the adventures of huckleberry finn by mark twain

I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was and such-like times and would always call me honey, and pet me and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the ONLY one he's got now and then I happened to look around and see that paper. But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind. And got to thinking over our trip down the river and I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing. But I didn't do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking-thinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell.

I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now.

Phelps has got him and he will give him up for the reward if you send. Miss Watson, your runaway nigger Jim is down here two mile below Pikesville, and Mr. So I got a piece of paper and a pencil, all glad and excited, and set down and wrote: Why, it was astonishing, the way I felt as light as a feather right straight off, and my troubles all gone. At last I had an idea and I says, I'll go and write the letter-and then see if I can pray. So I was full of trouble, full as I could be and didn't know what to do. I was trying to make my mouth SAY I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write to that nigger's owner and tell where he was but deep down in me I knowed it was a lie, and He knowed it. I was letting ON to give up sin, but away inside of me I was holding on to the biggest one of all. It was because my heart warn't right it was because I warn't square it was because I was playing double. I knowed very well why they wouldn't come. Why wouldn't they? It warn't no use to try and hide it from Him.

And I about made up my mind to pray, and see if I couldn't try to quit being the kind of a boy I was and be better.

The adventures of huckleberry finn by mark twain