They were all glad when he agreed to watch the old year out with them . Captain Jim 's small nephew Joe had come down to spend New Year 's with his great-uncle , and had fallen asleep on the sofa with the First Mate curled up in a huge golden ball at his feet . `` Ai n't he a dear little man ? '' said Captain Jim gloatingly . `` I do love to watch a little child asleep , Mistress Blythe . It 's the most beautiful sight in the world , I reckon . Joe does love to get down here for a night , because I have him sleep with me . At home he has to sleep with the other two boys , and he does n't like it . Why ca n't I sleep with father , Uncle Jim ? '' says he . ` Everybody in the Bible slept with their fathers . ' As for the questions he asks , the minister himself could n't answer them . They fair swamp me . ` Uncle Jim , if I was n't ME who 'd I be ? ' and , ` Uncle Jim , what would happen if God died ? ' He fired them two off at me tonight , afore he went to sleep . As for his imagination , it sails away from everything . He makes up the most remarkable yarns -- and then his mother shuts him up in the closet for telling stories . And he sits down and makes up another one , and has it ready to relate to her when she lets him out . He had one for me when he come down tonight .
` Uncle XXXXX , ' says he , solemn as a tombstone , ' I had a ` venture in the Glen today . '
Blythe First God Jim Joe fathers great-uncle nephew night year