TOM SAWYER by Amadeo Nipasa

x Jjbris UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

Collection of

Children's

Books

CHILDREN'S BOOK COLLECTION

* LIBRARY OF THE IVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

* *

THE

ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER.

THE ADVENTURES OF

TOM SAWYER BY

MARK TWAIN.

THE AMERICAN PUBLISHING COMPANY, HARTFORD, CONN.: CHICAGO, ILL.: CINCINNATI, OHIO. A. ROMAN & CO., SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 1876.

BY SAMUEL

L. CLEMENS.

1875-

MY WIFE THIS BOOK is

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.

PREFACE. Most of

the adventures recorded in this book really occurred

Huck Finn is

;

one or two were

own, the rest those of boys who were schoolmates of mine. drawn from life Tom Sawyer also, but not from an individual he

experiences of

;

a combination of the characteristics of three boys

whom

I knew,

and therefore

belongs to the composite order of architecture.

The odd in the

superstitions touched

West

upon were

at the period of this story

all

that

prevalent

among

children and slaves

to say, thirty or forty years ago.

is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls, I shunned by men and women on that account, for part of my plan has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves, and of how they felt and thought and talked, and what queer enterprises

Although

hope

book

will not be

they sometimes engaged

HARTFORD, 1876.

in.

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS. CHAPTER Y-o-u-u

Tom Aunt

Polly Decides

Upon

Tom

her Duty

Practices Music

The Challenge

A Private Entrance

CHAPTER Strong Temptations

Strategic

CHAPTER Tom

Triumph and Reward

as a General

Attending Sunday-School

III.

Dismal

Felicity

CHAPTER Mental Acrobatics

II.

The Innocents Beguiled

Movements

Commission and Omission.

...

IV.

The Superintendent

"Showing

off"

Tom

Lionized

CHAPTER

A Useful

CHAPTER Self -Examination

CHAPTER VII. A Mistake Made

Old Scenes Re-enacted

Grave Subjects Introduced .

IX.

Injun Joe Explains

CHAPTER

Terror Brings Repentance

VIII.

CHAPTER Solemn Situation

Cautious

Early Lessons

Decides on his Course

The Solemn Oath

Witches and Devils

Happy Hours

CHAPTER

VI.

The Midnight Charm

Dentistry

Treaty Entered Into

Tom

The Climax

In Church

Minister

Approaches

Mental Punishment

No "

answer.

TOM

" !

answer.

"What's gone with that boy, wonder? You TOM "

answer.

The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room then she put them up and ;

looked out under them.

She seldom

or never looked through them for so small a thing as a boy they were her ;

state pair, the pride of

her heart, and

were built for "style," not service she could have seen through a pair of

stove

lids

just

as well.

She

looked perplexed for a moment, and then

said,

not

fiercely,

but

still

loud enough

for the furniture to hear:

TOM

WYER

get hold of you I'll" by this time she was bending down and punching under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate -the

"Well,

lay

She did not

if I

finish, for

She resurrected nothing but the " never did see the beat of that boy

punches with. "

cat.

She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out " weeds that constituted the garden. vines and " jimpson

up her voice tance, and shouted lifted

" Y-o-u-u

Tom !

among

the tomato

No Tom.

So she

an angle calculated for

dis-

There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout "

There

might

and

'a'

arrest his flight.

thought of that

closet.

What you been doing in there ? " "

Nothing."

And

Nothing! Look at your hands. " your mouth. What is that truck?

"/don't know, aunt." Well, / know. It's jam

that's

look at

what

is.

Forty times I've said if you didn't let tljat jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me that switch."

The switch hovered

the peril

in the air

was

desperate "

Look behind

you, aunt

" !

The old lady whirled round, and snatched her The lad fled, on the out of danger.

skirts

scrambled up the high board-fence, and disappeared over it. instant,

AUNT POLLY BEGUILED.

His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle laugh. the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks

"Hang enough

like that for

to be looking out for

him by

this

time ?

