Chapter 17—Good Bargains

,andthecharacterssuchaswecanloveinspiteofthefaultsthatallmayhave.Ican'tbeartoseesuchcrowdsofeagerlittlefellowsatthelibrariesreadingsuchtrashweak,whenitisnotwicked,andtotallyunfittofeedthehungrymindsthatfeastonitforwantofsomethingbetter.There!mylectureisdonenowIshouldliketohearwhatyougentlemenhavetosay,”andAuntJessiesubsidedwithaprettyflushonthefacethatwasfullofmotherlyanxietyforherboys. “TomBrownjustsuitsmother,andmetoo,soIwishMr.Hugheswouldwriteanotherstoryasgood,”saidArchie. “Youdon'tfindthingsofthissortinTomBrownyetthesebooksareallintheSunday-schoollibraries”andMrs.JessiereadthefollowingparagraphfromthebookshehadtakenfromWill'shand, “'InthisplacewesawatoothofJohntheBaptist.Bensaidhecouldseelocustandwildhoneystickingtoit.Icouldn't.PerhapsJohnusedapieceofthetruecrossforatooth-pick.'” “Alarkysortofaboysaysthat,Mum,andweskipthepartswheretheydescribewhattheysawinthedifferentcountries,”criedWill. “Andthosedescriptions,takenmostlyfromguidebooks,Ifancy,aretheonlypartsofanyrealworth.Thescrapesofthebadboysmakeuptherestofthestory,anditisforthoseyoureadthesebooks,Ithink,”answeredhismother,strokingbackthehairoffthehonestlittlefacethatlookedratherabashedatthistruestatementofthecase. “Anyway,mother,theshippartisuseful,forwelearnhowtosailher,andbyandbythatwillallcomehandywhenwegotosea,”putinGeordie. “Indeed,thenyoucanexplainthismanoeuvretome,ofcourse,”andMrs.Jessiereadfromanotherpagethefollowingnauticalparagraph, “Thewindissouth-south-west,andwecanhaveherupfourpointsclosertothewind,andstillbesixpointsoffthewind.Assheluffsupweshallmantheforeandmainsheets,slackontheweather,andhaulontheleebraces.” “IguessIcould,ifIwasn'tafraidofuncle.HeknowssomuchmorethanIdo,he'dlaugh,”beganGeordie,evidentlypuzzledbythequestion. “Ho,youknowyoucan't,sowhymakebelieve?Wedon'tunderstandhalfofthesealingo,Mum,andIdaresayit'sallwrong,”criedWill,suddenlygoingovertotheenemy,toGeordie'sgreatdisgust. “Idowishtheboyswouldn'ttalktomeasifIwasaship,”saidRose,bringingforwardaprivategrievance.“Cominghomefromchurchthismorning,thewindblewmeabout,andWillcalledout,rightinthestreet,'Brailuptheforesail,andtakeintheflying-jib,thatwilleaseher.'” TheboysshoutedattheplaintivetoneinwhichRoserepeatedthewordsthatoffendedher,andWillvainlyendeavouredtoexplainthatheonlymeanttotellhertowraphercloakcloser,andtieaveiloverthetempest-tossedfeathersinherhat. “Totellthetruth,iftheboysmusthaveslang,Icanbearthe'sealingo,'asWillcallsit,betterthantheother.Itafflictsmelesstohearmysonstalkabout'brailinguptheforesail'thandoingasthey'darnplease,'and'cutyourcable'isdecidedlypreferableto'letherrip.'IoncemadearulethatIwouldhavenoslanginthehouse.Igiveitupnow,forIcannotkeepitbutIwillnothaverubbishybooksso,Archie,pleasesendthesetwoafteryourcigars.” Mrs.Jessieheldboththesmallboysfastwithanarmroundeachneck,andwhenshetookthisbaseadvantageofthemtheycouldonlysquirmwithdismay.“Yes,rightbehindthebacklog,”sheconti