g the black hypocrite when I do it, when there haint
the least grain of a show for him to get a death sentence. There's a
strong prejudyce again' hanging in this country,--not a jury ever set in
this court-house that pronounced a death sentence,--Blant would a-knowed
it if he had stopped to think. But even if the prejudyce didn't exist,
why Blant haint done nothing to earn the gallows,--you might say he
haint done anything for the law to take hold of. Of course everybody
knows his shooting of Rich was the worst kind of accident; and as for
the Cheevers he has killed and maimed, why, that war is really a family
affair, which the law haint got no business to meddle with. Public
sentiment is again' the law mixing up in affairs like that, and that's
the reason why no great effort haint been made to arrest Blant before
now. Folks has knowed he meant well, and was hard placed, and let it go
at that. Now he's throwed hisself into the very jaws of the law,
however, it may feel compelled to do something; but of course it won't
be nothing like no death sentence. But I haven't got the heart to tell
him so,--no, I really have not,--I believe he would dash his brains out
again' the wall if I did."

Nucky was more insistent this afternoon when I read to him (he is
sitting up now and begins to look like himself). "I know pine-blank
something is wrong on Trigger, or Blant would have been here," he said,
anxiously.

"Nothing is wrong there, except that the babe is ailing," I said, "the
mail-carrier told me yesterday she was far from well."

_First Sunday, February._

I should be quite weighed down by the Marrs troubles if it were not for
the cheerful society of the boys, whose lively and funny doings afford
some escape from tragic and depressing thoughts. This morning before
church, when I was making the usual round of the ears with soap and
wash-rag, to my utter amazement I found Philip's clean, inside and out,
behind and before. At first stricken dumb by the discovery--for I long
since abandoned the hope of reforming him in the matters of chivalry and
cleanliness--I finally inquired what was the matter.

"Nothing, I just kep' a-digging," was his careless reply.

To-night, however, when everybody was undressing, Hen slid noiselessly
into my room, mysteriously shutting the door behind him. Half clothed, I
dived into my closet, soon emerging in my wrapper. Hen himself was in
trousers and undershirt, with dangling gallusses.