miliarly in his pastor's as they went out upon
the street.

"Well, what you t'ink erbout pre-o'dination an' fo'-destination any how?"

"It sutny has been pussented to us in a powahful light dis eve'nin'."

"Well, suh, hit opened up my eyes. I do' know when I's hyeahed a sehmon
dat done my soul mo' good."

"It was a upliftin' episode."

"Seem lak 'co'din' to de way de brothah 'lucidated de matter to-night
dat evaht'ing done sot out an' cut an' dried fu' us. Well dat's gwine to
he'p me lots."

"De gospel is allus a he'p."

"But not allus in dis way. You see I ain't a eddicated man lak you,
Brothah Hayward."

"We can't all have de same 'vantages," the preacher condescended. "But
what I feels, I feels, an' what I unnerstan's, I unnerstan's. The
Scripture tell us to get unnerstannin'."

"Well, dat's what I's been a-doin' to-night. I's been a-doubtin' an'
a-doubtin', a-foolin' erroun' an' wonderin', but now I unnerstan'."

"'Splain yo'se'f, Brothah Middleton," said the preacher.

"Well, suh, I will to you. You knows Miss Sally Briggs? Huh, what say?"

The Reverend Hayward had given a half discernible start and an
exclamation had fallen from his lips.

"What say?" repeated his companion.

"I knows de sistah ve'y well, she bein' a membah of my flock."

"Well, I been gwine in comp'ny wit dat ooman fu' de longes'. You ain't
nevah tasted none o' huh cookin', has you?"

"I has 'sperienced de sistah's puffo'mances in dat line."

"She is the cookin'est ooman I evah seed in all my life, but
howsomedever, I been gwine all dis time an' I ain' nevah said de wo'd. I
nevah could git clean erway f'om huh widout somep'n' drawin' me back,
an' I didn't know what hit was."

The preacher was restless.

"Hit was des dis away, Brothah Hayward, I was allus lingerin' on de
brink, feahful to la'nch away, but now I's a-gwine to la'nch, case dat
all dis time tain't been nuffin but fo'-destination dat been a-holdin' me
on."

"Ahem," said the minister; "we mus' not be in too big a hu'y to put ouah
human weaknesses upon some divine cause."

"I ain't a-doin' dat, dough I ain't a-sputin' dat de lady is a mos'
oncommon fine lookin' pusson."

"I has only seed huh wid de eye of de spi'it," was the virtuous answer,
"an' to dat eye all t'ings dat are good are beautiful."

"Yes, suh, an' lookin' wid de cookin' eye, hit seem lak' I des
fo'destinated fu' to ma'y dat ooman."

"You say you ain't axe huh yit?"

"Not yit, but I's gwine