Monday, June 12, 2006

object/quotes

Objects/Places

Fence: Aunt Polly forces Tom to whitewash this large fence, a chore that should take him several hours, although he finds an easy way to do it. Tom often climbs over this fence when coming in and out of his house.

Tickets: Prizes for memorizing Bible passages at church. Ten blues are worth a red; the reds, a yellow; ten yellows gets a Bible. Tom finds a way to get a Bible without memorizing all 2000 verses as required.

Percussion-cap box: A box that holds a small explosive charge. Tom uses it to carry bugs around, and releases a pinch-bug from it during church, leading to a big disruption.

Dead cats: These are very magical, according to the local superstition. Huck tries to cure warts with one; they are also used in rituals to discover information about Dr. Robinson's murder.

Brass knob: Tom's favorite possession, a knob from a fireplace. He tries to give it to Becky as an offer of love, but she rejects the gift. When Tom runs away to be a pirate, she regrets giving the knob up.

Secret spots: Tom and the other boys have several of these, where they hide their toys and other possessions. Tom hides his bow and other things in the woods by the Widow Douglas' house, where he and Joe play Robin Hood.

Potter's knife: Muff Potter's knife, which Injun Joe uses to murder Dr. Robinson. When it is found by the body, the townsfolk assume Potter did it.

Patent Medicines: Fake medicines sold in magazines. Aunt Polly believes in them strongly and tries them on Tom to cure his depression. Tom feeds one to Aunt Polly's cat.

Jackson's Island: An island downriver from St. Petersburg, where Tom, Huck and Joe stay when they run away to be pirates.

Spelling book: Tom's book, which Alfred Temple destroys with ink out of revenge.

The Schoolmaster's book: An anatomy book that the schoolmaster studies often in hopes that it will help him become a doctor. Becky accidentally rips a page in it, but Tom takes the blame for the damage.

Treasure: The money Tom and Huck search for and discover in the possession of Injun Joe.

Number Two: The location of Injun Joe's treasure, which Tom and Huck believe is a room in a local tavern, but is actually in McDougal's Cave.

McDougal's cave: A huge maze-like cave near St. Petersburg, where Tom and Becky get lost and which Tom later declares to be his robber's den.

Kite string: What Tom uses to guide himself through unknown parts of the cave, by tying it to a rock and walking until he runs out of string. He can then follow the string back to his original spot.

Quotes

Quote 1: "'My! Look behind you, Aunt!'" Chapter 1, pg. 2

Quote 2: "He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though--and loathed him." Chapter 1, pg. 4

Quote 3: "'Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?'" Chapter 2, pg. 12

Quote 4: "He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it--namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain." Chapter 2, pg. 13

Quote 5: "...each blue ticket was pay for two verses of the recitation. Ten blue tickets equaled a red one, and could be exchanged for it; ten red tickets equaled a yellow one; for ten yellow tickets the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worthy forty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would have the industry and application to memorize two thousand verses, even for a Dore' Bible?" Chapter 4, pg. 24

Quote 6: "Monday morning found Tom miserable." Chapter 6, pg. 35

Quote 7: "You only just tell a boy you won't ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and that's all. Anybody can do it." Chapter 7, pg. 49

Quote 8: "They said they would rather be outlaws a year in Sherwood Forest than President of the United States forever." Chapter 8, pg. 57

Quote 9: "Five years ago you drove me away from your father's kitchen one night, when I come to ask for something to eat, and you said I warn't there for any good; and when I swore I'd get even with you if it took a hundred years, your father had me jailed for a vagrant. Did you think I'd forget? The Injun blood ain't in me for nothing. And now I've got you, and you got to settle, you know!" Chapter 9, pg. 61

Quote 10: "This final feather broke the camel's back." Chapter 10, pg. 70

Quote 11: "All the 'rot' they [health magazines] contained about ventilation, and how to go to bed, and how to get up, and what to eat, and what to drink, and how much exercise to take, and what frame of mind to keep one's self in, and what sort of clothing to wear, was all gospel to her, and she never observed that her health journals of the current month customarily upset everything they had recommended the month before." Chapter 12, pg. 75

Quote 12: "'Because if he'd 'a' had one she'd 'a' burnt him out herself! She'd 'a' roasted his bowels out of him 'thout any more feeling than if he was a human!'" Chapter 12, pg. 78

Quote 13: "Plainly, here were 'two souls with but a single thought.'" Chapter 13, pg. 80

Quote 14: "Here was a gorgeous triumph; they were missed; they were mourned; hearts were breaking on their account; tears were being shed; accusing memories of unkindnesses to these poor lost lads were rising up, and unavailing regrets and remorse were being indulged: and best of all, the departed were the talk of the whole town, and the envy of all the boys, as far as this dazzling notoriety was concerned. This was fine. It was worth being a pirate, after all." Chapter 14, pg. 91

Quote 15: "'Say--boys, don't say anything about it, and some time when they're around, I'll come up to you and say, "Joe, got a pipe? I want a smoke." And you'll say, kind of careless like, as if it warn't anything, you'll say, "Yes, I got my old pipe, and another one, but my tobacker ain't very good." And I'll say, "Oh, that's all right, if it's strong enough." And then you'll out with the pipes, and we'll light up just as ca'm, and just see 'em look!'" Chapter 16, pg. 102

Quote 16: "But something informed him that if they had had any trouble they had got rid of it." Chapter 16, pg. 102

Quote 17: "The group loitered away, still recalling memories of the lost heroes, in awed voices." Chapter 17, pg. 107

Quote 18: "They had been hid in the unused gallery listening to their own funeral sermon!" Chapter 17, pg. 109

Quote 19: "Tom got more cuffs and kisses that day--according to Aunt Polly's varying moods--than he had earned before in a year; and he hardly knew which expressed the most gratefulness to God and affection to himself." Chapter 17, pg. 109

Quote 20: "'Auntie, I wish I hadn't done it--but I didn't think.'" Chapter 19, pg. 118

Quote 21: "'I could forgive the boy, now, if he'd committed a million sins!'" Chapter 19, pg. 120

Quote 22: "'All right, though; she'd like to see me in just such a fix--let her sweat it out!'" Chapter 20, pg. 122

Quote 23: "The glaring insincerity of these sermons was not sufficient to compass the banishment of the fashion from the schools, and it is not sufficient to-day; it never will be sufficient while the world stands, perhaps." Chapter 21, pg. 128

Quote 24: "'Your honor, in our remarks at the opening of this trial, we foreshadowed our purpose to prove that our client did this fearful deed while under the influence of a blind and irresponsible delirium produced by drink. We have changed our mind. We shall not offer that plea.' [Then to the clerk:] 'Call Thomas Sawyer!'" Chapter 23, pg. 139

Quote 25: "deaf-and-dumb" Chapter 26, pg. 152

Quote 26: "Number Two--under the cross." Chapter 26, pg. 155

Quote 27: "'He likes me, becuz I don't ever act as if I was above him. Sometimes I've set right down and eat with him. But you needn't tell that.'" Chapter 28, pg. 163

Quote 28: "'Damn her, maybe she's got company--there's lights, late as it is.'" Chapter 29, pg. 168

Quote 29: "...if the beam had been wholly cut away Injun Joe could not have squeezed his body under the door, and he knew it. So he had hacked that place in order to be doing something--in order to pass the weary time--in order to employ his tortured faculties." Chapter 33, pg. 191

Quote 30: "[They] confessed that they had had almost as satisfactory a time at the funeral as they could have had at the hanging." Chapter 33, pg. 192

Quote 31: "There--what did I tell you? Half of it's Huck's and half of it's mine!" Chapter 34, pg. 203

Quote 32: "'Don't talk about it, Tom. I've tried it, and it don't work; it don't work, Tom. It ain't for me; I ain't used to it. The widder's good to me, and friendly; but I can't stand them ways. She makes me git up just at the same time every morning; she makes me wash, they comb me all to thunder; she won't let me sleep in the woodshed; I got to wear them blamed clothes that just smothers me, Tom; they don't seem to let any air git through 'em, somehow; and they're so rotten nice that I can't set down, nor lay down, nor roll around anywher's; I hain't slid on a cellar-door for--well, it 'pears to be years; I got to go to church and sweat and sweat--I hate them ornery sermons! I can't ketch a fly in there, I can't chaw. I got to wear shoes all Sunday. The widder eats by a bell; she goes to bed by a bell; she gits up by a bell--everything's so awful reg'lar a body can't stand it.'" Chapter 35, pg. 205

Quote 33: "When one writes a novel about grown people, he knows exactly where to stop--that is, with a marriage; but when he writes of juveniles, he must stop where he best can." Chapter 35, pg. 208

summary

Chapter 1

As the book begins, an old woman is calling for Tom Sawyer. This woman is Tom's Aunt Polly. He is in trouble, and she's going to give Tom a whipping. Before she can, however, he yells, "'My! Look behind you, Aunt!'" Chapter 1, pg. 2 and dashes away. Aunt Polly, being a kind woman, laughs at Tom's escape. Assuming he will play hookey from school that afternoon, she decides it's best just to put him to work all day Saturday as punishment.

When Tom returns, he helps Jim, "the small colored boy," saw wood and split kindling before dinner. Tom spends most of this time letting Jim work and telling him of his day's adventures. Sid, Tom's half-brother, is already done with his chores; unlike Tom, he is very well-behaved.

At dinner, Aunt Polly asks Tom about his day. Tom has spent the afternoon swimming, but he is prepared for Aunt Polly. He tells her that he got his hair wet under a pump, and then shows her that his shirt-collar is still sewn shut. Sid speaks up and points out that Aunt Polly used white thread to sew Tom's shirt, but now the thread is black. Tom sewed his collar together again after swimming! Tom dashes out the door before Aunt Polly can scold him, threatening Sid as he goes.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 1

"He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though--and loathed him." Chapter 1, pg. 4

Once Tom is away, he forgets his problems and wanders, whistling as he goes, until he sees a boy he's never seen before. The boy is dressed very nicely, unlike most boys who live in St. Petersburg. This boy has new clothes and a fancy hat and shoes, and Tom resents his clean, "citified" look. The two boys argue, shove, and threaten each other, and then fight. Tom makes the boy give up, but as the boy walks away he throws a rock at Tom. Tom chases the boy home and stays there until the boy's mother chases him off. When Tom gets home, Aunt Polly looks at his clothes and decides that Tom will do a full day of chores the next day.

