' When
I'd call it a elephant, they'd larf an' larf till I flattened out
one feller's nose. I dunno nothin' 'bout elephants; but the
critter they pinted at wuz a cow. Then one day they set me ter
scrubbin' a nigger to mek 'im white, en all sech doin's, till the
head-doctor stopped the hull blamed nonsense. S'pose I be a
cur'ous chap. I ain't a nachel-bawn ijit. When folks begin ter go
on, en do en say things I kyant see through, then I stands off en
sez, 'Lemme 'lone.' The hospital doctors wouldn't 'low any foolin'
with me 't all."
"I'm not allowing any fooling with you," said Dr. Barnes, firmly.
"I wish you to listen to that man and woman, and believe all they
say. The hospital doctors would give you the same orders."
"All right, then," assented Nichol, with a sort of grimace of
resignation. "Fire away, old man, an' git through with yer yarn so
Jackson kin come back. I wish this woman wouldn't take on so. Hit
makes me orful oncomf't'ble, doggoned ef hit don't."
The rapid and peculiar utterance, the seemingly unfeeling words of
his son, stung the father into an ecstasy of grief akin to anger.
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