his
hair and drew it down behind his ears. His hands and feet were small,
his fingers tapering; his face was black, his eyes small, his lips and
nose thin, his voice fine, but harsh, and he slightly stooped or bent
forward as he walked. There is poetry in every move of his bent figure
as he slowly walks down the street on this autumn morning. As we gaze
upon him strolling feebly along, we involuntarily sigh for the days when
the heart was young. May Day, with its buds and blossoms, Christmastide,
full of bright anticipations, come trooping up the misty way. We are
following the old band; listen to the music! How enchanting!

"Up in a balloon, boys, up in a balloon,
Where the little stars are sailing round the moon;
Up in a balloon, to pay a visit to the moon,
All among the little stars sailing round the moon."

We are making water-mills in the brooks; we are swinging our
sweethearts; we feel again the heart throbs of early youth when we dared
the first caress.

"Shoo fly, don't bother me!
For I belong to Company D."

* * * * *

It is Monday morning--the washwoman's day of preparation; when the
clothes are brought in, the shopping attended to; when the women
congregate on the street corners, sit upon their baskets and bundles or
lean against the fences to discuss the doings of the Sunday just
past--what the preacher said and what the neighbors wore, etc. Three
women stood upon the corner toward which Uncle Guy was tending. But they
were not talking about texts and fashions. Uncle Guy heard the following
as he drew nigh: "Bu'n um! Bu'n um! Good fer nuthin' broke down
ristercrats an' po' white trash. Ef de men kayn't git gun we kin git
karsene an' match an' we'll hab um wahkin' de street in dere nite gown."
Judge Morse passed by, turned his head to catch as much as possible of
what was being spoken. "Negro like," he said, as he went on his way.
"They are all talk. I was raised among them, heard them talk before, but
it amounted to nothing. I'm against any scheme to do them harm, for
there's no harm in them. This Negro domination talk is all bosh."

Uncle Guy stepped to one side and humbly saluted Judge Morse as he
passed, then bore down upon the women who were vigorously discussing the
all-absorbing topic. The old man walked out to the edge of the sidewalk,
squinted his eyes and came slowly up to where the women stood, comically
pointing his index finger at them