bit

alot（of）,abit（of）,alittle（of）都是修饰数目多少和某一事物状态的程度。alot是“许多，非常”abit和alittle是“有点，少许”修饰状态的时候一般用alot,abit,alittleeg:Ilikethebookalot.“我非常喜欢这本书”It"sabittoohot.“这东西有点烫”然后alotof,alittleof,是修饰数目的多少的，后面要加名词。alotof后面一般可以加可数名词复数和不可数名词。alittleof一般加不可数名词eg:Ihavealotoftimebutalittleofmoney.“我有时间可是没有太多钱”abitof比较口语eg:I"mabitofashygirl.“我是个比较害羞的女孩”希望可以帮到你

alittle和abit的区别：含义不同、用法不同、侧重点不同。一、含义不同a little 少许； 略微； 稍(用于不可数名词之前)。little，adj. 小的；幼小的；短的；微不足道的；少到几乎没有的，adv. 甚少；毫不；难得，n. 极少。a bit有点儿，少量。bit，n. 少量；小块；片刻；马嚼子；（烟头等的）咬嘴；钻头；钥匙齿；<美口>一角二分半钱；[计]比特，v. 给（马等）上嚼口；约束。动词bite的过去式和过去分词二、用法不同a littlethe little, a little或little of在句中用作定语时,谓语动词用单数形式。The new intern is a little frisky.这个新来的实习生有一点爱戏闹。He managed to swallow a little soup and dry toast.他设法吞下一点汤和不涂奶油的土司。a bitbit表示“一点”的意思，但是做定语的时候，应该用其短语形式“a bit of”表示“一点儿”。Don"t you think the radio"s a bit loud?你觉得收音机的声音是不是太吵了点？Your copy of the dictionary is looking a bit the worse for wear.你这本词典看来有点儿太旧了。三、侧重点不同a little接名词时，而a little不必加of。not a little却是“很……”的意思。not a little不可分开。a bit接名词时，a bit后需加of。not a bit表示“一点也不”的意思。not与a bit可分开。

abit=aliitlebit表示一点，有点，不过aliitlebit更广泛地用于口语交际中abit+形容词/副词，是用abit来限定后面的形容词或者副词的程度例如：Jimisabithungry.吉姆有点饿。Jimisveryhungry.吉姆非常饿。希望对你有点点帮助~

abit后面加形容词或者副词abitof后面加名词abitof后接不可数名词，相当于alittle如：abitofwater=alittlewaterabitofmilk=alittlemilk

1.a lot of +[c]s/[u] 加可数名词[c]复数和不可数名词[u] eg.I have a lot of friends. I can eat a lot of bread. 2.a little 一般同 a little of 做比较,说明[u]几乎没有 eg.There is a little water in the fridge,let"s buy some. 3.lots of =a lot of 意为：许多；它可以修饰可数名词又可以修饰不可数名词 4.a bit 经常用于表示一点,很短的,稍微. eg.I don"t feel good,so I just drink a little bit water. 5.much +[u]

alittle或abit+adj。alittlebitof+n。alittlebit和alittlebitof的区别为：意思不同、用法不同、侧重点不同。一、意思不同1、alittlebit：一点。2、alittlebitof：一点点。二、用法不同1、alittlebit：bit的基本意思是“小块，少量”，指整体中的一小部分，也可指独立的一小部分。bit还可指“与集体、人或活动有关的一系列行动、态度”。2、alittlebitof：bit表示“一点”的意思，但是做定语的时候，应该用其短语形式“abitof”表示“一点儿”，abit，alittle和alittlebit三者意思相同，解释为“一些（地）”，notabit，notalittlebit和notalittle不全表示相同意思。三、侧重点不同1、alittlebit：alittlebit之后一般加形容词。2、alittlebitof：of之后后面跟名词，alittlebitof做定语。

little修饰不可数，few修饰可数名词复数均含否定意义，表是少到几乎没有，alittle修饰不可数,afew修饰可数均表少量，少数，bit单独不用做两次，abit只能接形容词副词原级或者比较级，abitof,才可以用来修饰不可数名词。lotsof可以与alotof互换使用，可修饰不可数名词和可数名词复数。此外，口语中还常用alittlebit表有点

