The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-10
7HE AMERICAN CLAIMANT.
Nv MARK TWAIN.
.-,,o, o, "rSsoorS's ABROAD" "fon sANfth 'eA'"
Ao'"0' srsar yyS."
copyright 1891. by O. I. cismsnO

(C0pyriRnt' ioU'' w '" - S'~''
CHAPTER III.
Mrs. Sellers returned now with her con-.
"nr. restored. and began to ask after
np,wtIns' wife. and about his Children anu
~. dunbar Of them. and so on. and her OK
'"e OF tho witness resulted in circum-
.t,ntial history OF the famtly's ups and downs
.nd driftngs to and fro In the far West during
.hs nreyious fifteen years. There was mos
100 now from out back. and Col. sellers ~eno
ont there In answer to 1t. HAWKINS 'ook 'n.s
onportunity to ask how the worlu had peeh
...ine the Colonel during the past hall gensr.
~ h e., been using him Just tho same: IL
t,n,t change it's way Of using him II 1t
.onted 10, for he wouldn't let IT.
81 nan easily believe that. Mrs. Sellers.
.yss YOU SEQ he doesn't change. himself
mt tho least little bit In the world-he al
vsvs Mulberry Sellers"
"J can see that plain enough
, .tnst tbe same old scheming. generous.
.,od.hearted, moonshiny. hopeful. no-account
s,i,ura he always was. and still everybody
m. "a him lust us well as II he was the shining
sst success
.They always did. and II was natural. be.
..,,e bs was 30 obliging aud accom- modatin9.
and had something about him that MADE IL
id ~
S,dr,t feel shy. you know. or have that wish
have o.try feeling that you have
With other people,
.It,s lust so yet: and . body wonders ut 1t.
A.. hacause he's been shamefully treated
-.,v times by people that had used him for n
,.Id.r 70 climb up by and then kicked him
lawn when they didn't need him any more.
Far time you can see hos hurt his pride's
.nunded. because he slrnks away from that
.h,no and don't want to talk about it-and SO
mad to think now hos learned something
nd hell be more careful hereafter-but laws!
IN couple Of weeks he's forgotten all about II.
and any selfish tramp out OF nobody knows
vhere can come and put IN poor mouth anu
volL right into his heart with his boots on"
1T must try your patience pretty sharply
sometimes"
h,m 40 than the other way. Whom call him o
failure. mean to the world he's failure: .ho
i,n't to me. don't know as want him Diff
farent-much different. anyway have to
soold him some-snarl at him you might even
esll it-but reckon Id do that just the same
II he was different: it's my make. But Ina
sood deal less snarly and more contented when
he's failure than am when he isn't"
"Then he isn't always failure" said Haw-
kins. Frightening.
hin? Oh. bless you. no. He makes q
srike. as he calls It. from time to time. Then's
NJ time to fret and fuss. For the money Just
lIes-1rst come. first served. Straight OF ho
lads up the house with cripples and idiots
and stray cats and all the different kinds Of
poor wrecks that other people don't want and
he does. and then when the poverty comics
again I've got to clear the most Of them out or
we'd starve: and that distresses him. and me
- Ia N nd
old jimmy that the Sheriff sold South one Of
the times that We got bankrupted before the
war; they came wandering back after the
peace worn out and used up on the cotton
plantations. helpless. and not another lick OF
work left in their old hides for the rest Of this
earthly pilgrimsge: and We so pinched. oh.
% pinchsd. for the very crumbs to keep life
In US. and he just flung the door wide. and
the way he received them you'd have
thought they had come straight down from
heaven In answer to prayer. I took him
one side and said: Mulberry. we can't have
them: we've nothing for ourselves: We can't
feed them He looked at me kind Of hurt and
said: Turn them outp and they've come to
me just as confident and trusting as-as-why.
Polly. 1 must have bought that confidence
some time or other long time ago. and given
my note. SO to speak-you don't get such
back on o debt like that2 And. you see.
= they're so poor and old and friendless and
But was ashamed by that time and shut him
Cd. and somehow felt q new courage in me.
and so l said softly: Well keep them-the
Lord will provide He was glad. and started
toblurt out one OF those overconf1dent speeches
Of his. but checked himself In time and said
humbly: Twill. any way 1t was years and
Years and years ago. Well. you see those old
wrecks are here yet"
But don't they do your homework p
LAWS The idea. They would II they
could. poor old things. and perhaps they think
they DO do some OF 1t. But it's superstition.
Danl waits on the front door. and sometimes
goes On an Grand: and sometimes you'll soc
ono or both OF them letting ON to dust around
IN here-but that's because there's something
they want to hear about and mix their gabble
into. And they're always round at meals for
the same reason. But the fact Is. We have to
Keep young negro girl just to take care OF
tnsm. and negro woman to do the house.
Work and help take care Of them"
Well they ought to be tolerably happy.
should think"
IT'S no name for II. They quarrel together
Hetty much all the time-most always about
fehgion. becauss Dan'rs Bunker Baptist and
slnnys . shouting Methodist: and jimmy boz
aeSos In special PROVIDENCE and Uanl don't.
because he thinks he's kind Of iroe thinker
and they sing aud play plantation hymns to.
sether. and talk and chatter Just eternaliy and
forever. and are sincerely fond OF each other
ana think the world Of Mulberry. and he puts
up patiently with all their spoiled ways and
'ooushnesses. and so-all. we'll. they're happy
enough lit comes to that And don't mind
I'VE GOT used to it. can get used to anything.
WIN Mulberry to help: and the fact is. don't
care much what happens. so long as hos
spared to me-.
wen. here's to him. and hoping he'll make
another strike SOON" !,
ana rake In the lame the halt. and blind.
quo turn tho house into o hospital again? It's
sha no would do. Two seen plenty OF that
ana more. No. Washington. want his strikes
90 mighty moderate ones the rest Of the
way down the vale"
we. well. then. big strike or llttle strike. or nc
sulHe II all here's hoping he'll never lack for
.,.'enus-and don't reckon no ever will while
'uefss people around who know enough to-
Him lack for friends" and sho tilted her
aoau up with a frank pride; why. Washing
ts". ,ou can name man that's any body that