Chapter 2

The next day, Tom finds himself with the unpleasant job of whitewashing Aunt Polly's fence. Discouraged, he sees Jim leaving to fetch water at the town pump and offers to trade jobs. Jim tells him he can't, because Aunt Polly has already said not to switch chores with Tom. Tom offers to show Jim his sore toe if he trades, and Jim considers it, but Aunt Polly comes out of the house and chases him off , sending Tom back to work.

Unhappy, Tom keeps working until Ben Rogers comes along. Tom pretends to enjoy his hard work, saying, "'Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?'" Chapter 2, pg. 12 Because Tom is pretending whitewashing is a fun thing to do, Ben suddenly want to do it as well. After some negotiation, Tom allows Ben to whitewash part of the fence for him. The rest of the day, he lets various boys whitewash in exchange for valuables: a kite, a dead rat, a key, a tin soldier, and other things. The whole time, Tom sits back and does nothing.

"He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it--namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain." Chapter 2, pg. 13

Tom discovers that work and play are just states of mind--people do things for fun if they believe it's a privilege and not an obligation. With that lesson learned, he goes inside to tell Aunt Polly that he is done.

topic:growing up2

Chapter 3

Tom tells Aunt Polly the whitewashing is done, and asks to go play. Once Aunt Polly sees that the work is done (although she doesn't know how it got done), she is so happy she gives him an apple and lets him out to play. As he leaves he sees Sid, who is still unpunished for telling on him the day before. Tom grabs clods of dirt and throws several at Sid, then jumps the fence and runs away to meet other boys in the village square, where they all engage in military-style conflict.

Tom is General of one Army and his best friend Joe Harper is another. They sit together on a hill and direct their two armies for the afternoon. Tom's army eventually turns out the winner.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 1

As Tom walks home he walks by Jeff Thatcher's house and sees a girl he's never seen before. She's very pretty and Tom is immediately smitten. He forgets all about his last crush, Amy Lawrence, and begins to show off and do tumbles for the new girl, hoping she will notice him. Eventually, she goes inside, and Tom goes home, a little sad.

At supper, Sid accidentally breaks the sugar bowl while Aunt Polly is in the kitchen. Thinking Tom did it, she smacks him, and then feels bad. Tom leaves when his cousin Mary happily returns home from a trip to the country. He wanders a while, thinks of the new girl, and goes to her house. He lays on the ground outside her house thinking of her and wishing she would give him some sympathy, until a maid pours water out the window onto him. Tom hops the fence and goes home without saying his prayers.

Topic Tracking: Religion 1

Chapter 4

The next day is Sunday. After breakfast, Tom goes upstairs to practice memorizing his Bible verses. Even with Mary helping him, Tom has trouble remembering. Finally, Tom gets the verses right, and Mary gives him a Barlow knife as a reward.

Tom unhappily gets ready for Sunday school and church. Once there, he begins to trade other boys marbles, fishhooks, and other valuables for tickets.

"...each blue ticket was pay for two verses of the recitation. Ten blue tickets equaled a red one, and could be exchanged for it; ten red tickets equaled a yellow one; for ten yellow tickets the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worthy forty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would have the industry and application to memorize two thousand verses, even for a DoreĀ“ Bible?" Chapter 4, pg. 24

Tom is trading for tickets so he can have the glory of getting a Bible. He doesn't care about the Bible itself, but the pride of getting one. Mr. Walters, the superintendent, gives a lecture on proper behavior, and then lawyer Thatcher, Jeff's father, enters, with visitors. One of them is Judge Thatcher, the lawyer's brother, and with him is his wife and his daughter, Becky--Tom's new love! The children are excited that an important judge would be visiting their Sunday school, but Tom only has eyes for Becky.

Mr. Walters, hoping to impress the visitors, asks if anyone has enough tickets to claim a Bible. No one he expects does, but suddenly Tom steps up to claim one. He has traded for enough tickets to get a Bible. The room is shocked. Mr. Walters cannot believe Tom has learned two thousand verses, but he delivers a Bible to Tom. The Judge congratulates Tom on his accomplishment, and wants to hear something he learned. He asks Tom who the first two disciples were.

Tom is on the spot. He doesn't know, but he must say something, so he blurts out a very wrong answer--David and Goliath.

Topic Tracking: Religion 2

Chapter 5

The community comes to church, and files in the door to fill the pews. Tom is seated on the aisle, as far from the windows and the outdoors as possible. The townsfolk file in, including Widow Douglas and the Model Boy, Willie Mufferson. The service begins with a bell, a hymn, long announcements, and a sermon delivered by the minister.

Bored by the sermon, Tom gets his prized beetle--a "pinch-bug"--out of the "percussion-cap" box he keeps it in and it immediately pinches him. He throws it into the aisle, where it lays on its back. A poodle sees the pinch bug, and investigates it. The bug immediately pinches the dog's nose, and the dog yelps in pain, much to people's amusement. The dog accidentally sits on the beetle, yelps again, and runs, howling, in front of the altar and around the church, eventually jumping in its master's lap, who throws it out the nearest window. The sermon is completely interrupted, and the entire congregation tries to keep from laughing. The minister continues, but the sermon is ruined. At the end of the service, Tom is happy that there was some entertainment at church for once.

Topic Tracking: Religion 3


Chapter 6

"Monday morning found Tom miserable." Chapter 6, pg. 35 Tom dreads another long week of school, and he decides to play sick. He moans aloud until Sid awakes. Fearing for Tom, Sid gets Aunt Polly. Tom claims that his sore toe is infected and that his tooth, which is loose, aches. Aunt Polly tells him he's not going to get out of school, yanks his tooth, and sends him on his way.

On the way to school, Tom meets Huckleberry Finn. Tom (and the other children) admire Huck because he is wild and lawless. Huck is playing with a dead cat, which he claims is good for curing warts. Tom tells him spunk-water (rain water in a rotting stump) is better, as long as you say the proper charm. Huck explains to Tom that you can cure warts with a dead cat by going to the graveyard and saying a spell when a devil comes to take a bad person's spirit.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 1

Huck says he's going to the graveyard that night to try the dead cat, and Tom decides to go along.

Tom gets to school late and in trouble. He is going to make up an excuse about his tardiness, until he realizes that Becky Thatcher is sitting with an empty seat next to her. Knowing the punishment for stopping to talk to Huck will be having to sit on the girls' side of the room, he tells the schoolmaster why he's late, and is sent to sit next to Becky, much to his pleasure.

Tom gives Becky a peach--which she eventually accepts. She asks to see the house he's drawing on his slate. She then asks him to draw a man and then herself. Tom offers to teach her how to draw during lunch ("dinner"). Tom writes, "I love you" on his slate and shows it to her. Becky is embarrassed but flattered. As this happens, the schoolmaster catches him and drags him by the ear back to his own seat. Tom is so excited by Becky that he cannot concentrate on school.

Chapter 7

Tom, bored, begins running his new tick back and forth across his slate with Joe Harper. The schoolmaster sneaks up behind them and whacks them on the shoulders. At lunchtime, Tom and Becky meet secretly back at the school instead of going home. Tom shows Becky how to draw for a little bit. Tom asks Becky if she likes rats, but she doesn't. They share some chewing gum, talk about the circus, and then Tom asks Becky if she wants to get engaged.

"You only just tell a boy you won't ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and that's all. Anybody can do it." Chapter 7, pg. 49

Tom whispers to Becky that he loves her, and convinces her to do the same. He begs her to kiss him and she does. Tom tells her she must promise herself to him forever, but then accidentally tells her that he was engaged to Amy Lawrence. Becky, shocked, begins to cry when she realizes that he's been engaged before. He tries to offer her his prized brass knob, but she pushes him away and knocks the knob to the floor. Tom storms off and Becky, after calling for Tom to come back, is left to hide her heartbreak from the rest of the class.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 3

Chapter 8

Tom runs, avoiding the other children as he goes, until he is far away from the schoolhouse, in the woods behind Widow Douglas's house. This is one of his secret spots, where he hides some of his things. He believes he has done nothing wrong, and is sad and angry with Becky for rejecting him. He wishes he could die temporarily, to make Becky sorry.

Soon, however, he begins to feel a little better, and dreams of running off to be a soldier or an Indian, to return home having had great adventures. Then, he settles on becoming a pirate, and decides to get his possessions together so he can leave the next morning.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 2

He begins by digging under a log where he has placed a box with a marble. Tom believes that leaving a marble buried for two weeks will make all his lost marbles reappear. When it doesn't work, Tom, shocked, throws the marble away. He cannot understand why the trick didn't work, until he decides that a witch must have disturbed his magic. To prove this, he tries another trick, calling a doodle-bug out of the ground to find out if a witch disturbed his hiding-place. When the bug runs away, Tom takes this to mean that it is scared of the witch. Then, he tries another trick: he throws another marble to make it find the first one he threw away. It only takes three tries to make it work.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 2

A tin horn blows and Tom grabs his things--a bow, a wooden sword, and a tin trumpet--and rushes to meet Joe Harper for a game of Robin Hood. Tom is Robin Hood; Joe is Guy of Guisborne. They meet and have a sword duel. When Joe won't fall, Tom tells him he must, because Guy dies in the book. Joe agrees, and dies. They switch roles so Joe can kill Tom. Finally, Tom becomes Robin again so he can die, with Joe as the sad Sherwood Forest outlaws mourning for Robin. After this is done, they sadly get dressed, hide their things, and go home. "They said they would rather be outlaws a year in Sherwood Forest than President of the United States forever." Chapter 8, pg. 57

Topic Tracking: Imagination 3

Chapter 9

That night, Tom pretends to go to sleep. After eleven, when he hears Huck outside his window, he sneaks out. They go to the graveyard together.

When Tom and Huck get to the graveyard, they hide by the grave of the recently dead Hoss Williams, who Huck believes the devil will be collecting that night. Instead of devils, however, they soon see three men approaching: Dr. Robinson, Muff Potter, and Injun Joe.

The men arrive at Hoss Williams' grave and Potter and Joe begin to dig. Dr. Robinson sits by a tree and instructs them to hurry. They load the body into a wheelbarrow and tie it down. Potter, his knife in hand, then tells Dr. Robinson that he owes them more money for digging up the body. When Dr. Robinson objects, Injun Joe begins to shout at him about revenge.

