"His master, who had followed his wife to the verandah, said, 'Come up here, and tell your mistress what she wants to know.'
"Sam soon appeared at the parlor-door, hat in hand. In answer to their questions, he told his story in lively style. 'Dis yere's a providence, and no mistake,' said Sam, piously rolling up his eyes. 'As Missis has allers been instructin' on us, thar's allers instruments ris up to do de Lord's will. Now if it hadn't been for me to-day, Lizy'd been took a dozen times. Warn't it I started off de hosses, dis yere mornin', and kept 'em chasin' till dinner time? And didn't I car Mas'r Haley five miles out of de road dis evening? else he'd a come up with Lizy, as easy as a dog arter a coon. Dese yere's all providences!'
"With as much sternness as he could command under the circumstances, his master said, 'They are a kind of providences that you'll have to be pretty sparing of, Sam. I allow no such practices with gentlemen on my place.'
"Sam stood with the corners of his mouth lowered, in most penitential style. 'Mas'r's quite right,' said he. 'It was ugly on me; thar's no disputin' that ar; and of course Mas'r and Missis wouldn't encourage no such works. I'm sensible ob dat ar. But a poor nigger like me's 'mazin' tempted to act ugly sometimes, when fellers will cut up such shines as dat ar Mas'r Haley. He a'n't no gen'l'man no way. Anybody's been raised as I've been can't help a seein' dat ar.'
"'Well, Sam,' said his mistress, 'as you seem to have a proper sense of your errors, you may go now and tell Aunt Chloe she may get you some of that cold ham that was left of dinner to-day. You and Andy must be hungry.'
"'Missis is a heap too good for us,' said Sam, making his bow with alacrity and departing.
"Having done up his piety and humility, to the satisfaction of the parlor, as he trusted, he clapped his palm-leaf on his head with a sort of free-and-easy air, and proceeded to the dominions of Aunt Chloe, with the intention of flourishing largely in the kitchen."
JOHN BROWN AND THE COLORED CHILD.
BY L. MARIA CHILD.
[When John Brown went from the jail to the gallows, in Charlestown, Virginia, December 2, 1859, he stooped to kiss a little colored child.]