eader varmints, an' he's ready ter conterdic' de whole dic'sh'nary.

"Des gimme dat word a few times _in my ear_ good, please, sir. I
wouldn't dare ter teck it in thoo my eye, 'caze don' keer what you say,
when a word sets out wid r-a-t, I gwine see a open-eyed rat settin'
right at de head of it blinkin' at me ev'y time I looks at it."

AN EASTER SYMBOL

A MONOLOGUE OF THE PLANTATION

_Speaker_: A Black Girl.
_Time_: Easter Morning.

"'Scuse me knockin' at yo' do' so early, Miss Bettie, but I'se in
trouble. Don't set up in bed. Jes' lay still an' lemme talk to yer.

"I come to ax yer to please ma'am loand me a pair o' wings, mistus.
No'm, I ain't crazy. I mean what I say.

"You see, to-day's Easter Sunday, Miss Bettie, an' we havin' a high time
in our chu'ch. An' I'se gwine sing de special Easter carol, wid Freckled
Frances an' Lame Jane jinin' in de chorus in our choir. Hit's one o'
deze heah visible choirs sot up nex' to de pulpit in front o' de
congergation.

"Of co'se, me singin' de high solo makes me de principlest figgur, so we
'ranged fur me to stan' in de middle, wid Frances an' Jake on my right
an' lef' sides, an' I got a bran new white tarlton frock wid spangles on
it, an' a Easter lily wreath all ready. Of co'se, me bein' de fust
singer, dat entitles me to wear de highest plumage, an' Frances, she
knows dat, an' she 'lowed to me she was gwine wear dat white nainsook
lawn you gi'n 'er, an' des a plain secondary hat, an' at de p'inted time
we all three got to rise an' courtesy to de congergation, an' den bu'st
into song. Lame Jake gwine wear dat white duck suit o' Marse John's an'
a Easter lily in his button-hole.

"Well, hit was all fixed dat-a-way, peaceable an' proper, but you know
de trouble is Freckled Frances is jealous-hearted, an' she ain't got no
principle. I tell you, Miss Bettie, when niggers gits white enough to
freckle, you look out for 'em! Dey jes advanced fur enough along to show
white ambition an' nigger principle! An' dat's a dange'ous mixture!

"An' Frances--? She ain't got no mo' principle 'n a suck-aig dorg! Ever
sence we 'ranged dat Easter programme, she been studyin' up some
owdacious way to outdo me to-day in de face of eve'ybody.

"But I'm jes one too many fur any yaller freckled-faced nigger. I'm
black--but dey's a heap o' trouble come out o' ink bottles befo' to-day!

"I done had my eye on Frances! An' fur de las' endurin' week I taken
notice ev'ry time we had