"Five years ago you drove me away from your father's kitchen one night, when I come to ask for something to eat, and you said I warn't there for any good; and when I swore I'd get even with you if it took a hundred years, your father had me jailed for a vagrant. Did you think I'd forget. The Injun blood ain't in me for nothing. And now I've got you, and you got to settle, you know!" Chapter 9, pg. 61

The doctor punches Injun Joe and knocks him down. Potter drops the knife and pulls the doctor to the ground. Injun Joe grabs the knife, and as Dr. Robinson hits Potter in the head with a board, Injun Joe stabs him in the chest. Dr. Robinson falls, dead, onto Potter's unconscious body. Tom and Huck, scared to death, run away as fast as possible.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 4

Injun Joe doesn't notice them. Instead, he robs Dr. Robinson's body and puts the knife in Muff Potter's hand. When Potter awakes, Injun Joe lies and tells him that the doctor hit Potter in the head, and then Potter stabbed him while dazed. Potter begs him not to tell anyone, and then runs away, leaving the bloody knife. Injun Joe, knowing that the knife will be found and Muff Potter blamed, leaves it on the ground.

Chapter 10

Tom and Huck run back toward the village to the tannery, where they can hide. Once there, frightened of Injun Joe, they decided to swear an oath that they won't tell anyone what they just witnessed. Tom writes their oath on a piece of pine shingle, and then they prick their fingers and sign the shingle in blood. As they are doing this, someone sneaks into the tannery, but neither the boys nor the person notice each other.

After they sign the oath, they hear a stray dog howl--a sure sign that they will die. When they look, however, they see that its back is to them, meaning that someone else will die. They hear snoring and discover Muff Potter sleeping at the other end of the tannery. As they leave, the dog howls again, and they turn to see it facing Muff Potter.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 3

Tom gets home and sneaks back in, not knowing that Sid is awake. The next morning he goes to breakfast, but Aunt Polly will not speak to him. After breakfast, Aunt Polly cries, telling Tom he breaks her heart with his misbehavior. Tom is overcome with guilt and also cries, begging for forgiveness and promising to be a better person. Aunt Polly dismisses him and Tom goes to school, unhappy. There he is beaten for playing hookey, but it does not affect him, sad as he is about hurting Aunt Polly. He sits down at his desk and discovers something wrapped in paper. It is his brass knob, which Becky has returned. "This final feather broke the camel's back." Chapter 10, pg. 70

Chapter 11

Dr. Robinson's body is discovered and the news of his murder sweeps the village. Muff Potter's knife has been discovered alongside the body. The Sheriff believes he will be captured soon. The town goes to the graveyard to see the scene of the crime. Tom and Huck go, a little scared. Injun Joe is there as well. Muff Potter appears, confused, and the Sheriff takes him. Potter denies any wrongdoing. Tom and Huck are convinced that Joe sold himself to the devil, because God doesn't punish him for his lies. Even when Joe helps move the body and it bleeds, people say it's because Potter is standing so close. Joe's evildoing is not discovered.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 4

Tom begins to have nightmares, talking out loud in his sleep. Sid brings it up one day at breakfast. Aunt Polly dismisses the nightmares as shock from news of the murder. Tom avoids the superstitious rituals with dead cats the local boys are performing to find out information about the murder, although he usually would lead such things. Instead, he goes to the jail to visit Muff Potter and give him things to make him more comfortable. The townsfolk, although angry at Injun Joe for helping to steal Hoss Williams' body, are too intimidated to do anything about it.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 5
Topic Tracking: Growing Up 5

Chapter 12

Tom has new worries: Becky is sick, and has stopped attending school. He becomes depressed and loses interest in games or war or piracy.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 4

Aunt Polly, concerned, begins to give Tom various remedies to cure his sadness. She is a strong believer in the "patent medicines" sold in health magazines.

"All the 'rot' they [health magazines] contained about ventilation, and how to go to bed, and how to get up, and what to eat, and what to drink, and how much exercise to take, and what frame of mind to keep one's self in, and what sort of clothing to wear, was all gospel to her, and she never observed that her health-journals of the current month customarily upset everything they had recommended the month before." Chapter 12, pg. 75

Topic Tracking: Superstition 6

She starts giving Tom "Pain-killer," a strong liquid that tastes like fire. Tom's indifference is temporarily cured by his first dose. Tom decides that he will start pretending to like Pain-killer to keep Aunt Polly from trying anything new. One morning, the cat begins to beg for a taste. Tom gives him some. The cat goes wild, wailing, running into things, and then jumping out the window. Aunt Polly, angry, asks Tom why he gave the cat Pain-killer. Tom tells her he felt bad for the cat for not having an Aunt. "'Because if he'd 'a' had one she'd 'a' burnt him out herself! She'd 'a' roasted his bowels out of him 'thout any more feeling than if he was a human!'" Chapter 12, pg. 78 Hearing this, Aunt Polly realizes how awful the Pain-killer must be. She tells Tom he doesn't have to take it anymore, and sends him off to school.

Tom gets to school early and stands by the gate instead of playing with his friends. He tries to get Jeff Thatcher to tell him about Becky without asking about her, but Jeff doesn't get any of Tom's hints. Eventually, he gives up and goes to sit down in the schoolhouse, but at that moment Becky arrives in the yard. Tom runs around the yard, whooping and jumping around to get her to notice him, but she turns away from him, calling him a show-off. Tom, embarrassed, sneaks off.

Chapter 13

Tom decides that, unloved, he must run away and go into a life of crime. He happens on Joe Harper, who also seems upset: "Plainly, here were 'two souls with but a single thought.'" Chapter 13, pg. 80 Joe has just been whipped by his mother. Tom convinces him they should become pirates. They find Huck and make plans to head for Jackson's Island. They agree to meet at midnight. The rest of the day, they tell no one what they have planned, although they all hint that something is about to happen. At midnight, they take a raft and some fire and go to the island. As they sail down the river, Tom looks at the village and imagines Becky seeing him leave to live a pirate's life.

The boys land on a sandbar at the top of the island and leave the raft. They go into the forest and make a fire and get ready to camp. They eat some food they stole from town, and talk about how great being a pirate is. Huck makes a pipe out of a corncob and smokes. Tom and Joe tell Huck all the things pirates do--capture ships and treasure, kill men, kidnap women, and dress in fancy clothes. Huck is embarrassed at his rags, but Tom and Joe tell him that they will get fancy clothes later. Huck falls asleep quickly. Tom and Joe have more trouble. Although they don't talk, they both feel guilty about running away and stealing, because the Bible commands against it. It is only after they both decide that they won't steal again that they fall asleep.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 5
Topic Tracking: Growing Up 6
Topic Tracking: Religion 4

Chapter 14

Tom wakes up first, fascinated by all the activity of nature around him. A worm crawls across his leg, and Tom is happy because he believes that this means he will have a new set of pirate clothes. Tom wakes Joe and Huck and they go swim in the shallow water on the sandbar. There, they discover that the current has carried the raft away, but they don't care, since they no longer need civilization. After their swim, Tom and Huck fish for some food and Joe cooks their catch with some bacon for breakfast.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 7

Next, they explore the island. They discover that it's small, only three miles long, and less than two hundred yards from the shore opposite the one St. Petersburg is on. Back at camp, the boys start thinking about home. None of them will admit to being homesick, however. They hear a cannon firing in the distance and go to the shore to investigate. The cannon is on a ferryboat and is being fired to bring their drowned bodies up from the riverbed. They are happy again, because they know that they are the talk of the town.

"Here was a gorgeous triumph; they were missed; they were mourned; hearts were breaking on their account; tears were being shed; accusing memories of unkindnesses to these poor lost lads were rising up, and unavailing regrets and remorse were being indulged: and best of all, the departed were the talk of the whole town, and the envy of all the boys, as far as this dazzling notoriety was concerned. This was fine. It was worth being a pirate, after all." Chapter 14, pg. 91

The boys go back to camp, excited about their fame. They eat and talk about what must be going on in the town. As it gets dark, homesickness returns, and Joe suggests that they might want to investigate happenings at the village. Tom and Huck talk Joe out of the idea, but late that night, Tom gets up. He writes two notes on sycamore bark, leaves one in Joe's hat, and leaves camp.

Chapter 15

Tom crosses the river and sneaks into the village to Aunt Polly's house. There, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary, and Mrs. Harper, Joe's mother, are talking. He sneaks in the house and hides under the bed, where he hears them talking. Joe's mother and Aunt Polly agree that Joe and Tom were misbehaved, but good boys. Aunt Polly begins to cry. Tom, too, starts to cry, and is tempted to reveal himself, but he doesn't. He learns that the funeral is planned for that Sunday. After some prayers, Aunt Polly and the others go to bed. Once Aunt Polly falls asleep, Tom emerges from beneath the bed. He looks at Aunt Polly, pitying her, and places his note next to the bed. He is about to leave, but he gets an idea--one that will make everyone feel better--and takes the scroll, kisses Aunt Polly, and sneaks away.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 7

Tom doesn't return to Jackson's Island until the sun is up. As he approaches camp, he hears Joe and Huck talking about his disappearance. Joe is sure Tom hasn't deserted them. Tom's note to Joe said they could have his things if he wasn't back by breakfast, and he has returned just in time. Tom tells them an exaggerated story of his adventures. After it is done, he goes off alone to take a nap and Joe and Huck go to fish and explore the island some more.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 6

Chapter 16

Tom wakes up about noon, and the boys eat and then go hunting for turtle eggs.

They play in the water, dunking each other, and then play in the sand until they get bored. Huck and Joe go back in the water for another swim, but Tom declines, because he has lost his string of rattlesnake rattles, his magic charm against cramps.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 8

Tom eventually finds the charm, but Huck and Joe are too tired to swim any more. The mood turns back to homesickness. The boys wander apart and look across the river to their old village. Tom writes "BECKY" in the sand with his toe. Joe is very homesick. Nothing Tom says can bring Joe's spirits up. Joe insists that the island has lost its fun. Huck speaks up and tells Tom he wants to leave as well. Joe and Huck begin to leave, and Tom, realizing how lonely he will be, chases after them and tells them the secret idea he had while at Aunt Polly's house. They begin to play with new energy, happy that Tom has had such a brilliant idea.

At dinner, Tom and Joe decide they want to learn to smoke. Huck makes them pipes, and Tom and Joe begin to brag about how much fun smoking is. Tom tells Joe that sometime they should just start smoking around the boys, showing off their new expert ability.

