J. Cole | Page 6

permission, and carefully the chair was steered among my tables
and china pots. Then Joe mounted, and by means of rising on the tips of
his toes he was able to accomplish the task of lowering the blinds.
I noticed at that time that Joe wore bright red socks, and I little thought
what a shock those bright-colored hose were to give me later on under
different circumstances.
That evening I had satisfactory letters regarding Joe's character, and by
degrees he became used to his new home, and we to him. His quaint
sayings and wonderful love of the truth, added to extreme cleanliness,
made him welcome in the somewhat exclusive circle in which my
housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, reigned supreme.
Many a hearty burst of laughter came to me from the open kitchen-
window across the garden in the leisure hour, when, the servants' tea
being over, they sat at work, while Joe amused them with his stories
and reminiscences of the sayings and doings of his wonderful brother
Dick.
This same Dick was evidently the one being Joe worshipped on earth,
and to keep his promises to Dick was a sacred duty.
"You don't know our Dick, Mrs. Wilson," said Joe, to the old
housekeeper; "if you did, you'd understand why I no more dare go agen
wot Dick told me, than I dare put my 'and in that 'ere fire. When I were
quite a little chap, I took some big yaller plums once, out of one of the
punnits father was a-packin' for market, and I eat 'em. I don't know to
this hour wot made me take them plums; but I remember they were

such prime big uns, big as eggs they was, and like lumps of gold, with a
sort of blue shade over 'em. Father were very partikler about not 'avin'
the fruit 'andled and takin' the bloom off, and told me to cover 'em well
with leaves. It was a broilin' 'ot day, and I was tired, 'avin' been stoopin'
over the baskits since four in the morning, and as I put the leaves over
the plums I touched 'em; they felt so lovely and cool, and looked so
juicy-like, I felt I must eat one, and I did; there was just six on 'em, and
when I'd bin and eat one, there seemed such a empty place left in the
punnit, that I knew father'd be sure to see it, so I eat 'em all, and then
threw the punnit to one side. Just then, father comes up and says,
"Count them punnits, Dick! there ought to be forty on 'em. Twenty
picked large for Mr. Moses, and twenty usuals for Marts!'--two of our
best customers they was. Well, Dick, he counts 'em, and soon misses
one. 'Thirty-eight, thirty-nine,' he sez, and no more; 'but 'ere's a empty
punnit,' he sez. I was standing near, feelin' awful, and wished I'd said
I'd eat the plums afore Dick begun to count 'em, but I didn't, and after
that I couldn't. 'Joe!' sez Dick, 'I wants yer! 'Ow come this empty punnit
'ere, along of the others? there's plums bin in it, I can see, 'cos it's not
new. Speak up, youngster!' I looked at Dick's face, Mrs. Wilson, and
his eyes seemed to go right into my throat, and draw the truth out of me.
'Speak up,' he sez, a-gettin' cross; 'if you've prigged 'em, say so, and
you'll get a good hidin' from me, for a-doin' of it; but if you tells me a
lie, you'll get such a hidin' for that as 'll make you remember it all your
life; so speak up, say you did it, and take your hidin' like a brick, and if
you didn't prig 'em, say who did, 'cos you must 'av' seen 'em go.'
"I couldn't do nothin', Mrs. Wilson, but keep my 'ed down, and blubber
out, 'Please, Dick, I eat 'em.'
"'Oh, you did, yer young greedy, did yer,' he sez; 'I'm glad yer didn't
tell me a lie. I've got to giv' yer a hidin', Joe; but giv' us yer 'and, old
chap, first, and mind wot I sez to yer: "Own up to it, wotever you do,"
and take your punishment; it's 'ard to bear, but when the smart on it's
over yer forgets it; but if yer tells a lie to save yerself, yer feels the
smart of that always; yer feels ashamed of yerself whenever yer thinks
of it.' And then Dick give me a thrashin', he did, but I never 'ollered or
made a row, tho' he hit pretty 'ard. And, Mrs. Wilson, I never could

look in Dick's face if I told a lie, and I never shall tell one, I 'ope, as
long as ever I live. You