But old

fools

A UNT POLL Y DECIDES UPON HER DUTY. Can't learn an old dog new tricks, as the saying is. is. goodness, he never plays them alike, two days, and how is a body to know what's coming? He 'pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a the biggest fools there

But

minute or make

laugh,

it's

all

down again and

can't hit

him a

lick.

doing my duty by that boy, and that's the Lord's truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spile the child, as the Good Book says. I'm a laying up sin

ain't

and suffering for us both, / know. He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me he's my own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash him, !

somehow. time

woman

hit is

Every time

him

I let

him

off,

me so, and every man that is born of

conscience does hurt

old heart most breaks.

Well-a-well,

of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and

reckon

it's

* hookey this evening, and I'll just be obleeged to make him work, tomorrow, to punish him. It's mighty hard to make him work Saturdays, when all the boys is having holiday, but he hates work more than he hates anything else, and I've got to do some of my duty by him, or I'll be the ruinaso.

He'll play

tion of the child."

Tom

did play hookey, and he had a very

good

time.

barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy,

got back

home

saw next-day's wood and

split the kindlings before supper at least he was there in time to tell his adventures

Jim while Jim did threeTom's

fourths of the work.

younger brother (or rather, half-brother) Sid, was already through with his part of the

work (picking up

A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.

While

Tom was

chips) for

he was a quiet boy, and had no adventurous, troublesome

ways. eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity offered,

* South-western for "afternoon."

THE CHALLENGE. "

You're a fighting

"Aw

take a walk

"Say

you give

liar

and dasn't take

up."

" !

me much more

of your sass

take and bounce a rock off'n

I'll

your head." "

Oh, of course you "Well I will."

will."

Well why don't you do

then

What do you keep don't you do "

I ain't

"You "

it ?

saying you will for It's

Why

because you're afraid."

afraid."

are."

I ain't."

You

are."

Another pause, and more eyeing and sidPresently they ling around each other. were shoulder "

to shoulder. "

Get away from here

"Go away

Tom

said

yourself!

"I won't."

"/won't

either."

So they stood, each with a foot placed an angle as a brace, and both shoving

with might and main, and glowering at each other with hate.

advantage.

But neither could get an till both were

After struggling

hot and flushed, each relaxed his strain with WHO'S AFRAID

watchful caution, and

Tom

said

"You're a coward and a pup. I'll tell my big brother on you, and he can thrash you with his little finger, and I'll make him do it, too." " is

\Vhat do

care for your big brother

I've got a brother that's bigger than he

and what's more, he can throw him over that

imaginary.]

"That's a

lie."

fence, too."

[Both brothers were

A PRIVATE ENTRANCE.

got

home

pretty late, that night,

and when he climbed cautiously

in at the

and when she window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn his Saturday holiday into ;

-captivity at

hard labor became adamantine

in its firmness.

morning come, and

the

all

was

summer world was

bright and fresh, and

brimming with There was a song in every heart and- if the heart was young the music life.

issued at the in

lips.

There was cheer

every face and a spring in every

step.

The

locust trees were in

bloom

and the fragrance of the blossoms filled

the

Cardiff Hill,

air.

the Village and above

with vegetation, and

enough away

it,

beyond was green

lay just

far

seem a Delectable

Land, dreamy, reposeful, and inviting. Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and

handled fence,

Life to

and

all

a long-

surveyed

gladness

left

the

him and

down upon his spirit. Thirty yards of board fence him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden. Sighing.

a deep melancholy settled

nine feet high.

brush.

TOM SAWYER.

bandage was being unwound. In another moment he was flying down the street with his pail and a tingling rear, Tom was whitewashing with vigor, and Aunt Polly

TENDIN' TO BUSINESS.

was

retiring

from the

field

with a slipper in her hand and triumph in her eye.

But Tom's energy did not

He began

had planned boys would come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditions, and they would make a world of fun of him for having to work the very thought of it burnt him like fire. He got out his worldly wealth and examined it bits of toys, marbles, and trash enough to last.

for this day, and his sorrows multiplied.

to think of the fun he

Soon the

free

;

buy so much as half an straightened means to his pocket, and At this dark and hopeless moment an

buy an exchange of work, maybe, but not half enough hour of pure freedom.

So he returned

his

gave up the idea of trying to buy the boys. inspiration burst

upon him

Nothing

less

than a great, magnificent inspiration. Ben Rogers hove in sight

took up his brush and went tranquilly to work.

presently

the very boy, of

all

boys,

whose

ridicule he

had been dreading.

