!"

He staht toh hang his hat up,
En pull his ober-coat:
Ah box him oh de eah-muffs
En choke him in de tho'at!

Ah say, "Ole Mistah Trouble,
Ah'm pleased so much toh say
Dis house am mighty crowded,--
You-all jes' go ehway!"

Ah take my happy fiddle
Up dah beside my hat,--
Ah play him Ole Dan Tuckeh,
En what you t'ink ob dat!

Wanted a Bill or Two.

"Where are you going, Rastus?" inquired the reporter of an old negro at
the depot.

"Ah's gwine obah toh Guthrie whah dem legislachuh men am passin' dem
bills!" was the reply. "Ah's done libed hyah long ernuff, anyhow, en ef
Ah git obah whah de bills am a passin' dey may pass a few whah my
pockets stay, sho'!"

Whenever you find a man who has made an ignoble failure of managing
himself properly, you'll always find one who thinks he could give the
Lord pointers on running the universe.

Look out for Trouble.

When yuh see ole Mistah Trouble
Jumpin' high ehlong yoh way,
Jes' twis' yoh lips toh puckah,
En whistle night en day!
He'll nevah stop a minute
Toh tell yuh how-de-doo,
But take ehcrost de kentry
En jump de fences, too!

Doan' spen' yoh time eh-gazin'
Up yondah at de sky:
It shuah will make yoh dizzy
En pain yoh lit'le eye;
Jes' keep yohse'f eh-lookin'
Clah down de way yuh go:
De bulgine sho'ly comin'
De fus' thing dat yuh know!

Doan' twis' yoh neck, my bruddeh,
Eh gawkin' at de sun;
He'll shine up dah forebbeh
No mattah whah yuh run;
Jes' look out foh de bresh-piles
En cross de mud-holes slow:
'Twill keep yuh mighty busy
Watchin' dese hyah paths yuh go!

Don't growl if Fortune didn't trust you with more. Just think what a
fool she would have been to favor you with greater gifts!

The Good Times Song.

Sing a song of good times!
Life is full of bliss,
And the merry music
Who shall dare to miss?
Joy delights the valleys,
Plenty's everywhere,
And pleasure swells the chorus
Till we conquer care.

Sing a song of good times!
That's the tune for me;
The bow's upon the fiddle
And the fiddle's full of glee!
It's swing your pardners, honey,
And swing them all the night;
The good times call the measures
And we're dancing to the light!

Nobody Hurt.

"I hear that Slugem and Hittem met las