Of course, I would have been pleased to have had Queen Isabelle and Ferdinand there—
There wuz cake enough, and ice-cream, and oysters, and everything. And everybody that knows me knows that I hain't one to begrech havin' one or two more visitors to wait on and provide for than I had planned havin'.
Yes, I should have been glad to seen 'em, and wait on 'em. But I didn't seem to care anything about seein' 'em, compared to my feelin's about Christopher Columbus.
Yes, Christopher wuz my theme, and my constant burden of mind.
But I had to gin it up. I couldn't expect a man to live four or five hundred years jest to please me, and gratify Jonesville.
No, Columbus wuzn't there. He wuz off somewhere a-discoverin' new continents, or planets, mebby.
For I don't believe he crumpled right down, and sot down forever on them golden streets.
No; I believe the eager, active mind would be a-reachin' out, a-findin' out new truths, new discoveries, so great that it would probable make us shet our eyes before the blindin' glory of 'em, if we could only git a glimpse of 'em.