Ben's

TOM "

SA WYER.

I warn't noticing." you Ben /'m going in a swimming, / am. Don't you wish you could? " course you'd druther work wouldn't you? Course you would Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said

Why

it's

But of

"Say

What do you

Why Tom resumed

work ?

"Well, maybe is, it

on that you

it is,

and maybe

suits

The

Tom

oughtn't to like

chance to

aint.

don't

mean

Wei)

it?

Sawyer."

it ?

brusji continued to

"Like

and

"Oh come, now, you let

his whitewashing,

answered carelessly All I know,

work ?

call

ain't that

it.

move.

don't see

why

Does a boy get

whitewash a fence every

day ? That put the thing

Ben stopped nibbling swept

his

added AIN'T

THAT WORK?

new

daintily

a touch here

light.

Tom

back and

stepped back to note the

forth

brush

in a

his apple.

and there

effect criti-

cised the effect aga i n _Ben watching

every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said :

"Say, Tom,

Tom "No

let

me whitewash a

little."

considered, was about to consent

reckon

;

but he altered his mind

wouldn't hardly do, Ben.

particular about this fence

right here

on the

street,

wouldn't mind and she wouldn't.

back fence

this fence;

it's

got to be done very careful;

thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do

You

see, Aunt Polly's

you know

but

if it

awful

was the

Yes, she's awful particular about I

reckon there

the

way

it's

ain't

one boy in a

got to be done.

THE INNOCENTS BEGUILED. "No you, if

Oh come, now is that so? you was me, Tom."

"Ben,

I'd like to, honest injun; but

she wouldn't

let

him

you was

Only

just try.

just a little

Aunt Polly

Sid wanted to do

;

you see how I'm fixed to

lemme

it,

well Jim wanted and she wouldn't let Sid.

to tackle this fence

I'd let

it,

Now

and anything was

but

don't

happen

" it

I'll

Now lemme

be just as careful.

try.

Say

I'll

give you the

apple."

"Well, here "

I'll

Oh, shucks,

core of

No, Ben, now don't.

give you all of

I'm afeard

" it

Tom And

gave up the brush with reluctance in his face but alacrity in his heart. " " while the late steamer Big Missouri worked and sweated in the sun, the

retired artist sat on a barrej.

iri

the shade close by, dangled his legs,

apple, and planned the slaughter of rial

;

more innocents.

boys happened along every little while By the time Ben was fagged out,

whitewash.

;

munched

his

There was no lack of mate-

they came to jeer, but remained to

Tom

had traded the next chance to

and when he played out, Johnny Miller good repair bought in for a dead rat and a string to swing it with and so on, and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty, Billy Fisher for a kite, in

stricken boy in the morning,

;

Tom

was

literally rolling in wealth.

had beside

the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn't unlock anything,

a fragment of chalk, a

glass stopper

no dog

the handle of a knife,

window-sash.

of a decanter, a

tin soldier,

a couple of tadpoles,

one eye, a brass door-knob, a dog-collar but four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old

six fire-crackers, a kitten with only

TOM SAWYER. He had had a nice, good, idle time all the while plenty of company and the fence had three coats of whitewash on it! If he hadn't run out of whitewash, he would have bankrupted every boy in the village. Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world,

after all.

had

dis-

covered a great law of human action, without knowing it namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to

attain.

If he

had been a great

and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that

Work to

consists of whatever a

and

do, is

body

not obliged to do.

help him to understand artificial flowers

mill |

ing

wealthy

drive

obliged

And why

this

would

constructing

or performing on a tread-

work, while rolling ten-pins or climb-

Mont Blanc

are

body

that Play consists of whatever a

only amusement.

gentlemen

There

England who

four-horse passenger-coaches

twenty

or thirty miles on a daily line, in the sum-

mer, because the privilege costs them considerable

wages

money; but

for the service, that

they were offered

would turn

into

work and then they would resign. The boy mused a while over the substantial change which had taken place his worldly circumstances, and then wended toward head-quarters to report. AMUSEMENT.

Polly,

presented himself before Aunt was. sitting by an open

who

window

in a pleasant rearward apart-

ment, which was bed-room, breakfast-

room, dining-room, and bined.

library,

The balmy, summer

restful quiet, the

com-

air,

the

odor of the flowers,

and the drowsing murmur of the effect, and she was

bees had had their

nodding over her knitting for she had no company but the cat, and it

was asleep

in her lap.

