Reading Help Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Ch.I-XV
`
` `
` `
` CHAPTER V `
` `
` ABOUT half-past ten the cracked bell of the small church began to `
` ring, and presently the people began to gather for the morning sermon. `
` The Sunday-school children distributed themselves about the house and `
` occupied pews with their parents, so as to be under supervision. Aunt `
` Polly came, and Tom and Sid and Mary sat with her--Tom being placed `
` next the aisle, in order that he might be as far away from the open `
` window and the seductive outside summer scenes as possible. The crowd `
` filed up the aisles: the aged and needy postmaster, who had seen better `
` days; the mayor and his wife--for they had a mayor there, among other `
` unnecessaries; the justice of the peace; the widow Douglass, fair, `
` smart, and forty, a generous, good-hearted soul and well-to-do, her `
` hill mansion the only palace in the town, and the most hospitable and `
` much the most lavish in the matter of festivities that St. Petersburg `
` could boast; the bent and venerable Major and Mrs. Ward; lawyer `
` Riverson, the new notable from a distance; next the belle of the `
` village, followed by a troop of lawn-clad and ribbon-decked young `
` heart-breakers; then all the young clerks in town in a body--for they `
` had stood in the vestibule sucking their cane-heads, a circling wall of `
` oiled and simpering admirers, till the last girl had run their gantlet; `
` and last of all came the Model Boy, Willie Mufferson, taking as heedful `
` care of his mother as if she were cut glass. He always brought his `
` mother to church, and was the pride of all the matrons. The boys all `
` hated him, he was so good. And besides, he had been "thrown up to them" `
` so much. His white handkerchief was hanging out of his pocket behind, as `
` usual on Sundays--accidentally. Tom had no handkerchief, and he looked `
` upon boys who had as snobs. `
` `
` The congregation being fully assembled, now, the bell rang once more, `
` to warn laggards and stragglers, and then a solemn hush fell upon the `
` church which was only broken by the tittering and whispering of the `
` choir in the gallery. The choir always tittered and whispered all `
` through service. There was once a church choir that was not ill-bred, `
` but I have forgotten where it was, now. It was a great many years ago, `
` and I can scarcely remember anything about it, but I think it was in `
` some foreign country. `
` `
` The minister gave out the hymn, and read it through with a relish, in `
` a peculiar style which was much admired in that part of the country. `
` His voice began on a medium key and climbed steadily up till it reached `
` a certain point, where it bore with strong emphasis upon the topmost `
` word and then plunged down as if from a spring-board: `
` `
` Shall I be car-ri-ed toe the skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, `
` `
` Whilst others fight to win the prize, and sail thro' BLOODY seas? `
` `
` He was regarded as a wonderful reader. At church "sociables" he was `
` always called upon to read poetry; and when he was through, the ladies `
` would lift up their hands and let them fall helplessly in their laps, `
` and "wall" their eyes, and shake their heads, as much as to say, "Words `
` cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO beautiful for this mortal `
` earth." `
` `
` After the hymn had been sung, the Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into `
` a bulletin-board, and read off "notices" of meetings and societies and `
` things till it seemed that the list would stretch out to the crack of `
` doom--a queer custom which is still kept up in America, even in cities, `
` away here in this age of abundant newspapers. Often, the less there is `
` to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it. `
` `
` And now the minister prayed. A good, generous prayer it was, and went `
` into details: it pleaded for the church, and the little children of the `
` church; for the other churches of the village; for the village itself; `
` for the county; for the State; for the State officers; for the United `
` States; for the churches of the United States; for Congress; for the `
` President; for the officers of the Government; for poor sailors, tossed `
` by stormy seas; for the oppressed millions groaning under the heel of `
` European monarchies and Oriental despotisms; for such as have the light `
` and the good tidings, and yet have not eyes to see nor ears to hear `
` withal; for the heathen in the far islands of the sea; and closed with `
` a supplication that the words he was about to speak might find grace `
` and favor, and be as seed sown in fertile ground, yielding in time a `
` grateful harvest of good. Amen. `
` `
` There was a rustling of dresses, and the standing congregation sat `
` down. The boy whose history this book relates did not enjoy the prayer, `
` he only endured it--if he even did that much. He was restive all `
` through it; he kept tally of the details of the prayer, unconsciously `
