Explanatory Notes
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Apparatus Notes
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Chapter XLI.
[begin page 343]
the doctor.
Click the thumbnail to see the illustrated chapter heading
Chapter XLI.emendation

The doctor was an old man;emendation a very nice, kind lookinghistorical collation old man, when I got him up. I told him me and my brother was over on Spanish islandhistorical collation hunting, yesterday after noonhistorical collation, and camped on a piece of a raft we found, and about midnight he must a kicked his gunalteration in the MS in his dreams, for it went off and shot him in the leg;historical collation and we wanted him to go over there and fix it and not say nothing about it, nor let anybody know, because we wanted to come home this evening, and surprise the folks.

“Who is your folks?” he says.

“The Phelpses, down yonder.”

“Oh,” he says. And after a minute, he says: “How’d you say he got shot?”

“He had a dream,” I says, “and it shot him.”

“Singular dream,” he says.

So he lit up his lantern, and got his saddlebagshistorical collation, and we started. But when he see the canoe, he didn’t like the look of her—said she was big enough for one, but didn’t look pretty safe for two. I says:

Ohistorical collation, you needn’t be afeard,alteration in the MS sir, she carried the three of us, easy enough.emendation

“What three?”

“Why, me and Sid, and—and—and the guns; that’s what I mean.”

“Oh,” he says.

But he put his foot on the gunnel, and rocked her; and shook his head, and saidalteration in the MS he reckoned he’demendation look around for a bigger one. But they was all locked and chained; so he took my canoe, and said for [begin page 344] me to wait till he come back, or I could hunt around further, or maybe I better go down home and get them ready for the surprise, if I wanted to. But I said I didn’t; soemendation I told him just how to find the raft, and then he started.

I struck an idea, pretty soon. I says to myself, spos’nalteration in the MS he can’t fix that leg just in three shakes of a sheep’s tail, as the saying is? spos’n it takes him three or four days? What are weemendation going to do?—lay around there till he lets the cat out of the bag? No, sir, I know what I’ll historical collation do.emendation I’ll wait, and when he comes back, if he says he’s got to go any more, I’ll get down there, too, if I swim; and we’ll take andemendation tie him, and keep him, and shove out down the river; and when Tom’s done with him, weemendation’ll give him what it’s worth, or all we got, and then let him get ashorehistorical collation.

uncle silas in danger.

So then I crept into a lumber pile to get some sleep; and next time I waked up the sun was away up over my headtextual note emendation! I shot out,emendation and went for the doctor’s house, but they told me he’d gone away in the night, some time or other, and warn’t back yet. Well, thinks I, that looks [begin page 345] powerful bad for Tom, and I’ll dig out for the island, right off. So away I shoved, and turned the corner, and nearly rammed my headalteration in the MS into unclehistorical collation Silas’s stomach! He says:

“Why, Tom!alteration in the MS Where you been, all this time, you rascalalteration in the MS?emendation

I hain’t been nowheres,” I says, “only just hunting for the runaway nigger—me and Sid.”

“Why, where ever did you go?” he says. “Your aunt’s been mighty uneasy.”

“She needn’t,” I says, “because we was all right. We followed the men and the dogs, but they outrunhistorical collation us, and we lost them; but we thought we heard them on the water, so we got a canoe and took out after them, and crossed over,historical collation but couldn’t find nothing of them; so we cruised along up shorehistorical collation till we got kind of tired and beat out; and tied up the canoe and went to sleep, and never waked up till about an hour ago, then we paddled over here to hear the news, and Sid’salteration in the MS at the postofficehistorical collation to see what he can hear, and I’m a-branchinghistorical collation out to get something to eat for us, and then we’re going home.”

Soalteration in the MS then we went to the postofficehistorical collation to get ‘Sid’historical collation alteration in the MS; but,emendation just as I suspicioned, he warn’t there; so the old man he got a letter out of the office, and we waited a while longer,historical collation but Sidalteration in the MS didn’t come; so the old man said come along, letalteration in the MS Sid foot italteration in the MS home, or canoe-it, when he got done fooling around—but we would ride. I couldn’t get him to let me stay and wait for Sid; and heemendation said there warn’t no use in it, and I must come along, and let aunthistorical collation Sally see we was all right.

