Two or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say they swumⒶemendation by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovelyⒶhistorical collation. HereⒶhistorical collation is the way we put in the time.Ⓐalteration in the MS ItⒶemendation was a monstrous big river down there—sometimes a mile and a half wide; weⒶhistorical collation run,Ⓐhistorical collation nights, and laid up and hid,Ⓐhistorical collation daytimesⒶhistorical collation;Ⓐalteration in the MS soon as nightⒶalteration in the MS was mostⒶalteration in the MS gone, we stoppedⒶalteration in the MS navigating,Ⓐhistorical collation and tiedⒶalteration in the MS up—nearly always in the dead water under a tow-headⒶhistorical collation;Ⓐalteration in the MS and then cut young cottonwoodsⒶhistorical collation and willows and hidⒶalteration in the MS the raft with them.Ⓐalteration in the MS Then we set out the lines. NextⒶalteration in the MS we slid into the river and had a swim, so as to freshen up and cool off; then we set down on the sandy bottom where the water was about knee deepⒶhistorical collation, and watched the daylight come. Not a sound,Ⓐhistorical collation anywheres—perfectly still—just likeⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS the whole world was asleep, only sometimes the bull-frogs a-cluttering, maybeⒶemendation. The first thing to see, looking away overⒶemendation the water, was a kind of dullⒶemendation line—that was the woodsⒶemendation on t’otherⒶalteration in the MS side—you couldn’t make nothingⒶemendation else out; then a pale place in the sky; then more paleness, spreading around; then the river softened up, away off, and warn’tⒶemendation blackⒶalteration in the MS any more, but gray; you could see little dark spots drifting along, ever so far away—trading scows, and such things;Ⓐalteration in the MS and long,Ⓐhistorical collation black streaks—rafts; sometimes you could hear a sweep screaking;Ⓐemendation or jumbled upⒶemendation voices, it was so still, and sounds comeⒶemendation so far; and by and byⒶemendation you could see aⒶemendation streak on the water which you know by the look of the streak that there’s a snag there in a swift current which breaks on it and makes [begin page 157] that streak look that wayⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS; and you see the mist curlⒶemendation up off of the water, and theⒶemendation east reddens up, and the river, andⒶemendation you make out aⒶemendation log cabin in the edge of the woodsⒶemendation, awayⒶemendation on the bank on t’otherⒶalteration in the MS side of the river, being a wood-yard, likely, and piled by them cheats so you can throw a dog through it anywheresⒶemendation; then the nice breeze springs up, and comesⒶemendation fanning you from over thereⒶemendation, so cool and fresh, and sweetⒶemendation to smell, on account of the woods and the flowers; but sometimes not that way, because they’ve left dead fish laying around, gars, and such, and they do get pretty rank; andⒶemendation next you’ve gotⒶemendation the full day, and everything smilingⒶemendation in the sun, and the song-birds just goingⒶemendation it!
A little smoke couldn’t be noticed,Ⓐhistorical collation now, so we would take some fish off ofⒶhistorical collation the lines,Ⓐemendation and cook up a hot breakfast. And afterwardsⒶemendation we would watch the lonesomenessⒶemendation of the river, and kind of lazy alongⒶemendation, and by and byⒶhistorical collation lazyⒶemendation off to sleep. Wake up, by and byⒶhistorical collation, and look to see what done it, and maybeⒶhistorical collation see a steamboatⒶhistorical collation, coughing along up stream, so far off towardsⒶhistorical collation the other side you couldn’t tell nothing about her only whether she was stern-wheel or side-wheelⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS; then forⒶalteration in the MS about an hour there wouldn’t be nothing to hear nor nothing toⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS see—just solid lonesomenessⒶemendation. Next you’d see a raft sliding by, away off yonder, and maybeⒶhistorical collation a galoot on it chopping, because they’re most always doing it on a raftⒶemendation; you’d see the axeⒶhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS