ut into the minstrel
business, he might run the white "troupes" off the track, and yield a
liberal revenue to the "Cause of Freedom." As I thought of the probable
effect of this last appeal, it seemed to me that the thing was already
done, and that SCIP was FREE.

I got back from dreamland by the simple act of opening my eyes, and
found myself still riding along in that Jersey wagon, over that heavy,
sandy road, and drenched with the mists of that dreary December day. The
reverie made, however, a deep impression on me, and I gave vent to it
somewhat as follows:

"Colonel A---- tells me, Scip, that your mistress wants to sell you. Do
you know what she asks?"

"She ax fifteen hundred dollar, massa, but I an't worth dat now. Nigger
property's mighty low."

"What is your value now?"

"P'raps eight hundred, p'raps a thousand dollar, massa."

"Would your mistress take a thousand for you?"

"Don't know, sar, but reckon she would. She'd be glad to get shut of me.
She don't like me on de plantation, 'cause she say de oder darkies tink
too much ob me; and she don't like me in de city, 'cause she 'fraid I
run away."

"Why afraid you'll runaway? Did you ever try to?"

"Try to! LOR, massa, I neber taught ob such a ting--wouldn't
gwo ef I could."

"But wouldn't you?" I asked, thinking he had conscientious scruples
about running away; "wouldn't you if you could buy yourself, and go
honestly, as a _free_ man?"

"Buy myself, sar!" he exclaimed in surprise; "buy _my own_ flesh and
blood dat de LORD hissef gabe me! No, no! massa; I'd likes to be free,
but I'd neber do _dat_!"

"Why not do that?" I asked.

"'Cause 't would be owning dat de white folks hab a right to de brack;
and 'cause, sar, if I war free I couldn't stay har."

"Why should you stay here? You have no wife nor child; why not go where
the black man is respected and useful?"

"I'se 'spected and useful har, massa. I hab no wife nor child, and dat
make me feel, I s'pose, like as ef all de brack people war my chil'ren."

"But they are not your children; and you can be of no service to them.
At the North you might learn, and put your talents to some use."

"Sar," he replied, a singular enthusiasm lighting up his face, "de LORD,
dat make me what I ar, put me har, and I must stay. Sometimes when tings
look bery brack, and I feel a'most 'scouraged, I goes to HIM, and I say,
'LORD, I's ob no use, take me 'way; let me get fru wid dis; let me no
more see de suffr