utty bad name, them Hokums. How
they got a livin' nobody knew; for they didn't seem to pay no attention
to raisin' nothin' but childun, but the duce knows, there was plenty o'
them. Their old hut was like a rabbit-pen: there was a tow-head to every
crack and cranny. 'Member what old Caesar said once when the word come
to the store that old Hokum had got twins. 'S'pose de Lord knows best,'
says Caesar, 'but I thought dere was Hokums enough afore.' Wal, even poor
workin' industrious folks like me finds it's hard gettin' along when
there's so many mouths to feed. Lordy massy! there don't never seem to
be no end on't, and so it ain't wonderful, come to think on't, ef folks
like them Hokums gets tempted to help along in ways that ain't quite,
right. Anyhow, folks did use to think that old Hokum was too sort o'
familiar with their wood-piles 'long in the night, though they couldn't
never prove it on him; and when Mother Hokum come to houses round to
wash, folks use sometimes to miss pieces, here and there, though they
never could find 'em on her; then they was allers a gettin' in debt here
and a gottin' in debt there. Why, they got to owin' two dollars to Joe
Gidger for butcher's meat. Joe was sort o' good-natured and let 'em have
meat, 'cause Hokum he promised so fair to pay; but he couldn't never get
it out o' him. 'Member once Joe walked clear up to the cranberry-pond
artor that 'are two dollars; but Mother Hokum she see him a comin' jest
as he come past the juniper-bush on the corner. She says to Hokum, 'Get
into bed, old man, quick, and let me tell the story,' says she. So she
covered him up; and when Gidger come in she come up to him, and says
she, 'Why, Mr. Gidger, I'm jest ashamed to see yo: why, Mr. Hokum was
jest a comin' down to pay yo that 'are money last week, but ye see
he was took down with the small-pox'--Joe didn't hear no mow: he
just turned round, and he streaked it out that 'are door with his
coat-tails flyin' out straight ahind him; and old Mother Hokum she jest
stood at the window holdin' her sides and laughin' fit to split, to see
him run. That 'are's jest a sample o' the ways them Hokums cut up.

"Wal, you see, boys, there's a queer kind o' rock down on the bank 'o
the river, that looks sort o' like a grave-stone. The biggest part
on't is sunk down under ground, and it's pretty well growed over with
blackberry-vines; but, when you scratch the bushes away, they used to
make out some queer marks on that '