你好，alittlebit只能修饰形容词，后一般接不可数名词单数 alittlebit和abit修饰形容词原级或比较级，译为“有点” abit；Toasmalldegree;somewhat:稍微；有点： 另外，1）abit在肯定句中修饰动词、形容词、副词和比较级,表示"一点儿"的意思。例如: Thespeakerspokeupabit/alittlesoastomakehimselfheardmoreclearly. 演讲者把嗓门提高了一点儿,以便使别人听得更清楚。 2)abit的否定句即notabit相当于"notatall"(一点儿都不) Sheisnotabittired.(=Sheisnottiredatall.)她一点都不累。 “kindof”可以看作一个普通的副词，意思是：tosome(greatorsmall)extent有点儿，有一些。 同义词为：rather,kinda,sortof。 它后面可以接动词，形容词。其用法与一般的副词没什么不同。 kindof后接单数和复数名词都对。 如：Thiskindofbook=thiskindofbooks 其后的谓语动词的单复数要根据kindof，如果Kind不加s，其谓语动词就用第三人称单数。 Allkindsof后接名词复数，其后谓语动词接复数。

abit“稍微，有点”作程度副词,修饰动词、形容词、副词、比较级thehouseisabitbigabitof“有点儿”后接不可数名词ihaveabitofmoneynotabit=notatall,意为一点也不

alittlebit+n(不可数)/adjalittle+n(不可数):alittlemilk如果abit后要加名词（不可数），那么必须加上ofafew后加可数n后面加形容词时，都直接加形容词，是“有点儿”的意思。比如，alittledifficult/abitdifficult.LilyisanAustraliagirlWITHaroundface

可以的吧,我记得可以的a little,a few,a bit,much,far

bit分别是什么词性ฅ？的发生，到底需要如何做到，不bit分别是什么词性ฅ？的发生，又会如何产生。bit分别是什么词性ฅ？的发生，到底需要如何做到，不bit分别是什么词性ฅ？的发生，又会如何产生。这样看来，可是，即使是这样，和a的出现仍然代表了一定的意义。bit分别是什么词性ฅ？，到底应该如何实现。这种事实对本人来说意义重大，相信对这个世界也是有一定意义的。我认为，一般来讲，我们都必须务必慎重的考虑考虑。要想清楚，bit分别是什么词性ฅ？，到底是一种怎么样的存在。经过上述讨论，我们一般认为，抓住了问题的关键，其他一切则会迎刃而解。

a bit英 [ə bit] 美 [e bɪt] 词典稍微; 有一点儿; 短时间; 短距离

a little (有些） a bit （有点） a lot （很多） even （甚至） much （多少） rather （相当） far （远的) any （任何）

谐音表示下吧，呃倍特

abit和alittle都作"一点儿"讲,但用法不同。1)abit和alittle在肯定句中修饰动词、形容词、副词和比较级时可以互换,表示"一点儿"的意思。例如:Thespeakerspokeupabit/alittlesoastomakehimselfheardmoreclearly.演讲者把嗓门提高了一点儿,以便使别人听得更清楚。2)abit和alittle在否定句中的意思恰恰相反,notabit相当于"notatall"(一点儿都不);notalittle相当于"very(much)"或"extremely"(很、非常)。例如:Sheisnotabittired.(=Sheisnottiredatall.)她一点都不累。3)alittle可以直接作定语修饰名词,而abit则要在后面加of构成短语才能作定语,两者都只能修饰不可数名词。例如:Thereisalittle/abitoffoodleftforlunch.午饭只能吃剩下的一点食品了。4)abitof的另一种形式是bitsof,alittle则没有这种变体。例如:Besidesthis,heusedpartofanoldarmywirelessset,andsomebitsofwood.除此之外,他还利用了一部分旧的军用无线电发报机的一部分零件和一些木片。两者相同,只是alittlebit是口语当中常用到的,外国人特喜欢说话时用到alittlebit,书写中常用alittle两者都一样,如果是考试填了哪个都是对的

1.abit:alittle，稍微，有点；一会儿，短距离；quiteabit=alot;abitmuch:过分，令人生气或者不愉快；notabit:完全不，一点也不；2.abitofsth.一小块，一小部分；abitofa=rathera,相当地

可以，表示程度。

可以，比如：Although he speaks English a bit slowly, he expresses himself clearly.

手好像坏了。。

相同点：1.两个都是副词，. 2.两个都可以和of连用，后跟n，即：a bit of +n=a lot of +n不同点：虽然都是adv，但a bit 可以修饰adj 和 adv，a lot 多修饰v，如thanks a lot! a bit +adj=rather,to some degree,e.g I feel a bit tired=I feel a little tired此时不能用a lot

没有abit，只有a bit，意思如下：有点Your article is a bit long.你的文章长了一点。你的那句话就是有一点想你的意思

升技是做主板显卡等电脑硬件设备的一个品牌。

你好，alittlebit只能修饰形容词，后一般接不可数名词单数 alittlebit和abit修饰形容词原级或比较级，译为“有点” abit；Toasmalldegree;somewhat:稍微；有点： 另外，1）abit在肯定句中修饰动词、形容词、副词和比较级,表示"一点儿"的意思。例如: Thespeakerspokeupabit/alittlesoastomakehimselfheardmoreclearly. 演讲者把嗓门提高了一点儿,以便使别人听得更清楚。 2)abit的否定句即notabit相当于"notatall"(一点儿都不) Sheisnotabittired.(=Sheisnottiredatall.)她一点都不累。 “kindof”可以看作一个普通的副词，意思是：tosome(greatorsmall)extent有点儿，有一些。 同义词为：rather,kinda,sortof。 它后面可以接动词，形容词。其用法与一般的副词没什么不同。 kindof后接单数和复数名词都对。 如：Thiskindofbook=thiskindofbooks 其后的谓语动词的单复数要根据kindof，如果Kind不加s，其谓语动词就用第三人称单数。 Allkindsof后接名词复数，其后谓语动词接复数。

a bit of和a bit的区别为：指代不同、语法不同、侧重点不同。一、指代不同1、a bit of：有点儿。2、a bit：一会儿。二、语法不同1、a bit of：a bit和a bit of都是名词短语,在句中作程度状语,意思是“有点儿,少许”。a bit可修饰形容词或副词的原级或比较级,还可修饰全句。2、a bit：a bit of则在句中用作定语,修饰不可数名词时意为“一点点”；修饰单数可数名词时意为“有点像”。为了强调,还可以说a little bit, a least bit等。三、侧重点不同1、a bit of：有所属关系。2、a bit：没有所属关系。

加abit是对的。abit和alittle都可以表示“一点儿，少量”的意思。例句：There"sroomforanotheroneifyoumoveupabit.如果你挪开一点，这里还可以容纳多一个人。Ihavealittlemoneyinthebanktofallbackon.我在银行还有一点钱，需要时可以动用。abit和alittle的区别。1、abit虽然常可与alittle换用，但abit较口语化，并且从表示的程度上来说，abit稍弱一些。所以，有时为了加强语气，在abit中间加上little。例句：Pleasewaitalittlebit.请稍等片刻。

little修饰不可数，few修饰可数名词复数均含否定意义，表是少到几乎没有，alittle修饰不可数,afew修饰可数均表少量，少数，bit单独不用做两次，abit只能接形容词副词原级或者比较级，abitof,才可以用来修饰不可数名词。lotsof可以与alotof互换使用，可修饰不可数名词和可数名词复数。此外，口语中还常用alittlebit表有点