Her

specta-

were propped up on her gray head for safety. She had thought cles

that of

course

Tom

had

deserted

long ago, and she wondered again in this intrepid way.

"What, a'ready? 3

said

How much

at see-

him place himself in her power 'Mayn't I go and play now, aunt?'' ing

have you done?" 33

TOM SAWYER.

34 "

It's all

"Tom, "

done, aunt."

don't

I ain't,

aunt

it is

all

lie ;

can't bear

it."

done."

Aunt Polly placed small trust in such evidence. She went out to see for and she would have been content to find twenty per cent of Tom's

herself;

When she found the entire fence whitewashed, and not only whitewashed but elaborately coated and recoated, and even a streak added to the ground, her astonishment was almost unspeakable. She said statement true.

you can work when your'e a mind to, Tom." And then she diluted the compliment by adding, " But it's powerful seldom you're a mind to, I'm bound to say. Well, go 'long and play; but mind you get back sometime in a week, or I'll tan you." She was so overcome by the splendor of his achievement that she took him "Well,

never!

There's no getting round

it,

into the closet

and selected a choice

apple and delivered it to him, along with an improving lecture upon the added value and flavor a treat

took to out

sin

itself

when

through

came with-

virtuous

effort.

And

while she closed with a happy " hooked " a scriptural flourish, he

doughnut. Then he skipped out, and saw Sid just starting up the outside stairway that led to the back rooms

on the second

handy and the

PAVING OFF.

in a twinkling.

They raged around Sid

floor.

air

like a hail-storm

;

was

Clods were full

of them

and before Aunt

to the rescue, six or Polly could collect her surprised faculties and sally the fence and gone. over was Tom and seven clods had taken personal effect, There was a gate, but as a general thing he was too crowded for time to make

use of

it.

His soul was

at peace,

attention to his black thread

now

that he

had

and getting him into

settled with Sid for calling

trouble.

TOM AS A GENERAL. Tom

skirted the block,

back of

and came round

his aunt's cow-stable.

into a

muddy

alley that led

by the

presently got safely beyond the reach of

capture and punishment, and hasted toward the public square of the village, " where two " military companies of boys had met for conflict, according to previous appointment. Tom was General of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a

bosom

friend,)

condescend to

General of the other.

fight in

person

These two great commanders did not

that being better suited to the

still

smaller fry

but sat together on an eminence and conducted the field operations by orders delivered through aides-de-camp. Tom's army won a great victory, after a

long and hard-fought battle. the- terms of the next

Then

the dead were counted, prisoners exchanged,

disagreement agreed upon and the day for the necessary

AFTER THE BATTLE. "battle

Tom

after

which the armies

appointed turned homeward alone. ;

As he was passing by

fell

into line

and marched away, and

the house where Jeff Thatcher lived, he saw a

new

girl

TOM in the

garden

a lovely

little

SA WYER.

blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaited into

two long tails, white summer frock and embroidered pantalettes. The freshcrowned hero fell without firing a shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished out of his heart and left not even a memory of herself behind. He had thought he loved her to distraction, he had regarded his passion as adoration; and behold it was only a poor little evanescent partiality. He had been months

winning her; she had confessed hardly a week ago; he had been the hapand the proudest boy in the world only seven short days, and here in one instant of time she had gone out of his heart

piest

like a casual stranger

whose

visit is

done.

worshiped this new angel with furtive eye, till he saw that she had discovered

him then he pretended he did not know she was present, and began to "show off" in all ;

sorts of absurd boyish ways, in order to

her admiration.

win

kept up this grotesque foolishness for some time but by and by, ;

while he was in the midst of some dangerous gymnastic performances, he glanced aside

and saw that the her

way toward

little

to the fence and leaned

was wending

girl

Tom came up

the house.

it,

grieving,

and

hoping she would tarry yet a while longer. She halted a moment on the steps and then '

SHOWING

OFF.

great sigh as she put her foot

moved toward on the threshold.

Tom

the door.

