and whether, indeed, the young Goliath had prior claims, as
he evidently thought he had. He turned hopefully to the sermon,
determined to pick up any crumbs of comfort that might fall from Mr.
Bosaw's meager table.

In reporting a single specimen passage of Mr. Bosaw's sermon, I shall
not take the liberty which Thucydides and other ancient historians did,
of making the sermon and putting it into the hero's mouth, but shall
give that which can be vouched for.

"You see, my respective hearers," he began--but alas! I can never
picture to you the rich red nose, the see sawing gestures, the nasal
resonance, the sniffle, the melancholy minor key, and all that. "My
respective hearers-ah, you see-ah as how-ah as my tex'-ah says that the
ox-ah knoweth his owner-ah, and-ah the ass-ah his master's crib-ah.
A-h-h! Now, my respective hearers-ah, they're a mighty sight of
resemblance-ah atwext men-ah and oxen-ah" [Ralph could not help
reflecting that there was a mighty sight of resemblance between some men
and asses. But the preacher did not see this analogy. It lay too close
to him], "bekase-ah, you see, men-ah is mighty like oxen-ah. Fer they's
a tremengious defference-ah atwixt defferent oxen-ah, jest as thar is
atwext defferent men-ah; fer the ox knoweth-ah his owner-ah, and the
ass-ah, his master's crib-ah. Now, my respective hearers-ah" [the
preacher's voice here grew mellow, and the succeeding sentences were in
the most pathetic and lugubrious tones], "you all know-ah that your
humble speaker-ah has got-ah jest the best yoke of steers-ah in this
township-ah." [Here Betsey Short shook the floor with a suppressed
titter.] "They a'n't no sech steers as them air two of mine-ah in this
whole kedentry-ah. Them crack oxen over at Clifty-ah ha'n't a patchin'
to mine-ah. Fer the ox knoweth his owner-ah and the ass-ah his master's
crib-ah.

"Now, my respective hearers-ah, they's a right smart sight of
defference-ah atwext them air two oxen-ah, jest like they is atwext
defferent men-ah. Fer-ah" [here the speaker grew earnest, and sawed the
air, from this to the close, in a most frightful way], "fer-ah, you
see-ah, when I go out-ah in the mornin'-ah to yoke-ah up-ah them air
steers-ah, and I says-ah, 'Wo, Berry-ah! _Wo, Berry-ah!_ WO, BERRY-AH',
why Berry-ah jest stands stock still-ah and don't hardly breathe-ah
while I put on the yoke-ah, and put in the bow-ah, and put in the
key-ah, fer, my brethering-ah and sistering-ah, the ox know