Tom Sawyer 1

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The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them.

She seldom or never looked through them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not service -- she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well.

She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:

She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the punches with.

She resurrected nothing but the cat.

She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the tomato vines and "jimpson" weeds that constituted the garden.

There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight.

There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight.

There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight.

The switch hovered in the air -- the peril was desperate --

The switch hovered in the air -- the peril was desperate --

He 'pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it's all down again and I can't hit him a lick.

Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks.

Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it's so.

While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and very deep -- for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments.

While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and very deep -- for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments.

Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning.

Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning.

Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning.

Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning.

Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning.

Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning.

A bit of a scare shot through Tom -- a touch of uncomfortable suspicion.

And it flattered her to reflect that she had discovered -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -19- that the shirt was dry without anybody knowing that that was what she had in her mind.

So he forestalled what might be the next move:

Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick.

Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick.

Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick.

Then she had a new inspiration:

The trouble vanished out of Tom's face.

She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once.

She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once.

She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once.

In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which were thrust into the lapels of his jacket, and had thread bound about them -- one needle carried white thread and the other black.

Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time -- just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises.

Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time -- just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises.

It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music -- the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy.

It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music -- the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy.

It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music -- the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy.

Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -21- and his soul full of gratitude.

Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -21- and his soul full of gratitude.

Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -21- and his soul full of gratitude.

Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -21- and his soul full of gratitude.

A new-comer of any age or either sex was an impressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg.

A new-comer of any age or either sex was an impressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg.

This was simply astounding.

His cap was a dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons.

His cap was a dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons.

The more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his nose at his finery and the shabbier and shabbier his own outfit seemed to him to grow.

The more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his nose at his finery and the shabbier and shabbier his own outfit seemed to him to grow.

"You can lump that hat if you don't like it.

So they stood, each with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and both shoving with might and main, and glowering at each other with hate.

So they stood, each with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and both shoving with might and main, and glowering at each other with hate.

The new boy took two broad coppers out of his pocket and held them out with derision.

In an instant both boys were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered themselves with dust and glory.

At last the stranger got out a smothered "'Nuff!" and Tom let him up and said: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -25-

The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing, snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out."

To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw it and hit him between the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like an antelope.

Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he lived.

He got home pretty late that night, and when he climbed cautiously in at the window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt; and when she saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor became adamantine in its firmness.

He got home pretty late that night, and when he climbed cautiously in at the window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt; and when she saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor became adamantine in its firmness.