"'Say--boys, don't say anything about it, and some time when they're around, I'll come up to you and say, "Joe, got a pipe? I want a smoke." And You'll say, kind of careless like, as if it warn't anything, you'll say, "Yes, I got my old pipe, and another one, but my tobacker ain't very good." And I'll say, "Oh, that's all right, if it's strong enough." And then you'll out with the pipes, and we'll light up just as ca'm, and just see 'em look!'" Chapter 16, pg. 102

Soon, however, Tom and Joe begin spitting a lot. They start to get pale. Joe drops his pipe, and then tells the other boys he thinks he's lost his knife in the forest. Tom offers to help look, and the boys tell Huck to stay put. Huck waits for an hour, and then goes to look for them. He finds them both asleep, far apart from each other, pale and obviously a little sick. "But something informed him that if they had had any trouble they had got rid of it." Chapter 16, pg. 102 At supper, Tom and Joe are quiet, and when Huck offers them some tobacco, they say no, because something from dinner was making them feel sick.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 8

Around midnight, a violent thunderstorm suddenly blows up. They dash for their tent, losing each other in the pouring rain. They all eventually find the tent, each soaking wet. The wind is strong and blows the flap of the tent wide open, and the boys grab each other, scared, and run to a big tree on the riverbank for shelter. When the storm finally blows over, they return to camp to find their camp ruined. Luckily, a bit of one large log from the fire is still burning, so they go to work rebuilding the fire. Once the fire is back, they sit by it the rest of the night, drying off.

The long night has put homesickness back in them. To fight it, Tom suggests they be Indians for a while, and they take off all their clothes and paint their bodies and have a war between their three tribes.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 7

After a full afternoon, they sit down for supper, but realize that they must smoke a peace pipe to end their Indian battles. Tom and Joe are a little uncomfortable, but they know it is the only way, and they find that this time the smoke doesn't make them sick if they are careful. Proud at their new habit, they spend the rest of the evening practicing.

Chapter 17

Back in St. Petersburg, people are very unhappy. It is Saturday afternoon, and the funeral for the boys is the next morning. Becky, alone in the schoolyard, is sad because she gave up Tom's prized knob, and has nothing to remind her of him. She regrets rejecting Tom, and cries. Other children come along and they talk about they last time they saw Tom and Joe, and how both boys predicted that something was about to happen. "The group loitered away, still recalling memories of the lost heroes, in awed voices." Chapter 17, pg. 107

The next morning, the townsfolk come together at the church. Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary, and the Harper family enter, dressed entirely in black, and the entire church stands as they take their seats in the front pew. The minister leads the congregation in a hymn, and speaks kind words about the boys. As he goes on, the people begin to cry. At that moment, the door to the church opens, and Tom, Joe and Huck enter. "They had been hid in the unused gallery listening to their own funeral sermon!" Chapter 17, pg. 109

Their families, overcome with joy, grab Tom and Joe and begin to hug and kiss them. Tom tells Aunt Polly that it's not fair that no one is happy to see Huck, and Aunt Polly begins to hug him as well, making Huck more uncomfortable than if he had just been ignored. The minister leads the entire congregation in a joyous hymn, and Tom is very proud. After the service is over, the congregation leaves the church full of joy at the power of the hymn.

Topic Tracking: Religion 5

"Tom got more cuffs and kisses that day--according to Aunt Polly's varying moods--than he had earned before in a year; and he hardly knew which expressed the most gratefulness to God and affection to himself." Chapter 17, pg. 109

Chapter 18

Tom's secret had been that they'd go to their own funeral. They left Jackson's Island early Sunday morning and slept in the gallery of the church.

The next morning, Aunt Polly tells Tom she wishes he could have come over to let her know he was okay. She says Tom doesn't care for her. Tom says he does care for her, and then tells the story of him sneaking into the house earlier that week as if it was a dream. Aunt Polly and Mary are amazed. He even tells her that he dreamed he left her a note saying that they were off being pirates (the note he actually took back). Aunt Polly is overjoyed that Tom dreamed all this. She goes to tell Mrs. Harper about Tom's dream. Sid, however, knows that Tom is lying.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 8

On the way to school, Tom is treated as a hero. Small boys love him and boys his own age are jealous. At school, he and Joe become "stuck-up" and tell everyone about their great adventures, exaggerating to make them sound more interesting.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 9

Tom decides that he doesn't need Becky's love with his newfound glory. When she gets to school he ignores her, even though she tries to catch his attention. Instead, he goes to talk to Amy Lawrence, and Becky becomes jealous. She begins telling people near Tom about the picnic she's having during vacation, hoping Tom will listen. Everyone begs for invitations to the picnic. Tom, however, just leads Amy away. Becky continues talking until she can sneak away to cry. At recess, she ignores Tom and flirts with another boy, Alfred Temple, the fancy boy Tom beat up some time before. Tom sees this and gets very jealous. He angrily imagines beating Alfred again. He goes home at noon, unable to cope with his jealousy.

Becky realizes Tom is not going to return anytime soon and rejects Alfred. Alfred, humiliated, realizes that Becky was using him and pours ink in Tom's spelling book. Becky swears to hate Tom forever.

Chapter 19

When Tom gets home Aunt Polly is wildly angry. She has talked to Mrs. Harper and discovered that his "dream" was a lie. Joe has told her the whole story of Tom sneaking into the village. She is very embarrassed at looking foolish in front of Joe's mother. Tom realizes that his joke has had mean results. "'Auntie, I wish I hadn't done it--but I didn't think.'" Chapter 19, pg. 118 He tells her that he wanted to easy her worry. He was going to leave the piece of bark with his message, but simply didn't want to spoil the funeral plans. Instead, he took the bark back and kissed her and left. Aunt Polly asks why Tom kissed her, and Tom explains that he loves her and felt bad watching her moan in her sleep. Aunt Polly realizes Tom is telling the truth and kisses him again and sends him back off to school. Once he is gone, she checks his jacket pocket for the piece of bark. Reading the note, she starts to cry, realizing that Tom really does care for her. "'I could forgive the boy, now, if he'd committed a million sins!'" Chapter 19, pg. 120

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 9

Chapter 20

Tom's encounter with Aunt Polly has made him feel good about himself, and his bad mood with Becky is forgotten. He sees Becky on the way to school and apologizes for being mean. She, still angry, tells him that she is never going to speak to him again, and storms off. Once at school, they continue being mean to each other and Becky can't wait for Tom to be punished for his damaged spelling book.

As Becky goes into the schoolhouse, she notices that the schoolmaster has left his desk key in the lock on the drawer. She is intrigued, because that drawer is where the schoolmaster keeps a special book that he reads while the children are studying. Becky doesn't know that the schoolmaster dislikes his job and dreams of better things. She only knows that everyone wants to know what the book is. Curiosity overcomes her, and she opens the drawer. The book is inside, and says "Anatomy" on the cover. Becky doesn't know what this means, but opens the book to a picture of a naked human figure. Tom enters the room, and Becky, frightened, slams the book shut, accidentally tearing the picture as she does. Becky, ashamed, locks the book back up and begins to cry. She yells at Tom for sneaking up on her and, convinced she will be whipped for ripping the book, storms out crying. Tom knows that the schoolmaster will find out who did it, and decides to do nothing. "'All right, though; she'd like to see me in just such a fix--let her sweat it out!'" Chapter 20, pg. 122

Once class begins again, Tom cannot help but feel a little sorry for Becky. Soon enough, he has his own problems. When his ruined spelling book is discovered, the schoolmaster whips him. Becky considers speaking up for him, but assumes he will tell on her about the schoolmaster's torn book. Later in the afternoon, the schoolmaster takes his Anatomy book out and begins to read. Tom glances at Becky, and decides to try and help her. Before he can do anything, however, the torn page is discovered. The schoolmaster begins to ask each child if they tore the book. As he asks Becky, Tom jumps up and tells the schoolmaster that he did it. The schoolmaster whips him again and makes him stay after school for two hours, but Tom doesn't care. All he cares about is how his brave lie has made Becky love him once again. Becky now adores him and tells Tom apologetically who poured ink in his spelling book. Tom goes to bed that night thinking partially of revenge against Alfred, but mostly of how thankful Becky was.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 10

Chapter 21

As the school year ends, the schoolmaster acts even meaner, trying to make the children study hard for Examination day. The boys, tired of suffering under the schoolmaster's strict rules, begin to plot revenge against him. They plan something for the night of the Examinations, when their parents and others will be there to see. They get the sign-painter's boy to help, because his family rents rooms in the schoolmaster's house. The boy says he can take care of the first part of their revenge while the schoolmaster naps at home, knowing that he usually drinks before big events and will not be disturbed.

The night of the Examinations, the children make their presentations to the audience. They range from public speaking to Latin to spelling contests. Tom has to deliver the "Give me liberty or give me death" speech, but gets stage fright while doing it and falls apart. The older girls each read original compositions they've written, but they all seem like sermons, and they go on forever.

"The glaring insincerity of these sermons was not sufficient to compass the banishment of the fashion from the schools, and it is not sufficient to-day; it never will be sufficient while the world stands, perhaps." Chapter 21, pg. 128

Topic Tracking: Religion 6

After the compositions are done, the schoolmaster starts drawing a map on the chalkboard for a geography quiz, but he has had drank enough to be struggling and people in the audience begin to quietly laugh. The master, annoyed, continues to draw, but the laughing increases. What the master doesn't know is that a cat is quietly being lowered on a string above his head. As the cat struggles, it snatches the master's wig completely off, showing the entire room his bald head, which the sign-painter's boy painted gold while he was asleep. The boys have their revenge, and summer vacation begins.

Chapter 22

Tom joins a group called "Cadets of Temperance" because they get to wear fancy red sashes at special events, but soon realizes that the promises he made to not smoke, swear, or chew when he joined make him want to do all three even more than before. After three days, Tom quits. Without their restrictions he finds no happiness in being able to smoke, swear, or drink. He begins to worry that the summer is going to be very boring. Many things happen, but nothing relieves the boredom for very long. Boys-and-girls parties only remind him that Becky is out of town for the summer. His secret knowledge about the murder of Dr. Robinson also hangs over his head.