But

his face

lit

heaved a

up, right away,

pansy over the fence a moment before she disappeared. The boy ran around and stopped within a foot or two of the flower, and then shaded his eyes with his hand and began to look down street as if he had dis-

for she tossed a

covered something of interest going on in that direction. Presently he picked up a straw and began trying to balance it on his nose, with his head tilted far back and as he moved from side to side, in his efforts, he edged nearer and ;

TRIUMPH A ND RE WA RD.

nearer toward the pansy; finally his bare foot rested upon it, his pliant toes the treasure and disappeared round it, and he hopped away with

closed upon

But only

minutexonly while he could button the flower or next his stomach, possibly, for he was not much posted in anatomy, and not hypercritical, anyway. He returned, now, and hung about the fence till nightfall, " showing off," as

the corner.

for a

inside his jacket, next his heart

before

;

but the girl never exhibited herself again, though Tom comforted himwith the hope that she had been near some window, meantime, and

self a little

been aware of his attentions.

head

Finally he rode

home

reluctantly, with his

poor

of visions.

full

All through supper his spirits were so high that his aunt wondered " what had got into the child." He took a good scolding about clodding Sid, and did not seem to mind it in the least. He tried to steal sugar under his aunt's very

nose, and got his knuckles rapped for

it.

said

Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." " Well, Sid don't torment a body the way you do.

You'd be always into that

warn't watching you." sugar Presently she stepped into the kitchen, and Sid, happy in his immunity, reached for the sugar-bowl a sort of glorying over Tom which was well-nigh if I

unbearable.

was

But

in ecstasies.

silent.

came

in,

said to himself that he

model

and the bowl dropped and broke.

Tom

In such ecstasies that he even controlled his tongue and was

but would

then he would that pet

Sid's fingers slipped

tell,

sit

perfectly

would not speak a word, even when

still

till

she asked

who

his aunt

did the mischief; and

and there would be nothing so good in the world as to see He was so brim-full of exultation that he could it."

" catch

hardly hold himself when the old lady came back and stood above the wreck discharging lightnings of wrath from over her spectacles. He said to himself, "Now it's coming!" And the next instant he was sprawling on the floor!

The potent palm was uplifted to strike again when Tom cried out " " Hold Sid broke it on, now, what 'er you belting me for ? Aunt Polly paused, perplexed, and Tom looked for healing pity. :

she got her tongue again, she only said

But when

TOM "Umf!

Well, you didn't get a lick amiss,

other audacious mischief

^ I

^v^"

when

^v^^^^vv i^\

-xNs\V :

11111^1^

>;>

-.':;.:. -^

iSI^^^^^^^ '-;

; ,.

You been

some

into

^^xx^%,

Then her conscience reproached ner an d she yearned to say something kind and loving; but she >

judged that

?./-

reckon.

wasn't around, like enough."

\v^^ ^>^ i

SA WYER.

this

would be

con-

strued into a confession that she

had been

wrong, and disciSo she kept and went about her affairs in the

pline forbade that. silence,

with a troubled heart.

Tom

sulked

a corner and exalted his woes.

^He knew that in her heart his aunt was on her knees to him, and he

notice of none.

He knew

was morosely

gratified

sciousness of

it.

out

that a yearning glance fell

by the con-

He would hang

signals, he would take upon him, now and then,

through a film of tears, but he refused recognition of it. He pictured himself lying sick unto death and his aunt bending over him beseeching one little forgiving word, but he would turn his face to the wall, and die with that word unsaid.

Ah, how would she

home from

feel

then

And he

pictured himself brought

the river, dead, with his curls all wet, and his sore heart at

rest.

How

she would throw herself upon him, and how her tears would fall like rain, and her lips pray God to give her back her boy and she would never,

never abuse him any more But he would lie there cold and white and make no sign a poor little sufferer, whose griefs were at an end. He so worked !

upon ing,

his feelings with the pathos of these dreams, that

he was so like to choke

overflowed

And

;

and

his eyes

swam

when he winked, and ran down and

he had to keep swallowwhich

in a blur of water,

trickled from the

end of his

such a luxury to him was this petting of his sorrows, that he could not bear to have any worldly cheeriness or any grating delight intrude upon nose.

DISMAL FELICITY. it

;

was too sacred

for such con-

when his Mary danced in, all alive with the joy of seeing home again after an age-long visit of one week to the country, he got up and moved in and

tact;

so,

presently,

cousin

clouds and darkness out at one door as she brought song

and sunshine

at the other.

