m knee;
Got no nothing but a little pallet,
And a pot to bile him hominy.

In de day him gits no 'spectful notice,
Him is only "dat ole nigger Brown;"
In de night him tells you, little missy,
Things git mightily turned upside down.
Den somehow him's young and rich and happy,
Den him own more acres dan him see:
Den him got a powerful lot ob hosses,
Den de white folks stop an speak to he.

Den him hab a big house like ole massa's,
Dan Melinda is him lubly wife;
Den de little chillen call him pappy,
Den him see de bery best ob life.
Den sometimes him talking in de meeting.
An' him feel de biggest in de town,
For at night him neber "dat ole nigger,"
Him the Reberend Mister Isaac Brown.

"Dreaming," is him? Dreaming, do you call it?
Then him s'pose it's living in de day.
Well, him likes de night-time and de dreaming,
For him griefs wid sunshine go away.
No use talking, missy, no use talking
'Bout de sunshine and dat kind ob ting;
'Tween de two lights--sunset and sunrising--
Dis ole nigger happier dan a king.

THE TWO OVERCOATS.

When Amos Derby came out of Levi Rosenbaum's pawnshop, the richer by
five dollars, but leaving his overcoat in the hands of the Jew, he made
his way directly to Sillbrook's saloon, where, he felt sure, he should
meet half a dozen at least of his boon companions.

He was not mistaken. The bar-room was crowded, and a general shout of
welcome greeted him as he entered, for Amos was a generous fellow, and
was always willing to treat.

The five dollar bill was quickly broken by the jovial bar-keeper, and
two hours later when Amos waked rather unsteadily out of the saloon, he
had not a cent in his pocket. But this did not trouble him in the least.
He had spent too much money in Sillbrook's during the last two years to
think anything of squandering in one evening such a paltry sum as five
dollars.

As he left the saloon by the main entrance, he saw a man emerge from a
side door of the building, and cross the street with rapid strides; a
tall man, well dressed, and bearing about him a look of prosperity. He
wore a very handsome overcoat with sealskin cuffs and collar, a sealskin
cap, and well fitting gloves. Drunk as Amos was he recognized him at
once; it was Sillbrook himself.

"Been in the back room countin' up his gains, most likely," he muttered
thi