Tom gets the measles and is sick for two weeks. When he can finally leave his bed, he discovers that a revival has come to town. Inspired, everyone (including his friends) have become very religious. Even Huck quotes from the Bible when Tom sees him. Tom is very lonely and goes home to bed. That night, there is a thunderstorm, which Tom believes has been sent by God to wipe him out for being so bad. The next morning, Tom is sick again, and stays that way for another three weeks. When he is finally well again, he still feels lonely and deserted, but then he sees Joe and Huck eating a stolen melon. They have relapsed back into their old ways, the revival already forgotten.

Topic Tracking: Religion 7

Chapter 23

The trial of Muff Potter is about to begin. Tom feels guilty for hiding the truth. He and Huck both agree that they feel sad that Muff Potter will be found guilty and hang, because he has done nice things for them in the past. That night, they go to the jail and give Potter some tobacco. Potter thanks them, saying that they are the only people who are nice to him anymore. Once the trial is underway, the boys avoid each other, but both hope to hear some news. By the second day, everyone is convinced that Injun Joe is telling the truth and that Potter is guilty.

That night, Tom is out very late, and sneaks in the window to go to bed. It takes a long time for him to fall asleep. In the morning, the entire town goes to the courthouse for the trial. Some witnesses testify about Potter's knife. Potter's lawyer asks them no questions. The crowd is confused at the lack of effort. Once the prosecutor rests his case, however, Potter's lawyer makes a bold statement.

"'Your honor, in our remarks at the opening of this trial, we foreshadowed our purpose to prove that our client did this fearful deed while under the influence of a blind and irresponsible delirium produced by drink. We have changed our mind. We shall not offer that plea.' [Then to the clerk:] 'Call Thomas Sawyer!'" Chapter 23, pg. 139

Everyone is confused, including Potter. Tom takes the stand and the lawyer questions him. Tom sees Injun Joe in the crowd, and is very scared, but he tells the whole story of being in the graveyard the night of the murder, without saying that Huck was there as well. As he tells the crowd about the actual events of the murder, Injun Joe jumps up and runs out of the room before anyone can catch him.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 11

Chapter 24

The town forgives Muff Potter, and he is treated as nicely as he was mistreated before. Tom is a hero once again. Tom is happy with the attention, but at night is very afraid of the revenge Injun Joe will take on him. Huck is scared as well, even though Potter's lawyer is the only person who knows that he saw the murder.

Rewards are posted for Injun Joe's capture, but no one can find him. A detective comes to town to investigate, but doesn't find anything. Tom stays scared, but as time goes by, he slowly starts to feel safer.

Chapter 25

Later in the summer, Tom decides he wants to go digging for buried treasure. He finds Huck and tells him all about the places that robbers hide their treasure and treasure maps. They decide that they will start digging under an old dead tree near the haunted house. They smoke and talk about what they will do with their treasure. Huck says he will spend his so his father won't get any of it if he comes back to town. Tom says he'll buy some things and get married. Huck can't believe Tom would want to get married, but Tom swears he has a perfect girl. He doesn't tell Huck it's Becky. They dig for a while, and then give up and try another spot. There's no treasure there, either. Tom realizes it's because they haven't waited until midnight to see where the shadow of the tree limb falls. The boys agree to return at midnight to dig again.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 10
Topic Tracking: Superstition 9

That night, the boys fail to find treasure once again. They had guessed at the time, but it must not have truly been midnight. They begin to think ghosts are about, and decide to give up. They agree that the next day they will dig at the haunted house, but Huck believes they're taking chances with ghosts if they do. As they leave, they look at the house and walk far away from it on their way home.

Topic tracking: Superstition 10

Chapter 26

Tom and Huck meet once again at the dead tree to get their tools. Huck points out that it is Friday, an unlucky day. He also had a dream about rats the night before, meaning there might be trouble.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 11

Tom suggests they forget digging for the day and play. He tells Huck all about "Robin Hood." They play the game all afternoon. The next day, they go to the haunted house. They explore the downstairs, and then, feeling courageous, go upstairs. They don't find anything. As they get ready to go back downstairs, they hear two men coming to the door of the house. Scared, the boys hide and peek through knot-holes to see who it is. Huck and Tom recognize one man: he is the deaf-mute ("deaf-and-dumb" Chapter 26, pg. 152) Spaniard they've seen in town. The unknown man is talking, saying something is dangerous. To the boys' surprise, the "Deaf-mute" interrupts him, and they recognize the voice. It is Injun Joe!

Tom and Huck are scared to death, but they stay quiet. The men are talking about some "job" that the unknown man believes to be too dangerous. The unknown man seems to be saying that he feels unsafe staying in the old house, and how he would have left the day before, but he couldn't because the boys were playing nearby. Hearing this, Tom and Huck feel very lucky that they didn't try looking in the haunted house on Friday. The two men sleep for a while, and then wake up and discuss the $650 in silver that they have hidden in the house. They decide to leave it buried in the house until they leave town. Tom and Huck cannot believe that they are watching real robbers bury treasure! While finding a good spot to bury it, Injun Joe discovers a box. He uses the boys' pick, which they left downstairs, to dig it out. It contains thousands of dollars in gold, treasure left by another gang. Amazed at their luck, the unknown man tells Injun Joe that he won't need to do the "job" now. Injun Joe tells him the job isn't just robbery, but revenge, but doesn't say against who.

The men are about to bury all their treasure again when Injun Joe starts wondering why there is a pick and shovel in the house. Convinced someone has been there, he decides to hide the money somewhere else--"Number Two--under the cross." Chapter 26, pg. 155 He then starts looking around the house for the owners of the pick and shovel. He is almost up the stairs when the rotten wood breaks and he falls back down to the floor. The unknown man says they should go, and they pack up and leave. Tom and Huck walk home, mad at themselves for leaving the pick and shovel in sight. If they hadn't, they could have taken the treasure once the men were gone. They agree to try and follow Injun Joe if they see him again and find out where "Number Two" is. Suddenly, Tom realizes something awful: what if Injun Joe's revenge was against them? They decide it probably isn't, but Tom is still very scared.

Chapter 27

Tom has bad dreams of treasure hunting, and half believes the entire thing was a dream when he awakes. As he thinks about it, however, he begins to realize it wasn't a dream, and goes to find Huck after a hurried breakfast. They decide to find Injun Joe. "Number Two" must be the number of a room in a tavern, so they go looking. There are only two taverns in town, and they find out that room 2 at the nastier of the two is always locked and no one goes in or out except at night. Tom says they should get all the keys they can find and try them all on the back door to the room, which is in the alley behind the tavern. If they see Injun Joe, they should track him to see if he leads them to the money, but only at night, when he can't see them.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 12

Chapter 28

Tom and Huck go out that night to try the door of "Number Two." They don't see Injun Joe or anyone else. However, it is not dark enough to break in that night. They have no luck for a few days, and finally, on Thursday, it is dark and cloudy enough to try. After the tavern closes, they sneak to the alley. Huck keeps watch and Tom goes to open the door. After some time, Tom comes running out the alley, and both boys sprint until they can hide at an old slaughterhouse on the other side of town. As they enter it, a storm begins. Tom tells Huck that he found the door unlocked. As he entered, he almost stepped on Injun Joe's hand while he was asleep on the floor, and took off running. He didn't see the box or a cross, but he saw a lot of alcohol in casks and bottles. The tavern is a "Temperance Tavern," and having alcohol there is against the law.

The storm lets up. The boys agree that Huck should sleep during the day and keep watch at the tavern at night so they can try to sneak in when Injun Joe isn't there. Huck tells Tom he will be in Ben Rogers' hayloft, because the Rogers' slave, Uncle Jake, is nice to him and lets him sleep there. "'He likes me, becuz I don't ever act as if I was above him. Sometimes I've set right down and eat with him. But you needn't tell that.'" Chapter 28, pg. 163 With that, Tom goes home and Huck goes to watch Room Two until daylight.

Chapter 29

The next morning, Tom finds out that Becky and her family have returned to town. He is very excited and forgets about treasure hunting, spending the day playing with her and their classmates. At Becky's request, her mother decides that they will be having the long-awaited picnic the next day, Saturday, and all the children are excited. That night, Tom expects to hear Huck at his window, but he never comes and Tom goes to sleep. In the morning, all the schoolchildren get together at Judge Thatcher's house. They all walk to the ferryboat. Becky's mother tells her to stay the night at the Harper's, since they live closer to the boat landing. However, Tom suggests to Becky that they stay at Widow Douglas' house instead, because she always has ice cream. He tells Becky not to tell her mother, and she agrees to the plan. They don't tell anyone else.

Tom thinks of Huck and wonders if he will come that night. The appeal of Widow Douglas' house wins out. They take the ferryboat a few miles downriver and then get off. The children rush into the woody valley and play until they are all hungry. They all eat well, and then someone suggests they should go to McDougal's cave, nearby, to explore. They take several candles and everyone climbs the hill to the big wooden door to the cave.

The cave is large and full of many passages and rooms. The children enter the first chamber, look around in wonder, and begin to play. Soon, they begin to calm down and walk down the main passage. There are many small passages, but they lead into an endless maze. No one knows all of them. The children begin to sneak down passages they know and scare each other. They play for many hours, until it is almost night. They rush back to the ferryboat.

By the time the boat gets back to St. Petersburg, Huck is already watching Room 2 at the tavern. He has no idea what the boat is for, but forgets about it and goes back to his duty. The town gets quiet as time goes by. It is past eleven when Huck sees two men leaving Room Two with a box, which Huck assumes is the treasure. There is no time to get Tom, so he follows the men through the town and past the quarry. He is so intent on being silent that he loses the men for a minute. He looks around and realizes that he is on the edge of Widow Douglas' land. He hears Injun Joe speak. "'Damn her, maybe she's got company--there's lights, late as it is.'" Chapter 29, pg. 168 Huck realizes that whatever revenge Injun Joe and the mysterious man were talking about is against Widow Douglas. He hears Injun Joe say that the Widow's husband had him horsewhipped once. Douglas is dead, but he plans on slitting Widow Douglas' nostrils and ears. The unknown man is shocked and objects, but Injun Joe threatens to kill him if he backs down.

