Wa'al," he resumed after a moment, in reply to John's remark, "viewin' it all by itself, it _was_ a hard life.

A thing is hard though, I reckon, because it's harder 'n somethin' else, or you think so.

Most things go by comparin'.

I s'pose if the gen'ral run of trotters never got better 'n three 'n a half that a hoss that c'd do it in three 'd be fast, but we don't call 'em so nowdays.

I s'pose if at that same age you'd had to tackle the life you'd 'a' found it hard, an' the' was hard things about it--trampin' all night in the rain, fer instance; sleepin' in barns at times, an' all that; an' once the cap'n o' the boat got mad at somethin' an' pitched me head over heels into the canal.