If you think our boy didn’t have any other name than Boy, there is where you are mistaken. His name wuz Robert Josiah from his birth—after his two grandpas; but Thomas Jefferson wuz so pleased to think he wuz a boy that he got in the habit of callin’ him Boy, and we all joined in and followed on after him, as is the habit of human bein’s or sheep. You know how the him reads:
“First a daughter and then a son,
Then the world is well begun.”
I spoze Thomas J. had this in mind when he wuz so tickled at the birth of Boy.
But howsomever and tenny rate, we all called him Boy. And he knew the name, and would laugh and dimple all over in his pretty glee when we would call him.
Wall, I would take little Raymond up on my lap, and tell him stories, and pet him, and Maggie would mother him jest as she would Snow, and we wuz both on us sorry for him as sorry could be to think of his forlorn little state.
Riches, and fame, and even his big name couldn’t make up for the loss of the tender counsels and broodin’ love of a mother.
His father jest thought his eyes on him. But he couldn’t seem to stop fumblin’ that watch-chain of hisen, and stop a talkin’ them big words, and descend from his ambitious plans of self-advancement to come down to his little boy’s level and talk to him in a lovin’ way.
Little Raymond looked up to his Pa with a sort of a admirin’ awe, jest about as the Jonesville children would to the President.
I believe Senator Coleman had ambitions to be one. I believe my soul he did. Anyway, his ambitions wuz all personal. Havin’ made himself so fur, he wuz bound to put all the adornin’s and embellishin’s onto his work that he could.