OCUTIONIST--I was all right, wasn't I, mama? You noticed they never
clapped a bit until I'd walked the whole length of the room to my chair.
It just showed how wrought up they were. You nearly mixed me up, though,
prompting me in the wrong place; I--

HOSTESS (_throwing herself on sofa as door closes on last guest_)--Well,
I'm completely done up! (_To Poor Relative_)--Maria, run up to my room,
and get my red worsted bed-slippers. I can't stand these satin tortures
a minute longer. Entertaining is an awful strain. It's so hard trying
not to say the wrong thing at the right place. But, then, it certainly
went off beautifully. I could tell every one had such a good time!

COMIN' THU

BY ANNE VIRGINIA CULBERTSON

Yer's a sinner comin' thu,
Crowd roun', bre'ren, sisters, too,
Sing wid all yo' might an' main,
He'p de sinner out er pain,
He's comin', comin' thu.

He bin "seekin'" dis long time,
He'p him cas' de foe behime,
Clap yo' han's an' sing an' shout,
He'p him cas' de debil out,
Le's wrassel him right thu.

Tu'rr side de Gate er Sin,
Year him kickin' ter git in,
Putt up prayers wid might an' main,
Dat he doesn' kick in vain,
Y'all kin pray him thu.

Heart a-bus'in' fer de right,
Debil hol'in' to him tight,
Year him swish dat forked tail,
See de sinner-man turn pale,
Come on an' he'p him thu.

Sinner hangin' 'bove de pit,
By a hya'r strotch over hit,
Debil hol' one eend an' shake,
Y'all kin see de sinner quake,
Quick, he'p dis man come thu.

Seize de ropes, now, ev'y man,
He'p de gospel ship ter lan',
One long pull an' one gre't shout,
Hallelu! We got him out,
De sinner done come thu!

AUNT DINAH'S KITCHEN

BY HARRIET BEECHER STOWE

Like a certain class of modern philosophers, Dinah perfectly scorned
logic and reason in every shape, and always took refuge in intuitive
certainty; and here she was perfectly impregnable. No possible amount of
talent, or authority, or explanation could ever make her believe that
any other way was better than her own, or that the course she had
pursued in the smallest matter could be in the least modified. This had
been a conceded point with her old mistress, Marie's mother; and "Miss
Marie," as Dinah always called her young mistress, even after her
marriage, found it easier to submit than contend; and so Dina