Tempest and Sunshine

Here he turned to Julia, who had just entered the room. Then he went on:

"Yes, Tempest raves and tars about the house and can hardly wait till I'm

dead before she spends my money in fool fixin's. Devil of a cent she'll

get though if she rides as high a horse as she generally does! I'll give

it all to 'Sunshine'; yes, I will. She's more gentle-like and comes

coaxin' round me, and puttin' her soft arms round my old shaggy neck says,

'Please, pa, if I'll learn to make a nice pudding or pie of Aunt Judy,

will you buy us a new looking-glass or rocking chair?' And then 'tisn't in

my natur to refuse. Oh, yes; Sunshine is a darling," said he, laying his

hand caressingly on Fanny's head, who just at that moment showed her sunny

face in the room.

During breakfast Mr. Middleton inquired more particularly into Mr.

Wilmot's plans and wishes, and told him there was no doubt that he could

obtain a good school in that immediate neighborhood. "Your best way," said

he, "will be to write a subscription paper. The people then see what for a

fist you write, and half the folks in Kentuck will judge you by that. In

the paper you must tell what you know and what you ask to tell it to

others. I'll head the list with my two gals and give you a horse to go

round with, and I'll bet Tempest, and Sunshine, too, that you'll get a

full school afore night."

At the last part of this speech Julia curled her lips and tried to look

indignant, while Fanny laughingly said, "Pa, what makes you always bet

sister and me, just as though you could sell us like horses? It's bad

enough to bet and sell the blacks, I think."

"Ho, ho! So you've got some free State notions already, have you?" said

Mr. Middleton. "Well, honey, you're more'n half right, I reckon." So

saying, he for the fourth time passed up his coffee cup.

Breakfast being over, he took his young friend to the stable and bade him

select for his own use any horse he chose. Mr. Wilmot declined, saying he

was not much accustomed to horses; he preferred that Mr. Middleton should

choose any horse he pleased.

"Very well," said Mr. Middleton; "from the accounts I have heard of your

horsemanship it may be improved; so I reckon I'll not give you a very

skeary horse to begin with. Thar's Aleck'll just suit you. He'll not throw

you on the gate, for he doesn't trot as fast as a black ant can walk!"