Bonaparte understood.
"Political Economy," he said slowly.
"Dear Lord!" said Tant Sannie, "cannot one hear from the very sound what an
ungodly book it is! One can hardly say the name. Haven't we got curses
enough on this farm?" cried Tant Sannie, eloquently; "my best imported
Merino ram dying of nobody knows what, and the short-horn cow casting her
two calves, and the sheep eaten up with the scab and the drought? And is
this a time to bring ungodly things about the place, to call down the
vengeance of Almighty God to punish us more? Didn't the minister tell me
when I was confirmed not to read any book except my Bible and hymn-book,
that the devil was in all the rest? And I never have read any other book,"
said Tant Sannie with virtuous energy, "and I never will!"
Waldo saw that the fate of his book was sealed, and turned sullenly on his
heel.
"So you will not stay to hear what I say!" cried Tant Sannie. "There, take
your Polity-gollity-gominy, your devil's book!" she cried, flinging the
book at his head with much energy.
It merely touched his forehead on one side and fell to the ground.
"Go on," she cried; "I know you are going to talk to yourself. People who
talk to themselves always talk to the devil. Go and tell him all about it.
Go, go! run!" cried Tant Sannie.
But the boy neither quickened nor slackened his pace, and passed sullenly
round the back of the wagon-house.
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