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The Lord made men different, and I s'pose it's all right; but sometimes it seems kind of hard." The large, firm mouth quivered like a child's. "She was a reg'lar little spitfire, Melissy Whitin' was: there wa'n't nothin' to her but temper. I'll warrant Ephrum Spencer has got his come-uppance before this time," said the poor-mistress, with satisfaction.
But, la! if there wa'n't such quarrellin' amongst folks, what would become of the lawyers? They'd all be here, a-settin' us by the ears, I expect." "And there isn't a cent for his own nephew's starving children?" said the woman bitterly. "Ephrum's? Oh, la, no! The old man never set by Ephrum, you know: them two was always contr'y-minded. You don't say, now, that you're Ephrum's wife?"
I ain't never thought of such a thing since well, you know all about it, Mis' Bemis, so I may as well say right out since Ephrum took up with M'lissy Whitin'." "Ephrum Spencer was a mean scamp to serve you so," said Mrs. Bemis hotly. "Now, Mis' Bemus, don't you say anything against Ephrum. You and me has always been friends, but I can't stand that, anyhow.
Ephrum would have kept his promise to me fair and square, but I saw plain enough that he had given his heart to her.
"And I knew her, too, just as soon as I set eyes on her. Well, you needn't hold any grudge against me, Miranda Daggett. I calculate you got the best of the bargain. Ephrum hadn't any faculty to get along. I've struggled and slaved till I'm all worn out; and now I haven't a roof to cover me nor my children, nor a mouthful to eat." Miranda sprang up, her arms around both the boys. "I have!
An old man was clinging in silent prayer to his son's knees and an old woman was clinging around his neck, and saying: "Praise God who nurver lies it's little Ephrum come home ag'in." Then they looked up and the old man raised his hands in a pitiful tumult of joy and fear and reverence as he said: "An' Marse Tom, so help me God a-ridin' John Paul Jones!" Man may breed up all animals but himself.
Waal, I'm Cap'n Ephrum Bynes, o' Charleston, South Car'lina. That's who I am. And what am I doing here? I'm kicking a set o' sarcy Britishers out o' my ship. Now you know that." "Where's Lieutenant Russell?" "Down in the boat, my sarcy Tom chicken; and that's all you've got to know. Say another word, and I'll have you pitched into the sea among the sharks instead of into the boat. So mind that.
"Tell me, Jack quick tell it all," exclaimed the old man, still gripping Jack's shoulder. "There's nothin' to tell except that I kept him ever sence here right here for two years, with little Jack an' Ephrum, the young nigger that was his body servant he's been our cook an' servant. He never would leave Cap'n Tom, followed me offen the field of Franklin.
All these years I've cared for him me an' Ephrum, my two boys as I called 'em him an' little Jack. An' right here he staid contented like till little Jack died last night then " "In God's name quick! tell me Jack " "That's the worst of it Bishop when he found little Jack was dead he wandered off " "When?" almost shouted the old man.
She was red-and-white-complected, and her hair curled natural, and she'd never done anything but keep school, and her hands was jest as soft and white, and a man's feelin's ain't like a woman's, anyhow: if Ephrum had been hump-backed, or all scarred up so's't he'd scare folks, like old Mr. Prouty, it wouldn't 'a' made any difference to me, so long as he was Ephrum.
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