Thinks I, a man in my place had ought to have sense enough
to back out quiet.
"You know what he done, teacher. He took the best, and when he got tired
on't, he threw it away,"--the brawny hand at George Olver's side was
clinched so as to appear almost colorless, yet there was little
discomposure in his voice--"but cursin' him ain't a goin' to help us now.
When a thing that's allays been precious to us has once fell, we can't
never make it quite like it was afore, but we can keep care on't patient,
a waitin' God Almighty's time to make it whole. I know what folks say. I
know, but I don't keer. She ain't no less precious to me, now, than she
was afore, only it's more for her, now, maybe, and less for myself. And
she sees, now. She does keer for me, now. Ay, I know what they'll say,
but they don't know that girl as well as I do, teacher. They ain't
nothin' would 'a' wrung them words from her ef they hadn't 'a' be'n true;
no, not ef it had been savin' her life to say 'em. She does keer, now,
but she won't never take me now, she says, because it 'ud be wrongin' me;
and I might 'a' knowed what she'd 'a' said, what it was nateral and noble
for her to say.
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