When we got home, aunthistorical collation Sally was that glad to see me she laughed and cried both, and hugged me, and give me one of them lickings of hern that don’t amount to shucks, and said she’d serve Sid the same when he come.

And the place was plumb full of farmers and farmers’ wives, to dinner; and such another clack a body never heard. Old Mrs. Hotchkiss was the worst; her tongue was agoing all the time. She says:

Well, sisterhistorical collation Phelpsexplanatory note, I’ve ransacked that-air cabin over,historical collation an’ Iemendation b’lieve the nigger was crazy. I says so to sisterhistorical collation Damrell—didn’t I, sisterhistorical collation Damrell?—s’I,emendation he’s crazy, s’I—them’s the very words I said. You all hearnalteration in the MS me: he’s crazy, s’I; everything shows it, s’I. Look at that-air grindstone, s’I:historical collation want to tell me ’temendation any cretur ’ts in his right mind ’s agoin’ to scrabble all them crazy things onto a grindstoneemendation, s’I? Here sich ’n’ sichalteration in the MS a person busted his heart; ’n’ here so ’n’ so [begin page 346] pegged along for thirty-seven year, ’n’emendation all that—natcherl son o’alteration in the MS Louis somebody, ’n’ sich everlast’nemendation rubbageemendation. He’s plumb crazy, s’I; it’s what I says in the fust place, it’s what I says in the middle, ’n’ it’semendation what I says last ’n’emendation all the time—the nigger’s crazy—crazy’semendation Nebokoodneezeralteration in the MS explanatory note, s’I.”

An’emendation look at that-air ladder made out’n rags, sisterhistorical collation Hotchkiss,” says old Mrs. Damrell, “whatemendation in the name o’emendation goodness could he ever want of—historical collation

old mrs. hotchkiss.

“The very words I was a-sayin’ no longer ago th’nalteration in the MS this minute to sisterhistorical collation Utterbackexplanatory note, ’n’ she’ll tell you so herself. Sh-she, look at that-airemendation rag ladder, sh-she; ’n’ s’I, yes, look at it, s’I—what could he a wanted of it, s’I. Sh-shealteration in the MS, sisterhistorical collation Hotchkiss, sh-she—historical collation

“But how in the nation’d they ever git that grindstone in emendation there, anywayhistorical collation? ’n’alteration in the MS who dug that-air hole? ’n’ who—”emendation

“My very words, Brer Penrod! I was a-sayin’—pass that-air sasser o’ m’lasses, won’t ye?—I was a-sayin’ to sisterhistorical collation Dunlap, jist this minute, how did they git that grindstone in there, s’I. Without help, mind you—’thoutalteration in the MS help! Thar’s wher’alteration in the MS ’tis. Don’t tell me, s’I; there wuz help, s’I; ’n’ ther’ wuzemendation a plenty emendation help, too, s’I; ther’salteration in the MS ben a dozen a-helpin’ that nigger, ’n’emendation I lay I’d skin every last nigger on this place, but I’dhistorical collation find out who done it, s’I; ’n’ moreover, s’I—historical collation alteration in the MS

“A dozen,historical collation says you!—forty couldn’t a done everything that’s beenalteration in the MS emendation done. Look at them caseknifealteration in the MS historical collation saws and things, how tedious they’ve beenemendation alteration in the MS made; look at that bed-leg sawed off with ’m, a week’s work [begin page 347] for six men; look at that nigger made out’n straw on the bed;alteration in the MS andemendation look at—historical collation

“You may well say it, Brer Hightower! It’s jist as I was a-sayin’alteration in the MS to Brer Phelps, his own self. S’e, what do you think of it, sisterhistorical collation Hotchkissalteration in the MS, s’e; thinkhistorical collation o’ what, Brer Phelps, s’I;historical collation think o’ that bed-leg sawed off that aemendation way, s’e;textual note historical collation think of it? s’I;historical collation I lay it never sawed itself off, s’I—somebody sawed alteration in the MS it, s’I; that’s my opinion, take it or leave it, it mayn’t be no ’countalteration in the MS, s’I, but sich as ’temendation is, it’s my opinion, s’I, ’n’ if anybody k’nemendation start a better one, s’I, let him do it, s’I, that’s all. I says to sisterhistorical collation Dunlap, s’I—historical collation

