A propos, when I first opened upon the just-mentioned poem, in a careless tone I said to Mary, as if putting a riddle, "What is good for a bootless bene?" To which, with infinite presence of mind (as the jest-book has it)

A jest intervenes, the solemn humbug is dissolved in laughter, and speech runs forth out of the contemporary groove into the open fields of nature, cheery and cheering, like schoolboys out of school.

And the air about you don't seem any different from jest plain Jonesville air.

I had knowed all about this but Josiah seemed to delight to instruct me as carefully as a mother would guide a prattlin' child jest beginnin' to walk on its little feet.

It was jest boards like dis cabin of mine.

It was a big, two-story building, the lower half being "jest cobblestones," as the neighbors sneeringly remarked, while the upper half was "decent pine lumber."

Then, when Chris'mus comes, she brings Nothin', only useful things: Han'kershi'fs an' gloves an' ties, Sunday stuff yer jest despise.

Radha decides to stand this no longer and partly in jest dresses herself up as a constable.

There's enough Scotch stubbornness in Allan t' try to make a leader outen a cur jest becus folks said he couldn't.

It isn't the money I want, it's jest food.

"He's jest glarin' at her.

Jest after jest hath been huddled upon her close cap, and stuck, like burrs, upon her weeds.

" "There's that air blamed etarnal infarnal nateral born eejiot'll die in Stillwater penitensh'ry jest fer idees.

" A small, well-grated window in the gate opened, and there appeared in it a yellow cap with two horns, and the funny, wrinkled, and twisted jest-maker's face of Jäkel the Fool.

"They's chiefly jest meanness.

Hair wus jest es shiny es gold 'n the light o' them candles.

I'll bet anybody anything there ain't another town in Ameriky what's gone ahead like we hev in the past few months that's jest past.

It's jest recreation to me.

"Ever sence that fit o' sickness I had a month ago, I've feel kind o' old an' no account myself, as if I'd like to let all holts go, an' jest rest.

Little lakes, where gold and silver fish played and dotted over with the rarest and loveliest water plants and blossoms, shrubs runnin' over with bloom, why, there wuz acres of jest rosies.

"Course I never sweep de trash out de house after sun down jest sweep hit in de corner of de room cause hit is bad luck ter sweep out de door after dark.

All we ask o' yew is jest ernough tew allow us ter advertise fer another brother member ter take yer place.

"We got jest time to 'lect a sec'etary and draw out some res'lutions.

In stead, they termed him "wretch" and "tyrant," adding in jest titles like "the gladiator," "the charioteer," "the left-handed," "the ruptured man."

I've done sev'ral odd jobs fer Mr. Merrick, but he's never give me more'n jest wages.