man to 'pose upon a
lone 'oman? Hopes not, indeed! No, Miss Hannah! I aint a wolf, nor
likewise a bear! Our Heabenly Maker, he gib us our lives an' de earth
an' all as is on it, for ourselves free! And what have we to render him
in turn? Nothing! And what does he 'quire ob us? On'y lub him and lub
each oder, like human beings and 'mortal souls made in his own image to
live forever! and not to screw and 'press each oder, and devour an' prey
on each oder like de wild beastesses dat perish! And I considers, Miss
Hannah--"

And here, in fact, the professor, having secured a patient hearer,
launched into an oration that, were I to report it word for word, would
take up more room than we can spare him. He brought his discourse round
in a circle, and ended where he had begun.

"And so, Miss Hannah, say no more to me 'bout de money, 'less you want
to woun' my feelin's."

"Well, I will not, Morris; but I feel so grateful to you that I would
like to repay you in something better than mere words," said Hannah.

"And so you shall, honey, so you shall, soon as eber I has de need and
you has de power! But now don't you go and fall into de pop'lar error of
misparagin' o' words. Words! why words is de most powerfullist engine of
good or evil in dis worl'! Words is to idees what bodies is to souls!
Wid words you may save a human from dispair, or you may drive him to
perdition! Wid words you may confer happiness or misery! Wid words a
great captain may rally his discomforted troops, an' lead 'em on to
wictory! wid words a great congressman may change the laws of de land!
Wid words a great lawyer may 'suade a jury to hang an innocent man, or
to let a murderer go free. It's bery fashionable to misparage words,
callin' of 'em 'mere words.' Mere words! mere fire! mere life! mere
death! mere heaben! mere hell! as soon as mere words! What are all the
grand books in de worl' filled with? words! What is the one great Book
called? What is the Bible called? De Word!" said the professor,
spreading out his arms in triumph at this peroration.

Hannah gazed in very sincere admiration upon this orator, and when he
had finished, said:

"Oh, Morris, what a pity you had not been a white man, and been brought
up at a learned profession!"

"Now aint it, though, Miss Hannah?" said Morris.

"You would have made such a splendid lawyer or parson!" continued the
simple woman, in all sincerity.

"Now wouldn't I, though?" complained the professor. "Now