“Why, dog my cats, they must a ben a house-full o’ niggers in there every night for four weeks, to a done all that work, sisterhistorical collation Phelps. Look at that shirt—every last inch of it kivered overalteration in the MS with secret African writ’n,alteration in the MS historical collation done with blood! Must a ben a raft uv ’m at it right along, all the time, amost. Why, I’d give two dollars to have it read to me; ’n’ as foralteration in the MS the niggers that wrote it, I ’low I’d take ’n’ lash ’m t’ll—emendation

“People to help him, Brother Marples! Well, I reckon you’d think so, if you’d a been in this house for a while back. Why, they’ve stole everything they could lay their hands on—and we a watching, all the time, mind you. They stole that shirt right off o’alteration in the MS the line! and as for that sheet they made the rag ladder out of,historical collation ther’alteration in the MS ain’t no telling how many times they didn’t steal that; and flour, and candles, and candlesticks, and spoons, and the oldalteration in the MS warming panemendation, and most a thousand things that I disremember, now, and my new calico dress; and me, and Silas, and my Sid and Tom on the constant watch day and alteration in the MS night, as I was a-tellinghistorical collation you, and not a onealteration in the MS of us could catch hide nor hair, nor sight nor sound of them; and here at the last minute, lo and behold you, they slides right in underalteration in the MS our noses, and fools us, and not only fools us but the Injun Territory robbers too, and actulyalteration in the MS gets away with that nigger, safe and sound, and that with sixteen men and twenty-two dogs right on their very heels at that very time! I tell you, it justalteration in the MS emendation bangs anything I ever heard of. Why, sperits couldn’t a done better, and been no smarter. And I reckon they must a been speritsexplanatory note—because, you know our dogs, and ther’alteration in the MS ain’t no better:historical collation well, them dogs never even got on the track of ’m, once! You explain that to me, if you can!—any of youemendation!”

“Well, it does beat—historical collation

[begin page 348] Lawsemendation alivetextual note, I never—historical collation

“So help me, I wouldn’t a be—historical collation

House-thieves as well as—historical collation

“Goodnessgracioussakes, I’d a benalteration in the MS afeardalteration in the MS to live in sich a—historical collation

“ ’Fraid to live!—why, I was that scared I dasn’t hardly go to bed, or get up, or lay down, or set down, sisterhistorical collation Ridgeway. Why, they’dalteration in the MS steal the very—why, goodness sakes, you can guess what kind of a flusteralteration in the MS I was in by the time midnight come, last night.emendation alteration in the MS I hope to gracious if I warn’t afraid they’d steal some o’alteration in the MS the family! I was just to that pass, I didn’t have no reasoningemendation faculties no more. It looks foolish enough, now, in the daytimeemendation; but I says to myself, there’s myalteration in the MS two pooralteration in the MS boys asleepemendation, ’way up stairs in that lonesome room, and I declare to goodness I was that uneasy ’temendation I crep’ up there and locked ’em in! I did. And anybody would. Because, you know, when you get scared, that way, and it keeps running on, and getting worse and worse, all the time, and your wits gets to addling, and you get to doingemendation all sorts o’alteration in the MS wild things, and by and byhistorical collation you think to yourself, spos’n I was a boy, and was away up there, and the door ain’t locked, and you—historical collation” She stopped, looking kind of wondering, and then she turned her head around slow, and when her eye lit on me—I got up and took a walk.

Says I to myself, I can explain better how we come to not be in that room this morning, if I go out to one side and studyalteration in the MS over it a little. So I done it. But I dasn’t go furemendation, or she’d a sent for me. And when it was late in the day, the people all went, and then I come in and told her the noise and shooting waked up me and ‘Sid,’alteration in the MS historical collation and the door was locked, and we wanted to see the fun, so we went down the lightning rodhistorical collation, and both of us got hurt a little, and we didn’t never want to try that no more. And then I went on and told her all what I told unclehistorical collation Silas before; and then she said she’d forgive us, and maybe it was allemendation right enough,historical collation anyway, and about what a body might expect of boys, for all boys was a pretty harum-scarum lot, as furemendation as she could see; and so, as long as no harm hadn’t come of it, she judged she better put in her time being grateful we was alive and well and she had us still, stead of fretting over what was past and done. So then she kissed me, and patted me on the head, and dropped into a kind of a brown study; and pretty soon jumps uphistorical collation and says:

“Why, lawsamercy, it’s most night, and Sid not come yet! What has become of that boy?”

