"well, now, youngster," he began, "these folks have had their say, so i'll take my turn. my story will cut but a poor figure by the side of theirs; for i never supposed that i could have a right to meat and drink, and great praise besides, only for tagging rhymes together, as it seems this man does; nor ever tried to get the substance of hundreds into my own hands, like the trader there. when i was about of your years, i married me a wife, just such a neat and pretty young woman as miriam, if that's her name, and all i asked of providence was an ordinary blessing on the sweat of my brow, so that we might be decent and comfortable, and have daily bread for ourselves, and for some other little mouths that we soon had to feed. we had no very great prospects before us; but i never wanted to be idle; and i thought it a matter of course that the lord would help me, because i was willing to help myself."