opeia, Andromeda and the divine Perseus.

"Lawd, my Lawd !" whispered the mother, "was dey--was dey colo'd?"

I said two of them were king and queen of Ethiopia, and a third was
their daughter.

"Chain' to de rock, an' yit sa-ave at las'!" exclaimed Sidney.

While her husband and children still gazed at the royal stars, Hester
spoke softly to me again. "Miss Maud, dass a tryin' sawt o' sto'y to
tell to a bunch o' po' niggehs; did you dess make dat up--fo' us?"

"Why, Hester," I said, "that was an old, old story before this country
was ever known to white folks, or black," and the eyes of all four were
on me as the daughter asked: "Ain't it in de Bi-ible?"

As all but Sidney bade me good night, I heard her say; "I don' care, I
b'lieb dat be'n in de Bible an' git drap out by mista-ake!"

In my room she grew queerly playful, and continued so until she had
drawn off my shoes and stockings. But then abruptly, she took my feet
in her slim black hands, and with eyes lifted tenderly to mine, said:
"How bu'ful 'pon de mountain is dem wha' funnish good tidin's!" She
leaned her forehead on my insteps: "Us bleeged to paht some day, Miss
Maud."

I made a poor effort to lift her, but she would not be displaced.
"Cayn't no two people count fo' sho' on stayin' togetheh al'ays in dis
va-ain worl'," and all at once I found my face in my hands and the salt
drops searching through my fingers; Sidney was kissing my feet and
wetting them with her tears.

At close of the next day, a Sabbath, my uncle and aunt called all their
servants around the front steps of the house and with tears more bitter
than any of Sidney's or mine, told them that by the folly of others,
far away, they had lost their whole fortune at one stroke and must part
with everything, and with them, by sale. Their dark hearers wept with
them, and Silas, Hester, and Sidney, after the rest had gone back to
the quarters, offered the master and mistress, through many a quaintly
misquoted scripture, the consolations of faith.

"I wish we had set you free, Silas," said uncle, "you and yours, when
we could have done it. Your mistress and I are going to town to-morrow
solely to get somebody to buy you, all four, together."

"Mawse Ben," cried the slave, with strange earnestness, "don't you do
dat! Don't you was'e no time dat a-way! You go see what you can
sa-ave fo' you-all an' yone!"

"For the creditors, you mean, Silas," said my aunt; "that's done."

Hester ha