Huck runs down to the nearest house, the Welshman's. Mr. Jones lets him in, despite Huck's bad reputation, and Huck tells the man and his sons what the two men are up to, without telling them that one is Injun Joe. The men grab guns and go to Widow Douglas'. Huck follows, but runs away when he hears gunfire.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 13

Chapter 30

Early the next morning, Huck knocks on the Welshman's door again, and this time the old man welcomes him graciously, with no mention of his reputation. Huck has never felt welcome anywhere before, and cannot believe his ears. The man offers him breakfast and tells Huck what happened: they snuck up on the men, but the Welshman started to sneeze, and shooting began. They chased the two villains, but could not catch them, so they woke the police up and got men together to hunt for them. The Welshman asks Huck what the men look like, and Huck describes the Spaniard to them, without telling him that it's Injun Joe. Huck is scared and begs the Welshman not to tell anyone that he told, and the man becomes curious. He asks Huck why he was following the men, and Huck invents a story. In the middle, however, he slips and says that the Spaniard spoke. The old man catches it and promises to keep his secret if he tells the truth, so Huck breaks down and tells him that the Spaniard is Injun Joe. Mr. Jones tells him they found a bundle that Injun Joe dropped, but it was just burglar's tools. Huck gets excited at this, and Mr. Jones is suspicious.

Huck is angry that he almost let the truth about the treasure slip. He is happy to know, however, that it hasn't been found. The Widow Douglas and many other people come to the Welshman's house to thank him and hear the story, and Huck hides. The Welshman tells the Widow that she owes someone else more than him, but that he can't say who.

At church, Becky's mother asks Mrs. Harper where Becky is. Mrs. Harper tells her that Becky didn't stay with her. Aunt Polly walks up and asks where Tom is, assuming he is at the Harper's as well. The ladies get very concerned about the missing children. They realize that no one remembers Tom or Becky getting on the ferry. Fearing that they are lost in the cave, Mrs. Thatcher faints and Aunt Polly begins to cry. The townsfolk send a 200-man search party to the cave. The village is very upset. By the next morning, they still haven't found Tom or Becky.

The Welshman, who was one of the search party, returns home exhausted. Huck is still in bed and very sick with fever. The Widow Douglas is caring for him. The search party finds "Becky & Tom" written on a wall in one passage, and a piece of Becky's ribbon. Three days go by and there is no word. Liquor is accidentally discovered at the Temperance Tavern, and it is closed down. Huck stays in bed, sick. He asks the Widow if anything has been found at the tavern, and she tells him about the liquor. Not knowing that Tom is lost, he asks if Tom found it. She hushes him, saying he is too sick to talk, and begins to cry. Huck is glad that the treasure hasn't been found yet, but is confused that the Widow would cry. He falls asleep, and the Widow prays that Tom will be found.

Topic Tracking: Religion 8

Chapter 31

This chapter goes back to Tom and Becky in McDougal's cave the day of the picnic. Tom and Becky, during the fun, get tired of playing hide-and-seek and begin to drift away from the rest of the group, looking at the places where other kids have burned their names on the walls of the cave with candle smoke. Soon, they are so involved in wandering, they don't notice that the walls no longer have any writing. They burn their own names on the wall and keep moving, making occasional smoke marks to mark their path, until they are swarmed by bats. Tom rushes Becky out of the room, and they end up by a giant underground lake. They sit at the edge of the lake and suddenly realize how quiet it is. They haven't heard any of the other children in a very long time. Becky starts to get worried, and they decide to go back. Tom suggests that they go a different route, to avoid the bats. They begin looking for a new way back, but as they go, Tom gets more and more discouraged, and they begin to realize that have a problem. Tom begins to shout, but no one responds. They begin to backtrack, but they realize they have left no marks to find their way back. They are utterly, hopelessly lost.

Becky begins to cry. Tom comforts her, and begins to blame himself. They begin to wander aimlessly. Tom blows out Becky's candle to conserve their light source. After some time, they are exhausted and Becky falls asleep. She awakes with a little more energy, and they continue. They have no idea how long they have been in the cave. They find a spring and drink some water. Becky takes the cake she has saved from the picnic, which she calls their "wedding-cake," and they eat it. Afterwards, Tom confesses that they are down to their last bit of candle, and can go no further. Becky is scared and cries some more, but Tom tries to encourage her by telling her they will send people to look as soon as they're missed. Becky realizes that her mother doesn't expect her home until the next morning, and they begin to get very worried. The last bit of candle goes out, and they are left in the dark.

Many hours pass. They don't know what day it is, and they are hungry. Suddenly, Tom hears something like a shout. He grabs Becky and leads her to the sound, finding his way in the dark by feeling the walls of the cave. They reach a large pit and cannot cross. The shouts seem to be getting further away, so they hopelessly return to the spring.

Tom decides to pass the time carefully exploring, and uses his kite string as a guide so he will be able to keep track of where they have gone. He leads Becky by the hand down a small passage. As they reach the end, Tom sees a hand holding a candle close by. He shouts, and suddenly sees the owner of the hand: Injun Joe. Joe turns and runs, not knowing who shouted. Tom, not wanting to risk encountering Injun Joe, decides they should return to the spring, and doesn't tell Becky what he saw. After sleeping again, they are so tired and upset that Tom decides to risk Injun Joe. Becky is very weak, and tells Tom to go without her and return if he finds anything, or when it is time to die. Tom kisses her and leaves, promising to return.

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 14

Chapter 32

Back in the village, it is Tuesday, and any hope of finding Tom and Becky is almost gone. The townsfolk go to sleep that night sad, but in the middle of the night the bells start ringing, and people begin to shout that the children have been found. The people rush towards the river, where they meet a carriage with the children and some people leading it. The entire town celebrates. They send a messenger to the cave to tell Judge Thatcher that they have returned. Tom tells the whole story, ending with how he saw daylight at the end of a tunnel after leaving Becky. He went to the light and found a small hole that led out to the riverside. Overcome with joy, they climbed out the hole and cried with happiness. Some men on a skiff came by, fed them, and let them rest before bringing them back to St. Petersburg. He doesn't tell anyone about seeing Injun Joe.

Tom and Becky are exhausted and sick and stay in bed for Wednesday and Thursday. Tom is mostly back to normal by Saturday, but Becky stays in bed until Sunday. Tom goes to visit Huck, who is also still sick, but the Widow Douglas doesn't allow him to see Huck until Monday. Even then, she doesn't let him tell Huck the story, because she doesn't want Huck to get excited. Tom finds out that Injun Joe's unknown partner has been found, drowned, in the river.

Two weeks after Tom and Becky got out of the cave, Tom is on his way to see Huck (who is feeling better) when he decides to stop in to see Becky. At Becky's house, the Judge and some other men tell Tom that there is now a locked iron door on the cave, so no one will get lost in it again. Tom gets very upset, and tells the men that Injun Joe is still in the cave.

Chapter 33

The village sends several men back to the cave, along with Tom and Judge Thatcher. They open the door and find Injun Joe's dead body, face pressed to the crack at the floor. Tom feels both pity and relief. Injun Joe's knife is near by, broken in his struggle against the door frame. "...if the beam had been wholly cut away Injun Joe could not have squeezed his body under the door, and he knew it. So he had hacked that place in order to be doing something--in order to pass the weary time--in order to employ his tortured faculties." Chapter 33, pg. 191 Obviously, Injun Joe went insane from hunger. He had eaten old candles and bats to stay alive and drank drops of water dripping from the ceiling. His body is buried near the cave, and many people from all over come to the funeral. "[They] confessed that they had had almost as satisfactory a time at the funeral as they could have had at the hanging." Chapter 33, pg. 192 After the funeral, people give up the idea of asking the Governor to pardon Injun Joe, a popular, if short-lived, idea.

Topic Tracking: Religion 9

The next day, Tom and Huck get together and talk about everything that happened. Huck tells Tom about his adventure following Injun Joe to Widow Douglas' house, and guesses that whoever found the whisky found the treasure at the tavern. Tom stops him, and tells him that the treasure wasn't ever in Room Two at the tavern--it's in the cave. Tom says he will give Huck everything he owns if he's wrong.

They get supplies, including candles, kite string, and some bags, and go to the cave, "borrowing" a skiff to get down the river. Tom takes Huck to the hole he and Becky escaped from, and swears him to secrecy. He says he plans on having that be their hiding place when they're all robbers in Tom Sawyer's Gang. They will rob and kidnap people and hold them for ransom, and the women they kidnap will fall in love with them, just like in books.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 11

They enter the hole, and use kite string to lay their trail. When they reach the spring, Tom remembers the time he spent there, and shudders. He tells Huck about watching the candle go out, and the boys get very quiet. Tom leads Huck to where he saw Injun Joe before. He shows Huck a big rock, with a cross burned on it with candle smoke, exactly where he saw Injun Joe standing. Huck gets scared and says they should leave before Injun Joe's ghost gets them. Tom argues that Injun Joe's ghost is where he died, miles away, but he and Huck both know that the ghost would be with the treasure. He realizes, however, that the ghost wouldn't come around a cross, and the boys feel safe again.

Topic Tracking: Superstition 12

The boys search the room, find nothing, and then begin to dig under the rock. They strike wood and find a hole that leads under the rock. They crawl down the hole and find a small room with the box, some guns, and other supplies. Tom and Huck fill their bags with the treasure. They leave the cave and are back in town just after dark.

They haul their treasure in a wagon towards Widow Douglas' woodshed. On the way, they run into the Welshman, who offers to help with the wagon. Mr. Jones hurries them to the Widow's house, but won't say why. When they get there, they find all the important people in the village there, including the Thatchers, the Harpers, Aunt Polly, Sid, and Mary. The Widow gives them two new suits and tells them to get cleaned up.

Chapter 34

Huck wants to escape from the upstairs window. He doesn't know how to be around upright citizens, and doesn't want to get dressed up. Sid comes upstairs and tells them that they've been looking for Tom all day to go to Widow Douglas' party. She's celebrating Mr. Jones and his sons and their fight against Injun Joe. Sid also tells Tom that Mr. Jones is going to tell everyone about Huck warning them about Injun Joe's attack. Sid, of course, has already told everyone. Tom hits Sid for being mean and ruining the surprise. The boys go down for dinner. Mr. Jones tells the story and everyone pretends to be surprised and applauds Huck. The Widow announces that she's going to take Huck in, send him to school, and give him money to start a business when he is older. Tom stops her, and tells everyone that Huck is rich. Everyone laughs, but Tom rushes out the door, brings the treasure in, and pours it out on the table. "There--what did I tell you? Half of it's Huck's and half of it's mine!" Chapter 34, pg. 203

The entire room is amazed. Tom tells the whole story of the treasure. They count the money and it totals $12,000. No one has ever seen that much money before.

