arm and clear; little Alice and the
"Doctor,"[B] my two children and I went early. As we drove in at the
gate it looked like fairy land; for, hanging to the trees in every
direction, were beautiful colored Chinese lanterns; the long winding
drive to the house was all a-light with them.

[Footnote B: Sarah is called the "Doctor."]

A band of music was playing on the wide piazza; and as we entered,
everybody was presented with a beautiful red, white, or blue paper fan.
Wasn't it splendid?

How little Annie's eyes did sparkle! _they_ were like real diamonds, and
far more precious. She nestled down in a seat close to me, and together
we enjoyed all the comical songs and funny jokes of the minstrels.

You don't know how queer their black wigs looked! and they kept Annie
and me laughing all the time, with rolling their eyes, making funny
faces, and telling conundrums.

Presently Willie, one of Annie's brothers, who played the bones, called
out to Robert, a neighbor's son, who was banging the tamborine on his
head and his elbow, and his knee and his foot, as fast and as hard as he
could.

"Mister Julius."

"What dat you want, Mister Snow?"

"You know dat ar ole saw you lent me, Mister Julius, to saw de
dictionary in two, so to gib you half?"

"Yes, sar, I know him very well, sar."

"Well, sar, dat ar saw, sar, he wort nottin, sar! Ob all de saws dat I
ebber saw saw, I nebber saw a saw saw as dat ar saw saws! He! ho!"

"I don't see dat ar saw, sar; but I want to ax you a question."

"Berry well; succeed."

"When de day breaks, what becomes ob de pieces?"

"I--I--don't 'xactly know, sar. Trow em in de ash barrel?"

"No, sar! dey jes let em alone. He! ho!"

Then another brother got up, and made such a low bow that his black wig
tumbled over his eyes, showing his brown hair behind. He poked it back
again, and began to sing this--all the rest playing on fiddles, bones,
and triangles, as hard as they could:

"Come, brothers, now unite with us, and join us, one and all,
The Stars and Stripes shall not come down, shall never, never fall:
We've got two splendid captains, to their country ever true;
McClellan, and great Winfield Scott, and the Red, White, and Blue.

_Chorus._ "Then hurrah for the Union,
Hurrah for the Union,
Hurrah for the Union,
And the Red, White, and Blue."

"Ah! now's the time for the bouquet!" I whispered to Annie; and I took
it out from under the seat, and