"Tell you 'bout 'em?" You mus' 'a'

learn

'Bout my ole white folks, sho'!

I tell you, suh, dey was gre't an' stern;
D' did n' have nuttin' at all to learn;
D' knowed all dar was to know;
Gol' ober de' head an' onder dey feet;
An' silber! dey sowed 't like folks sows
wheat.

"Use ter be rich? Dat war n' de wud!
Jes' wallowed an' roll' in wealf.
Why, none o' my white folks ever stir'd
Ter lif' a hau' for d'self;

De niggers use ter be stan'in' roun'

Jes' d' same ez leaves when dey fus' fall down;

De stable-stalls up heal at home
Looked like teef in a fine-toof comb;
De cattle was p'digious mus' tell de fac' !
An' de hogs ecked de hillsides look like

A sperrit cudden 'a' growed mo' pale, An' "By Gord!" I heerd him said.

He tuk de child 'long in de house,
Jes' 'count o' dat ar whim;
An', dat-time-out, you never see
Sich sto' as he sot by him.

An' Ashcake swung his cradle, too,
As clean as ever you see;

An' stuck as close ter ole Marster's heel
As de shader sticks to de tree.

'Twel one dark night, when de river was out,

De Marster an' Ashcake Joe
Was comin' home an' de skiff upsot,

An' Marster 'd 'a' drownded, sho',

Excusin' dat Ashcake cotch'd him hard
An' gin him holt o' de boat,

An' saved him so; but 't was mo'n a week
B'fo' his body comed afloat.

An' de Marster he grieved so 'bouten dat thing,

It warn' long, sah, befo' he died;
An' he's sleep, way down in Ferginyer,
Not fur from young Ashcake's side.

'At he 'd like to go back in the calvery

And the old man jes' wrapped up in him! Jim 'lowed 'at he'd had sich luck afore, Guessed he'd tackle her three years more. And the old man give him a colt he'd raised, And follered him over to Camp Ben Wade, And laid around fer a week er so, Watchin' Jim on dress-parade;

"Tel finally he rid away,

And last he heerd was the old man say,“Well, good-by, Jim:

Take keer of yourself!"

Tuk the papers, the old man did,
A-watchin' fer Jim,

'At's clumb clean up to the shoulderstraps

And the old man jes' wrapped up in him! Think of him - with the war plum' through, And the glorious old Red-White-and-Blue A-laughin' the news down over Jim, And the old man, bendin' over himThe surgeon turnin' away with tears 'At had n't leaked fer years and years, As the hand of the dyin' boy clung to His Father's, the old voice in his ears, "Well, good-by, Jim: Take keer of yourse'f!"

A LIFE-LESSON

THERE! little girl, don't cry!

They have broken your doll, I know;
And your tea-set blue,

And your play-house, too,
Are things of the long ago;

But childish troubles will soon pass
by.-

There little girl, don't cry!

There little girl, don't cry !
They have broken your slate, I know;
And the glad, wild ways

Of your school-girl days
Are things of the long ago;

But life and love will soon come
by.-

There little girl, don't cry!

There little girl, don't cry !

They have broken your heart, I know;
And the rainbow gleams

Of your youthful dreams
Are things of the long ago;

But Heaven holds all for which you
sigh.-

There little girl, don't cry!

THE WAY THE BABY WOKE

AND this is the way the baby woke:

As when in deepest drops of dew The shine and shadows siuk aud soak,