had a great effect upon him, bodily and spiritually. Not only did he
swagger more when arrayed in them, but his prayers and singing were doubly
effective. He secretly prided himself on a likeness to Mr. Weston, but this
must have been from a confusion of mind into which he was thrown, by
constantly associating himself with Mr. Weston's coats and pantaloons.

He once said to Phillis, "You might know master was a born gentleman by de
way his clothes fits. Dey don't hang about him, but dey 'pears as if dey
had grow'd about him by degrees; and if you notice, dey fits me in de same
way. Pity I can't wear his shoes, dey's so soft, and dey don't creak. I
hates boots and shoes all time creakin, its so like poor white folks when
they get dressed up on Sunday. I wonders often Miss Anna don't send me none
of master's old ruffled shirts. 'Spose she thinks a servant oughtn't to
wear 'em. I was a wishin last Sunday, when I gin in my 'sperience in
meetin, that I had one of master's old ruffled shirts on. I know I could a
'scoursed them niggers powerful. Its a hard thing to wear a ruffled shirt.
Dey sticks out and pushes up to people's chins--I mean people dat aint born
to wear 'em. Master wears 'em as if he was born in 'em, and I could too. I
wish you'd put Miss Janet up to gittin one or two for me. Miss Janet's
mighty 'bliging for an ole maid; 'pears as if she liked to see even cats
happy. When an ole maid don't hate cats, there aint nothin to be feared
from 'em."

Phillis ruled her husband in most things, but she indulged him in all his
whims that were innocent. She determined he should have, not an old ruffled
shirt, but a new one. She reported the case to Miss Janet, who set two of
her girls to work, and by Saturday night the shirt was made and done up,
and plaited. Bacchus was to be pleasantly surprised by it next morning
appearing on the top of his chest.

It happened that on this identical Sunday, Bacchus had (as the best of men
will sometimes) got up wrong foot foremost, and not having taken the
trouble to go back to bed, and get up again, putting the right foot out
first, he continued in the same unhappy state of mind. He made, as was his
wont, a hasty toilet before breakfast. He wore an old shirt, and a pair of
pantaloons that did not reach much above his hips. One of his slippers had
no instep; the other was without a heel. His grizzly beard made him look
like a wild man of the woods; a certain sardonic expression of count