d a big farm down in Alabama and gits all de
young colored boys he can to go to school some and to work on his farm
lots; and he tells 'em dey ought to be powerful glad to get to work on de
farm, while he sends his own children off to Wesley University, in school
wid white children. Take it all round, the honest colored person is
respected about as much in North Carolina as anywhere, and I 'spect to
stay at home after dis and keep on good terms wid our white folks, for dey
is the best after all."

AN IRISH SOCIALIST.

Patrick Finnegan had been studying socialism and told his friend, Barney
O'Brien, that socialism was a good thing, both charitable and Christian,
and if the people would adopt it all would be prosperous and happy. Barney
says, "Pat, if ye had two homes, would ye give me one?" "To be sure I
would," says Pat. "Then if ye had two horses, would ye give me one?" "Then
certainly I would," says Pat. "Then if ye had two hogs would ye give me
one?" "No. To hell with ye, Barney; ye know I've got thim." "Well, that
was what I was thinking, that ye would hold to your pigs with all the
tenacity that a Vanderbilt would grip his railroads. It is aisy enough to
give away what ye ain't got; but if ye can't practice what ye preach ye
had as well shut up." "Now that's just like ye, Barney; ye would never
make a good socialist. Ye would rob me entirely. You know I need me hogs;
but I would not need but one home, and one horse would be all I could work
and feed." "Yes, Pat, and I guess if ye wait until ye get a home and a
horse you'll be a socialist a good while yet." "To be sure I will, and if
you ever have a home at all it will be when I have one to give you."
Barney: "Then I guess I had better hold my job and not depend on ye." Pat:
"Along with ye, Barney; it may be well that ye can always find a boss."

SEVEN DAYS' FIGHT AROUND RICHMOND.

Reminiscences of Dr. Alexander, of Charlotte, N. C., recall to me the
scenes of those battle-fields of the Seven Days' battles of McClellan,
1862, when we passed over the ground in June, 1864, on our way to the
Chickahominy River. Many of the Federal dead had scarcely been buried at
all, as the rank weeds over the naked bones and blue rotten uniforms
showed, where groups of a score or more had been bunched in shallow graves
and lightly covered.

"Out of the 2,700 soldiers furnished the Southern army by Mecklenburg, how
few remain to tell of that fearful seven-days' struggle. The w