"Bless your heart, yes! I"d a sight rather have all that good pork an"
potatoes than any o" your wild meat," said Mrs. Price, smiling with prosperity. "You see, now, "Liza Jane she"s given in. She didn"t re"lly know but "twas all talk of "Bijah "bout that dog"s bein" wuth fifty dollars. She says she can"t cope with a huntin" dog same"s he could, an"
she"s given me the money you an" John York sent over this mornin"; an" I didn"t know but what you"d lend me another half a dollar, so I could both go to Dipford Centre an" return, an" see if I couldn"t make a sale o" Tiger right over there where they all know about him. It"s right in the c.o.o.n season; now"s my time, ain"t it?"
"Well, gettin" a little late," said Isaac, shaking with laughter as he took the desired sum of money out of his pocket. "He seems to be a clever dog round the house."
"I don"t know"s I want to harbor him all winter," answered the excursionist frankly, striking into a good traveling gait as she started off toward the railroad station.
NOTES
=Dipford=:--The New England town in which the scenes of some of Miss Jewett"s stories are laid.
=master hot=:--In the New England dialect, _master_ is used in the sense of _very_ or _extremely_.
=bosom-pin=:--Mourning pins of jet or black enamel were much worn in times past.
="suage=:--a.s.suage, meaning to soften or decrease.
=selectman=:--One of a board chosen in New England towns to transact the business of the community.
=scattereth nor yet increaseth=:--See Proverbs, 11:24.
=right o" dower=:--The right to claim a part of a deceased husband"s property.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
The action takes place in a country district in New England. Judging by the remarks about the fans, what kind of person do you suppose Old Lady Price to be? Is there any particular meaning in the word _to-day_? How is "Liza Jane related to Mrs. Price? What was the character of Mr.
"Bijah Topliff? Does the old lady feel grieved at his death? What does Isaac mean by _such_, in the last line, page 190? How does the old lady live? What is shown of her character when she is called "a chirpin" old cricket"? Does she feel ashamed of having gone to the circus? How does she explain her going? What can you tell of "Bijah from what is said of "Liza"s "memories"? Would the circus people have cared to buy the dog?
Notice how the author makes you feel the pleasantness of the walk in the woods. Do you know where c.o.o.ns have their dens? How does Isaac show his affection for old Rover? Is it true that "worthless do-nothings" usually have "smart" dogs? Why does the author stop to tell all about "Liza Jane"s arrival? What light is thrown on the old lady"s character by Isaac"s words beginning, "Disappointments don"t appear to trouble her"?
Are the men very anxious to "give the boys a treat"? Why does the old lady call Mr. York "dear"? What is meant by the last five lines of Part III? What sort of dog is Tiger? What is meant by "soon as the c.o.o.n trees"? How does the author tell you of old Rover"s defects? What person would you like to have shoot the c.o.o.n at last? Why could Isaac Brown not "trust himself to speak"? Do you think old Rover "overheard them talking," as John Henry suggests? How does the author let you into the secret of Tiger"s behavior? Why does Isaac not tell the old lady which dog treed the c.o.o.n? What does he mean by saying that Tiger is "a clever dog round the house"? Do you think that Mrs. Price succeeded in getting fifty dollars for the dog? Why does the author not tell whether she does or not? Try to put into your own words a summing up of the old lady"s character. Tell what you think of the two old men. Do you like the use of dialect in this story? Would it have been better if the people had all spoken good English? Why, or why not?
THEME SUBJECTS
Hunting for Squirrels An Intelligent Dog A Night in the Woods An Old Man Tracking Rabbits Borrowers The Circus Old Lady Price A Group of Odd Characters Racc.o.o.ns Opossums The Tree-dwellers Around the Fire How to Make a Camp Fire The Picnic Lunch An Interesting Old Lady
SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING
Try to write a theme in which uneducated people talk as they do in real life; as far as possible, fit every person"s speech to his character.
Below are given some suggestions for this work:
Mrs. Wicks borrows Mrs. Hall"s flat-irons.
Two or three country children quarrel over a hen"s nest.
The family get ready to go to the Sunday School picnic.
Sammie tells his parents that he has been whipped at school.
Two old men talk about the crops.
One of the pigs gets out of the pen.
Two boys go hunting.
The farmer has just come back from town.
Mrs. Robbins describes the moving-picture show.
=An Intelligent Dog=:--Tell who owns the dog, and how much you have had opportunity to observe him. Describe him as vividly as possible. Give some incidents that show his intelligence.
Perhaps you can make a story out of this, giving the largest amount of s.p.a.ce to an event in which the dog accomplished some notable thing, as protecting property, bringing help in time of danger, or saving his master"s life. In this case, try to tell some of the story by means of conversation, as Miss Jewett does.
=An Interesting Old Lady=:--Tell where you saw the old lady; or, if you know her well, explain the nature of your acquaintance with her.
Describe her rather fully, telling how she looks and what she wears. How does she walk and talk? What is her chief occupation? If possible, quote some of her remarks in her own words. Tell some incidents in which she figures. Try to bring out her most interesting qualities, so that the reader can see them for himself.
COLLATERAL READINGS
Dogs and Men H.C. Merwin Stickeen: The Story of John Muir Another Dog (in _A Gentleman Vagabond_) F.H. Smith The Sporting Dog Joseph A. Graham Dogtown Mabel Osgood Wright Bob, Son of Battle Alfred Ollivant A Boy I Knew and Four Dogs Laurence Hutton A Boy I Knew and Some More Dogs " "
A Dog of Flanders Louise de la Ramee The Call of the Wild Jack London White Fang " "
My Dogs in the Northland E.R. Young Dogs of all Nations C.J. Miller Leo (poem) R.W. Gilder Greyfriar"s Bobby Eleanor Atkinson The Biography of a Silver Fox E.S. Thompson Our Friend the Dog (trans.) Maurice Maeterlinck Following the Deer W.J. Long The Trail of the Sand-hill Stag Ernest Thompson Seton Lives of the Hunted " " "
The Wilderness Hunter Theodore Roosevelt A Watcher in the Woods Dallas Lore Sharp Wild Life near Home " " "
The Watchers of the Trails C.G.D. Roberts Kindred of the Wild " "
Little People of the Sycamore " "
The Haunters of the Silences " "
Squirrels and other Fur-bearers John Burroughs My Woodland Intimates E. Bignell
Stories of old people:--
Aged Folk (in _Letters from my Mill_) Alphonse Daudet Green Island (chapter 8 of _The Country of the Pointed Firs_) Sarah Orne Jewett Aunt Cynthy Dallett " " "
The Failure of David Berry " " "
A Church Mouse Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman A White Heron and Other Stories Sarah Orne Jewett Tales of New England " " "
The Country of the Pointed Firs " " "
A Country Doctor " " "
Deephaven " " "
The Queen"s Twin and Other Stories " " "
The King of Folly Island and Other People " " "
A Marsh Island " " "
The Tory Lover " " "
A Native of Winby and Other Tales " " "
Betty Leicester"s Christmas " " "
Betty Leicester " " "
Country By-ways " " "
Letters of Sarah Orne Jewett Mrs. James T. Fields (Ed.)
For Biographies and criticisms of Miss Jewett, see: Atlantic Monthly, 94:485; Critic, 39:292, October, 1901 (Portrait); New England Magazine, 22:737, August, 1900; Outlook, 69:423; Bookman, 34:221 (Portrait).
ON THE LIFE-MASK OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN