" Tom Miller got up under the window and called the meeting to
order, announcing that Mr. Sampson would tell the story for the evening.
"I d-don't know about th-that," said Will. "You s-s-see, b-boys, if I
tell it I shall have to d-do it b-by fits and starts. If you w-want a
s-story told straight ahead, g-g-get somebody whose tongue w-will w-wag
when they want it to. If you want a y-yarn j-j-jerked out, I am your
man."
"We will take it jerked or any other way you choose, Will," said Miller.
I want to say just here that patience and self-control would have cured
Sampson of his stammerings. There is no excuse for anybody going through
the world with such a defect, when there are so many instances of the
victory of a strong and patient resolution over it. I shall give the
story here as if he had spoken it smoothly.
_WILL SAMPSON'S STORY._
In a country a long way off--I don't care to tell you the name of it for
fear I should make some mistake in regard to its geography or history or
manners, and besides don't think it's anybody's business just where a
story happened--in a country a long way off--perhaps that country never
existed except in somebody's head, who knows? Besides, a country that is
in your head is just as good as one that is on the map.
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