[begin page 349] I see my chance; so I skips up and says:

“I’ll run right up to town and get him,” I says.

“No you won’t,” she says. “You’ll stay right wher’alteration in the MS you are; one’salteration in the MS enough to be lost at a time. If he ain’t here to supper, your uncle ’ll go.”

Well, he warn’t there to supper; so right after supper,historical collation uncle went.

He come back about ten, a little bit uneasy; hadn’t run across Tom’salteration in the MS track. Aunt Sally was a good deal uneasy; but unclehistorical collation Silas healteration in the MS said there warn’t no occasion to be—boys will be boys, he saidalteration in the MS, and you’ll see this one turn up in the morning, all sound and right.alteration in the MS So she had to be satisfied. But she said she’d set up for him a while, anyway, and keep a light burning, so he could see it.

aunt sally talks to huck.

And then when I went up to bed,historical collation she come up with me,historical collation and fetched her candle, and tucked me in, and mothered me so good I felt meanalteration in the MS historical collation and like I couldn’t look her in the facealteration in the MS; and she set down on the bed and talked with me a long time, and said what a splendid boy Sid was, and didn’t seem to want to ever stop talking about him; and kept asking me every now and then, if I reckoned he could a got lost, or hurt, or maybe drownded, and might be laying at this minute, somewheres, suffering or dead, and she not by him to help him;historical collation and [begin page 350] so the tearsalteration in the MS would drip down, silent, and I would tell her thatemendation Sid was all right, and would be home in the morning, sure; and she would squeeze my hand, or maybe kiss me, and tell me to say it again, and keep on saying it, because it done her good, and she was in so much trouble. And when she was going away, she looked down in my eyes, so steady and gentle, and says:

“The door ain’t going to be locked, Tom; and there’s the window and the rod; but you’ll be good, won’t you? And you won’t go? For my sake.”

Laws knows I wanted emendation to go, bad enough, to see about Tom, and was all intending to go; but after thatalteration in the MS, I wouldn’t aemendation went, not for kingdoms.

But she was on my mind, and Tom was on my mind; so I slept very restless. And twice I went down the rod, away in the night, and slipped around front,alteration in the MS and see her setting there by her candle in the window with her eyes towards the road and the tears in them; and I wished I could do something for her, but I couldn’t, only to swear thatemendation I wouldn’t never do nothing to grieve her any more. And the third time, I waked up at dawn, and slid down, and she was there yet, and her candle was most out, and her old gray head was resting on her hand, and she was asleep.