He wandered

far

from the .accus-

tomed haunts of boys, and sought desolate places that were in harmony with his

spirit.

river invited him, self

plated

its

the

log

raft

in the

and he seated him-

outer edge and contemdreary vastness of the

stream, wishing, the while, that he could only be drowned, all at once and unconsciously, without undergoing the uncomfortable routine devised

rumpled and

wilted,

creased his dismal if she

would

pity

and

got

out,

mightily in-

felicity.

him

Then

by nature.

he thought of his flower.

He wondered knew ? Would

she

she cry, and wish that she had a right to put her arms around his neck and comfort

Or would she turn

him?

like all the

hollow world

coldly

away

This picture

brought such an agony of pleasureable suffering that he worked it over and over again in his mind and set it up in new and varied lights, till he wore it threadbare,

departed

in the

darkness.

last

he rose up sighing and

TOM

SA WYRR.

About half

past nine or ten o'clock he

came along the^ deserted street to where the Adored Unknown lived he paused a moment no sound fell upon his listening ear; a candle was casting a dull glow upon ;

;

the curtain of a second-story the sacred presence there

window. Was He climbed the

fence, threaded his stealthy

way through he stood under that window; he looked up at it long, and with emotion then he laid him down on the ground the plants,

till

;

under

it, disposing himself upon his back, with his hands clasped upon his breast and holding his poor wilted flower. And thus

he would die

shelter

out in the cold world, with

over

his homeless

head, no

friendly hand to wipe the death-damps from his brow, no loving face to bend

him when the great agony thus she would see him when

pityingly over

came.

And

she looked out upon the glad morning, and

would she drop one little tear upon his would she heave one

poor, lifeless form, little

sigh to see a bright

young

rudely blighted, so untimely cut

The window went

life

down?

up, a maid-servant's

discordant voice profaned the holy calm, and a deluge of water drenched the prone martyr's remains!

of a missile in the

The strangling hero sprang up with a There was a whiz as snort.

relieving

air,

mingled with the murmur of a curse, a sound as of

COMMISSION AND OMISSION. shivering glass followed, and a small, vague form went over the fence and shot

away in the gloom. Not long after, as Tom,

all undressed for bed, was surveying his drenched garments by the light of a tallow dip, Sid woke up but if he had any dim idea of making any " references to allusions," he thought better of it and held his ;

peace, for there

Tom

was danger

Tom's

eye.

turned in without the added vexation of prayers, and Sid made mental note of the omission.

sun rose upon a tranquil world, and beamed down upon the peaceful village like a benediction.

over, it

Breakfast

Aunt Polly had family worship;

began wilh a prayer built from the

ground up of solid courses of Scriptural quotations> welded together with a thin mortar of originality the

summit of

;

and from

she delivered a

this

grim chapter of the Mosaic Law, as from Sinai.

Then Tom

girded up his loins, so to

speak, and went to verses."

work

get his

Sid had learned his lesson

days before.

Tom

bent

all his

ener-

memorizing of five verses, and he chose part of the Sermon on

gies to the

the Mount, because he could find no verses that were shorter. half an

hour

Tom

had a vague general idea of 42

his lesson > but

At the end of no more,

for

his.

TOM

got the idea that such a

imposing mystery and

SA WYEK.

weapon could possibly be counterfeited

will

always remain

so,

Tom

perhaps.

to its injury, is an

contrived to scarify

the cupboard with it, and was arranging to begin on the bureau, when he was called off to dress for Sunday-School.

Mary gave him a

tin

basin of water and a

piece of soap, and he went outside the door

and

set the basin

on a

little

bench there then ;

he dipped the soap in the water and laid

down turned up

his sleeves;

poured out the water on the ground, gently, and then entered the kitchen and began to wipe his face dili;

gently on the towel behind the door.

Mary removed "

Now

the towel and said

ain't

Tom a

little

USING THE "BARLOW."

was

while, gathering resolution

;

was a

trifle

and

refilled,

You

Tom.

ashamed,

you

mustn't be so bad.

But

Water won't hurt you."

