He lammed me when he was drunk, and he whaled me when he was sober.

I never helt it up agin him much, neither, not fur a good many years, because he got me used to it young, and I hadn't never knowed nothing else.

Hank's wife, Elmira, she used to lick him jest about as often as he licked her, and boss him jest as much.

So he fell back on me.

A man has jest naturally got to have something to cuss around and boss, so's to keep himself from finding out he don't amount to nothing.