Historical Collation Chapter XLI.
  kind looking (MS2)  ●  kind-looking (A) 
  island (MS2)  ●  Island (A) 
  after noon (MS2)  ●  afternoon (A) 
  leg; (MS2)  ●  leg, (A) 
  saddlebags (MS2)  ●  saddle-bags (A) 
  O (MS2)  ●  Oh (A) 
  I’ll (MS2)  ●  I’ll  (A) 
  ashore (MS2)  ●  shore (A) 
  uncle (MS2)  ●  Uncle (A) 
  outrun (MS2)  ●  out-run (A) 
  over, (MS2)  ●  over  (A) 
  up shore (MS2)  ●  up-shore (A) 
  postoffice (MS2)  ●  post-office (A) 
  a-branching (MS2)  ●  a branching (A) 
  postoffice (MS2)  ●  post-office (A) 
  ‘Sid’ (MS2)  ●  “Sid” (A) 
  longer, (MS2)  ●  longer  (A) 
  aunt (MS2)  ●  Aunt (A) 
  aunt (MS2)  ●  Aunt (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  over, (MS2)  ●  over  (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  s’I: (MS2)  ●  s’I; (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  of— (MS2)  ●  of—— (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  sh-she— (MS2)  ●  sh-she—— (A) 
  anyway (MS2)  ●  any- | way (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  I’d (MS2)  ●  I’d  (A) 
  s’I— (MS2)  ●  s’I—— (A) 
  dozen, (MS2)  ●  dozen  (A) 
  caseknife (MS2)  ●  case-knife (A) 
  at— (MS2)  ●  at—— (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  s’e; think (MS2)  ●  s’e? think (A) 
  s’I; (MS2)  ●  s’I? (A) 
  s’e; (MS2)  ●  s’e? (A) 
  it? s’I; (MS2)  ●  it, s’I? (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  s’I— (MS2)  ●  s’I—— (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  writ’n, (MS2)  ●  writ’n (A) 
  of, (MS2)  ●  of  (A) 
  a-telling (MS2)  ●  a telling (A) 
  better: (MS2)  ●  better; (A) 
  beat— (MS2)  ●  beat—— (A) 
  never— (MS2)  ●  never—— (A) 
  be— (MS2)  ●  be—— (A) 
  as— (MS2)  ●  as—— (A) 
  a— (MS2)  ●  a—— (A) 
  sister (MS2)  ●  Sister (A) 
  by and by (MS2)  ●  by-and-by (A) 
  you— (MS2)  ●  you—— (A) 
  ‘Sid,’ (MS2)  ●  “Sid,” (A) 
  lightning rod (MS2)  ●  lightning-rod (A) 
  uncle (MS2)  ●  Uncle (A) 
  enough, (MS2)  ●  enough  (A) 
  up (MS2)  ●  up, (A) 
  supper, (MS2)  ●  supper  (A) 
  uncle (MS2)  ●  Uncle (A) 
  bed, (MS2)  ●  bed  (A) 
  me, (MS2)  ●  me  (A) 
  mean (MS2)  ●  mean, (A) 
  him; (MS2)  ●  him, (A) 
Editorial Emendations Chapter XLI.
  Chapter XLI. (A)  ●  not in (MS2) 
  man; (A)  ●  man page trimmed  (MS2) 
  enough. (A)  ●  enough? (MS2) 
  he’d (A)  ●  he would (MS2) 
  so (A)  ●  and so (MS2) 
  we (A)  ●  we  (MS2) 
  do. (A)  ●  do: (MS2) 
  take and (A)  ●  not in  (MS2) 
  we (A)  ●  we’ve (MS2) 
  over my head (A)  ●  over- | head (MS2) 
  shot out, (C)  ●  shinned out of that, (MS2)  shot out (A) 
  rascal? (A)  ●  rascal! (MS2) 
  but, (C)  ●  and, (MS2)  but (A) 
  and he (A)  ●  he (MS2) 
  I (A)  ●  I  (MS2) 
  s’I, (A)  ●  S’I, (MS2) 
  me ’t (C)  ●  me ’t (MS2)  me’t (A) 
  grindstone (A)  ●  grind- | stone (MS2) 
  ’n’ (A)  ●  and (MS2) 
  everlast’n (A)  ●  ever- | last’n (MS2) 
  rubbage (A)  ●  rot (MS2) 
  ’n’ it’s (A)  ●  ’n’ its (MS2) 
  ’n’ (A)  ●  and (MS2) 
  crazy’s (A)  ●  crazy as (MS2) 
  An’ (A)  ●  And (MS2) 
  what (A)  ●  What (MS2) 
  o’ (A)  ●  of (MS2) 
  that-air (A)  ●  that- | air (MS2) 
  in  (A)  ●  in (MS2) 
  who—” (C)  ●  who—’ page trimmed  (MS2)  who——” (A) 
  wuz (A)  ●  was (MS2) 
  plenty  (A)  ●  plenty o’ (MS2) 
  ’n’ (A)  ●  an’ (MS2) 
  been (A)  ●  ben (MS2) 
  been (A)  ●  ben (MS2) 
  and (A)  ●  ’n’ (MS2) 
  a (A)  ●  not in  (MS2) 
  as ’t (A)  ●  as it (MS2) 
  k’n (A)  ●  kin (MS2) 
  t’ll— (C)  ●  till— (MS2)  t’ll—— (A) 
  warming pan (C)  ●  warmin’ pan (MS2)  warming-pan (A) 
  just (A)  ●  jest (MS2) 
  of you (A)  ●  of ye (MS2) 
  Laws (A)  ●  Land (MS2) 
  night. (A)  ●  night: (MS2) 
  reasoning (A)  ●  reasonin’ (MS2) 
  daytime (C)  ●  day- | time (MS2)  day-time (A) 
  asleep (A)  ●  a- | sleep (MS2) 
