obedience; at all
events, he held firm. The sick man, finding this mode of attack
ineffectual, paused awhile, and then said, in the most persuasive
accents he could employ,

"Shadrach, my boy, you are a good nigger, Shadrach. If you'll go now
and fetch old master a pitcher of nice cool water, I'll set you free
and give you _Five Hundred Dollars_!" And he dragged the syllables
slowly and heavily from his dry jaws, as if to make the sum appear
immeasurably vast.

But Shadrach was proof against even this temptation. He only admitted
its force by arguing the case, urging that how could he stand it, and
what good would his freedom and five hundred dollars do him, if he
should do a thing that would kill his old master?

The old gentleman groaned and moaned. At last he bethought him of one
final stratagem. He raised his head as well as he could, turned his
haggard face full upon Shadrach, and glaring at him from his hollow
blood-shot eyes, said,

"Shadrach, I am going to die, and it's because I can't get any water.
If you don't go and bring me a pitcher of water, after I'm dead I'll
come back and HAUNT you! I'll HAUNT you as long as you live!"

"Oh Lordy! Master! You shall hab de water!" cried Shadrach; and he
rushed out to the spring and brought it. The old man drank and
drank,--the pitcherful and more. The next morning he was decidedly
better, and to the astonishment of all, soon got well.

FOOTNOTE:

[22] By permission of authors, and publishers, J. B. Lippincott Co.,
Philadelphia.

JOHN REUBEN THOMPSON.

~1823=1873.~

JOHN REUBEN THOMPSON was born at Richmond, and educated at the
University of Virginia. He studied law, but practised little, and in
1847 became editor of the "Southern Literary Messenger." This position
he filled with great success for twelve years and he exerted a fine
influence on the literary taste and effort of his times. In this
magazine first appeared the writings of Donald G. Mitchell ("Dream
Life" and "Reveries of a Bachelor"), the early pieces of John Esten
Cooke, Philip Pendleton Cooke, Paul Hamilton Hayne, Henry Timrod, and
others.

His delicate health induced him to resign his place in 1859 and to go
farther south to Augusta, Georgia, as editor of the "Southern Field
and Fireside." In 1863 he travelled in Europe and his descriptive
letters are very bright and interesting. He later became literary
editor of the "Evening Post," N. Y.; in 1872 he went to Colorado in
one las