'n a sieve. You goin' ter git rain, Ben?"

"Yes, I'm going' ter try. An' ef we have faith we'll git hit. Hit's a
dry moon; ain't narry drop of water dyah, but faith c'n do hit."

The next morning a thin little cloud floated out of the brazen east, a
mere ghost of a cloud, and from it was sifted down for about two minutes
the poorest apology that nature ever made to injured verdure. Soon it
passed into nothingness, and the full sun blazed over the parched land
once more. A triumphant laugh was heard out where the hands were hoeing,
and Ben's voice was recognized above all the others. They were
congratulating him upon his success, when up came old Henry, his sack
of carpenter's tools on his back. Ben shouted,

"Hello, Unc' Henry. I told you we'd fetch hit."

"Ben, did you say hit only taks faith as er grain er mustard seed ter
move er mountain?"

"Yes, sah."

"Well now, hyah's de whole of Macedony Church, full of faith niggers, a
prayin' for rain, an' de whole pack o' 'em can't lay de dust!"

FINNIGIN TO FLANNIGAN[68]

S. W. GILLILAN

Superintindint wuz Flannigan;
Boss of the siction wuz Finnigin;
Whiniver the kyars got offen the thrack
An' muddled up things t' th' divil an' back,
Finnigin writ it to Flannigan,
Afther the wrick wuz all on agin.
That is, this Finnigin
Repoorted to Flannigan.

Whin Finnigin furst writ to Flannigan
He writ tin pages--did Finnigin.
An' he tould jist how the smash occurred--
Full minny a tajus, blunderin' wurrd
Did Finnigin write to Flannigan
Afther the cars had gone on agin.
That wuz how Finnigin
Repoorted to Flannigan.

Now Flannigan knowed more than Finnigin--
Had more idjucation--had Flannigan;
An' it wore 'm clane an' complately out
To tell what Finnigin writ about
In his writin' to Muster Flannigan.
So he writed back to Finnigin:
"Don't do sich a sin agin!
Make 'em brief, Finnigin!"

Whin Finnigin got this frum Flannigan,
He blushed rosy rid--did Finnigin;
An' he said: "I'll gamble a whole moonth's pa-ay
That it will be minny an' minny a da-ay
Befoore Sup'rintindint--that's Flannigan--
Gits a whack at this very same sin agin.
From Finnigin to Flannigan
Repoorts won't be long agin."

Wan da-ay on the siction of Finnigin,
On the road sup'rintinded by Flannigan,
A rail give way on a