I don't care what
people say; I don't care what they do, or what they don't do; I'm goin'
ahead. It'll be blackgum ag'in' thunder this time, and I'm blackgum.
You've heard about the thunder and lightnin' tacklin' a blackgum-tree?'

"'Ever since I was born,' said she.

"'Well, there's a awful scatterin' of dust and chips when that sort of a
fight is on; but nobody ever yet heard of thunder gettin' the better of
a blackgum-tree. And I'm goin' to be a blackgum!'

"Mrs. Batterfield made no reply to this remark, but in her heart she
said: 'And I'm goin' to be thunder.'

"The next morning, Abner Batterfield put on his best clothes, and walked
to the little town about two miles distant. He didn't enter the business
part of the place, but turned into a shady side street where stood a
small one-story building, almost by itself. This was the village
library, and the librarian was sitting in the doorway, reading a book.
He was an elderly man of comfortable contour, and wore no glasses, even
for the finest print.

"'Mornin', Abner,' said the librarian; 'have you brought back that
book?'

"Abner seated himself on the door-step. 'No, I haven't, Mr. Brownsill,'
said he; 'I forgot it. I forgot it, but I remember some things that's in
it, and I've come to talk about 'em.'

"'Very good,' said the librarian, closing the volume of Salmon's
Geographical Grammar with his finger at page 35, treating of paradoxes,
and remarked: 'Well, Abner, what is it?'

"Then Abner Batterfield told his tale. He was going to make a fresh
start; he was going to spend the rest of his life in some manner worthy
of him. He hadn't read much of the book he had taken out of the library,
for in his present way of spending his life there didn't seem to be any
very good time for reading, but he had read enough of it to make him
feel that it was time for him to make a fresh start, and he was going to
do it.

"'And I may have a tough time,' said Abner; 'but it'll be blackgum
ag'in' thunder, and I'm blackgum!'

"The librarian smiled. 'What are you going to do?' said he.

"'That's a thing,' said Abner, 'I'm not so certain about. I've been
thinkin' of enterin' the ministry; but the bother about that is, I can't
make up my mind which particular denomination to enter. There's such a
difference in 'em.'

"'That's true,' said Mr. Brownsill; 'that's very true! But haven't you a
leaning for some one of them in particular?'

"'In thinkin' it over,' said Abner, 'I