Chapter 35

Tom and Huck's money is the talk of the town. Everyone becomes treasure hunters, boys and men both. The paper publishes biographies of the boys. Their money goes into the bank to collect interest, where it earns a dollar a day for each boy. Judge Thatcher is very proud of Tom for saving Becky's life, and when Becky tells him about Tom taking her punishment in class, he swears he will try and help Tom get into the National Military academy and law school. Huck, kicking and screaming, becomes a member of St. Petersburg society. He moves into Widow Douglas' house, where he survives three weeks of proper living before running away. Tom finds him hiding in a hogshead behind the old slaughterhouse, and tries to get him to return to the Widow's home. Huck says:

"'Don't talk about it, Tom. I've tried it, and it don't work; it don't work, Tom. It ain't for me; I ain't used to it. The widder's good to me, and friendly; but I can't stand them ways. She makes me git up just at the same time every morning; she makes me wash, they comb me all to thunder; she won't let me sleep in the woodshed; I got to wear them blamed clothes that just smothers me, Tom; they don't seem to let any air git through 'em, somehow; and they're so rotten nice that I can't set down, nor lay down, nor roll around anywher's; I hain't slid on a cellar-door for--well, it 'pears to be years; I got to go to church and sweat and sweat--I hate them ornery sermons! I can't ketch a fly in there, I can't chaw. I got to wear shoes all Sunday. The widder eats by a bell; she goes to bed by a bell; she gits up by a bell--everything's so awful reg'lar a body can't stand it.'" Chapter 35, pg. 205

Topic Tracking: Religion 10

Huck continues to complain endlessly, but Tom steps in and tells him that they are still going to be robbers, rich or not. For Huck to be in the gang, however, he has to act respectable, because robbers are noble. Huck agrees to return if Tom promises to let him in the gang. Tom decides to hold the initiation to his gang that same night, where they will swear to stand by each other. They'll swear on a coffin in a haunted house. Huck says this sounds better than being a pirate, and says he's live with the Widow forever if he gets to be a robber.

Topic Tracking: Imagination 12

Here the story of Tom's adventures ends: "When one writes a novel about grown people, he knows exactly where to stop--that is, with a marriage; but when he writes of juveniles, he must stop where he best can." Chapter 35, pg. 208

Topic Tracking: Growing Up 15

topic trackings

Topic Tracking: Superstition

Chapters 6-10

Superstition 1: While religion is a routine obligation, superstition is the true faithful belief of Tom and many others. The various cures for warts that Tom and Huck discuss cannot be questioned, and there is always an explanation when they fail. Dead cats are especially important to the boys, as they are very powerful and have many uses.

Superstition 2: Although the trick Tom uses to find his marbles fails, he cannot believe that the superstition is false. Instead, he seeks another superstition (a witch) to explain it. Even though it takes three tries to find his lost marble a minute later, the fact that he found it is proof to him that the tricks of superstition work.

Superstition 3: Tom and Huck at first believe that the howling dog means they will die. When they see it howling at Muff Potter, they understand that he is in trouble, not them. Since they never doubt such things, they know nothing they can do will change his fate.

Chapters 11-15

Superstition 4: The adults of St. Petersburg are just as superstitious as the children. When Dr. Robinson's body bleeds when Joe helps move it (a sign that the killer is near) it must be explained. Instead of coming to the proper conclusion, that Injun Joe is guilty, they believe it is because Muff Potter is close to the body. In this way, they tailor the superstition to their own needs.

Superstition 5: Another use of dead cats is mentioned here: they can be used to discover hidden information. Obviously, the boys performing the rituals with the dead cats discover nothing close to the truth. Tom, who normally has a lot of faith in this purpose of dead cats, avoids participating in the ritual, perhaps because he knows more than any dead cat could possible tell, or perhaps because he believes that his own knowledge of the murder will be revealed.

Superstition 6: Aunt Polly, religious as she is, has her own form of superstition. The patent medicines and health magazines she feels so strongly about make the same empty promises that Tom's superstition does, but she believes in them anyway. Even when the magazines contradict themselves from issue to issue, Aunt Polly goes on believing what they say.

Superstition 7: Tom gets very excited by the worm crawling across his leg and its promise of new, fancy clothes. Here the superstition serves something directly important to Tom, since the night before they boys were discussing the fancy pirate clothes they would be getting soon. This is an example of how Tom's superstition often serves things he's been thinking about recently.

Chapters 16-20

Superstition 8: Tom's bracelet of rattlesnake rattles protects him from cramps. When he loses them, he refuses to go into the water out of fear. This superstition is a powerful force in Tom's life, since it forces him to give up a fun activity.

Chapters 21-25

Superstition 9: Again, Tom and Huck use superstitious beliefs to solve a problem. They prefer to believe that their bad luck in finding treasure is due to witches or not following certain rules of treasure-hunting, that the treasure is where the tree's shadow casts. They fall back on superstition rather than admit they are wrong.

Superstition 10: Huck is more simple about superstition than Tom, and fears ghosts. He doesn't want to have anything to do with the haunted house. Tom, on the other hand, can explain certain superstitions away when they get in the way of his fun, tailoring his beliefs to his needs as the adults to. He convinces Huck that the haunted-house is nothing to fear when it's daytime. However, when they come near the haunted-house, neither boy can help but get very scared and avoid the house and its ghosts as much as possible.

Chapters 26-30

Superstition 11: When Huck says they can't dig, it is as much out of his stronger fear of the haunted-house as his belief that Friday is an unlucky day. He uses one superstition to cover up his fear of another.

Chapters 31-35

Superstition 12: Tom and Huck's last encounter with Injun Joe is worrying about his ghost. Alive, they feared him, and there is no reason to stop fearing him after his death. This superstition comes close to ending their treasure-hunting mission, and Tom cannot talk Huck out of it. He even begins to believe they are in danger. It is only when they realize that the cross on the wall of the cave will protect them that they can go on. Safe from Injun Joe's ghost, they can move forward to get the treasure.

Objects/Places

Objects/Places

Fence: Aunt Polly forces Tom to whitewash this large fence, a chore that should take him several hours, although he finds an easy way to do it. Tom often climbs over this fence when coming in and out of his house.

Tickets: Prizes for memorizing Bible passages at church. Ten blues are worth a red; the reds, a yellow; ten yellows gets a Bible. Tom finds a way to get a Bible without memorizing all 2000 verses as required.

Percussion-cap box: A box that holds a small explosive charge. Tom uses it to carry bugs around, and releases a pinch-bug from it during church, leading to a big disruption.

Dead cats: These are very magical, according to the local superstition. Huck tries to cure warts with one; they are also used in rituals to discover information about Dr. Robinson's murder.

Brass knob: Tom's favorite possession, a knob from a fireplace. He tries to give it to Becky as an offer of love, but she rejects the gift. When Tom runs away to be a pirate, she regrets giving the knob up.

Secret spots: Tom and the other boys have several of these, where they hide their toys and other possessions. Tom hides his bow and other things in the woods by the Widow Douglas' house, where he and Joe play Robin Hood.

Potter's knife: Muff Potter's knife, which Injun Joe uses to murder Dr. Robinson. When it is found by the body, the townsfolk assume Potter did it.

Patent Medicines: Fake medicines sold in magazines. Aunt Polly believes in them strongly and tries them on Tom to cure his depression. Tom feeds one to Aunt Polly's cat.

Jackson's Island: An island downriver from St. Petersburg, where Tom, Huck and Joe stay when they run away to be pirates.

Spelling book: Tom's book, which Alfred Temple destroys with ink out of revenge.

The Schoolmaster's book: An anatomy book that the schoolmaster studies often in hopes that it will help him become a doctor. Becky accidentally rips a page in it, but Tom takes the blame for the damage.

Treasure: The money Tom and Huck search for and discover in the possession of Injun Joe.

Number Two: The location of Injun Joe's treasure, which Tom and Huck believe is a room in a local tavern, but is actually in McDougal's Cave.

McDougal's cave: A huge maze-like cave near St. Petersburg, where Tom and Becky get lost and which Tom later declares to be his robber's den.

Kite string: What Tom uses to guide himself through unknown parts of the cave, by tying it to a rock and walking until he runs out of string. He can then follow the string back to his original spot.

exploitation of the poor

THERE is no more shameful stain on British history than the sickening treatment of the nation's poor worker-children during the Industrial Revolution.

Entire generations of youngsters lost their precious childhood as they were sacrificed to the Moloch of the Mills - suffering and often dying because of the indifference of Government, the greed of mill-owners, the sadistic cruelty of factory overseers and the acquiesence of parents.

The long quotation later in this section, by a mill worker turned journalist and novelist, encapsulates the horror of it all.

Poor children
SLUM children in Manchester's Angel Fields district ... they seem gaunt and haggard before their time

He was writing nearly a century after some of the worst excesses. We, another century down the line, in an age which practically deifies children, find it almost impossible to comprehend such a cynical conspiracy against that section of society least able to defend itself.

Make no mistake, it was a conspiracy. It would have been the work of a moment for the Government to outlaw child labour, or to halt the worst excesses of it. But instead, for too long they turned a blind eye, all too happy to believe the claptrap they were fed by the manufacturers about mill conditions being idyllic.

So the millowners were allowed to carry on growing rich and fat at the expense of lost innocence, rationalising their exploitation of toddlers as young as four and five by claiming that industry, and therefore the country, could not survive without it.

If the manufacturers were bad, their enforcers were worse. At best callous, at worst frighteningly sadistic, the spinning-room overseer had the task of maintaining production.

He did it by instilling fear and inflicting pain - children were beaten simply to keep them awake towards the end of their 14 or 15-hour day. What man could live with himself knowing that he had to beat and frequently maim babies for a living?

And then there were the parents. Over the decades, many apologists have claimed that parents had little choice in the matter: They either allowed their children to work in the mill, or the family starved. But this is over-simplification.

The pittance earned by even three or four children was not enough to keep a family - there had to be an adult breadwinner and the money the youngsters brought home too often found its way via the father into the tavern-keeper's pocket. And anyway, what right-minded man or woman would want to bring children into such a world?

Exploitation of youngsters began in the very first days of the industrial revolution and it then took the form of the wholesale "deportation" of what were known as "parish" children.

Thousands of boys and girls, their only "crime" being that they were workhouse inmates, were uprooted from London and other big cities to become the virtual slaves of Northern millowners.

