Abraham's mother in making his clothes had provided against
the day when he would weigh two hundred pounds, and consequently his
garments hung all around him, giving him an exceedingly dispirited look.
His hair relieved this somewhat, for it was white and always stood gaily
on end, defying brush and comb. Daniel Arker, a sturdy black-haired lad,
would have done fuller justice to the passage that fell to Abraham, for
the Spiker boy with his gentle lisp never shone in elocution; but our
reading class is a lottery, as we go from scholar to scholar down the
line. The lot falling to him, Abraham pushed himself up from the bench,
grasped his book fiercely with both hands, and fixed his eyes intently on
the ceiling.
"Go on," I commanded kindly.
"'Fierth broke he forth,'" lisped the boy.
"Louder. Put some spirit in it," I cried. "'Fierce broke he forth!'"
And my crutch beat the floor.
"'Fierth broke he forth, and durtht thou then to bared----"
"To beard," I corrected.
"'Bared the lion in hith den--the Doog-dug-lath----'" Abraham stopped
and took a long breath.
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