Thomas Jefferson loved to talk with him the best that ever wuz. And Al Faizi would make excursions to different places round, a-walkin’ mostly, a-seein’ how the people lived, and a-watchin’ their manners and customs, and in writin’ down lots of things in some books he had with him, takin’ notes, I spozed, and learnin’ all he could. One book that he used to carry round with him and make notes in wuz as queer a lookin’ book as I ever see.
With sunthin’ on the cover that looked some like a cross and some like a star.
There wuz some precious stuns on it that flashed. If it wuz held up in some lights it looked like a cross, and then agin the light would fall on’t and make it look like a star. And the gleamin’ stuns would sparkle and flash out sometimes like a sharp sword, and anon soft, like a lambient light.
It wuz a queer-lookin’ book; and he said, when I atted him about it, that he brought it from a country fur away.
And agin he made that gester towards the East, that might mean Loontown, and might mean Ingy and Hindoosten—and sech.
After that first talk with me, in which he seemed to open his heart, and tell what wuz in his mind, as you may say, about our country, he didn’t seem to talk so very much.
He seemed to be one of the kind who do up their talkin’ all to one time, as it were, and git through with it.
Of course he asked questions a sight, for he seemed to want to find out all he could. And he would anon or oftener make a remark, but to talk diffuse and at length, he hardly ever did. But he took down lots of notes in that little book, for I see him.
I enjoyed havin’ him there dretful well, and done well by him in cookin’, etcetery and etcetery.
But the excitement when he first walked into the Jonesville meetin’-house with Josiah and me wuz nearly rampant. I felt queer and kinder sheepish, to be walkin’ out with a man with a long dress, and turban on, and sandals. And I kinder meached along, and wuz glad to git to our pew and set down as quick as I could. But Josiah looked round him with a dignified and almost supercilious mean. He felt hauty, and acted so, to think that we had a heathen with us and that the other members of the meetin’-house didn’t have one.