The

disconcerted.

this

basin

time he stood over

When

took in a big breath and began.

eyes shut and groping for the towel

entered the kitchen presently, with both

with his hands, an honorable testimony of suds and water was dripping from his But when he emerged from the towel, he was not yet satisfactory, for the face. clean territory stopped short

beyond ward in

at his

she was done with him he was* a

and

chin and his jaws, like a mask

below and

;

was a dark expanse of unirrigated soil that spread downfront and backward around his neck. Mary took him in hand, and when this line there

his saturated hair

man and

a brother, without distinction of color,

was neatly brushed, and

dainty and symmetrical general

effect.

[He

labor and difficulty, and plastered his hair close curls to be effeminate,

and

his

own

filled

its

privately

short curls wrought into a smoothed out the curls, with

down

to his

head

his life with bitterness.]

;

for

he held

Then Mary

got out a suit of his clothing that had been used only on Sundays during two years

they were simply called his "other clothes

and so by that we know the

size

'AN A

The money was soon

WFUL SNUG

PLACE."

261

bags and the boys took it up to the cross-rock. and guns things," said Huck. "No, Huck leave them there. They're just the tricks to have when we go to robbing. We'll keep them there all the time, and we'll hold our orgies there, "

Now

in the

less fetch the

It's an awful snug place for orgies." "What's orgies? " "/ dono. But robbers always have orgies, and of course we've got

too.

" GOT IT AT LAST

to have

them, too. Come along, Huck, we've been in here a long time. It's getting I'm hungry, too. We'll eat and smoke when we get to the skiff." late, I reckon. into the clump of sumach bushes, looked warily out, and were soon lunching and smoking in the skiff. As the sun dipped toward the horizon they pushed out and got under way. Tom skimmed up the shore through the long twilight, chatting cheerily with Huck,

They presently emerged

found the coast

clear,

and landed shortly

after dark.

A RECEPTION

7"HE

WIDOW DOUGLAS'S.

263

The place was grandly lighted, and everybody that was of any consequence was there. The Thatchers were there, the Harpers, the Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary, the minister, the editor, and a great many more, and The widow received the boys as heartily as any one all dressed in their best.

in the village

could well receive two such looking beings. They were covered with clay and candle grease. Aunt Polly blushed crimson with humiliation, and frowned

and shook her head did, "

however.

Tom

No'body suffered half as much as the two boys

Tom.

Mr. Jones said

wasn't at home, yet, so

Huck right at my door, and " And you did just right,"

I I

gave him up

just brought

said the

widow

She took them to a bed chamber and "

Now

wash and dress yourselves.

shirts, socks,

everything complete.

said

;

" :

but

stumbled on him and

them along

Come

in a hurry." with me, boys."

Here are two new

They're Huck's

suits of clothes

no thanks, Huck both of you. Get into no,

Mr. Jones bought one and I the other. But they'll fit them: We'll wait come down when you are slicked up enough."

Then she

left.

said

Tom, we can

slope, if

can find a rope. The window high from the ground." "

Shucks, what

slope for "

Well

you want

ain't

used to that kind of

can't

stand

going down

there,

Tom."

O, bother

don't

" ?

a crowd.

ain't

mind

ain't

It bit.

I'll

it.

ain't

anything. I take care of

you." Sid appeared. "

Tom,"

said he, " Auntie has

waiting for

you

all

the

Mary got your Sunday and everybody's been fretting about you.

your clothes "

Now

clothes ready,

grease and clay, on

" ?

Mr. Siddy, you

out about,

Say

ain't this

been

afternoon.

anyway

jist

'tend to

your own business.

" ?

264

What's

all this

blow-

TOM SAWYER.

266

show of astonishment, and heaped

so many compliments and sohe Huck that almost gratitude upon forgot the nearly intolerable discomfort of his new clothes in the entirely intolerable discomfort of being set

pretty fair

much

up as a target for everybody's gaze and everybody's laudations. The widow said she meant to give Huck a home under her roof and have him educated and that when she could spare the money she would start him in. business in a modest way. Tom's chance was come. He said ;

Huck

don't need

it.

Nothing but a heavy

Huck's rich " !

strain

upon the good manners of the company

kept.

TOM BACKS HIS STATEMENT.

back the due and proper complimentary laugh Tom broke it silence was a little awkward. "

at this pleasant joke.