flash, and come down—you don’t hear nothing; youⒶemendation see that axeⒶhistorical collation go up again, and by the time it’sⒶemendation above the man’s head, then youⒶemendation hear the k’chunk! Ⓐemendation—it had took all that time to comeⒶemendation over the water. So we would put in the day, lazying around,Ⓐemendation listening to the stillness. Once there was a thick fog, and the rafts and things that went by wasⒶalteration in the MS beating tin pans so the steamboats wouldn’tⒶemendation run over them. AⒶalteration in the MS scow or a raft went by so close we could hearⒶemendation them talking and cussingⒶemendation and laughing—heard them plainⒶemendation;Ⓐalteration in the MS but we couldn’t see noⒶemendation sign of them; it made youⒶemendation feel crawly, it was like spirits carrying on that way in the airⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS. Jim said he believed it wasⒶemendation spirits; but I says:Ⓐemendation
“NoⒶalteration in the MS, spirits wouldn’t say, ‘DernⒶhistorical collation the dernⒶemendation fog.’ ”Ⓐhistorical collation
Soon as it was night, out we shoved; when we got her out to about the middle, we let her alone, and let her float wherever the currentⒶalteration in the MS wanted her to; thenⒶhistorical collation we lit the pipesⒶhistorical collation and dangled our legs in the water andⒶalteration in the MS talked aboutⒶalteration in the MS all kinds of things—we was always naked, day and night, whenever the mosquitoes would let us—the new [begin page 158] clothes Buck’s folks made for me was too good to be comfortable, and besides I didn’t go much on clothes, nohowⒶemendation.
SometimesⒶemendation we’d have that whole riverⒶemendation all to ourselves,Ⓐhistorical collation for the longest timeⒶemendation. Yonder was the banksⒶemendation and the islands, acrossⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation the water; and maybeⒶemendation a spark—Ⓐhistorical collationwhich was a candle in a cabinⒶemendation window—Ⓐhistorical collation and sometimesⒶalteration in the MS on the water youⒶemendation could see a spark or two—Ⓐhistorical collationon a raft or a scow, you know; and maybe you couldⒶemendation hear a fiddleⒶemendation or a songⒶemendation coming overⒶemendation from one of themⒶemendation crafts. It’sⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky,Ⓐhistorical collation up there,Ⓐhistorical collation all speckledⒶemendation with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made, orⒶalteration in the MS only just happened—JimⒶhistorical collation he allowed they was made, but I allowed they happened; IⒶhistorical collation judged it would have took too long to make so many. Jim said the moon could aⒶemendation laid them; well, that looked kind of reasonableⒶemendation, so I didn’t say nothing against it, because I’ve seen a frog lay most as many, so of course it couldⒶemendation be done. We used to watch the stars that fellⒶemendation, too, and see them streak down. JimⒶemendation allowed they’dⒶemendation got spoiled and was hoveⒶemendation out of the nest.Ⓐhistorical collation
OnceⒶemendation or twice ofⒶemendation a night we would see a steamboat slipping along in the darkⒶemendation, and now and then she would belch a whole world of sparks up out of her chimbleys,Ⓐemendation and they would rainⒶemendation down in the river and look awful pretty; then sheⒶemendation would turn a cornerⒶhistorical collation and her lightsⒶemendation would wink out and her pow-wow shut offⒶemendation and leave the river stillⒶemendation again; and by and byⒶhistorical collation herⒶemendation waves would getⒶemendation to us, a long timeⒶemendation after she was gone, and joggle theⒶemendation raft a bit, and after that you wouldn’t hear nothing for you couldn’t tell how long, except maybe frogs or somethingⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS.
After midnight the people on shore went to bed, and then for two orⒶalteration in the MS three hours the shores was black—no more sparks in the cabinⒶemendation windows. These sparks was our clock—the first one that showed, again,Ⓐhistorical collation meant morningⒶemendation was coming, so we hunted a place to hide and tie up,Ⓐhistorical collation right away.