` --for he was not listening, but he knew the ground of old, and the `
` clergyman's regular route over it--and when a little trifle of new `
` matter was interlarded, his ear detected it and his whole nature `
` resented it; he considered additions unfair, and scoundrelly. In the `
` midst of the prayer a fly had lit on the back of the pew in front of `
` him and tortured his spirit by calmly rubbing its hands together, `
` embracing its head with its arms, and polishing it so vigorously that `
` it seemed to almost part company with the body, and the slender thread `
` of a neck was exposed to view; scraping its wings with its hind legs `
` and smoothing them to its body as if they had been coat-tails; going `
` through its whole toilet as tranquilly as if it knew it was perfectly `
` safe. As indeed it was; for as sorely as Tom's hands itched to grab for `
` it they did not dare--he believed his soul would be instantly destroyed `
` if he did such a thing while the prayer was going on. But with the `
` closing sentence his hand began to curve and steal forward; and the `
` instant the "Amen" was out the fly was a prisoner of war. His aunt `
` detected the act and made him let it go. `
` `
` The minister gave out his text and droned along monotonously through `
` an argument that was so prosy that many a head by and by began to nod `
` --and yet it was an argument that dealt in limitless fire and brimstone `
` and thinned the predestined elect down to a company so small as to be `
` hardly worth the saving. Tom counted the pages of the sermon; after `
` church he always knew how many pages there had been, but he seldom knew `
` anything else about the discourse. However, this time he was really `
` interested for a little while. The minister made a grand and moving `
` picture of the assembling together of the world's hosts at the `
` millennium when the lion and the lamb should lie down together and a `
` little child should lead them. But the pathos, the lesson, the moral of `
` the great spectacle were lost upon the boy; he only thought of the `
` conspicuousness of the principal character before the on-looking `
` nations; his face lit with the thought, and he said to himself that he `
` wished he could be that child, if it was a tame lion. `
` `
` Now he lapsed into suffering again, as the dry argument was resumed. `
` Presently he bethought him of a treasure he had and got it out. It was `
` a large black beetle with formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. `
` It was in a percussion-cap box. The first thing the beetle did was to `
` take him by the finger. A natural fillip followed, the beetle went `
` floundering into the aisle and lit on its back, and the hurt finger `
` went into the boy's mouth. The beetle lay there working its helpless `
` legs, unable to turn over. Tom eyed it, and longed for it; but it was `
` safe out of his reach. Other people uninterested in the sermon found `
` relief in the beetle, and they eyed it too. Presently a vagrant poodle `
` dog came idling along, sad at heart, lazy with the summer softness and `
` the quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spied the beetle; `
` the drooping tail lifted and wagged. He surveyed the prize; walked `
` around it; smelt at it from a safe distance; walked around it again; `
` grew bolder, and took a closer smell; then lifted his lip and made a `
` gingerly snatch at it, just missing it; made another, and another; `
` began to enjoy the diversion; subsided to his stomach with the beetle `
` between his paws, and continued his experiments; grew weary at last, `
` and then indifferent and absent-minded. His head nodded, and little by `
` little his chin descended and touched the enemy, who seized it. There `
` was a sharp yelp, a flirt of the poodle's head, and the beetle fell a `
` couple of yards away, and lit on its back once more. The neighboring `
` spectators shook with a gentle inward joy, several faces went behind `
` fans and handkerchiefs, and Tom was entirely happy. The dog looked `
` foolish, and probably felt so; but there was resentment in his heart, `
` too, and a craving for revenge. So he went to the beetle and began a `
` wary attack on it again; jumping at it from every point of a circle, `
` lighting with his fore-paws within an inch of the creature, making even `
` closer snatches at it with his teeth, and jerking his head till his `
` ears flapped again. But he grew tired once more, after a while; tried `
` to amuse himself with a fly but found no relief; followed an ant `
` around, with his nose close to the floor, and quickly wearied of that; `
` yawned, sighed, forgot the beetle entirely, and sat down on it. Then `
` there was a wild yelp of agony and the poodle went sailing up the `
` aisle; the yelps continued, and so did the dog; he crossed the house in `
` front of the altar; he flew down the other aisle; he crossed before the `
` doors; he clamored up the home-stretch; his anguish grew with his `
` progress, till presently he was but a woolly comet moving in its orbit `
