He had aired the little dining room , set out the table daintily with Aunt Elizabeth 's china and linen -- `` knowed jest where to put my hands on 'em -- often and often helped old Miss Kennedy wash 'em . We were cronies , her and me . I miss her terrible '' -- and adorned it with mayflowers which , as we afterwards discovered , he had tramped several miles to gather . There was good bread and butter , `` store '' biscuits , a dish of tea fit for the gods on high Olympus , and a platter of the most delicious sea trout , done to a turn . `` Thought they 'd be tasty after travelling , '' said Uncle Jesse . `` They 're fresh as trout can be , ma'am . Two hours ago they was swimming in Johnson 's pond yander . I caught 'em -- yes , ma'am . It 's about all I 'm good for now , catching trout and cod occasional . But ` twere n't always so -- not by no manner of means . I used to do other things , as you 'd admit if you saw my life-book . '' I was so hungry and tired that I did not then `` rise to the bait '' of Uncle Jesse 's `` life-book . '' I simply wanted to begin on those trout . Mother insisted that Uncle Jesse sit down and help us eat the repast he had prepared , and he assented without undue coaxing . `` Thank ye kindly . ` Twill be a real treat . I mostly has to eat my meals alone , with the reflection of my ugly old phiz in a looking glass opposite for company . 'T is n't often I have the chance to sit down with two such sweet purty ladies . '' Uncle Jesse 's compliments look bald enough on paper , but he paid them with such gracious , gentle deference of tone and look that the woman who received them felt that she was being offered a queen 's gift in kingly fashion . He broke bread with us and from that moment we were all friends together and forever .
After we had eaten all we could , we sat at our table for an hour and listened to Uncle Jesse telling us stories XXXXX his life .
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