Bottom.
"Well, you'd never have known it to look at her," commented young Adam,
"but 'tis a true sayin' that you can't tell the quality of the meat by
the colour of the feathers."
"You'd better be speakin' particular, suh, an' not general," retorted
old Adam, who was in a querulous mood as the result of too abrupt an
awakening from his nap. "What you ain't known it doesn't follow other
folks ain't, does it? Human natur is generally made with a streak of
foolishness an' a streak of sense, just as fat an' lean runs in a piece
of bacon. That's what I say, an' I reckon I ought to know, bein' turned
ninety."
"All the same thar's some folks that ain't streaked at all, but a solid
lump of silliness like Judy Hatch," returned his son.
This was too much for the patience of the patriarchial spirit, and old
Adam began to shake as though he were suddenly smitten with palsy.
"What do you mean by contradictin' me, suh? Didn't I bring you into the
world?" he demanded.
A reproachful shake of the head passed round the group.
"You oughtn't to contradict him, young Adam. Ain't he yo' pa?" said Mrs.
Bottom, rebukingly.
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