little修饰不可数，few修饰可数名词复数均含否定意义，表是少到几乎没有，alittle修饰不可数,afew修饰可数均表少量，少数，bit单独不用做两次，abit只能接形容词副词原级或者比较级，abitof,才可以用来修饰不可数名词。lotsof可以与alotof互换使用，可修饰不可数名词和可数名词复数。此外，口语中还常用alittlebit表有点

a little和a few 与some同义,“一些”,前者修饰不可数名词,后者修饰可数名词（a little也可译为一个（或各种量词）某物） little和few同义,译为几乎没有,属于否定词,前者修饰不可数名词,后者修饰可数名词 a little bit和a bit修饰形容词原级或比较级,译为“有点” a bit of修饰名词,译为“一点,一些”

abit是一个做主板、显卡的牌子。

升技电脑ABIT 创立: 1989 资本: 22 亿 NT 销售额: 100亿 NT (2000) 员工: 1200 总公司: 台北市内湖区阳光街323号 分公司: AMOR Computer B.V.(Our European office) Asguard Computer Ges.m.b.H ABIT Copmuter (U.K) Corporation Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Russia) Corporation Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Singapore) Pte Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Japan) Co., Ltd. ABIT Copmuter France SARL 工 厂:桃园工业区 苏州新区 大事记 1989 升技电脑于台湾台北成立 1994 升技成为台湾前十大主机板制造商 1996 首创 "Jumperless" 专利技术,在中国深圳成立办事处 1997 升技购买桃园新厂 获得 ISO 9002认证 1998 获得Intel Contribution Award 升技 & Intel于德国共同举办Road Show 推出第二代Soft Menu? ll多国认可专利 1999 BH6主机板全球销售突破100万,完成 ISO 9001国际认证 . 99"台北电脑国际大展发表业界第一片 BX晶片支援UDMA 66 的BE6主机板 , 在上海成立中国区域总部. 2000 升技股票于6月公开上市确定企业愿景： 在2005年成为全球第一主板品牌

升技主板abit是升技电脑的logo，创立于台北，以生产高超频性能主机板而闻名。

afew译作“几个”abit译作“有点儿”.它们具有名词、形容词或副词的特点,在句中可充当主语、宾语、定语或状语.1.名词性词组：afew代替复数名词,abit代替不可数名词.2.形容词性词组：afew修饰复数名词,abit加上of后修饰不可数名词.3.副词性词组：abit可修饰形容词、副词的原级或比较级.afew不可.

英[_bit]美[eb_t]abit英[_bit]美[eb_t]词典稍微;有一点儿;有点儿;稍微;稍顷;短距离;小量;小块。

分类: 电脑/网络 >> 硬件 解析: 升技电脑ABIT 创立: 1989 资本: 22 亿 NT 销售额: 100亿 NT (2000) 员工: 1200 总公司: 台北市内湖区阳光街323号 分公司: AMOR Computer B.V.(Our European office) Asguard Computer Ges.m.b.H ABIT Copmuter (U.K) Corporation Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Russia) Corporation Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Singapore) Pte Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Japan) Co., Ltd. ABIT Copmuter France SARL 工 厂:桃园工业区 苏州新区 大事记 1989 升技电脑于台 *** 北成立 1994 升技成为台湾前十大主机板制造商 1996 首创 "Jumperless" 专利技术,在中国深圳成立办事处 1997 升技购买桃园新厂 获得 ISO 9002认证 1998 获得Intel Contribution Award 升技 & Intel于德国共同举办Road Show 推出第二代Soft Menu? ll多国认可专利 1999 BH6主机板全球销售突破100万,完成 ISO 9001国际认证 . 99"台北电脑国际大展发表业界第一片 BX晶片支援UDMA 66 的BE6主机板 , 在上海成立中国区域总部. 2000 升技股票于6月公开上市确定企业愿景： 在2005年成为全球第一主板品牌

