"
"Ah, you were a gay young bird, but it's over now," commented Solomon.
"I ain't regrettin' it since I've lived long enough to repent of it,"
responded the ancient sinner.
"What worries me," said young Adam, pursuing his habitual train of
despondency, "is that my life is just one long repentance with naught in
it worth repentin' of. 'Tain't for lack of ch'ice I've never tasted, but
for lack of opportunity."
"Well, thar's some that even sinners can't suffer," commented his
father. "You are short of words, miller."
"I was thinkin'," replied Abel roughly, draining his glass, and rising
to his feet while he drew on his sheepskin gloves, "that when the
thought of a woman once gets into the brain it's worse than a maggot."
"The best way is to get her," retorted Solomon, "but that ain't so easy
a matter as it looks, unless you are a parson. Was thar ever a parson,
Mr. Doolittle, that couldn't get married as often as he'd take the
notion?"
"Thar may be sech, but I've never seed him an' never heard on him,"
responded old Adam. "'Tis kind of professional work with 'em an' they've
got the advantage of the rest of us bein' so used to pulpit speakin'.
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