And you went and threw that to the heathen," said John. 

 "Who are the heathen?" he asked. "What do you care 

 about the heathen that you give 'em your last cent? I 

 thought you had some sense ! Now we've got to make a 

 raise to get some fishin' tackle in the mornin' just because 

 you are a blamed fool ! I only go to Sunday-school just 

 before anniversary so as to get in on the refreshments; 

 they don't get no sixpence out of me. Why, them heathen 

 is all right; they're satisfied to be heathen, an' I'm willin'." 

 I had done wrong and felt abashed in the presence of a 

 superior mind, and to-day I regret the donation of that 

 coin, for John's closing argument is good. 



The "nut orchard" lay just out of the village and con- 