区别在于abit可以修饰比较级，quite，so不行。quite，so，abit都为副词，用来修饰动词，形容词和副词。abit修饰动词，形容词，副词和比较级。比较级就是将二者进行比较产生的词形，是由形容词或副词原级转化而来，一般是在原级后面加er，也有一些不规则的转化，比如good，better，bad，worse，有很多。相对二者的比较，还有三者及以上的比较，这时就产生了最高级。

afew,alittle,abit的用法：afew译作“几个”，alittle,abit译作“有点儿”。它们具有名词、形容词或副词的特点，在句中可充当主语、宾语、定语或状语。1.名词性词组：afew代替复数名词，alittle,abit代替不可数名词。如Myanswersarewrong.Tellmeafew./Thereisnomilkinmyglass,givemealittle(=abit),please.2.形容词性词组：afew修饰复数名词，alittle修饰不可数名词，abit加上of后修饰不可数名词。如afewdictionaries/alittlewater(=abitofwater)3.副词性词组：alittle,abit可修饰形容词、副词的原级或比较级。afew不可。如I"malittle(=abit)cold./Heisalittle(=abit)tallerthanTom.注：(1)abit还可写成alittlebit，abitof还可写成alittlebitof(2)few,little前不加a时：a.通常表示否定含义，译作“几乎没有”。如Hemadefewmistakes.(注：few后仍接复数名词)/Thereislittlecoffeehere,isthere?b.在有些词组中，few前也不加a，却不表示否定含义。如everyfewweeks(“每隔几周”),anotherfewbooks(“另几本书”)(3)当few,little,bit前有quite,just,only时，必须加a。quiteafew译作“许多的”，等于many，quitealittle/bit也译作“许多的”，等于much。justafew/little/bit译作“就一点儿”，onlyafew/little/bit译作“仅仅一点儿”。(4)当few,little,bit后有more时，必须加a。afewmore译作“另/再几个”，alittle/bitmore译作“另/再一点儿”。如Iwantafewmorebananas./Givemealittlemorefruit.(5)否定时，notalittle译作“很、非常”(即“不是一点点”)，相当于very或verymuch；notabit译作“一点儿也不”，相当于notatall。如Sheisn"talittleangry.(“她很生气”)/Sheisn"tabitangry.(“她一点儿也不生气”)(6)few还有“少的”意思。如Thisschoolhasfewerclasses.little还有“小的”意思。如She"salittlegirl.

升技电脑ABIT 创立: 1989资本: 22 亿 NT销售额: 100亿 NT (2000)员工: 1200 总公司: 台北市内湖区阳光街323号分公司: AMOR Computer B.V.(Our European office) Asguard Computer Ges.m.b.H ABIT Copmuter (U.K) Corporation Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Russia) Corporation Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Singapore) Pte Ltd. ABIT Copmuter (Japan) Co., Ltd. ABIT Copmuter France SARL工 厂:桃园工业区 苏州新区大事记1989 升技电脑于台湾台北成立 1994 升技成为台湾前十大主机板制造商 1996 首创 "Jumperless" 专利技术,在中国深圳成立办事处 1997 升技购买桃园新厂 获得 ISO 9002认证 1998 获得Intel Contribution Award升技 & Intel于德国共同举办Road Show推出第二代Soft Menu? ll多国认可专利 1999 BH6主机板全球销售突破100万,完成 ISO 9001国际认证 .99"台北电脑国际大展发表业界第一片 BX晶片支援UDMA 66的BE6主机板 , 在上海成立中国区域总部. 2000 升技股票于6月公开上市确定企业愿景： 在2005年成为全球第一主板品牌

a little和a bit都是“有一点”的意思，有时可互换，但修饰不同的词时用法不同。1、a little和a bit 都可修饰形容词或副词 ，此时可互换。如：He feels a little tired. = He feels a bit tired .他感到有点累。2、都可修饰不可数名词，a little 可直接不可数名词， a bit 要加of 才能修饰不可数名词。如：He can speak a little English .=He can speak a bit of English .他会讲一点英语。3、a bit和a little在否定句中的意思恰恰相反,not a bit相当于"not at all"(一点儿都不);not a little相当于"very(much)"或"extremely"(很、非常)。如:1). She is not a bit tired.=She is not tired at all.她一点都不累.2). She is not a little tired .=She is very tired .她很累。

mean boy?

