Why, I got the book,- Early Christian Martyrs,'-and paid—”

"By-the-great-guns!" moaned Watson, as he placed his hand to his brow and swooned right in the middle of the street.

BRER RABBIT AND THE TAR-BABY.

ONE evening, recently, the lady whom Uncle Remus calls "Miss Sally" missed her little seven-year-old. Making search for him through the house and through the yard, she heard the sound of voices in the old man's cabin, and, looking through the window, saw the child sitting by Uncle Remus. His head rested against the old man's arm, and he was gazing with an expression of the most intense interest into the rough, weather-beaten face that beamed so kindly upon him. This is what "Miss Sally" heard:

Bimeby, one day, arter Brer Fox bin doin' all dat he could fer ter ketch Brer Rabbit, en Brer Rabbit bin doin' all he could fer ter keep 'im fum it, Brer Fox say to hisse'f dat he'd put up a game on Brer Rabbit, en he ain't mo'n got de wuds outen his mouf twel Brer Rabbit come alopin' up de big road, lookin' des ez plump en ez fat en ez sassy ez a Moggin hoss in a barleypatch.

"Hol' on dar, Brer Rabbit,' sez Brer Fox,

sezee.

"I ain't got time, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, sorter mendin' his licks.

"I wanter have some confab wid you, Brer Rabbit,' sez Brer Fox, sezee.

"All right, Brer Fox, but you better holler fum whar you stan': I'm monstus full er fleas dis mawnin',' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"I seed Brer B'ar yistiddy,' sez Brer Fox, sezee, 'en he sorter raked me over de coals kase you en me ain't make frens en live naberly, en I told him dat I'd see you.'

"Den Brer Rabbit scratch one year wid his off hine-foot sorter jub'usly, en den he ups en sez,

sezee,

"All a-settin', Brer Fox. S'posen you drap roun' ter-morrer en take dinner wid me. We ain't got no great doin's at our house, but I speck de ole 'oman en de chilluns kin sort o' scramble roun' en git up sump'n fer ter stay yo' stummuck.'

"I'm 'gree'ble, Brer Rabbit,' sez Brer Fox,

sezee.

"Den I'll 'pen' on you,' says Brer Rabbit,

sezee.

"Nex' day, Mr. Rabbit an' Miss Rabbit got up soon, 'fo' day, en raided on a gyarden like Miss Sally's out dar, en got some cabbiges, en some roas'n-years, en some sparrergrass, en dey fix up a smashin' dinner. Bimeby one er de little Rabbits, playin' out in de back-yard, come runnin' in hollerin', 'Oh, ma! oh, ma! I seed Mr. Fox a-comin'!' En den Brer Rabbit he tuck de chilluns by der years en make um set down, and den him en Miss Rabbit sorter dally roun' waitin'

for Brer Fox. En dey keep on waitin', but no Brer Fox ain't come. Atter 'while Brer Rabbit goes to de do', easy like, en peep out, en dar, stickin' out fum behime de cornder, wuz de tipeen' er Brer Fox's tail. Den Brer Rabbit shot de do' en sot down, en put his paws behime his years, en begin fer to sing :

"De place wharbouts you spill de grease,

Right dar youer boun' ter slide,

An' whar you fine a bunch er ha'r,

You'll sholy fine de hide!'

"Nex' day Brer Fox sont word by Mr. Mink en skuze hisse'f kase he wuz too sick fer ter come, en he ax Brer Rabbit fer ter come en take dinner wid him, en Brer Rabbit say he wuz 'gree❜ble.

"Bimeby, w'en de shadders wuz at der shortes', Brer Rabbit he sorter brush up en santer down ter Brer Fox's house, en w'en he got dar he yer somebody groanin', en he look in de do', en dar he see Brer Fox settin' up in a rockin'-cheer all wrop up wid flannil, en he look mighty weak. Brer Rabbit look all 'roun', he did, but he ain't see no dinner. De dish-pan wuz settin' on de table, en close by wuz a kyarvin'-knife.

"Look like you gwineter have chicken fer dinner, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"Yes, Brer Rabbit, deyer nice en fresh en tender,' says Brer Fox, sezee.

"Den Brer Rabbit sorter pull his mustarsh, en say, 'You ain't got no' calamus-root, is you, Brer Fox? I done got so now dat I can't eat no chicken 'ceppin' she's seasoned up wid calamus

root.' En wid dat Brer Rabbit lipt out er de do' and dodge 'mong de bushes, en sot dar watchin' fer Brer Fox; en he ain't watch long, nudder, kase Brer Fox flung off de flannil en crope out er de house en got whar he could close in on Brer Rabbit, en bimeby Brer Rabbit holler out, 'Oh, Brer Fox! I'll des put yo' calamus-root out yer on dis yer stump. Better come git it while hit's fresh.' And wid dat Brer Rabbit gallop off home. En Brer Fox ain't never kotch 'im yit, en w'at's mo', honey, he ain't gwineter."

"Didn't the fox never catch the rabbit, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy the next evening.

"He come mighty nigh it, honey, sho's you bawn,-Brer Fox did. One day atter Brer Rabbit fool 'im wid dat calamus-root, Brer Fox went ter wuk en got 'im some tar, en mix it wid some turkentime, en fix up a contrapshun what he call a Tar-Baby, en he tuck dish yer Tar-Baby en he sot 'er in de big road, en den he lay off in de bushes fer ter see w'at de news wuz gwineter be. En he didn't hatter wait long, nudder, kase bimeby here come Brer Rabbit pacin' down de road, -lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity,—des ez sassy ez a jay-bird. Brer Fox he lay low. Brer Rabbit come prancin' 'long twel he spy de Tar-Baby, en den he fotch up on his behime legs like he was 'stonished. De Tar-Baby she sot dar, she did, en Brer Fox he lay low.

"Mawnin'!' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee; 'nice wedder dis mawnin',' sezee.

"Tar-Baby ain't sayin' nuthin', en Brer Fox he lay low.

"How duz yo' sym'tums seem ter segashuate?" sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"Brer Fox he wink his eye slow, en lay low, en de Tar-Baby she ain't sayin' nuthin'.

"How you come on, den? Is you deaf?' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. 'Kase if you is I kin holler louder,' sezee.

"Tar-Baby lay still, en Brer Fox he lay low. "Youer stuck up, dat's w'at you is,' says Brer Rabbit, sezbe, 'en I'm gwineter kyore you, dat's w'at I'm a-gwineter do,' sezee.

"Brer Fox he sorter chuckle in his stummuck, he did, but Tar-Baby ain't sayin' nuthin'.

"I'm gwineter larn you howter talk ter 'specttuble fokes ef hit's de las' ack,' sez Brer Rabbit,

sezee.

'Ef you don't take off dat hat en tell me howdy, I'm gwineter bus' you wide open,' sezee. "Tar-Baby stay still, en Brer Fox he lay low. "Brer Rabbit keep on axin' 'im, en de TarBaby she keep on sayin' nuthin', twel present'y Brer Rabbit draw back wid his fis', he did, en blip he tuck er side er de head. Right dar's whar he broke his merlasses-jug. His fis' stuck, en he can't pull loose. De tar hilt him. But Tar-Baby she stay still, en Brer Fox he lay low.

"Ef you don't lemme loose, I'll knock you ag'in,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee; en wid dat he fotch 'er a wipe wid de udder han', en dat stuck. Tar-Baby she ain't sayin' nuthin', en Brer Fox he lay low.