“Huldy was 'most dyin' for fear she should laugh, 'I'm afraid he 'll get up,' says she, 'when you do.'
“'Oh, no, he won't!' says the parson, quite confident. 'There, there,' says he, layin' his hands on him, as if pronouncin' a blessin'. But when the parson riz up, old Tom he riz up too, and began to march over the eggs.
“'Stop, now!' says the parson. 'I 'll make him get down agin: hand me that corn-basket; we 'll put that over him.'
“So he crooked old Tom's legs, and got him down agin; and they put the corn-basket over him, and then they both stood and waited.
“'That 'll do the thing, Huldy,' said the parson.
“'I don't know about it,' says Huldy.
“'Oh, yes, it will, child! I understand,' says he.
“Just as he spoke, the basket riz right up and stood, and they could see old Tom's long legs.
“'I 'll make him stay down, confound him,' says the parson; for, ye see, parsons is men, like the rest on us, and the doctor had got his spunk up.
“'You jist hold him a minute, and I 'll get something that 'll make him stay, I guess;' and out he went to the fence, and brought in a long, thin, flat stone, and laid it on old Tom's back.