Samantha at the World's Fair by Marietta Holley
page 158 of 569 (27%)
page 158 of 569 (27%)
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such pious and well-meanin' names.
There wuz John Wesley, and Martin Luther, and little Peter Cooper Schack. Miss Schack wuz a well-principled woman, no doubt, and I dare say had high idees before they wuz jarred, and hauled down, and stomped and trampled on, by noise and confusion. And I dare presoom to say that she had named them children a-hopin' and a-expectin' some of the high and religious qualities of their namesakes would strike in. But to set and hear Martin Luther swear at John Wesley wuz a sight. And to see John Wesley clench his fists in Martin Luther's hair and kick him wuz enough to horrify any beholder. But Peter Cooper wuz the worst; to see him take everything away from his brothers he possibly could, and devour it himself, and want everything himself, and be mad if they had anything, and steal from 'em in the most cold-blooded way, and act--why, it wuz enough to make that blessed old philanthropist, Peter Cooper, turn over in his grave. They wuz dretful troublesome and worrisome to the rest of the boarders, but Mr. Freeman could quell 'em down any time--sometimes by lookin' at 'em and smilin', and sometimes by lookin' stern, and sometimes by candy and oranges. I declare for't, as I told Miss Plank sometimes, I didn't know what we would have done durin' some hot meal times if it hadn't been for that blessed bacheldor. I said that right out openly to Miss Plank, and to everybody else. Bein' married happy, I felt free to speak my mind about bacheldors, or |
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