of dey does git out an' strays off, an' you fines 'em in yo' naber's field, dat doan mek 'em his'n; but you ketches 'em an' brings 'em home agin an' dey's jes as much yo'n as dey was befo'. An' lackwise, ef yo' chillun gits outer de house an' goes over to play in yo' naber's yard, dat doan mek 'em his chillun; an' I doan see no mo' reason why dat would mek it his watermillion ef yo' vine clomb over de pertition fence an' bo' a million on his side."

Den bre'r Jorum he riz up and seh:

"Misser President, hit appear to my observation dat bre'r Jerry have not took his p'int accordin' to de loginkle reason er de question, fur watermilluns an' chilluns, dey is objecks so diffunt in dere natur' dat de same argyments can't imply to bofe. Now, yo' chillun an' yo' hogs an' yo' hosses an' other beases, dey is yo'n ever'whar, 'caze dey is anamils-leastways hosses an' hogs an' beases is, an chillun, dey is livin' creeturs mos' samer den anamils while dey is young; an' so ef dey absquanders fum home you has de right to cotch 'em an' fetch 'em back agin. But watermilluns dey is vegitable perductions, an' ev'y sciumtific pusson knows dat anamils and vegitables is intirely diffunt in dere natur'. Futhermo', vegitable perductions has nateral diffunces among deyselves. Dar is pertaters and perturnups, fur instance, which dey grows down un'er de groun' an' has to be dug up fo' you kin eat 'em; an' dar is apples an' peaches, which dey grows high up over our head an' has to be shuk down. Now, ef you axes me why dat apple falls down to the groun' when it air shuk off'n de tree, stider risin' up in de aar lack smoke, I answers you, in de langwidge er sciumce, becaze it air de natur' er de apple to fall. An' jes so when my deponent seh dat a watermillun vine aint got no business a-runnin' off fum whar hit were planted, I answers him dat it air de natur' er de watermillun vine to run. Some vines runs one way and some ernother; some runs up an' some runs down, an' some runs all over de groun' lack de watermillun, an' if you plants dat watermillun too clost to de fence, hit's a gwinter run over it

on t'other side, an' you aint got no right to tek it away fum de man over dar, 'caze it air de natur' er vines to run, an' dat watermillun air jis' only a-follerin' up its natur. To put de argyment in a silly gizzard, which air de only sciumterrific motion er reasonin', hit stan' jesso: "Dat watermillun vine have runned over de fence. "Hit air de natur 'er vines to run.

"Darfo' de watermillun on dat vine b'longs to de man on t'other side er de fence.

"Now, dar is de whole argyment abjuiced to a silly gizzard, an' I'd jes' lack to see anybody try to knock de bottom outen it."

Bre'r Jorum was mightily applawded when he sot down, an' ev'ybody 'lowed dere nuver had ben sech a splendid argyment made in de s'ciety befo', an' dey couldn't see how even bre'r Chrismus was a gwineter answer all dat logink an' larnin'.

But bre'r Chrismus knowed hissef, an' he wasn't gwineter be skeered by nobody's larnin'. He useter go to all de cotes wid his ole massa, an' had heerd jedges an' juries in his day, an' so he knowed he'd git de law on his side ef bre'r Jorum did have de logink on his'n. He was dressed up in his Sunday clo'es, an' when he begun to speak his voice rolled froo de room so deep an' snoreous jes lack thunder, an' de ordiumce all sot still an' listened as intentive as if dey had ben prettified by his illikence.

"Misser President an' gentlemen er de jury," sez he, "righteousnesses should be jesticeness, an' should be required at de han's uf ev'y man aforesaid, which is often inconsistence of salt an' battery; wharas, de influence er Nolly Prossekys air very enticin' to de injyment er statistics. By de violater de expectations aforesaid could not be positive in a case er hab his corpses, but de inter. cedence er perlarity is ve'y strong to de decouragement er de mine, as aforesaid. A gempleman er yo' cibilities have got his book an' his Bible an' his double edication. When a man has got abunnance er superfluity his frien's

anelationer is aroun' him to gin him de books on conteruiction an' a full accommendation in de States er Alabam. Look over de raiments er Alabam! I doan see nothin' wuth a gemman's attention.