One morningⒶhistorical collation aboutⒶalteration in the MS daybreakⒶhistorical collation, I found aⒶemendation canoeⒺexplanatory note and crossed over a chuteⒶemendation toⒶalteration in the MS the main shore—it was only two hundred yards—Ⓐhistorical collationand paddled about a mile up a crick amongst the cypressⒶemendation woods,Ⓐhistorical collation to see if I couldn’t get some berries. Just as I wasⒶalteration in the MS passing a place where a kind of a cow-path crossed the crick, here comes a couple of men tearing up the path as tight as they could foot it. I thought I was aⒶalteration in the MS goner, for whenever anybody was after anybody,Ⓐhistorical collation I judged it was me—or [begin page 159] maybeⒶhistorical collation Jim. I was about to dig out from there in a hurry, but they was pretty close to me,Ⓐhistorical collation then, and sung out and begged me to save their lives—said they hadn’t been doing nothing, and was being chased for it—Ⓐhistorical collationsaid there was men and dogs a-coming. TheyⒶalteration in the MS wanted to jump right in, but I says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“Don’t you do it. I don’t hear the dogs and horses,Ⓐhistorical collation yet; you’veⒶhistorical collation got time to crowd through the brush and get up the crick a little ways; then you take to the water and wade down to me and get in—that’ll throw the dogs offⒶemendation the scent.”
They done it, and soon as they was aboard I lit out for our towheadⒶhistorical collation, and in about five or ten minutesⒶalteration in the MS we heard the dogs and the menⒶemendation away offⒶemendation, shouting. We heard them come along towards the crick,Ⓐalteration in the MS but couldn’t see them; they seemed to stop and fool around a while; thenⒶhistorical collation, as we got further and further away all the time, we couldn’t hardly hear them at all; byⒶhistorical collation the time we had left a mile of [begin page 160] woodsⒶemendation behind us and struck the river, everything was quiet, and we paddled over to the towheadⒶhistorical collation and hid in the cottonwoodsⒶhistorical collation and was safe.
One of these fellows was about seventy,Ⓐalteration in the MS or upwardsⒶhistorical collation, and had a bald head and veryⒶalteration in the MS grayⒶalteration in the MS whiskers. He had an old battered-up slouch hat on, and a greasy blue woolen shirt, and ragged old blue jeans britches stuffed into his boot topsⒶhistorical collation, and home-knit galluses—noⒶhistorical collation he only had one. He had an old long-tailed blue jeans coat with slick brass buttonsⒺexplanatory note,Ⓐhistorical collation flung over his arm, andⒶalteration in the MS both of them had big fat ratty-looking carpet-bagsⒶemendation.
The other fellow was about thirty and dressed about as orneryⒶemendation. After breakfast we all laid off and talked, and the first thing that come out was that these chaps didn’t know one anotherⒶalteration in the MS.
“What got youⒶemendation into trouble?” says the bald-headⒶemendation to t’other chap.
“Well, I’dⒶemendation beenⒶalteration in the MS selling an article to take the tartar off theⒶalteration in the MS teeth—and it doesⒶemendation take it off, too, and generlyⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS the enamelⒶalteration in the MS along with itⒺexplanatory note—Ⓐhistorical collationbut I staid aboutⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS one night longer thanⒶalteration in the MS I ought to, and was justⒶalteration in the MS in the act of sliding out when I ran acrossⒶalteration in the MS you on the trail this side of town, and you told me they wereⒶalteration in the MS coming, and begged me to help you toⒶemendation get off. So I told you I was expecting trouble myself and would scatter out with you. That’s the whole yarn—what’s yourn?”
“Well, I’d ben a-runnin’Ⓐemendation a little temperance revival thar, ’bout a week, and was the pet of the women-folks, big and little, for I was makin’ it mighty warm for the rummies, I tell you, and takin’Ⓐemendation as much as five orⒶemendation six dollars a night,—Ⓐhistorical collationten cents a head, children and niggers free—and business a growin’,Ⓐhistorical collation all the time; when somehow or another a little report got around, last night, that I had a way of puttin’Ⓐemendation in my time with a private jug, on the sly. A nigger rousted me out,Ⓐhistorical collation this mornin’Ⓐemendation, and told me the people was getherin’Ⓐemendation on the quiet, with their dogs and horses, and they’d be along pretty soon and give me ’bout half anⒶemendation hour’s start, and then run me down,Ⓐhistorical collation if they could; and if they got me they’d tar and feather me and ride me on a railⒺexplanatory note, sure. I didn’t wait for noⒶemendation breakfast—I warn’t hungry.”
“Old man,” says the young one, “I reckonⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation we might double-team it together; what do you think?”
“I ain’t undisposed. What’s your line—mainly?”
