A. sense of confusion and frustration.
B. mix of shock and incredulity about the transaction.
C. playful tone towards the buyer.
D. expression of anger toward the buyer’s offer.
“A thousand Christmas trees!—at what apiece?”
He felt some need of softening that to me:
“A thousand trees would come to thirty dollars.”
Then I was certain I had never meant
To let him have them. Never show surprise!
But thirty dollars seemed so small beside
The extent of pasture I should strip, three cents
(For that was all they figured out apiece),
Three cents so small beside the dollar friends
I should be writing to within the hour
Would pay in cities for good trees like those,
Regular vestry-trees whole Sunday Schools
Could hang enough on to pick off enough.
A thousand Christmas trees I didn’t know I had!
Worth three cents more to give away than sell,
As may be shown by a simple calculation.
Too bad I couldn’t lay one in a letter.
I can’t help wishing I could send you one,
In wishing you herewith a Merry Christma
1 answer
The correct answer is B. mix of shock and incredulity about the transaction.
The use of both an exclamation point and a question mark in the line reflects the speaker's surprise and disbelief about the offer for a thousand Christmas trees, indicating a mix of emotions related to the offer being made.
