“No, it is enough for me to tell Jack what to do; he has no right to inquire into my reasons.”
“But,” sez I, “didn’t you inquire into what you called his irreverence at prayer time?”
“I inquired into it with a good switch, that’s what I did, for I will not have irreverence and irreligion goin’ on in my house.”
Well, as I said, Jack come to me that night and laid his head against my shoulder, and I told him he must be a good boy, and I asked him why it wuz that he didn’t want to say his prayers. He had been in real good sperits, but the minute I begun to talk about that he kinder whimpered out, “I don’t want to everykneeshallbow, and I told Ma that I didn’t, I don’t know what it is and don’t want to talk about it, and I told Ma so, and then she said I’d got to, and then I got mad and I told her I won’t everykneeshallbow, and then she whipped me. And what is it, anyway?”
“Say it slower, Jack,” sez I.
“Every-knee-shall-bow,” sez he.
And then it come to me, “Every knee shall bow.” And I went on and told him about the great kind Ruler who made him and all the pleasant things that he had ever enjoyed, and how it is writ down that every knee shall bow to Him.
“Well, I’ll do that,” sez Jack. “I will kneel to Him now, I didn’t know what it meant, and Ma wuz too busy to tell me, and I got mad and wouldn’t ask anybody else. And there is sunthin’ else that I wanted to know awfully, and I wish you would tell me.” That poor little creeter trusted me it seemed more than he did any other person, and I felt greatly complimented by it, as much as if a President or King had paid compliments to me.
“What is the Miz that Ma makes me pray about in church?”
“The Miz?” sez I.