“Jour printer,Ⓐhistorical collation by tradeⒺexplanatory note; do a little in patentⒶalteration in the MS medicinesⒺexplanatory note; theatre-actorⒶhistorical collation—tragedy, you know; take a turn at mesmerism and phrenologyⒶalteration in the MS Ⓔexplanatory note when there’s a chance; teach singing-geography schoolⒺexplanatory note for a [begin page 161] change; sling a lecture,Ⓐhistorical collation sometimes—OⒶhistorical collation, I do lots of things—most anything that comes handy, so it ain’t work. What’s your lay?”
“ I’veⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS doneⒶalteration in the MS considerbleⒶemendation in the doctoring way,Ⓐhistorical collation in my time. Layin’ on o’Ⓐemendation handsⒶalteration in the MS is my best holt—for cancer, and paralysis, and sichⒶemendation things; and I k’nⒶemendation tell a fortune pretty good, when I’ve got somebody along to find out the facts for me. Preachin’s my line, too; and workin’ camp-meetin’s; and missionaryin’ around.Ⓐemendation”
Nobody never said anything for a while; then the young man hove a sighⒶemendation and says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“Alas!”
“What ’reⒶemendation you alassin’Ⓐemendation about?” says the bald-headⒶhistorical collation.
“To thinkⒶemendation I should haveⒶalteration in the MS lived to be leading such aⒶalteration in the MS lifeⒶhistorical collation and be degraded down into such company.” AndⒶemendation he begun to wipe the corner of his eyeⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS with a rag.
“Dern your skin, ain’tⒶhistorical collation the company good enough for you?” says the bald-head,Ⓐemendation pretty pertⒶemendation and uppish.
“Yes, it is good enough for me; it’s as good as I deserve; for who fetched me so low, when I was so high? I didⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS myself. I don’t blame you, gentlemen—far from it; I don’t blame anybodyⒶalteration in the MS. I deserve it all. Let the cold world do its worst; one thingⒶemendation I know—there’s a grave somewhereⒶalteration in the MS for me. The world may go on just as it’sⒶhistorical collation always done, and take everything from me—loved ones, property, everything—but it can’t take thatⒶemendation. Some day I’ll lieⒶalteration in the MS down in it and forget it all, and my poorⒶalteration in the MS broken heart will be at rest.” He went on a wipingⒶhistorical collation.Ⓐalteration in the MS
“DrotⒶemendation your pore broken heart,” says the bald-headⒶhistorical collation; “what are you heaving your pore broken heart at us,Ⓐhistorical collation f’rⒶemendation? we Ⓐhistorical collation hain’t done nothing.”
“No, I know you haven’t.Ⓐalteration in the MS I ain’t blamingⒶalteration in the MS youⒶemendation, gentlemen. I brought myself down—yes, I didⒶalteration in the MS it myself. It’s right I should suffer—perfectly right—I don’t make anyⒶalteration in the MS moan.”
“Brought you down from whar? WharⒶemendation was you brought down from?”
“Ah, you would not believe me; the world never believes—let it pass—’tis no matter. The secret of my birth—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“The secret of your birth? Do you mean to say—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“Gentlemen,” says the young man, very solemn, “I will reveal it to you, for I feel I may have confidence in you. By rights I am a duke!Ⓔexplanatory note”
Jim’s eyes bugged out when he heard that;Ⓐhistorical collation and I reckon mine did, too. Then the bald-headⒶhistorical collation says:Ⓐemendation “No! YouⒶhistorical collation can’t mean it?Ⓐemendation”
[begin page 162] “Yes. My great-grandfatherⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS, eldest son of the dukeⒶhistorical collation of Bridgewater, fled to this country about the end of the last century, to breathe the pure air of freedom; married here, and died, leaving a son, his own father dying about the same time. The second son of the late duke seized the title and estates—the infant realⒶemendation duke was ignored. I am the lineal descendant of that infant—I am the rightful dukeⒶhistorical collation ofⒺexplanatory note Bridgewater; and here am I, forlornⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS, torn from my high estate, hunted of men, despisedⒶalteration in the MS by the cold world, ragged, worn, heart-broken, and degraded to the companionshipⒶalteration in the MS of felons on a raft!”
