ter fall:
De rank grain ben's wid its own weight,
De light stan's straight.

"But heah! Ole Marster 's waitin'--
So I mus' tell you: raise
De jice dyar; 'neaf de platin'--
De sweat o' many days
Is in dat stockin'--toil an' pain
In sun an' rain.

"I worked ter save dem figgers
Ter buy you; but de Lord
He sot free all de niggers,
Same as white-folks, 'fo' Gord!
Free as de crows! Free as de stars!
Free as ole hyars!

"Now, chile, you teck dat money,
Git on young Marster's track,
An' pay it ter him, honey;
An' tell him Little Jack
Worked forty year, dis Chris'mus come,
Ter save dat sum;

"An' dat 't was for ole Marster,
To buy your time f'om him;
But dat de war come farster,
An' squandered stock an' lim'--
Say you kin work an' don't need none,
An' he carn't, son.

"He ain' been use ter diggin'
His livin' out de dirt;
He carn't drink out a piggin,
Like you; an' it 'ud hurt
Ole Marster's pride, an' make him sw'ar,
In glory dyar!"

Den all his strength seemed fallin';
He shet his eyes awhile,
An' den said: "Heish! he 's callin'!
Dyar he! Now watch him smile!
Yes, suh-- You niggers jes' stan' back!
Marster, here 's Jack!"

ASHCAKE

Well, yes, suh, dat am a comical name
It are so, an' for a fac'--
But I knowed one, down in Ferginyer,
Could 'a' toted dat on its back.

"What was it?" I 'm gwine to tell you--
'T was mons'us long ago:
'T was, "Ashcake," suh; an' all on us
Use' ter call 'im jes', "Ashcake," so.

You see, suh, my ole Marster, he
Was a pow'ful wealfy man,
Wid mo' plantations dan hyahs on you haid--
Gre't acres o' low-groun' lan':

Jeems River bottoms, dat used ter stall
A fo'-hoss plough, no time;
An' he 'd knock' you down ef you jes' had dyared
Ter study 'bout guano 'n' lime.

De corn used ter stan' in de row dat thick
You jes' could follow de balk;
An' rank! well I 'clar' ter de king, Ise seed
Five 'coons up a single stalk!

He owned mo' niggers 'n arr' a man
About dyar, black an' bright;
He owned so many, b'fo' de Lord,
He did n' know all by sight!

Well, suh, one evelin', long to'ds dusk,
I seen de Marster stan'
An' watch a yaller boy pass de gate
Wid a ashcake in his han'.

He never had no mammy at all--
Leastways, she was dead by dat--
An' de cook an