ts dat man; why, de good Lord bress us ef
dat man ha'nt done, like he was sent, fur de slaves, Miss Em'ly. He
knows jes' whar dat track is,--de down-low track, I means, whar de
'scapin' from de debbil comes good to dese yere people when dey gits
free. Mas'r Sumner an' a'heap mo' on 'em would jes' like fur to kill dat
Mas'r Dayton ef dey could cotch him. Preaches like mad his ablishun
doctrine, as he call it, an' down on rum, sure sartin. He works jes' all
de time fur de leas' pay you never heard tell of. Is he comin' up yere?"

"I hope so, some time; but he is Aunt Phebe's husband now, and we want
to know something about him."

"I reckin dat ye needn't be oneasy, honey, 'bout dat, fur Miss
Hungerford is 'zackly de one fur to take ker ob dat man; he's got his
head 'way up 'mong de stars, an' 'way down in de figgerin' mos' all de
time."

"Do you mean that he is an astronomer, Matthias?"

"Dunno nothin' 'bout dat, but he looks into de stars straight through a
shiny pipe, Miss Em'ly, dat he sticks up on tree leg; an' when dem peart
fellers In dat college where dey lives, gits into figgerin whar dey's
done stuck and can't do it no how, dey comes right down to dat man, an'
he trabbles 'em right out ob all dese yere diffikilties. Um, um! dat man
knows a heap ob dem tings. Miss Hungerford's all right. 'Pears like
dere's good deal ob marryin' roun' de diggins."

"You set the example," I said, "and the rest must follow. Louis and I
expect your hearty congratulations when our day comes to step out of the
world."

"You kin 'pend on good arnest wishes for a heap o' comfort, Miss Em'ly,
but 'stead o' leavin' the world you jes' gits into it; dunno nothin'
'bout livin' till ye hev to min' eberything yourself. But I 'spect
you'll walk along purty happy-like, fur Mas'r Louis he's done got hevin
right in his soul, an' you, Miss Em'ly, 'pears like you's good enough
fur him."

And the old man stood before me like a picture, his eyes beaming with
the thoughts which filled his soul, utterance to which he could not
wholly give; and I thought they grew like a fire within him, and that
some day, beyond the pale of human life, they would speak with force and
power, and all the buds of beauty there burst into flowers of eternal
loveliness. And I said to him, as he rose to go:

"Your good wishes are worth much to me; I want you always for my
faithful friend."

"Dat's jes' what I'se gwine to be," he replied, and as he passed along
the pa