"Some folks," he would say, "likes pretty neckties; an' some wears fancy socks; but fer my part I'd ruther show a han'some foot ner anything.

Uncle Billy's very good to me, an' I'd ruther stay, a good deal ruther.

Uncle Billy's very good to me, an' I'd ruther stay, a good deal ruther.

"Hit me," said Ralph, "kill me if you want to; I'd ruther die than go back to live with you.

" "Well, some folks'd ruther save this trip for a weddin' journey," Sealman suggested.

Or, ef you'd ruther take it out in pertaters an' corn an' sorghum, thess say so, an' how much of each.

An' she says thet ef Sonny will take a private co'se of instruction in nachel sciences, an' go to a few lectures, why, th' ain't nobody on earth that she 'd ruther see come into that academy ez teacher,that is, of co'se, in time.

"He isor woza Portugee fishermanlobsterman, ruther.

no bettah 'n a nigger, fer in dem days any 'spectable pusson would ruther be a nigger dan a po' w'ite man.

"'No, suh,' sez Mars Jeems, 'somehow er 'nuther I doan lack yo' looks sence I come back dis time, en I'd much ruther you would n' stay roun' heah.

En Dan 'lowed ter hisse'f he 'd ruther 'a' be'n killt a dozen times 'n ter 'a' done w'at he had ter Mahaly.

" "My father was allers called Honest Ben Edwards out here on the Third Beach Line, an' Mother says she'd ruther have that mem'ry

He seems sort o' awkward, 'cause he's raw-boned, an' ain't filled out yet; but all the other dogs like him, an' he'd ruther run than eat.

" "If there's enough, Dan, don't you think an ice-cream cone 'ud be fine; or do you think he'd ruther have some peanuts an' pop-corn?" "Peanuts an' pop-corn's all right, or maybe some candy an' gum.

Folks say he come from the wolf, but that ain't no reflection on him, seem' that we come from monkeys ourselves, an' I believe, takin' all things into account, I'd as soon have a wolf for a ancestor as a monkey, an' a little ruther.

" "I guess I'd ruther come in alone!"

Up the street we went, steer bawling and buck-jumping, my hair a-flying, and me as busy as the little bee you read about keeping that steer underneath me, 'stead of on top of me, where he'd ruther be, and after us the whole town, whoopin', yellin', crackin' off six-shooters, and carryin' on wild.

I'd ruther lib in a corn-crib.

I'd ruther lib on a little piece ob lan' ob my own dan a big piece

"Does hev a ruther squeaky luk tew it," said he.

an' I'd ruther not tell a lie.

I-I'd ruther be shot t-than p-pitched off into a c-canyon, s-somewhere a-and busted up!"

"I'd ruther have a horse down with glanders," he sighed, when Bill finally washed the grease off his hands and forearms and rolled down his sleeves.

But I'd ruther go hunt the Injun Jim mine, Bill.

I'd ruther have a garage in Patmos than a hotel in Los Angeles, and by all they say that's puttin' it strong.