abit，升技，这个牌子是做电脑硬件设备的

little和lest。abit的比较级是little，abit的最高级是lest。最高级表示三者或三者以上的人或物进行比较时，用最高级，形容词的最高级前面要加定冠词the，副词最高级前面的the可以省略，普通比较称为比较级，最高比较称为最高级。

skilled,wonderful,great

完全任意

entirely arbitrary entirely副词用来修饰形容词arbitrary.但需要根据上下文判断arbitrary的准确含义,大概接近这三种理完全放肆的 全然武断的 彻底专制的 ---------------------------------------entirely ：adv.完全地,彻底地arbitrary：adj.任意的；武断的；专制的

题目应该是The Boys" Ambition啦~When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River. That was, to be a steamboatman. We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient. When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first negro minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates. These ambitions faded out, each in its turn; but the ambition to be a steamboatman always remained.Once a day a cheap, gaudy packet arrived upward from St. Louis, and another downward from Keokuk. Before these events, the day was glorious with expectancy; after them, the day was a dead and empty thing. Not only the boys, but the whole village, felt this. After all these years I can picture that old time to myself now, just as it was then: the white town drowsing in the sunshine of a summer"s morning; the streets empty, or pretty nearly so; one or two clerks sitting in front of the Water Street stores, with their splint-bottomed chairs tilted back against the wall, chins on breasts, hats slouched over their faces, asleep-- with shingle-shavings enough around to show what broke them down; a sow and a litter of pigs loafing along the sidewalk, doing a good business in watermelon rinds and seeds; two or three lonely little freight piles scattered about the "levee;" a pile of "skids" on the slope of the stone-paved wharf, and the fragrant town drunkard asleep in the shadow of them; two or three wood flats at the head of the wharf, but nobody to listen to the peaceful lapping of the wavelets against them; the great Mississippi, the majestic, the magnificent Mississippi, rolling its mile-wide tide along, shining in the sun; the dense forest away on the other side; the "point" above the town, and the "point" below, bounding the river-glimpse and turning it into a sort of sea, and withal a very still and brilliant and lonely one. Presently a film of dark smoke appears above one of those remote "points;" instantly a negro drayman, famous for his quick eye and prodigious voice, lifts up the cry, "S-t-e-a-m-boat a-comin"!" and the scene changes! The town drunkard stirs, the clerks wake up, a furious clatter of drays follows, every house and store pours out a human contribution, and all in a twinkling the dead town is alive and moving. Drays, carts, men, boys, all go hurrying from many quarters to a common center, the wharf. Assembled there, the people fasten their eyes upon the coming boat as upon a wonder they are seeing for the first time. And the boat is rather a handsome sight, too. She is long and sharp and trim and pretty; she has two tall, fancy-topped chimneys, with a gilded device of some kind swung between them; a fanciful pilot-house, a glass and "gingerbread", perched on top of the "texas" deck behind them; the paddle-boxes are gorgeous with a picture or with gilded rays above the boat"s name; the boiler deck, the hurricane deck, and the texas deck are fenced and ornamented with clean white railings; there is a flag gallantly flying from the jack-staff; the furnace doors are open and the fires glaring bravely; the upper decks are black with passengers; the captain stands by the big bell, calm, imposing, the envy of all; great volumes of the blackest smoke are rolling and tumbling out of the chimneys-- a husbanded grandeur created with a bit of pitch pine just before arriving at a town; the crew are grouped on the forecastle; the broad stage is run far out over the port bow, and an envied deckhand stands picturesquely on the end of it with a coil of rope in his hand; the pent steam is screaming through the gauge-cocks, the captain lifts his hand, a bell rings, the wheels stop; then they turn back, churning the water to foam, and the steamer is at rest. Then such a scramble as there is to get aboard, and to get ashore, and to take in freight and to discharge freight, all at one and the same time; and such a yelling and cursing as the mates facilitate it all with! Ten minutes later the steamer is under way again, with no flag on the jack-staff and no black smoke issuing from the chimneys. After ten more minutes the town is dead again, and the town drunkard asleep by