  ’t (A)  ●  that (MS2) 
  doing (A)  ●  doin’ (MS2) 
  fur (A)  ●  far (MS2) 
  all (A)  ●  not in  (MS2) 
  fur (A)  ●  far (MS2) 
  that (A)  ●  not in  (MS2) 
  wanted  (A)  ●  wanted (MS2) 
  a (A)  ●  of (MS2) 
  that (A)  ●  not in  (MS2) 
Alterations in the Manuscript Chapter XLI.
 gun] written over ‘d’.
 afeard,] interlined above canceled ‘afraid,’.
 said] follows canceled ‘says:’.
 spos’n] originally ‘spose’; ‘ ’n’ written over wiped-out ‘e’.
 rammed my head] interlined above canceled ‘come kerslam’.
  Tom!] interlined above canceled ‘Sid!’.
 rascal] follows canceled ‘young’.
 Sid’s] interlined following canceled ‘Tom’s’.
 So] follows canceled [¶] ‘So he told’.
 ‘Sid’] interlined above canceled ‘Tom’.
 Sid] ‘‘Sid’’ interlined above canceled ‘Tom’; the quotation marks canceled.
 let] follows canceled ‘let him’; ‘him’ follows canceled ‘T’.
 foot it] originally ‘foot-it’; the hyphen canceled.
 hearn] originally ‘heard’; ‘n’ interlined above canceled ‘d’.
 ’n’ sich] ‘ ’n’’ interlined above canceled ‘and’.
 o’] interlined above canceled ‘of’.
 Nebokoodneezer] may have originally been ‘Na’ or ‘No’; the second letter wiped out and ‘ebokoodneezer’ added.
 th’n] interlined above canceled ‘than’.
 Sh-she] originally ‘She’; the hyphen written over wiped-out ‘e’.
  anyway? ’n’] the question mark written over a semicolon; the first apostrophe written over a colon.
 ‘thout] originally ‘without’; the apostrophe added above canceled ‘wi’.
 wher’] originally ‘where’; ‘er’’ written over wiped-out ‘er’; the second ‘e’ canceled.
 ther’s] originally ‘there’s’; the second ‘e’ canceled.
 moreover, s’I] originally ‘moreover’; ‘s’I’ interlined and the comma added.
 been] the MS reads ‘ben’ (emended); originally ‘been’; the second ‘e’ canceled.
 caseknife] originally ‘caseknives’; ‘fe’ written over wiped-out ‘ves’.
 been] the MS reads ‘ben’ (emended); originally ‘been’; ‘n’ written over wiped-out ‘en’.
 look . . . bed;] interlined in pencil.
 a-sayin’] originally ‘a-saying’; the apostrophe added above canceled ‘g’.
 Hotchkiss] originally ‘Hoc’; ‘tchkiss’ written over ‘c’.
  sawed] interlined above canceled ‘done’, which was written over wiped-out ‘s’.
 ‘count] originally ‘account’; the apostrophe added above canceled ‘ac’.
 over] interlined.
 writ’n,] interlined.
 for] followed by a canceled dash and canceled quotation marks.
 o’] interlined above canceled ‘ ’n’.
 ther’] originally ‘there’; the apostrophe added above canceled ‘e’.
 old] followed by canceled ‘bed’.
  and] originally ‘and’; the underline added.
 a one] ‘a’ interlined.
 under] written over wiped-out ‘and’.
 actuly] originally ‘actually’; ‘al’ canceled.
 just] the MS reads ‘jest’ (emended); written over wiped-out ‘just’.
 ther’] originally ‘there’; the apostrophe added above canceled ‘e’.
 ben] originally ‘been’; ‘n’ written over wiped-out ‘en’.
 afeard] interlined above canceled ‘afraid’.
 they’d] ‘ ’d’ interlined.
 fluster] interlined above canceled ‘state’ and following interlined and canceled ‘stew’.
 night.] the MS reads ‘night:’ (emended); the colon possibly mended from a period.
 o’] originally ‘of’; the apostrophe added above canceled ‘f’.
 my] interlined above canceled ‘them’.
 poor] interlined.
 o’] originally ‘of’; the apostrophe added above canceled ‘f’.
 study] originally ‘tal’; ‘l’ mended to ‘k’ and ‘take a’ written and then wiped out; ‘study’ written over wiped-out ‘take a’.
 me and ‘Sid,’] written over wiped-out ‘Sid and me’.
 wher’] originally ‘where’; the apostrophe added above canceled ‘e’.
  one’s] originally ‘one’s’; the underline apparently added.
 Tom’s] interlined above canceled ‘his’.
 he] interlined.
 he said] ‘said’ written over wiped-out ‘says’.
 right.] followed by a wiped-out comma or a wiped-out caret with no interlineation.