Jim pitied him ever so much, and so did I. We tried to comfort him, but he saidⒶhistorical collation it warn’t much use, he couldn’tⒶemendation be much comforted; said if we was a mind to acknowledgeⒶemendation him, thatⒶemendation would do him more good than most anything else; so we said we would, if he would tell us how. He said we ought to bow,Ⓐhistorical collation when we spoke to him, and sayⒶhistorical collation “Your GraceⒶhistorical collation” or “My Lord,” or “Your LordshipⒶhistorical collation”—and he wouldn’t mind it if we called him plainⒶalteration in the MS “Bridgewater,” which he said was a title, anyway, and not a name; and one of us ought to wait on him at dinner, and do any little thing for him heⒶemendation wanted done.
[begin page 163] Well, that was all easy, so we done it. All through dinner Jim stood around and waited on him, and saysⒶhistorical collation “Will yo’Ⓐalteration in the MS graceⒶhistorical collation have some o’ dis, or some o’ dat?” and so on, and aⒶalteration in the MS body could see it was mighty pleasing to him.
ButⒶalteration in the MS the old man got pretty silent,Ⓐhistorical collation by and byⒶhistorical collation—didn’t have much to say, and didn’t look pretty comfortable over all that petting that was going on around that duke. He seemed to have something on his mind. So, along in the afternoonⒶemendation, he says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“Looky hereⒶemendation, Bilgewater,Ⓔexplanatory note” he says, “I’m nationⒶhistorical collation sorry for you, but you ain’t the only person that’s had troubles like that.”
“No?”
“No, you ain’tⒶemendation. You ain’t the only person that’s ben snaked down wrongfully out’n a high place.”
“Alas!”
“No, you ain’t the only person that’s had a secret of his birth.” AndⒶhistorical collation by jings,Ⓐhistorical collation he begins to cry.
“Hold! What do you mean?”
“Bilgewater, kinⒶemendation I trust you?” says the old man, still sort of sobbing.
“To the bitter death!Ⓐemendation” He took the old man by the hand and squeezed it, and says,Ⓐalteration in the MS—Ⓐhistorical collation“TheⒶemendation secret of your being: speak!”
“Bilgewater, I am the late Dauphin!”
You bet you Jim and me stared,Ⓐhistorical collation this time. Then the dukeⒶhistorical collation says:Ⓐemendation
“You are whatⒶemendation?”
“Yes, my friend, it is too true—your eyes is lookin’Ⓐemendation at this very moment on the pore disappeared Dauphin, Looy the SeventeenⒶalteration in the MS, son of Looy the Sixteen and Marry Antonette.”
“You!Ⓐemendation At your age! No! youⒶhistorical collation mean you’re the late Charlemagne; you must be six or seven hundred years old, at the very least.”
“Trouble has done it, Bilgewater, trouble has done it; trouble has brung these gray hairs and this prematureⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS balditude. Yes, gentlemen, you see before you, in blueⒶalteration in the MS jeans and misery, the wanderin’Ⓐemendation, exiled, trampled-onⒶhistorical collation and sufferin’ rightful King of France.”
Well, he cried and took on so,Ⓐhistorical collation that me and Jim didn’t know hardlyⒶemendation what to do, we was so sorry—and so glad and proud we’d got him with us, tooⒶemendation. So we set in, like we done before with the dukeⒶemendation,Ⓐalteration in the MS and tried to comfort him. But he said it warn’t no use, nothing but to be dead and done with it all could do him any good; though he said it often made him feel easier and better for a while if people treated [begin page 164] him according to his rights, and got down on one knee to speak to him, and always called him “Your Majesty,” and waitedⒶalteration in the MS on him firstⒶalteration in the MS,Ⓐhistorical collation at meals, and didn’t set down in his presenceⒶalteration in the MS till he asked them. So Jim and me set to majestying him, and doing this and that and t’otherⒶemendation for him, and standing up till he told us we might set down. This done him heaps of good, and so he got cheerful and comfortable.Ⓐhistorical collation But theⒶalteration in the MS duke kind of soured on him, and didn’t look a bit satisfied with the way things was going; still,Ⓐalteration in the MS the king acted real friendly towardsⒶhistorical collation him, and said the duke’s great-grandfather and allⒶalteration in the MS the other dukesⒶhistorical collation of Bilgewater was a good deal thought of by his Ⓐalteration in the MS fatherⒶhistorical collation and was allowed to come to the palace considerable; but the duke staid huffy a good while, till by and byⒶhistorical collation the king says—Ⓐhistorical collation
“Like as not we got to be together a blamed long time, on thish-yerⒶemendation raft, Bilgewater, and so what’s the use o’ your bein’Ⓐemendation sour? it’llⒶhistorical collation only make things oncomfortableⒶemendation. It ain’t myⒶemendation fault I warn’t born a duke, it ain’t yourⒶemendation fault you warn’t born a king—so what’s the use to worry?Ⓐemendation Make the best o’Ⓐemendation things the way you find ’em, says I— [begin page 165] that’s my motto. This ain’t no bad thing that we’ve struck here—plenty grub and an easy life—comeⒶhistorical collation, give us your hand, dukeⒶhistorical collation, and less all be friends.”