JUST how badly were poor parish children treated by cotton masters in the early days of the Industrial Revolution? The interviews here give some idea of the extent of their misery.

Although there were good masters as well as bad, even the best of them left much to be desired.

Sir Robert Peel Snr (right) was among the worst of these employers, importing children from London workhouses for his mill in Tamworth.

He later changed his stance and argued vociferously against child exploitation in Parliament. But not before he had made his fortune.


Joseph Rayner Stephens

The result of his endeavours was the 1802 Health and Morals of Apprentices Act, which was intended to prevent pauper children from working more than 12 hours a day in mills.

However the act was ineffective and Peel, backed by other mill owners such as Robert Owen, continued to press for changes. The outcome was the 1819 Factory Act, which barred children under the age of nine from working in mills, and reduced to 12 the hours that could be worked by children aged between nine and 16.

But statistics tell only a fraction of the story. To know the truth, one must hear the testimony of the children themselves. These are the words of Sarah Carpenter, a factory worker from Derbyshire, when she was interviewed later in life by Joseph Rayner Stephens. Sarah's account of her life at Cressbrook Mill appeared in The Ashton Chronicle on 23rd June, 1849.

"My father was a glass blower. When I was eight he died and our family had to go to the Bristol Workhouse. My brother was sent from Bristol workhouse in the same way as many other children were - cart-loads at a time.

My mother did not know where he was for two years. He was taken off in the dead of night without her knowledge, and the parish officers would never tell her where he was. It was the mother of Joseph Russell who first found out where the children were, and told my mother.

We set off together, my mother and I, we walked the whole way from Bristol to Cressbrook Mill in Derbyshire. We were many days on the road.

Mrs Newton fondled over my mother when we arrived. My mother had brought her a present of little glass ornaments. She got these ornaments from some of the workmen, thinking they would be a very nice present to carry to the mistress at Cressbrook, for her kindness to my brother.

My brother told me that Mrs Newton's fondling was all a blind; but I was so young and foolish, and so glad to see him again; that I did not heed what he said, and could not be persuaded to leave him. They would not let me stay unless I would take the shilling binding money.

I took the shilling and I was very proud of it. They took me into the counting house and showed me a piece of paper with a red sealed horse on, which they told me to touch, and then to make a cross, which I did.

This meant I had to stay at Cressbrook Mill till I was 21. Our common food was oatcake. It was thick and coarse. This oatcake was put into cans. Boiled milk and water was poured into it. This was our breakfast and supper. Our dinner was potato pie with boiled bacon in it, a bit here and a bit there, so thick with fat we could scarce eat it, though we were hungry enough to eat anything.

Tea we never saw, nor butter. We had cheese and brown bread once a year. We were only allowed three meals a day though we got up at five in the morning and worked till nine at night. We had eightpence a year given us to spend: fourpence at the fair, and fourpence at the wakes. We had three miles to go to spend it. Very proud we were of it, for it seemed such a sight of money, we did not know how to spend it.

THE master carder's name was Thomas Birks; but he never went by any other name than Tom the Devil.

"He was a very bad man - he was encouraged by the master in ill-treating all the hands, but particularly the children. Everybody was frightened of him. He would not even let us speak. He once fell poorly, and very glad we were. We wished he might die.


POOR children queueing for holiday passes at Wood Street Mission, Manchester. Lucky ones got a day at the seaside

"There was an overlooker called William Hughes, who was put in his place whilst he was ill. He came up to me and asked me what my drawing frame was

"A little boy that was on the other side had stopped it, but he was too frightened to say it was him. Hughes starting beating me with a stick, and when he had done I told him I would let my mother know. He then went out and fetched the master in to me. The master started beating me with a stick over the head till it was full of lumps and bled.

"My head was so bad that I could not sleep for a long time, and I have never been a sound sleeper since.

"There was a young woman, Sarah Goodling, who was poorly and so she stopped her machine. James Birch, the overlooker, knocked her to the floor. She got up as well as she could. He knocked her down again. Then she was carried to the apprentice house. Her bed-fellow found her dead in bed.

"There was another called Mary. She knocked her food can down on the floor. The master, Mr Newton, kicked her where he should not do, and it caused her to wear away till she died.

"There was another, Caroline Thompson. They beat her till she went out of her mind.

"We were always locked up out of mill hours, for fear any of us should run away. One day the door was left open. Charlotte Smith said she would be ringleader, if the rest would follow. She went out but no one followed her. The master found out about this and sent for her. There was a carving knife which he took and grasping her hair he cut it off close to the head.

"They were in the habit of cutting off the hair of all who were caught speaking to any of the lads.

"This head shaving was a dreadful punishment. We were more afraid of it than of any other, for girls are proud of their hair.

"I was there ten years and saw a great deal more than I can think of. My brother, after he was free, came to Cressbrook and stole me away. But I was so frightened and dateless with the punishment I had received, that for a long time I was like a person with no wits. I could hardly find my way from one street into another. They said at Wright's Factory where I worked that they were sure that I was "none right".

THERE are many contemporary accounts of the plight of poor working children, but time seems to lend weight to this one, by millworker turned journalist Allen Clarke in his 1899 book, The Effects of the Factory System.

"WHEN I read the accounts of the factory cruelties at the beginning of this century I rage between roaring wrath and tears of pity; I feel ashamed of my countrymen, of my county; I cry, that the Lancashire people were never fit to be parents; I say, that the factory system was a system of torture and murder, as dreadful as any massacres of Christians by Turks; a disgrace in the story of any race or age; a big, ghastly, horrible stain of blood on the history of England. As I write, pictures of the past rise before me; pictures for the present to weep over, and for the future to shudder at.

"I see the little innocents rudely dragged from bed to be pitched into the factories at the early age of three and four; I see them stunted, sickly, with sad eyes imploring mercy from parents and masters in vain;

"I see them pining, failing, falling, struggling against hell and death, knowing not what to do for relief, knowing not where to ask for aid, dying by agonising inches, and blest when the end comes;

Wondering dully, no doubt, in their day-long torture and night-long feverishness, what they are, and where they are, and how they came to this fate, and what these tormentors called fathers and mothers and overseers brought them here for, and what they ultimately mean to do with them;

"And thus they exist - alive, but breathing and eating slow death, sleeping in death, with no flowers, nor grass, nor toys, nor any childish joy in their young lives;

"Not knowing, and therefore unable to take any pride in the fact, that they are being crushed into the mortar wherewith to build the commercial glory of England, that shall rise to such admirable splendour over their dust;

"Not thinking that there must be sacrifice and victims, as in all noble causes, and thus they, being unable to help themselves, might as well be slaughtered as any other, so that in years to come a rich manufacturing aristocracy may rule and govern the debilitated offspring of such of them as survive to breed more slaves ... "

DAVID ROWLAND worked as a piecer at a textile mill in Manchester. He was interviewed by Michael Sadler and his House of Commons Committee on July 10, 1832.

Q: "At what age did you commence working in a cotton mill? A: Just when I had turned six.

Q: What employment had you in a mill in the first instance?

A: That of a scavenger.

Q: Will you explain the nature of the work that a scavenger has to do? A: The scavenger has to take the brush and sweep under the wheels, and to be under the direction of the spinners and the piecers generally. I frequently had to be under the wheels, and in consequence of the perpetual motion of the machinery, I was liable to accidents constantly. I was very frequently obliged to lie flat, to avoid being run over or caught.

Q: How long did you continue at that employment? A: From a year and a half to two years. Q: What did you go to then? A: To be a piecer.

Q: Did the employment require you to be upon your feet perpetually? A: It did. Q: You continued at that employment for how long? A: I was a piecer till I was about 15 or 16 years of age. Q: What were your hours of labour? A: Fourteen; in some cases, 15 and 16 hours a day.

Q: How had you to be kept up to it? A: During the latter part of the day, I was severely beaten very frequently.

Q: Will you state the effect that the degree of labour had upon your health? A: I never had good health after I went to the factory. At six years of age I was ruddy and strong; I had not been in the mill long before my colour disappeared, and a state of debility came over me, and a wanness in my appearance.

JOHN BIRLEY gave this account in 1849 of his early days as a child worker at Litton Mill in Derbyshire:

"I was born in Hare Street, Bethnal Green, London, in 1805. My father died when I was two, leaving two children, me and Sarah my sister.

"My mother kept us both till I was about five years old, and then she took badly and was taken to the London Hospital. My sister and I were taken to the Bethnal Green Workhouse. My mother died and we stayed in the workhouse. We had good food, good beds and were given liberty two or three times a week.

" The same year my mother died, I being between six and seven years of age, there came a man looking for a number of parish apprentices. In a day or two after this, two coaches came up to the workhouse door. They gave us a shilling piece to take our attention, and we set off." The youngsters went by canal barge and cart to Litton Mill in Miller's Dale, near Buxton in Derbyshire.

"They brought us some supper. We were very hungry, but could not eat it. It was Derbyshire oatcake, which we had never seen before. It tasted as sour as vinegar.

"Our regular time was from five in the morning till nine or ten at night; and on Saturday, till eleven, and often twelve o'clock at night, and then we were sent to clean the machinery on the Sunday. No time was allowed for breakfast and no sitting for dinner and no time for tea.

"We went to the mill at five o'clock and worked till about eight or nine when they brought us our breakfast, which consisted of water-porridge, with oatcake in it and onions to flavour it. Dinner consisted of Derbyshire oatcakes cut into four pieces, and ranged into two stacks. One was buttered and the other treacled.

By the side of the oatcake were cans of milk. We drank the milk and with the oatcake in our hand, we went back to work without sitting down. We then worked till nine or ten at night when the water-wheel stopped. We stopped working, and went to the apprentice house, about three hundred yards from the mill.

It was a large stone house, surrounded by a wall, two to three yards high, with one door, which was kept locked. It was capable of lodging about 150 apprentices. Supper was the same as breakfast - onion porridge and dry oatcake.

All the boys slept in one chamber, all the girls in another. We slept three in one bed. The girls' bedroom was of the same sort as ours. There were no fastenings to the two rooms; and no one to watch over us in the night, or to see what we did. Mr Needham's five sons and a man named Swann, the overlooker, used to go up and down the mill with hazzle sticks. One son, Frank, once beat me till he frightened himself.

He thought he had killed me. He had struck me on the temples and knocked me dateless. He once knocked me down and threatened me with a stick. To save my head I raised my arm, which he then hit with all his might. My elbow was broken."

B