The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn - online book

Complete illustrated version of Mark Twain's classic book.

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246                     THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN.
" Sakes alive, I hope it ain't Hanner?" " I'm sorry to say it," I says, " but Hanner's the very one." " My goodness—and she so well only last week ! Is she took bad ? " " It ain't no name for it. They set up with her all night, Miss Mary Jane said, and they don't think she'll last many hours."
" Only think of that, now ! What's the matter with her !"
I couldn't think of anything reasonable, right off that way, so I says :
" Mumps."
" Mumps your granny ! They don't set up with people that's got the mumps."
" They don't, don't they ? You better bet they do with these mumps. These mumps is different. It's a new kind, Miss Mary Jane said."
" How's it a new kind ? " " Because it's mixed up with other things." "What other things ? " "Well, measles, and whooping-cough, and erysiplas, and consumption, and yaller janders, and brain fever, and I don't know what all." " My land ! And they call it the mumps ? " " That's what Miss Mary Jane said." " Well, what in the nation do they call it the mumps for ? "
" Why, because it is the mumps. That's what it starts with." " Well, ther' ain't no sense in it. A body might stump his toe, and take pison, and fall down the well, and break his neck, and bust his brains out, and some­body come along and ask what killed him, and some numskull up and say/ Why, he stumped his toe.' Would ther' be any sense in that ? No. And ther' ain't no sense in this, nuther. Is it ketching? "
" Is it ketching f Why, how you talk. Is a harrow catching ?—in the dark ?