e was Little Buttercup, and pa was Dick Deadeye, and so they
practiced together. And I always, to this day, think of Little Billie
whenever I hear any one sing "The Nightingale Sighs for the Moon's
Bright Rays." These things always get mixed together and stay mixed, so
my ma says.

Well, Saturday came, and I went down to the square and found my grandpa
on the corner, talkin' temperance to a man and sayin' that he'd seen
slavery abolished and he hoped to live to see strong drink done away
with, that it was sure to come, the questions were just alike; and that
Linkern was against slavery and strong drink both, and if he was livin'
he would be in this new fight. And this other man kept sayin', "you're
right, you're right," and noddin' his head. So when my grandpa saw me,
his eyes grew wonderful kind, and he said, "Son, we're goin' right away.
Go put your things in the carriage. Your grandma is over at the store.
Go over and see her." I went over and found her, and she bought me some
jeans to work in and a blue shirt and some heavy shoes to walk through
the briars and thickets in, and she said, "Now, we're ready. Go and tell
your grandpa." I went back and grandpa was talkin' to another man, about
temperance, and sayin' to him that he'd seen slavery abolished and he
expected to live to see hard drink done away with. I told him grandma
was ready; and he said to go back and tell grandma to go to the harness
shop and wait, he had to come there for a halter, and he'd pick us up
there. I went back and told her and we went to the harness shop and
waited. But grandpa didn't come; and finally grandma said to go out and
see what was the matter, and I did, and found grandpa comin' out of the
bank. It looked like we'd never get started. But he said, "Come on, Son,
we must hurry. It may rain. My darlin', it looks like it." So I thought
we were off at last. And just then a man came up and spoke to him. And
they began to talk and I stood by restless and gettin' tired. They began
to talk temperance, too. And grandpa told him that he'd seen slavery
abolished and he hoped to live to see hard drink done away with. And the
man said it would come; and then they talked about the corn crop and
things, and finally grandpa got away from him and we started for the
harness shop. But when we got up to the big store, grandpa says, "Bless
me, I've forgot my spectacles at the jeweler's." And he turned around
and trotted back. I didn't know whether to foll