y's just like a young
stubble-field; got to be worked constant, and plowed deep, and manured
heafy, and mebby drained wiss blind ditches, and crops changed constant,
and kep' a-going thataway--constant--constant--so's the weeds can't git
in her. Then you ken put her in wheat after a while and git your money
back."

This drastic metaphor had its effect. Seffy began to understand. He said
so.

"Now, look here, Seffy," his father went on more softly, "when you git
to this--and this--and this,"--he went through his pantomime again, and
it included a progressive caressing to the kissing point--"well, chust
when you bose comfortable--hah?--mebby on one cheer, what I know--it's
so long sence I done it myself--when you bose comfortable, ast
her--chust ast her--aham!--what she'll take for the pasture-field! She
owns you bose and she can't use bose you and the pasture. A bird in the
hand is worth seferal in another feller's--not so?"

But Seffy only stopped and stared at his father. This, again, he did
_not_ understand.

"You know well enough I got no money to buy no pasture-field," said he.

"Gosh-a'mighty!" said the old man joyfully, making as if he would strike
Seffy with his huge fist--a thing he often did. "And ain't got nossing
to trade?"

"Nothing except the mare!" said the boy.

"Say--ain't you got no feelings, you idjiot?"

"Oh--" said Seffy. And then: "But what's feelings got to do with
cow-pasture?"

"Oach! No wonder he wants to be an anchel, and wiss the anchels
stand--holding sings in his hands and on his head! He's too good for
this wile world. He'd linger shifering on the brink and fear to launch
away all his durn life--if some one didn't push him in. So here goes!"

This was spoken to the skies, apparently, but now he turned to his son
again.

"Look a-yere, you young dummer-ux,[2] feelings is the same to gals like
Sally, as money is to you and me. You ken buy potatoes wiss 'em! Do you
understand?"

Seffy said that he did, now.

"Well, then, I'fe tried to _buy_ that pasture-field a sousand times--"

Seffy started.

"Yas, that's a little bit a lie--mebby a dozen times. And at last
Sally's daddy said he'd lick me if I efer said pasture-field ag'in, and
I said it ag'in and he licked me! He was a big man--and red-headed yit,
like Sally. Now, look a-yere--_you_ ken git that pasture-field wissout
money and wissout price--except you' dam' feelings which ain't no other
use. Sally won't lick _you_--if s