d got the Colonel's mail, which consisted of letters
from his New York and Charleston factors, the Charleston _Courier_ and
_Mercury_ and the New York _Journal of Commerce_. The latter sheet, at
the date of which I am writing, was in wide circulation at the South,
its piety (!) and its politics being then calculated with mathematical
precision for secession latitudes.)

"What is it, Jim?" shouted his master. "Give it to us."

The darky had somehow learned to read, but holding the paper at arm's
length, and throwing himself into a theatrical attitude, he cried out,
with any amount of gesticulation:

"De news am, massa, and gemmen and ladies, dat de ole fort fore
Charls'on hab ben devacuated by Major Andersin and de sogers, and dey
hab stole 'way in de dark night and gone to Sumter, whar dey can't be
took; and dat de ole Gubner hab got out a procdemation dat all dat don't
lub de Aberlishen Yankees shill cum up dar and clar 'em out; and de
paper say dat lots ob sogers hab cum from Georgi and Al'bama, and 'way
down Souf, to help 'em. Dis am w'at de _Currer_ say," he continued,
holding the paper up to his eyes and reading: "Major Andersin, ob de
United States army hab 'chieved de 'stinction ob op'ning cibil war
'tween American citizens; he hab desarted Moulfrie, and by false
fretexts hab took dat ole Garrison and all his millinery stores to Fort
Sumter."

"Get down, you d----d nigger," said the Colonel, laughing, and mounting
the carriage-box beside him. "You can't read. Old Garrison isn't
there--he's the d----d Northern Abolitionist."

"I knows dat, Cunnel, but see dar," replied Jim, holding the paper out
to his master, "don't dat say he'm dar? It'm him dat make all de
trubble. P'raps dis nig can't read, but ef dat aint readin' I'd like to
know it!"

"Clear out," said the Colonel, now actually roaring with laughter; "it's
the garrison of soldiers that the _Courier_ speaks of, not the
Abolitionist."

"Read it yoursef, den, massa, I don't seed it dat way."

Jim was altogether wiser than he appeared, but while equally as well
pleased with the news as his master, he was so for an entirely different
reason. In the crisis which these tidings announced, he saw hope for his
race.

The Colonel then read the paper to the assemblage. The news was received
with a variety of manifestations by the auditory, the larger portion, I
thought, hearing it, as I did, with sincere regret.

"Now is the time to stand by the state, my f