obliged to you for your good opinion," said I, "but you know very
well that I am a citizen of the united States; have never taken the
oath of allegiance to the British government, and never intend to;
consequently I am not eligible."

"Pooh, pooh! Nonsense! That makes not a farthing's difference. You will
do well enough."

"And more than that," I continued, "I am only nineteen years of age;
that alone is sufficient to incapacitate me."

"Young man," said the magistrate, with all the solemnity and wisdom of a
Dogberry, "whether you are a Yankee or a Calmuck, whether your are
sixty years old or sixteen, it matters not. You have been appointed a
constable for this district, AND A CONSTABLE YOU SHALL BE. So no
more frivolous excuses. If you do not prepare yourself to act in that
capacity when called upon I will cause you to be reported and fined."

There was no more to be said; the argument relating to the fine was
unanswerable; and I caused myself to be qualified forthwith. The duties
were not arduous. The only official duty required of me, during my term
of office, was to summon a coroner's jury, on one occasion, to sit
on the body of a runaway slave, who was stabbed by a watchman while
committing depredations on some "negro gardens" in the night time.

Mr. Coxall finally gave up his establishment in Greenville, and I was
obliged to look elsewhere for employment. A newspaper was published
at St. George, owned and edited by an Englishman, who had been a
non-commissioned officer in the regiment which was disbanded in the
island a few years before. I had then, even at that early age, some
indefinite hankering after newspaper life, and having picked up a crude
mass of knowledge, incongruous and undigested, perhaps, from the many
books I had devoured, I flattered myself that I could render good
service as assistant editor of the St. George Chronicle. I accordingly
offered my services to the proprietor, but found him less liberal in his
opinions than the worthy sons of Scotia with whom I had been intimately
associating. His prejudices against the Yankees were unconquerable. He
did not even reply to my letter, but stated to a friend of mine that he
must be very hard pushed before he would take a YANKEE into his office
to assist in printing and editing an English newspaper.

I again turned my attention to the planting business. A vacancy having
occurred on the Hermitage estate, owing to the sudden death, by yellow
fever, o