CHAPTER VIII. OLD TIFF.

nanimation, "Oh,you'vecomeatlast!IthoughtIshoulddiewithoutseeingyou!" "Oh,youan'ta-goingtodie,Sis!Why,whattalk!"saidhe,chuckingherunderthechin."Why,yourcheeksareasredasroses!" "Pa,seethebaby!"saidlittleTeddy,who,havingclimbedoverthebed,openedtheflannelbundle. "Ah!Sis,Icallthataratolerablefairstrokeofbusiness!Well,Itellyouwhat,I'vedoneupatradenowthatwillsetusupandnomistake.Besideswhich,I'vegotsomethingnowinmycoat-pocketthatwouldraiseadeadcattolife,ifshewaslyingatthebottomofapond,withastoneroundherneck!Seehere!'Dr.Puffer'sElixiroftheWaterofLife!'warrantedtocurejanders,toothache,earache,scrofula,speptia,'sumption,andeverythingelsethateverIhearnof!Ateaspoonfulofthatar,mornandnight,andinaweekyou'llberoundagin,aspertasacricket!" Itwasastonishingtoseethechangewhichtheentranceofthismanhadwroughtontheinvalid.Allherapprehensionsseemedtohavevanished.Shesatuponthebed,followinghiseverymovementwithhereyes,andapparentlyplacingfullconfidenceinthenewmedicine,asifitwerethefirsttimethateverauniversalremedyhadbeenproposedtoher.Itmustbenoticed,however,thatTiff,whohadreturned,andwasbuildingthefire,indulgedhimself,nowandthen,whenthebackofthespeakerwasturned,bysnuffingathiminaparticularlycontemptuousmanner.Themanwasathick-setandnotill-lookingpersonage,whomighthavebeenfortyorforty-fiveyearsofage.Hiseyes,ofaclear,livelybrown,hisclose-curlinghair,hishighforehead,andacertaindevil-may-carefranknessofexpression,weretraitsnotdisagreeable,andwhichwentsomewaytoaccountforthepartialeagernesswithwhichtheeyeofthewifefollowedhim. Thehistoryofthepairisbrieflytold.HewasthesonofasmallfarmerofNorthCarolina.Hisfather,havingbeensounfortunateastoobtainpossessionofafewnegroes,thewholefamilybecameeverafterinspiredwithanintensedisgustforallkindsoflaborandJohn,theoldestson,adoptedforhimselftheancientandhonorableprofessionofaloafer.Tolieidleinthesuninfrontofsomesmallgrog-shop,toattendhorse-races,cock-fights,andgander-pullings,tofloutoutoccasionallyinanewwaistcoat,boughtwithmoneywhichcamenobodyknewhow,werepleasurestohimall-satisfactory.Hewasasguiltlessofallknowledgeofcommon-schoollearningasGovernorBerkleycoulddesire,andfarmoreclearofreligioustrainingthanaMahometanoraHindoo. Inoneofhisramblingexcursionsthroughthecountry,hestoppedanightataworn-outandbroken-downoldplantation,whereeverythinghadrundown,throughmanyyearsofmismanagementandwaste.Therehestayedcertaindays,playingcardswiththeequallyhopefulsonoftheplace,andendedhisperformancesbyrunningawayonenightwiththesoft-hearteddaughter,onlyfifteenyearsofage,andwhowasfullasidle,careless,anduntaught,ashe. Thefamily,whompovertycouldnotteachtoforgettheirpride,weregreatlyscandalizedatthemarriageand,hadtherebeenanythingleftintheworn-outestatewherewithtoportionher,thebride,nevertheless,wouldhavebeenportionless.Thesolepieceofpropertythatwentoutwithherfromthepaternalmansionwasone,who,havingamindandwillofhisown,couldnotbekeptfromfollowingher.Thegirl'smotherhadcomefromadistantbranchofoneofthemostcelebratedfamiliesinVirginia,andTiffhadbeenherservantand,withaheartforeverswellingwiththeremembrancesoftheancestralgreatnessofthePeytons,hefollowedhisyoungmistressinhermésalliancewithlong-sufferingdevotion.HeevenbowedhisnecksofarastoacknowledgeforhismasteramanwhomheconsideredbypositioninfinitelyhisinferiorforTiff,thoughcrookedandblack,neverseemedtocherishtheslightestdoubtthatthewholeforceofthePeytonbloodcoursedthroughhisveins,andthatthePeytonhonorwasintrustedtohiskeeping.HismistresswasaPeyton,herchildrenwerePeytonchildren,andeventhelittlebundleofflannelinthegum-treecradlewasaPeytonandasforhim,hewasTiffPeyton,andthisthoughtwarmedandconsoledhimashefollowedhispoormistressduringallthestepsofherdownwardcourseintheworld.Onherhusbandhelookedwithpatronizing,civilcontempt.Hewishedhimwellhethoughtitpropertoputthebestfaceonallhisactionsbut,inaconfidentialhour,Tiffwouldsometimesraisehisspectaclesemphatically,andgiveitout,ashisownprivateopinion,"datderecouldnotbemuch'spectedfromdatar'scriptionofpeople!" Infact,therovingandunsettlednatureofJohnCripps'savocationsandlocationsmighthavejustifiedtheoldfellow'scontempt.Hisindustrialcareermightbedefinedascomprisingalittleofeverything,andagreatdealofnothing.Hehadbegun,successively,tolearntwoorthreetradeshadhalfmadeahorse-shoe,andspoiledoneortwocarpenter'splaneshadtriedhishandatstage-drivinghadraisedfighting-cocks,andkeptdogsforhuntingnegroes.Butheinvariablyretreatedfromeveryoneofhisavocations,inhisownopinionamuch-abusedman.ThelastdevicethathadenteredhisheadwassuggestedbythesuccessofashrewdYankeepeddler,who,havingalotofdamagedandunsalablematerialtodisposeof,talkedhimintothebeliefthathepossessedyetanundevelopedtalentfortradeandpoorJohnCripps,guiltlessofmultiplicationoradditiontable,andwhokepthiscock-fightingaccountsonhisfingersandbymakingchalk-marksbehindthedoors,actuallywasmadetobelievethathehadatlastreceivedhistruevocation. Infact,therewassomethingintheconstantrestlessnessofthismodeoflifethatsuitedhisrovingturnand,thoughhewasconstantlybuyingwhathecouldnotsell,andlosingonallthathedidsell,yetsomehowhekeptupanillusionthathewasdoingsomething,becausestraycoinsnowandthenpassedthroughhispockets,andbecausethecircleofsmalltavernsinwhichhecoulddrinkandloafwasconsiderablylarger.TherewasoneresourcewhichneverfailedhimwhenallotherstreamswentdryandthatwastheunceasingingenuityandfidelityofthebondmanTiff. Tiff,infact,appearedtobeoneofthosecomfortableoldcreatures,whoretainsuchagoodunderstandingwithallcreatednaturethatfoodneverisdeniedthem.FishwouldalwaysbiteonTiff'shookwhentheywouldn'tonanybody'selsesothathewaswontconfidentlytocalltheneareststream"Tiff'spork-barrel."HensalwayslaideggsforTiff,andcackledtohimconfidentiallywheretheyweredeposited.Turkeysgobbledandstruttedforhim,andledforthforhimbroodsofdownylittleones.Allsortsofwildgame,squirrels,rabbits,coons,andpossums,appearedtocomewithpleasureandputthemselvesintohistrapsandspringessothat,whereanothermanmightstarve,Tiffwouldlookroundhimwithunctuoussatisfaction,contemplatingallnatureashislarder,wherehisprovisionswerewearingfurcoats,andwalkingaboutonfourlegs,onlyforsafekeepingtillhegotreadytoeatthem.SothatCrippsnevercamehomewithoutanticipationofsomethingsavory,evenalthoughhehaddrankuphislastquarterofadollaratthetavern.ThissuitedCripps.HethoughtTiffwasdoinghisduty,andoccasionallybroughthimhomesomeunsalablebitofrubbish,bywayoftestimonialofthesenseheentertainedofhisworth.ThespectaclesinwhichTiffgloriedcametohiminthismannerand,althoughitmighthavebeenmadetoappearthattheglasseswereonlyplainwindow-glass,Tiffwashappilyignorantthattheywerenotthebestofconvexlenses,andstillhappierinthefactthathisstrong,unimpairedeyesightmadeanyglassesatallentirelyunnecessary.ItwasonlyanaristocraticweaknessinTiff.Spectacleshesomehowconsideredthemarkofagentleman,andanappropriatesymbolforonewhohad"beenfet