| 156 | 157 | 158 | 159 | 160 |
| 1 | 133 | 265 | 398 | 530 |
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humoured face that has always made home cheerful, turned into a
grievous one, and the baby trained to look grievous too, and to call
itself a young sinner (bless its heart) and a child of the devil (which is
calling its dead father names); if I was to see this, and see little Jacob
looking grievous likewise, I should so take it to heart that I'm sure I
should go and list for a soldier, and run my head on purpose against
the first cannon-ball I saw coming my way.'
'Oh, Kit, don't talk like that.'
'
I would, indeed, mother, and unless you want to make me feel very
wretched and uncomfortable, you'll keep that bow on your bonnet,
which you'd more than half a mind to pull off last week. Can you
suppose there's any harm in looking as cheerful and being as cheerful
as our poor circumstances will permit? Do I see anything in the way
I'm made, which calls upon me to be a snivelling, solemn, whispering
chap, sneaking about as if I couldn't help it, and expressing myself in
a most unpleasant snuffle? on the contrary, don't I see every reason
why I shouldn't? just hear this! Ha ha ha! An't that as nat'ral as
walking, and as good for the health? Ha ha ha! An't that as nat'ral as
a sheep's bleating, or a pig's grunting, or a horse's neighing, or a
bird's singing? Ha ha ha! Isn't it, mother?'
There was something contagious in Kit's laugh, for his mother, who
had looked grave before, first subsided into a smile, and then fell to
joining in it heartily, which occasioned Kit to say that he knew it was
natural, and to laugh the more. Kit and his mother, laughing together
in a pretty loud key, woke the baby, who, finding that there was
something very jovial and agreeable in progress, was no sooner in its
mother's arms than it began to kick and laugh, most vigorously. This
new illustration of his argument so tickled Kit, that he fell backward
in his chair in a state of exhaustion, pointing at the baby and shaking
his sides till he rocked again. After recovering twice or thrice, and as
often relapsing, he wiped his eyes and said grace; and a very cheerful
meal their scanty supper was.
With more kisses, and hugs, and tears, than many young gentlemen
who start upon their travels, and leave well-stocked homes behind
them, would deem within the bounds of probability (if matter so low
could be herein set down), Kit left the house at an early hour next
morning, and set out to walk to Finchley; feeling a sufficient pride in
his appearance to have warranted his excommunication from Little
Bethel from that time forth, if he had ever been one of that mournful
congregation.
Lest anybody should feel a curiosity to know how Kit was clad, it may
be briefly remarked that he wore no livery, but was dressed in a coat
of pepper-and-salt with waistcoat of canary colour, and nether
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