"Waal, sir, it's pretty nigh ten year ago, I was damster daown tew
Oldtaown, clos't tew Banggore. My folks lived tew Bethel; there was
only the old man, and Aunt Siloam, keepin' house fer him, seein' as
I was the only chick he hed. I hedn't heared from 'em fer a long
spell, when there come a letter sayin' the old man was breakin' up.
He'd said it every spring fer a number er years, and I didn't mind
it no more'n the breakin' up er the river; not so much jest then;
fer the gret spring drive was comin' on, and my hands was tew full
to quit work all tew oncet. I sent word I'd be 'long fore a gret
while, and bymeby I went. I ought tew hev gone at fust; but they'd
sung aout 'Wolf!' so often I wasn't scared; an' sure 'nuff the wolf
did come at last. Father hed been dead an' berried a week when I got
there, and aunt was so mad she wouldn't write, nor scurcely speak
tew me fer a consider'ble spell. I didn't blame her a mite, and felt
jest the wust kind; so I give in every way, and fetched her raound.
Yeou see I hed a cousin who'd kind er took my place tew hum while I
was off, an' the old man hed left him a good slice er his money, an'
me the farm, hopin' to keep me there. He'd never liked the lumberin'
bizness, an' hankered arfter me a sight, I faound. Waal, seein' haow
'twas, I tried tew please him, late as it was; but ef there was
ennything I did spleen ag'inst, it was farmin, 'specially arfter the
smart times I'd ben hevin, up Oldtaown way. Yeou don't know nothin'
abaout it; but ef yeou want tew see high dewin's, jest hitch onto a
timber-drive an' go it daown along them lakes and rivers, say from
Kaumchenungamooth tew Punnobscot Bay. Guess yeou'd see a thing or
tew, an' find livin' on a log come as handy as ef yeou was born a
turtle.

"Waal, I stood it one summer; but it was the longest kind of a job.
Come fall I turned contrary, darned the farm, and vaowed I'd go back