akes a good wife, sir."

"Sometimes, madam, but not always. I've known some of the best of wives
who had miserable husbands."

"An' I'm d----d ef I made my wife th' 'oman she ar'," said the
corn-cracker.

"Hush, John; ye musn't sw'ar so; ye knows how often ye've said ye
wouldn't."

"Wal, I du, an' I wont agin, by ----. But Sukey, whar's th' young 'uns?"

"Out in the lot, I reckon; but ye musn't holler'm in--they'r all dirt."

"No matter for that, madam," I said; "dirt is healthy for little ones;
rolling in the mud makes them grow."

"Then our'n orter grow right smart, fur they'r in it allers."

"How many have you, madam?"

"Two; a little boy, four, and a little gal, six."

"They're of interesting ages."

"Yas, the' is int'restin'; ev'ry 'uns own chil'ren is smart; but the'
does know a heap. John was off ter Charl'ston no great while back, an'
the little boy used ter pray ev'ry mornin' an' ev'nin' fur his fader ter
cum hum. I larned 'em thet jest so soon as the' talked, 'cause thar's no
tellin' how quick the' moight be tooken 'way. Wal, the little feller
prayed ev'ry mornin' an' ev'nin' fur his fader ter cum back; an' John
didn't cum; so finarly he got sort o' provoked with th' Lord; an' he
said God war aither deaf, an' couldn't har, or he war naughty, an'
wouldn't tell fader thet little Johnny wanted to seed 'im 'werry
mooch'"--and here the good lady laughed pleasantly, and I joined in most
heartily.

Blessed are the children that have such a mother.

Soon the husband returned with the little girl and boy, and four young
ebonies, all bare-headed, and dressed alike, in thick trousers, and a
loose linsey shirt. Among them was my new acquaintance, "Dandy Jim, of
ole Car'lina."

The little girl came to me, and soon I had two white children on one
knee, and two black on the other, and Dandy Jim between my legs, playing
with my watch-chain. The family made no distinction between the colors,
and as the children were all equally clean I did not see why _I_ should
do so.

The lady renewed the conversation by remarking; "P'raps ye reckon it's
quar, sir, that we 'low our'n to 'sociate 'long with th' black chil'ren;
but we karn't help it. On big plantations it works sorry bad, fur th'
white young 'ons larn all manner of evil from the black 'uns; but I've
laboored ter teach our'n so one wont do no harm ter 'tother."

"I suppose, madam, that is one of the greatest evils of slavery. The low
black poisons the mind