imitated precisely the nasal tones of the old man, tumbling on the
floor, to illustrate the supposed catastrophe.

"Come now, be decent, can't ye?" said Aunt Chloe; "an't yer shamed?"

Mas'r George, however, joined the offender in the laugh, and declared
decidedly that Mose was a "buster." So the maternal admonition seemed
rather to fail of effect.

"Well, ole man," said Aunt Chloe, "you'll have to tote in them ar
bar'ls."

"Mother's bar'ls is like dat ar widder's, Mas'r George was reading
'bout, in de good book,--dey never fails," said Mose, aside to Peter.

"I'm sure one on 'em caved in last week," said Pete, "and let 'em all
down in de middle of de singin'; dat ar was failin', warnt it?"

During this aside between Mose and Pete, two empty casks had been rolled
into the cabin, and being secured from rolling, by stones on each side,
boards were laid across them, which arrangement, together with the
turning down of certain tubs and pails, and the disposing of the rickety
chairs, at last completed the preparation.

"Mas'r George is such a beautiful reader, now, I know he'll stay to
read for us," said Aunt Chloe; "'pears like 't will be so much more
interestin'."

George very readily consented, for your boy is always ready for anything
that makes him of importance.