But the

Huck's got money. Maybe you don't believe it, but he's got lots of it. you needn't smile I reckon I can show you. You just wait a minute."

Oh,,

MR. JONES'S SURPRISE A FAILURE.

Tom

The company looked

ran out of doors.

267

each other with a perpl-exed

and inquiringly at Huck, who was tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom? "said Aunt Polly. "He well, there

interest

making of that boy

out.

never

ain't ever

any

Tom entered, struggling with the weight of his sacks, and Aunt Polly did not finish her sentence. Tom poured the mass of yellow coin upon the table and said^"

There

The

what did

I tell

you ?

Half of

it's

Huck's and half of

spectacle took the general breath away.

moment.

Then

there

was a unanimous

The

call for

it's

mine " !

All gazed, nobody spoke for a

an explanation.

Tom

said he

was long, but brim full of interest. There was scarcely an interruption from anyone to break the charm of its When he had finished, Mr. Jones said flow. could furnish

and he

did.

tale

had fixed up a little surprise for this occasion, but it don't anything now. This one makes it sing mighty small, I'm willing

thought

amount

it,

to allow."

The money was counted. The sum amounted to a little over twelve thouIt was more than any one present had ever seen at one time before, though several persons were there who were worth considerably more sand dollars.

than that in property.

reader

may

rest satisfied that

Tom's

and Huck's windfall made a mighty

stir

in the poor little village of St. Peters-

burg.

So vast a sum,

seemed next

all in

to incredible.

actual cash,

was talked

about, gloated over, glorified, until the

reason of

under the

many

of the citizens tottered

strain of

the unhealthy ex"

" house in haunted Every Petersburg and the neighboring vil-

citement. St.

lages was dissected, plank

foundations dug up and ransacked

for

hidden treasure

but

men

too,

some of them.

remember

mired, stared

;

at.

Wherever

Tom

and

they were courted, adThe boys were not able

had possessed weight before but now their sayings everything they did seemed somehow to be regarded

that their remarks

were treasured and repeated

and not by boys,

pretty grave, unromantic men,

Huck appeared HUCK.TRAN5FORMED.

by plank, and

its

;

268

POOR HUCK! no comfort taste in

wouldn't folks it,

I'd got to go up in the attic and rip out a while, every day, to mouth, or I'd a died, Tom. The widder wouldn't let me smoke

let

had

yell,

she wouldn't

[Then with a spasm of

she prayed

just

to.

271

all

the time

And

let

see

she

gape, nor stretch, nor scratch, before

special irritation

never

git ;

such a

and

woman

"And dad

injury], !

besides, that school's going to open,

and

had

to'

I'd a

shove,

had

fetch

Tom

go to

COMFORTABLE ONCE MORE.

Tom. Lookyhere, Tom, being rich ain't what it's cracked up to be. It's just worry and worry, and sweat and sweat, and a-wishing you was dead all the time. Now these clothes suits me, and this bar'l suits me,

well, I wouldn't stand that,

and

I ain't

ever going to shake 'em any more.

Tom,

wouldn't ever got into

all.

been for that money; now you just take my sheer of it with and gimme a ten-center sometimes not many times, becuz I along your'n,

this trouble if

hadn't

'a'

NEW ADVENTURES PLANNED. "

Oh, right

273

We'll get the boys together and have the initiation to-night,

off.

maybe." "

Have

the which

Have

the initiation."

"What's that?" "

It's to

swear to stand by one another, and never

HIGH UP

you're chopped

all to flinders,

and

kill

tell

the gang's secrets, even

IN SOCIETY.

anybody and

all his

family that hurts one

of the gang."

"That's gay that's mighty gay, Tom, I tell you." "Well I bet it is. And all that swearing's got to be done lonesotnest, awfulest place all

ripped up now." 18

you can

find

a ha'nted house

midnight, in the

the best, but they're

TOM

274

SA WYER.

"Well, midnight's good, anyway, Tom." it is. And you've got to swear on a

"Yes, so

"Now I'll

coffin,

and sign

with blood."

something like! Why it's a million times bullier than pirating. and if I git to be a reg'lar ripper of a stick to the widder till I rot, Tom that's

robber, and everybody talking 'bout

out of the wet."

;

it,

reckon

she'll

be proud she snaked