The duke done it, and Jim and meⒶalteration in the MS was pretty glad to see it. ItⒶalteration in the MS took away all the uncomfortableness, and we felt mighty good over it, becauseⒶalteration in the MS it would aⒶemendation been a miserable business to have any unfriendliness on the raft;Ⓐalteration in the MS for what you want, above all things, on a raft, is for everybody to beⒶalteration in the MS satisfied, and feel right and kind towards the others.Ⓐhistorical collation
It didn’t take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn’t no kings nor dukes,Ⓐhistorical collation at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds. But I never said nothing, never let on; kept it to myself; it’s the best way; then you don’t have no quarrels, and don’t get into no trouble. If they wanted us to call them kings and dukes, I hadn’t no objections, longⒶhistorical collation as it would keep peace in the family; and it warn’t no use to tell Jim, so I didn’t tell him.Ⓐemendation If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way.Ⓐemendation
like . . . air] the MS passage was revised and then replaced at a later stage. The superior numbers refer to Mark Twain’s revisions, which are listed following the passage: ‘so like ghosts or spirits1 talking2 and3 laughing in the air; and the voices drifted off and faded out, just the same as if they had been on the wing’ (emended).
1. ghosts or spirits] follows canceled ‘ghots or spirits’, which follows canceled ‘go’.
2. talking] follows canceled ‘fluttering’.
3. and] follows canceled ‘l’.
Jour printer, by trade] The wandering journeyman printer was common in the antebellum South, and a recurrent rascally figure in American humor. In 1886 Clemens would recall from his days in Hannibal “the tramping ‘jour’ who flitted by in the summer and tarried a day, with his wallet stuffed with one shirt and a hatful of handbills; for if he couldn’t get any type to set he would do a temperance lecture. . . . All he wanted was plate and bed and money enough to get drunk on” [begin page 428] (SLC 1886). Clemens himself had followed this trade from the spring of 1853, when he left Hannibal, until the summer of 1854. Working notes show that Mark Twain had originally planned to make both confidence men jour printers (see the note to 158.32).
singing-geography school] In the late 1840s, Benjamin Naylor of Philadelphia introduced his new “system of teaching geography” through public demonstrations and tutorials at various public and private schools. The method used large outline maps:
The teacher with a rod points out the various parts and repeats their names, grouping several together; the class repeats the names after him; after they are somewhat familiarized with the names, they chant or sing them over repeatedly. . . . The children all join in the singing right merrily, keeping their eyes fixed upon the places on the map as he points them out. Mr. Naylor teaches the whole of what is called Geography in thirty lessons. . . . By this system the labour of years is performed, in effect, in a month, the mind is agreeably stimulated, the memory healthfully exercised, the social feeling kindly indulged, while the simple tunes which they chant, blend the class and teacher into the most cordial harmony. (Naylor, 140–41, 143)
Cyrus Edwards (1846–1939) of Kentucky recalled the “old practice of ‘Singing Geography’ ” from his schooldays: “This method of occasionally [begin page 429] ‘singing lessons’ seemed foolish to me in my youth and appears to me now as a little questionable,. . . but I must admit that with a certain class of students,. . . it enabled them to retain at least a portion of what they had been taught” (Cyrus Edwards, xiv, 72).