Johnny Tremain Read Free Page B

Mother—just a touch more maple syrup for me.' 'Gimme that there syrup pitcher' was good enough for her.
    When the meal was over, Mr. Lapham told Madge to hand him the family Bible.
    'Johnny, I'm going to ask you to read to us today.'
    Of the three boys, only Johnny read easily and well. His mother had lived long enough to see to that. Dove stumbled shamefully. Dusty usually had the first chapter of Genesis, so that by reading the same thing over and over he might eventually learn.
    Madge and Dorcas never cared even to try to read. Mrs. Lapham could not so much as write her name. 'Book larning,' she declared, 'scalded no pigs.' Cilla was so anxious to learn (and teach Isannah) that whenever Johnny read she leaned over the book and shaped the words to herself as he said them. They sat beside each other at table. To help her Johnny always kept a finger on the lines as he read.
    Johnny now opened the book, keeping it between himself and Cilla.
    'Where, sir, shall I read?'
    Mr. Lapham's selections for his boys were sometimes designed to point out some fault in a member of his household, especially in the reader. Dove was always being asked to read about sluggards and going to ants.
    Johnny was told where to begin in Leviticus.
    'Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image
...' (What was old master driving at? Couldn't a silversmith put a dragon's snout on a chocolate pot?)
    Soon the surging roll of the words, the pleasure of the sound of his voice coming so clearly out of his mouth, made him stop looking for possible object lessons in the text. Cilla was leaning over him, breathing hard in her efforts to keep up. Mrs. Lapham sat agape. Soon she'd be saying it was just like having a preacher live with them to hear Johnny Tremain read Holy Writ.
    'Finish with the nineteenth verse.'
    '...
And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass.'
    'Turn to Proverbs eleven, second verse.'
    'When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.'
    'Proverbs sixteen, eighteenth.'
    'Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.'
    'Now close the book. Stand up and expound to us all the meaning of God's Word.'
    Johnny stood up. His skin was thin and he could feel himself flush. So the old gentleman was after him for his pride again, was he?
    'It is all another way of saying—God's way of saying—that pride goeth before a fall.'
    'Yes, and why?'
    'Because God doesn't like pride.' Johnny sounded sulky.
    'Do you think God would like you?'
    'Not especially.'
    Dusty was the first to snicker.
    'What does God like?'
    'Humble people,' said Johnny wrathfully. 'He sends punishments to people who are too proud.'
    'Now, Johnny, I want you to raise your right hand and repeat after me, "I, Johnny Tremain..." '
    'I, Johnny Tremain...'
    'Swear from this day onward...'
    'Swear from this day onward...'
    'To walk more humbly and modestly before God and man.'
    'To walk more humbly and modestly before God and man.'
    'Just because some folks are not so smart' (the old master gave Dove and Dusty a pitying glance), 'it's no reason why other folks should go around rubbing their noses in their own stupidities.'
    Either Dove or Dusty kicked Johnny under the table. Madge and Dorcas were giggling. Mrs. Lapham was already scraping the trenchers clean, getting on with her work. She did not hold much by Grandpa's soul-searchings.
    The master, followed by Dove and Dusty, left for the shop.
    Johnny heard Cilla give an exaggeratedly pious sigh. He stopped.
    'When the meek inherit the earth,' she said, 'I doubt Johnny gets as much as one divot of sod.'
    This was too much for Johnny. He turned on the little girls.
    When
they do!' he stormed. 'Cill, you can just about keep your mouth shut until then.'
    'You know you did look pretty funny standing up there, and saying all those humble things Grandpa told you to.'
    Isannah was almost jumping out of