Bob ain’t never married, an’ for a bachelor person of singular habits, he’s kep’ ez warm a heart ez ever I see.

I’ve often deplo’ed him not marryin’.  In fact, sense I see what comfort is to be took in a child, why, I deplo’ all the singular numbers—­though the Lord couldn’t be expected to have a supply on hand thess like Sonny to distribute ’round on demand.

But I doubt ef parents knows the difference.

I’ve noticed thet when they can’t take pleasure in extry smartness in a child, why, they make it up in tracin’ resemblances.  I suppose they’s parental comfort to be took to in all kinds o’ babies.  I know I’ve seen some dull-eyed ones thet seemed like ez ef they wasn’t nothin’ for ’em to do but resemble.

But talkin’ about Sonny a-fallin’ in love with his teachers, why, they was a time here when he wanted to give away every thing in the house to first one an’ then the other.  The first we noticed of it was him tellin’ us how nice Miss Alviry thought his livers and gizzards was.  Now, everybody knows thet they ain’t been a chicken thet has died for our nourishment sence Sonny has cut his eye-teeth but has give up its vitals to him, an’ give ’em willin’ly, they bein’ the parts of his choice; an’ it was discouragin’, after killin’ a useless number o’ chickens to git enough to pack his little lunch-bucket, to have her eat ’em up—­an’ she forty year old ef she’s a day, an’ he not got his growth yet.  An’ yet, a chicken liver is thess one o’ them little things thet a person couldn’t hardly th’ow up to a school-teacher ‘thout seemin’ small-minded.

I never did make no open objection to him givin’ away anything to his teachers tell the time he taken a notion to give Miss Phoebe the plush album out o’ the parlor.  We was buyin’ it on instalments at twenty-five cents a week, and it wasn’t fully installed at the time, an’ I told him it wouldn’t never do to give away what wasn’t ours.

When it comes to principle, why, I always take a stand.  I thought likely by the time it was ours in full he’d’ve recovered from his attackt, an’ be willin’ for his ma to keep it; an’ he was.

An’ besides, sence his pet squir’l has done chawed the plush clean off one corner of it, he says he wouldn’t part with it for nothin’.  Of co’se a beast couldn’t be expected to reelize the importance o’ plush.  An’ that’s what seems to tickle Sonny so.

We had bought it chiefly on his account, so ez to git ’im accustomed to seein’ handsome things around, so thet when he goes out into the world he won’t need to be flustered by finery.

Wife she’s been layin’ by egg money all spring to buy a swingin’, silver-plated ice-pitcher, so he’ll feel at home with sech things, an’ capable of walkin’ up to one an’ tiltin’ it unconcerned, which is more’n I can do to this day.  I always feel like ez ef I ought to go home an’ put on my Sunday clo’es befo’ I can approach one of ’em.