I has now splained my books on conterdiction, an' aint got nothin' mo' to seh on de supernateral charge, so i turn nex to de sublimitary regurlations er de reconny zance When a man have brought de plaintive er his d› fence to de obstruction er de Constitutional limitations, he mus' have de rights er hab his corpses fur a deplorandum deprivatum. De cote cornsiders dis question a conjunction fum de legal indicament uf its depennance on de legislative man damus to obtain de powers er de position. Darfo, be it deferred and proclaimed as aforesaid, to all men here presents, dat de writs er search yo rarry will tend to de intercedence er de persecution; an de fendents air brought to a state er consumptum ad norum follerorum."

When bre'r Chrismus sot down de members all clapped an' 'plawded tell it look lack de house 'ud come down, an' dey was all erbleedged to give up dat his speech hed beat even bre'r Jorum's, fur dar was words in it dat bre'r Jorum hisself didn't know de meanin' on. De empires decided uranimously dat bre'r Chrismus hed gain de vict'ry fur his side. Only dey couldn't zackly mek out which side he was on, so dey couldn't say no further, 'ceptin dat bre'r Chrismus's was de winnin' side, whichever side er de fence he moight think dat watermillion b'long to.

THE STARLESS CROWN.

Wearied and worn with earthly cares, I yielded to repose,
And soon before my raptured sight a glorious vision rose:
I thought, while slumbering on my couch in midnight's
solemn gloom,

I heard an angel's silvery voice, and radiance filled my room.

A gentle touch awakened me; a gentle whisper said, "Arise, O sleeper, follow me;" and through the air we fled.

We left the earth so far away that like a speck it seemed, And heavenly glory, calm and pure, across our pathway streamed.

Still on we went; my soul was rapt in silent ecstasy:

I wondered what the end would be, what next would meet mine eye.

I know not how we journeyed through the pathless fields of light,

When suddenly a change was wrought, and I was clothed in white.

We stood before a city's walls most glorious to behold; We passed through gates of glistening pearl, o'er streets of purest gold;

It needed not the sun by day, the silver moon by night; The glory of the Lord was there, the Lamb himself its light. Bright angels paced the shining streets, sweet music filled the air,

And white-robed saints with glittering crowns from every clime were there;

And some that I had loved on earth stood with them round the throne,

"All worthy is the Lamb," they sang," the glory his alone."

But fairer far than all besides I saw my Saviour's face;
And as I gazed he smiled on me with wondrous love and

grace.

Lowly I bowed before his throne, o'erjoyed that I at last Had gained the object of my hopes; that earth at length was past.

And then in solemn tones he said, "Where is the diadem That ought to sparkle on thy brow,-adorned with many a gem?

I know thou hast believed on me, and life through me is

thine;

But where are all those radiant stars that in thy crown should shine?

"Yonder thou seest a glorious throng, and stars on every brow;

For every soul they led to me they wear a jewel now.

And such thy bright reward had been, if such had been thy deed,

If thou hadst sought some wandering feet in paths of peace to lead.

"Thou wert not called that thou shouldst tread the way of

life alone,

But that the clear and shining light which round thy footsteps shone

Should guide some other weary feet to my bright home of

rest,

And thus, in blessing those around, thou hadst thyself been

blest."

The vision faded from my sight, the voice no longer spake; A spell seemed brooding o'er my soul which long I feared to break; And when at last I gazed around in morning's glimmering light,

My spirit felt o'erwhelmed beneath that vision's awful might.

I rose and wept with chastened joy that yet I dwelt below;
That yet another hour was mine my faith by works to show;
'That yet some sinner I might tell of Jesus' dying love,
And help to lead some weary soul to seek a home above.

And now, while on the earth I stay, my motto this shall be, "To live no longer to myself, but Him who died for me." And graven on my inmost soul I'll wear this truth divine, "They that turn many to the Lord bright as the stars shall shine."

THE GRAVE BY THE SORROWFUL SEA.*
L. M. LANING BAYLEY.

Vesper bells were softly chiming
In the vale of Normandy,

While against the rocky coast shore
Beat the white caps of the sea.

Blood red gleamed the sun at setting,
Black the clouds that lay behind,
Every one a wall of darkness

With the jagged lightning lined.
On the beach an old sea-captain
Peered far out with anxious eye,
While a Norman lassie near him
Gazed upon the threatening sky.
Fair her face, her form so slender,
Flowing tresses black as night,
Blue her eyes as skies in summer,

Burning now with eager light.

*Written expressly for this Collection.