in' to have 'em; dus she think I'm a Turk? or a
Mormon? or Brigham Young? that she go fur to have tribbles?--three at a
pop! Dus she think I'm wurth a hundred thousand dollars? that I'm Jo'n
Jacob Aster, or Mr. Roschile? that I kin afford thribbles, an clothe an
feed an school three children at a time? I ain't a goin' to stand it no
how, I didn't want 'em, I don't want 'em, and ain't a going to want 'em
now, nur no uther time. Hain't I bin a good and dootiful husband to Sal?
Hain't I kep' in doors uv a nite, an quit chawn tobacker and smokin'
segars just to please her? Hain't I attended devine worship reg'lar?
Hain't I bought her all the bonnets an frocks she wanted? an then for
her to go an have thribbs. She noed better an hadn't orter dun it. I
didn't think Sal wud serve me such a trick now. Have I ever stole a
horse? Have I ever done enny mean trick, that she should serve me in
this way?" An with that I laid down on the settee, an felt orful bad, an
the more I tho't about it, the wus I felt.

Presently Sal's mammy, ole Miss Jones, cums in an ses,

Ses she, "Peter, cum in and see what purty chillun you've got."

"Chillun!" says I, "you'd better say a 'hole litter. Now Miss Jones, I
luv Sal you no, an have tried to make a good husban', but I call this a
scaly trick, an ef thar's any law in this country I'm goin' to see ef a
woman kin have thribbs, an make a man take keer uv 'em. I ain't goin' to
begin to do it," ses I.

With that she laffed fit to kill herself, an made all sorts of fun of
me, an sed enny uther man would be proud to be in my shoes. I told her
I'd sell out mi'ty cheap ef enny body wanted to take my place. Well, the
upshot uv it wus that she pursuaded me that I wus 'rong, an got me to
go into the room whar they all wus.

When I got in, Sal looked so lovin' at me, an reached out her little
hands so much like a poor, dear little helpless child, that I forgot
everything but my luv for her, and folded her gently up tu my h'art like
a precious treasure, and felt like I didn't keer ef she had too and
forty uv em. Jist then number wun set up a whine like a young pup, an
all the ballance follered. _Them thribbles noed their daddy._

Well, everything wus made up, an Sal promised she wud never do it agin;
an sense then I have bin at work sertin, workin all day to make bred for
them thribs, an bissy nus'n uv 'em at nite. The fact is, ef I didn't
have a mi'ty good constitushun, I'd had to giv' in long ago. Numbe