The puppies of a dog would do that much for their parent in trouble." Tom did not answer; he sulked a little while, but finally entered the shop with his father and sat down, searched his mind a few moments, and then recalled and repeated two injunctions which his last teacher had most persistently urged upon her pupils,--that they should not drop letters from the ends of words, nor say "ain't" or "hain't." Then Sam devoted himself to practice by talking aloud, and Tom became so amused by the changes in his father's intonation that he finally was obliged to go home and tell his mother and Mary.
"Stop that,--right away!" exclaimed Mrs.Kimper, as soon as Tom got fairly into his story.

"Your father ain't goin' to be laughed at in his own house, by his own family, while I'm around to stand up for him." "Oh, stuff!" exclaimed Tom, in amazement.

Then he laughed as he reverted to his father's efforts at correct pronunciation, and continued his story.

Suddenly he was startled by seeing his mother snatch a stump of a fire-shovel from the hearth and brandish it over his head.
"You give up that talk right away!" exclaimed the woman.

"Your father is astonishin' the life out of me ev'ry day by the new way he's talkin' an' livin'.