` with the gleam and the speed of light. At last the frantic sufferer `
` sheered from its course, and sprang into its master's lap; he flung it `
` out of the window, and the voice of distress quickly thinned away and `
` died in the distance. `
` `
` By this time the whole church was red-faced and suffocating with `
` suppressed laughter, and the sermon had come to a dead standstill. The `
` discourse was resumed presently, but it went lame and halting, all `
` possibility of impressiveness being at an end; for even the gravest `
` sentiments were constantly being received with a smothered burst of `
` unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as if the poor `
` parson had said a rarely facetious thing. It was a genuine relief to `
` the whole congregation when the ordeal was over and the benediction `
` pronounced. `
` `
` Tom Sawyer went home quite cheerful, thinking to himself that there `
` was some satisfaction about divine service when there was a bit of `
` variety in it. He had but one marring thought; he was willing that the `
` dog should play with his pinchbug, but he did not think it was upright `
` in him to carry it off. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER VI `
` `
` MONDAY morning found Tom Sawyer miserable. Monday morning always found `
` him so--because it began another week's slow suffering in school. He `
` generally began that day with wishing he had had no intervening `
` holiday, it made the going into captivity and fetters again so much `
` more odious. `
` `
` Tom lay thinking. Presently it occurred to him that he wished he was `
` sick; then he could stay home from school. Here was a vague `
` possibility. He canvassed his system. No ailment was found, and he `
` investigated again. This time he thought he could detect colicky `
` symptoms, and he began to encourage them with considerable hope. But `
` they soon grew feeble, and presently died wholly away. He reflected `
` further. Suddenly he discovered something. One of his upper front teeth `
` was loose. This was lucky; he was about to begin to groan, as a `
` "starter," as he called it, when it occurred to him that if he came `
` into court with that argument, his aunt would pull it out, and that `
` would hurt. So he thought he would hold the tooth in reserve for the `
` present, and seek further. Nothing offered for some little time, and `
` then he remembered hearing the doctor tell about a certain thing that `
` laid up a patient for two or three weeks and threatened to make him `
` lose a finger. So the boy eagerly drew his sore toe from under the `
`
` `
` `
` CHAPTER V `
` `
` ABOUT half-past ten the cracked bell of the small church began to `
` ring, and presently the people began to gather for the morning sermon. `
` The Sunday-school children distributed themselves about the house and `
` occupied pews with their parents, so as to be under supervision. Aunt `
` Polly came, and Tom and Sid and Mary sat with her--Tom being placed `
` next the aisle, in order that he might be as far away from the open `
` window and the seductive outside summer scenes as possible. The crowd `
` filed up the aisles: the aged and needy postmaster, who had seen better `
` days; the mayor and his wife--for they had a mayor there, among other `
` unnecessaries; the justice of the peace; the widow Douglass, fair, `
` smart, and forty, a generous, good-hearted soul and well-to-do, her `
` hill mansion the only palace in the town, and the most hospitable and `
` much the most lavish in the matter of festivities that St. Petersburg `
` could boast; the bent and venerable Major and Mrs. Ward; lawyer `
` Riverson, the new notable from a distance; next the belle of the `
` village, followed by a troop of lawn-clad and ribbon-decked young `
` heart-breakers; then all the young clerks in town in a body--for they `
` had stood in the vestibule sucking their cane-heads, a circling wall of `
` oiled and simpering admirers, till the last girl had run their gantlet; `
` and last of all came the Model Boy, Willie Mufferson, taking as heedful `
` care of his mother as if she were cut glass. He always brought his `
` mother to church, and was the pride of all the matrons. The boys all `
` hated him, he was so good. And besides, he had been "thrown up to them" `
` so much. His white handkerchief was hanging out of his pocket behind, as `
` usual on Sundays--accidentally. Tom had no handkerchief, and he looked `
` upon boys who had as snobs. `
` `
` The congregation being fully assembled, now, the bell rang once more, `
` to warn laggards and stragglers, and then a solemn hush fell upon the `
` church which was only broken by the tittering and whispering of the `
` choir in the gallery. The choir always tittered and whispered all `
` through service. There was once a church choir that was not ill-bred, `
` but I have forgotten where it was, now. It was a great many years ago, `
` and I can scarcely remember anything about it, but I think it was in `
` some foreign country. `
` `
` The minister gave out the hymn, and read it through with a relish, in `
