is al'us waitin' fur chances, an' so he popped into Sam's head to jes go an' look at the good things. 'I won't touch ary bit,' said Sam, 'fur ole mah'sr'd ind out if one apple stem's gone,—but I'll look.' That was the fust wrong step, chillen. Ye know how hard it is to defrain, if ye look at the things ye oughten'ter. Well, this yer onreverent nigga c-r-e-p-t down-stairs an' unlocked the do', an' p-e-e-p-e-d in,-trem'lin', fit to drop. He mose spected to see ole mah'sr behind a bar'l. But it was as s-t-i-l-l as the grave, so he c-r-e-p-t in. There hung the l-o-n-g rows o' hams,—so juicy an' sweet; and Sam went up an' thought to hisself, 'Now, I'll jes smell of one.' So he smelled of it, an' it was so nice seems like he couldn't help jes touch it with his finger an' clap his finger in his mouf, an' then he did it agin. Ye know, chillen, how the ole Debil stan's side o' ye-an' helps ye on. Arter Sam had tasted onct or twice, he seen a t-e-e-n-y bit of a ham, way off in the fur corner, an' he said to hisself, 'I don't b'lieve ole mah'sr'll ever miss that ar one,—'taint much 'count no way.' An', chillen, he was that hungry he couldn't help

it, I do b'lieve. He snatched that ham, an' he eat an' eat an' eat till he couldn't stuff another moufful, an' hid the rest behind a bar'l. Then he went on an' went on till he come to the apples, -bins an' bins o' b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l red apples!

And

he smelt of 'em, an' then he eat an' eat an' eat till he couldn't stuff another moufful. Then he went on an' went on till he came to the shelf o' sweetmeats, an' he looked at 'em an' smelt of 'em, and finally he snatched a jar, tore off the cover, an' eat an' eat an' eat till he couldn't stuff another moufful.

"An' then he couldn't eat any more, sure nuff, an' he went out an' locked the do'. But he never

had so much to eat in his life, an'

was stuffed so full he sort o' lost his

'pears like he

reasons. He

went out an' laid down on a bench in the sun, an' he said to hisself, Lor'! ain't it nice to have nuff to eat fur onct; there's poor Jim, I don't s'pose he ever had nuff in his life.' An' then a v-e-r-y wicked idea come into his head. So, by'm by he got up an' went over to Jim's, he lived next do', -an' he tole him soon's it was night to come

over, an' he tole him to fotch Sally. Sally was the house gal, a likely wench, an' Sam liked her. An' then he went to Tom's and tole him to come too; and finally, chillen, he 'vited quite a 'spectable company. Then he went home, an' he went into the wood-shed an' fotched in big sticks o' wood, an' he made up a mose won'erful fire, an' swept out the big kitchen clean an' nice, tho' he wasn't extra neat now, Sam wasn't. 'Bout ten o'clock his company 'gan to come, the ladies all dressed up fine in some of their missis' things,— low neck an' short sleeves, an' ribbins an' white gloves. O, go 'way! yer don't see no sich things up har! An' the gemmen! Lor', chillen, if ye could see the fine long-tailed blue coats, with buttons shinin' like marygolds, ye'd laff fit to split y'r sides.

"Arter the company was all there, an' talked a little 'bout the weather an' sich topics o' conversation, he axed 'em, 'Wouldn't they like a little defreshment?' They was very polite, an' said, 'No, thank ye,' an' 'I'd ruther be 'xcused.' But he went to the cellar, an' he took'd out g-r-e-a-t plates