mpathizing, pitying friend.
Truly, "He tempers the wind to the shorn lamb."

When the meal was over, all but Madam P---- retired to the library.
Tommy and I fell to reading, but the Colonel shortly rose and continued
pacing up and down the apartment till the clock sounded eight. The lady
then entered, and said to him.

"The negroes are ready, David; will _you_ go, Mr. K----?"

"I think not, madam," I replied; "at least not now."

I continued reading, for a time, when, tiring of the book, I laid it
down, and followed them to the little burial-ground.

The grave of Sam was open, and the plantation blacks were gathered
around it. In the centre of the group, and at the head of the rude
coffin, the Colonel was seated, and near him the octoroon woman and her
son. The old preacher was speaking.

"My chil'ren," he said: "she hab gone ter Him, wid har chile: gone up
dar, whar dey doan't sorrer no more, whar dey doan't weep no more, whar
all tears am wiped from dar eyes foreber. I knows she lay han's on
harseff, and dat, my chil'ren, am whot none ob us shud do, 'case we'm de
Lord's; He put us har, an' he'll take us 'way when we's fru wid our
work, not afore. We hab no right ter gwo afore. Pore Juley did--but
p'raps she cudn't help it. P'raps de great sorrer war so big in har
heart, dat she cudn't fine rest nowhar but in de cole, dark riber.
P'raps she warn't ter blame--p'raps," and here his eyes filled: "p'raps
ole Pomp war all ter blame, for I tole har, my chil'ren"--he could say
no more, and sinking down on a rude seat, he covered his face, and
sobbed audibly. Even the Colonel's strong frame heaved with emotion, and
not a dry eye was near. After a time the old man rose again, and with
streaming eyes, and upturned face, continued:

"Dars One up dar, my chil'ren, dat say: 'Come unter Me, all ye dat am a
weary an' a heaby laden, an' I will gib you ress.' He, de good Lord, He
say dat; and p'raps Juley hard Him say it, an' dat make har gwo." Again
his voice failed, and he sank down, weeping and moaning as if his heart
would break.

A pause followed, when the Colonel rose, and aided by Jim and two other
blacks, with his own hands nailed down the lid, and lowered the rude
coffin into the ground. Then the earth was thrown upon it, and then the
long, low chant which the negroes raise over the dead, mingling now with
sobs and moans, and breaking into a strange wild wail, went up among the
pines, and floating off on the still nig