` a peculiar style which was much admired in that part of the country. `
` His voice began on a medium key and climbed steadily up till it reached `
` a certain point, where it bore with strong emphasis upon the topmost `
` word and then plunged down as if from a spring-board: `
` `
` Shall I be car-ri-ed toe the skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, `
` `
` Whilst others fight to win the prize, and sail thro' BLOODY seas? `
` `
` He was regarded as a wonderful reader. At church "sociables" he was `
` always called upon to read poetry; and when he was through, the ladies `
` would lift up their hands and let them fall helplessly in their laps, `
` and "wall" their eyes, and shake their heads, as much as to say, "Words `
` cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO beautiful for this mortal `
` earth." `
` `
` After the hymn had been sung, the Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into `
` a bulletin-board, and read off "notices" of meetings and societies and `
` things till it seemed that the list would stretch out to the crack of `
` doom--a queer custom which is still kept up in America, even in cities, `
` away here in this age of abundant newspapers. Often, the less there is `
` to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it. `
` `
` And now the minister prayed. A good, generous prayer it was, and went `
` into details: it pleaded for the church, and the little children of the `
` church; for the other churches of the village; for the village itself; `
` for the county; for the State; for the State officers; for the United `
` States; for the churches of the United States; for Congress; for the `
` President; for the officers of the Government; for poor sailors, tossed `
` by stormy seas; for the oppressed millions groaning under the heel of `
` European monarchies and Oriental despotisms; for such as have the light `
` and the good tidings, and yet have not eyes to see nor ears to hear `
` withal; for the heathen in the far islands of the sea; and closed with `
` a supplication that the words he was about to speak might find grace `
` and favor, and be as seed sown in fertile ground, yielding in time a `
` grateful harvest of good. Amen. `
` `
` There was a rustling of dresses, and the standing congregation sat `
` down. The boy whose history this book relates did not enjoy the prayer, `
` he only endured it--if he even did that much. He was restive all `
` through it; he kept tally of the details of the prayer, unconsciously `
` --for he was not listening, but he knew the ground of old, and the `
` clergyman's regular route over it--and when a little trifle of new `
` matter was interlarded, his ear detected it and his whole nature `
` resented it; he considered additions unfair, and scoundrelly. In the `
` midst of the prayer a fly had lit on the back of the pew in front of `
` him and tortured his spirit by calmly rubbing its hands together, `
` embracing its head with its arms, and polishing it so vigorously that `
` it seemed to almost part company with the body, and the slender thread `
` of a neck was exposed to view; scraping its wings with its hind legs `
` and smoothing them to its body as if they had been coat-tails; going `
` through its whole toilet as tranquilly as if it knew it was perfectly `
` safe. As indeed it was; for as sorely as Tom's hands itched to grab for `
` it they did not dare--he believed his soul would be instantly destroyed `
` if he did such a thing while the prayer was going on. But with the `
` closing sentence his hand began to curve and steal forward; and the `
` instant the "Amen" was out the fly was a prisoner of war. His aunt `
` detected the act and made him let it go. `
` `
` The minister gave out his text and droned along monotonously through `
` an argument that was so prosy that many a head by and by began to nod `
` --and yet it was an argument that dealt in limitless fire and brimstone `
` and thinned the predestined elect down to a company so small as to be `
` hardly worth the saving. Tom counted the pages of the sermon; after `
` church he always knew how many pages there had been, but he seldom knew `
` anything else about the discourse. However, this time he was really `
` interested for a little while. The minister made a grand and moving `
` picture of the assembling together of the world's hosts at the `
` millennium when the lion and the lamb should lie down together and a `
` little child should lead them. But the pathos, the lesson, the moral of `
` the great spectacle were lost upon the boy; he only thought of the `
` conspicuousness of the principal character before the on-looking `
` nations; his face lit with the thought, and he said to himself that he `
` wished he could be that child, if it was a tame lion. `
` `
` Now he lapsed into suffering again, as the dry argument was resumed. `
` Presently he bethought him of a treasure he had and got it out. It was `
` a large black beetle with formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. `
` It was in a percussion-cap box. The first thing the beetle did was to `
