and dusters marked that people were making for the 11 A.M.
New York train, Kensington depot. One pleasant-looking old gentleman
whose face shone under a broad brim, and whose cleanly drabs were
brought into distasteful proximity with the garments of a drunken
coal-heaver, after a vain effort to edge away, relieved his mind by
turning to his neighbor with the statement, "Consistency is a jewel."

"Undoubtedly true, Mr. Greenleaf," answered the neighbor, "but what
caused the remark?"

"That,"--looking with mild disgust at the dirty and ragged leg sitting
by his own. "Here's this filthy fellow, a nuisance to everybody near
him, can ride in these cars, and a nice, respectable colored person
can't. So I couldn't help thinking, and saying, that consistency is a
jewel."

"Well, it's a shame,--that's a fact; but of course nobody can interfere
if the companies don't choose to let them ride; it's their concern, not
ours."

"There's a fine specimen now, out there on the sidewalk." The fine
specimen was a large, powerfully made man, black as ebony, dressed in
army blouse and trousers, one leg gone,--evidently very tired, for he
leaned heavily on his crutches. The conductor, a kindly-faced young
fellow, pulled the strap, and helped him on to the platform with a
peremptory "Move up front, there!" to the people standing inside.

"Why!" exclaimed the old Friend,--"do my eyes deceive me?" Then getting
up, and taking the man by the arm, he seated him in his own place: "Thou
art less able to stand than I."

Tears rushed to his eyes as he said, "Thank you, sir! you are too kind."
Evidently he was weak, and as evidently unaccustomed to find any one
"too kind."

"Thee has on the army blue; has thee been fighting any?"

"Yes, sir!" he answered, promptly.

"I didn't know black men were in the army; yet thee has lost a leg.
Where did that go?"

"At Newbern, sir."

"At Newbern,--ah! long ago? and how did it happen?"

"Fourteenth of March, sir. There was a land fight, and the gunboats
came up to the rescue. Some of us black men were upon board a little
schooner that carried one gun. 'Twasn't a great deal we could do with
that, but we did the best we could; and got well peppered in return.
This is what it did for me,"--looking down at the stump.

"I guess thee is sorry now that thee didn't keep out of it, isn't thee?"

"No, sir; no indeed, sir. If I had five hundred legs and fifty lives,
I'd be glad to give them all in such a war