the upper room followed that event. Uncle Peabody explained that it was
wicked to swear--that boys who did it had very bad luck, and mine came
in a moment. I never had more of it come along in the same length of
time.

One day in the spring when the frogs were chanting in the swamp land,
they seemed to be saying, "Dunkelberg, Dunkelberg, Dunkelberg,
Dunkelberg," from morning to bedtime. I was helping Uncle Peabody to fix
the fence when he said:

"Hand me that stake, Bub. Don't be so much of a gentleman."

I handed the stake to him and then I said:

"Uncle Peabody, I want to be a gentleman."

"A gentleman!" he exclaimed as he looked down at me thoughtfully.

"A grand, noble gentleman with a sword and a gold watch and chain and
diamonds on," I exclaimed.

He leaned against the top rail of the fence and looked down at me and
laughed.

"Whatever put that in yer head?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know--how do ye be it?" I demanded.

"They's two ways," said he. "One is to begin 'fore you're born and pick
out the right father. T'other is to begin after you're born and pick out