 mean] follows canceled ‘awful’.
 and . . . face] interlined.
 the tears] ‘the’ originally ‘she’; ‘t’ written over ‘s’.
 that] originally ‘that’; the underline canceled.
 front,] followed by interlined and canceled ‘to look,’.
Textual Notes Chapter XLI.
 over my head] Mark Twain originally wrote “over- | head”, dividing the word at the end of a line in his manuscript. Though the typist might have mistranscribed it as two words (as he did with “spell- | bound” in the “1,002” typescript), causing Mark Twain to add “my” as a correction of the typescript, the change is so like Mark Twain’s usual, independently supplied revisions that the first edition reading is adopted. (See for instance the emended reading at 220.20–21, from “a curtain of calico that hung to the floor” to “a curtain made out of calico that hung down to the floor”.)
 S’e, . . . s’e; think . . . s’I; think . . . s’e;] As in the manuscript. In the first edition text of this passage, question marks were substituted for each of the manuscript’s semicolons, almost certainly in an attempt to turn the manuscript’s long run-on sentence (which incorporates in sequence the indirect dialogue of two characters) into distinct units to help distinguish the speakers. The question marks, however, in each case were placed after the speaker of the question rather than after the question itself. If Mark Twain had been responsible for the revision, he doubtless would have placed the question mark after the question, not the speaker, as he does at 347.6 (“think of it? s’I;”).
 Laws alive] The manuscript reads “Land alive”, and the first edition “Laws alive”. Mark Twain used both “land” and “laws” as a substitute for “Lord” in Pike County dialect. Aunt Sally says “for the land’s sake” (at 315.5, 316.7, and 337.18), and “law sakes”, “law-samercy”, and “laws-a-me” (at 278.6, 348.38, and 278.18). Although it is possible his manuscript could have been misinterpreted by the typist [begin page 832] as “Laud” or “Lawd” and his subsequent change occasioned by the typist’s error, it is more likely that the author revised it to perfect Aunt Sally’s dialect. The first edition reading is adopted.
Explanatory Notes Chapter XLI.
 Well, sister Phelps] Mark Twain wrote in 1898 that “Sister” was a common form of address in the “Methodist, or Presbyterian, or Baptist, or Campbellite church” ( MSM , 191). For the following description of the Arkansas gossips, Mark Twain may have borrowed some features [begin page 450] from a story by Joel Chandler Harris, “At Teague Poteet’s,” which was published in the Century Magazine in May and June 1883, shortly before he wrote this scene. Harris’s characters use expressions like “s’I” and “se’ she” (for “says I” and “says she”) and one of them is even named Hightower (Carkeet 1979, 323–24; Carkeet 1981, 91).
 Nebokoodneezer] Nebuchadnezzar (d. 562 b.c.), a king of Babylon who went insane (Daniel 4:33).
 sister Utterback] Clemens was familiar with this unusual name from his childhood, when his mother took him to visit her friend Mrs. Utterback, a faith healer who specialized in curing toothaches (SLC 1897–98, 63–64). He also used it in an 1866 sketch about “Old Mother Utterback,” who lived “in the bend below Grand Gulf, Mississippi” (SLC 1866a, 6). See also N&J2 , 381.
 I reckon they must a been sperits] Clemens, who was interested in (but skeptical about) spiritualism, may have read about the strange “haunting” of the Eliakim Phelps family in 1850 and adapted some of the widely reported supernatural occurrences for his tale. These included straw-stuffed dummies, anonymous letters, disappearing sheets and spoons, and “captious nails and candlesticks.” The mysterious incidents of 1850 may well have been the work of enterprising, mischievous children (Kerr, 172–81).