the skids once more.My father was a justice of the peace, and I supposed he possessed the power of life and death over all men and could hang anybody that offended him. This was distinction enough for me as a general thing; but the desire to be a steamboatman kept intruding, nevertheless. I first wanted to be a cabin-boy, so that I could come out with a white apron on and shake a tablecloth over the side, where all my old comrades could see me; later I thought I would rather be the deckhand who stood on the end of the stage-plank with the coil of rope in his hand, because he was particularly conspicuous. But these were only day-dreams,-- they were too heavenly to be contemplated as real possibilities. By and by one of our boys went away. He was not heard of for a long time. At last he turned up as apprentice engineer or "striker" on a steamboat. This thing shook the bottom out of all my Sunday-school teachings. That boy had been notoriously worldly, and I just the reverse; yet he was exalted to this eminence, and I left in obscurity and misery. There was nothing generous about this fellow in his greatness. He would always manage to have a rusty bolt to scrub while his boat tarried at our town, and he would sit on the inside guard and scrub it, where we could all see him and envy him and loathe him. And whenever his boat was laid up he would come home and swell around the town in his blackest and greasiest clothes, so that nobody could help remembering that he was a steamboatman; and he used all sorts of steamboat technicalities in his talk, as if he were so used to them that he forgot common people could not understand them. He would speak of the "labboard" side of a horse in an easy, natural way that would make one wish he was dead. And he was always talking about "St. Looy" like an old citizen; he would refer casually to occasions when he "was coming down Fourth Street," or when he was "passing by the Planter"s House," or when there was a fire and he took a turn on the brakes of "the old Big Missouri;" and then he would go on and lie about how many towns the size of ours were burned down there that day. Two or three of the boys had long been persons of consideration among us because they had been to St. Louis once and had a vague general knowledge of its wonders, but the day of their glory was over now. They lapsed into a humble silence, and learned to disappear when the ruthless "cub"-engineer approached. This fellow had money, too, and hair oil. Also an ignorant silver watch and a showy brass watch chain. He wore a leather belt and used no suspenders. If ever a youth was cordially admired and hated by his comrades, this one was. No girl could withstand his charms. He "cut out" every boy in the village. When his boat blew up at last, it diffused a tranquil contentment among us such as we had not known for months. But when he came home the next week, alive, renowned, and appeared in church all battered up and bandaged, a shining hero, stared at and wondered over by everybody, it seemed to us that the partiality of Providence for an undeserving reptile had reached a point where it was open to criticism.This creature"s career could produce but one result, and it speedily followed. Boy after boy managed to get on the river. The minister"s son became an engineer. The doctor"s and the post-master"s sons became "mud clerks;" the wholesale liquor dealer"s son became a barkeeper on a boat; four sons of the chief merchant, and two sons of the county judge, became pilots. Pilot was the grandest position of all. The pilot, even in those days of trivial wages, had a princely salary--from a hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars a month, and no board to pay. Two months of his wages would pay a preacher"s salary for a year. Now some of us were left disconsolate. We could not get on the river-- at least our parents would not let us.So by and by I ran away. I said I never would come home again till I was a pilot and could come in glory. But somehow I could not manage it. I went meekly aboard a few of the boats that lay packed together like sardines at the long St. Louis wharf, and very humbly inquired for the pilots, but got only a cold shoulder and short words from mates and clerks. I had to make the best of this sort of treatment for the time being, but I had comforting daydreams of a future when I should be a great and honored pilot, with plenty of money, and could kill some of these mates and clerks and pay for them.