breath--"Oh! you nasty, ungrateful, ungenteel brute! You little viper!
Is that the way you treat your mother--and nearly kill her? Oh, dear
me!"

"Why don't you leave me alone, then? you never beats Jenny."

"Who's Jenny, you wicked good-for-nothing boy? you mean your sister
Virginia. Well, you'll have no dinner, I can tell you."

I put my hand in my pocket, took out a sixpence which I had received,
and held it up between my thumb and finger. "Won't I?"

"You oudacious boy! that's the way you're spoiled by foolish people
giving you money."

"Good-by, mother." So saying, I leaped over the board fixed up at the
door, and was again down at the beach. Indeed, I was now what is termed
a regular _Mud-larker_, picking up halfpence by running into the water,
offering my ragged arm to people getting out of the wherries, always
saluting them with, "You haven't got never a halfpenny for poor Jack,
your honor?" and sometimes I did get a halfpenny, sometimes a shove,
according to the temper of those whom I addressed. When I was not on the
beach, I was usually in company with Ben the Whaler, who, after my
father's visit, was more kind to me than ever; and there were several
other pensioners who were great friends of mine; and I used to listen to
their long yarns, which were now becoming a source of great delight to
me; at other times I would be with the watermen, assisting them to clean
out their wherries, or pay the seams. In fact, I was here, there, and
everywhere except at home--always active, always employed, and, I may
add, almost always wet. My mother used to scold whenever I came in; but