and reminiscences of the sayings and doings of his wonderful brother
Dick.

This same Dick was evidently the one being Joe worshipped on earth,
and to keep his promises to Dick was a sacred duty.

"You don't know our Dick, Mrs. Wilson," said Joe, to the old
housekeeper; "if you did, you'd understand why I no more dare go agen
wot Dick told me, than I dare put my 'and in that 'ere fire. When I
were quite a little chap, I took some big yaller plums once, out of
one of the punnits father was a-packin' for market, and I eat 'em. I
don't know to this hour wot made me take them plums; but I remember
they were such prime big uns, big as eggs they was, and like lumps of
gold, with a sort of blue shade over 'em. Father were very partikler
about not 'avin' the fruit 'andled and takin' the bloom off, and told
me to cover 'em well with leaves. It was a broilin' 'ot day, and I
was tired, 'avin' been stoopin' over the baskits since four in the
morning, and as I put the leaves over the plums I touched 'em; they
felt so lovely and cool, and looked so juicy-like, I felt I must eat
one, and I did; there was just six on 'em, and when I'd bin and eat
one, there seemed such a empty place left in the punnit, that I knew
father'd be sure to see it, so I eat 'em all, and then threw the
punnit to one side. Just then, father comes up and says, "Count them
punnits, Dick! there ought to be forty on 'em. Twenty picked large
for Mr. Moses, and twenty usuals for Marts!'--two of our best
customers they was. Well, Dick, he counts 'em, and soon misses one.
'Thirty-eight, thirty-nine,' he sez, and no more; 'but 'ere's a empty
punnit,' he sez. I was standing near, feelin' awful, and wished I'd
said I'd eat the plums afore Dick begun to count 'em, but I didn't,
and after that I couldn't. 'Joe!' sez Dick, 'I wants yer! 'Ow come