Not so, Aunt Comfort. She could not restrain her admiration of this display
of talent on the part of one of her despised race; she was continually
breaking out with expressions of wonder and applause. "Jis' hear
dat--massy on us--only jis' listen to de chile," said she, "talks jis' de
same as if he was white. Why, boy, where you learn all dat?"

"Across the Red Sea," cried Charlie, in answer to a question from the desk
of the superintendent.

"'Cross de Red Sea! Umph, chile, you been dere?" asked Aunt Comfort, with a
face full of wonder.

"What did you say?" asked Charlie, whose attention had been arrested by the
last question.

"Why I asked where you learned all dat 'bout de children of Israel."

"Oh, I learned that at Philadelphia," was his reply; "I learned it at
school with the rest of the boys."

"You did!" exclaimed she, raising her hands with astonishment. "Is dere
many more of 'em like you?"

Charlie did not hear this last question of Aunt Comfort's, therefore she
was rather startled by his replying in a loud tone, "_Immense hosts_."

"Did I ever--jis' hear dat, dere's ''mense hostes' of 'em jest like him!
only think of it. Is dey all dere yet, honey?"

"They were all drowned."

"Oh, Lordy, Lordy," rejoined she, aghast with horror; for Charlie's reply
to a question regarding the fate of Pharaoh's army, had been by her
interpreted as an answer to her question respecting his coloured
schoolmates at Philadelphia.

"And how did you 'scape, honey," continued she, "from drowning 'long wid
the rest of 'em?"

"Why I wasn't there, it was thousands of years ago."

"Look here. What do you mean?" she whispered; "didn't you say jest now dat
you went to school wid 'em?"

This was too much for Charlie, who shook all over with suppressed laughter;
nor was Miss Cass proof against the contagion--she was obliged to almost
suffocate herself with her handkerchief to avoid a serious explosion.

"Aunt Comfort, you are mistaking him," said she, as soon as she could
recover her composure; "he is answering the questions of the
superintendent--not yours, and very well he has answered them, too,"
continued she. "I like to see little boys aspiring: I am glad to see you so
intelligent--you must persevere, Charlie."

"Yes, you must, honey," chimed in Aunt Comfort. "I'se very much like Miss
Cass; I likes to see children--'specially children of colour--have
_expiring_ minds."

Charlie went quite off at this, and it was onl