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 couldn't bear to see him spilte, and I sez, "Children are quick to foller patterns."

And she sez, tostin' her head, "Nobody ever ketched me in a lie, or Hamen, either."

Sez I, "Jack heard you groanin' and dreadin' Aunt Nabby, and hatin' to see her, to her back, and then kissin' and tellin' her how glad you wuz to see her to her face; what is that, Tamer Ann Allen, what is that?"

She tosted her head agin and sez, "Oh, you have got to do such little things to git along peaceable." Sez I, "Well, I spoze Jack thought he had got to tell his little lie in order to git along smooth."

Sez Tamer Ann, "This is entirely different; we older ones have the duties of society restin' on us"

"The older ones," sez I, interruptin' her, "ort to behave themselves and not set patterns of falsehood before the children."

"Society, as it is now organized," sez Tamer Ann, "cannot exist and run smoothly without a little, not exactly falsehood or deceit, I wouldn't use exactly those words"

"I would," sez I firmly, "I would, that is jest what they be, jest what you used this mornin' and whipped Jack for this afternoon."

"Society would break in pieces if it were not for the oil of these qualities, which I cannot exactly name"

"I can," sez I firmly; "I can name 'em."

"It it were not for this to soften the friction of the machinery, society would break in pieces."

"Then let it break into pieces," sez I, "into a hundred pieces. But surely," I sez, "there is such a thing as truth and frankness and simplicity and honor in the world, surely there are them that live their lives in a