Now, arter I left here jest now, I says to myself, a man what can gin up his gal on account of sech a feeling fer the rights of a Flat Cricker like me, why, dog-on it, says I, sech a man is the man as can help me do better.

I don't know whether you're a Hardshell or a Saftshell, or a Methodist, or a Campbellite, or a New Light, or a United Brother, or a Millerite, or what-not.

But I says, the man what can do the clean thing by a ugly feller like me, and stick to it, when I was jest ready to eat him up, is a kind of a man to tie to." Here Bud stopped in fright at his own volubility, for he had run his words off like a piece learned by heart, as though afraid that if he stopped he would not have courage to go on.
Ralph said that he did not belong to any church, and he was afraid he couldn't do Bud much good.

But his tone was full of sympathy, and, what is better than sympathy, a yearning for sympathy.
"You see," said Bud, "I wanted to git out of this low-lived, Flat Crick way of livin'.

We're a hard set down here, Mr.Hartsook.And I'm gittin' to be one of the hardest of 'em.