` take him by the finger. A natural fillip followed, the beetle went `
` floundering into the aisle and lit on its back, and the hurt finger `
` went into the boy's mouth. The beetle lay there working its helpless `
` legs, unable to turn over. Tom eyed it, and longed for it; but it was `
` safe out of his reach. Other people uninterested in the sermon found `
` relief in the beetle, and they eyed it too. Presently a vagrant poodle `
` dog came idling along, sad at heart, lazy with the summer softness and `
` the quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spied the beetle; `
` the drooping tail lifted and wagged. He surveyed the prize; walked `
` around it; smelt at it from a safe distance; walked around it again; `
` grew bolder, and took a closer smell; then lifted his lip and made a `
` gingerly snatch at it, just missing it; made another, and another; `
` began to enjoy the diversion; subsided to his stomach with the beetle `
` between his paws, and continued his experiments; grew weary at last, `
` and then indifferent and absent-minded. His head nodded, and little by `
` little his chin descended and touched the enemy, who seized it. There `
` was a sharp yelp, a flirt of the poodle's head, and the beetle fell a `
` couple of yards away, and lit on its back once more. The neighboring `
` spectators shook with a gentle inward joy, several faces went behind `
` fans and handkerchiefs, and Tom was entirely happy. The dog looked `
` foolish, and probably felt so; but there was resentment in his heart, `
` too, and a craving for revenge. So he went to the beetle and began a `
` wary attack on it again; jumping at it from every point of a circle, `
` lighting with his fore-paws within an inch of the creature, making even `
` closer snatches at it with his teeth, and jerking his head till his `
` ears flapped again. But he grew tired once more, after a while; tried `
` to amuse himself with a fly but found no relief; followed an ant `
` around, with his nose close to the floor, and quickly wearied of that; `
` yawned, sighed, forgot the beetle entirely, and sat down on it. Then `
` there was a wild yelp of agony and the poodle went sailing up the `
` aisle; the yelps continued, and so did the dog; he crossed the house in `
` front of the altar; he flew down the other aisle; he crossed before the `
` doors; he clamored up the home-stretch; his anguish grew with his `
` progress, till presently he was but a woolly comet moving in its orbit `
` with the gleam and the speed of light. At last the frantic sufferer `
` sheered from its course, and sprang into its master's lap; he flung it `
` out of the window, and the voice of distress quickly thinned away and `
` died in the distance. `
` `
` By this time the whole church was red-faced and suffocating with `
` suppressed laughter, and the sermon had come to a dead standstill. The `
` discourse was resumed presently, but it went lame and halting, all `
` possibility of impressiveness being at an end; for even the gravest `
` sentiments were constantly being received with a smothered burst of `
` unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as if the poor `
` parson had said a rarely facetious thing. It was a genuine relief to `
` the whole congregation when the ordeal was over and the benediction `
` pronounced. `
` `
` Tom Sawyer went home quite cheerful, thinking to himself that there `
` was some satisfaction about divine service when there was a bit of `
` variety in it. He had but one marring thought; he was willing that the `
` dog should play with his pinchbug, but he did not think it was upright `
` in him to carry it off. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER VI `
` `
` MONDAY morning found Tom Sawyer miserable. Monday morning always found `
` him so--because it began another week's slow suffering in school. He `
` generally began that day with wishing he had had no intervening `
` holiday, it made the going into captivity and fetters again so much `
` more odious. `
` `
` Tom lay thinking. Presently it occurred to him that he wished he was `
` sick; then he could stay home from school. Here was a vague `
` possibility. He canvassed his system. No ailment was found, and he `
` investigated again. This time he thought he could detect colicky `
` symptoms, and he began to encourage them with considerable hope. But `
` they soon grew feeble, and presently died wholly away. He reflected `
` further. Suddenly he discovered something. One of his upper front teeth `
` was loose. This was lucky; he was about to begin to groan, as a `
` "starter," as he called it, when it occurred to him that if he came `
` into court with that argument, his aunt would pull it out, and that `
` would hurt. So he thought he would hold the tooth in reserve for the `
` present, and seek further. Nothing offered for some little time, and `
` then he remembered hearing the doctor tell about a certain thing that `
` laid up a patient for two or three weeks and threatened to make him `
` lose a finger. So the boy eagerly drew his sore toe from under the `
`