Grim dragons leered at the unhappy wretch, Ah! who could find words for the thoughts that flowed He cursed his fate through his chattering teeth, "Who are my accusers? Come, bring them to me, My business was sanctioned by law, I paid for a license," he hoarsely cried. For the first to come was a tiny child, With a face that was pale and thin; She slowly lifted a skeleton hand And pointed it straight toward him: "I have sobbed with hunger many a night, While my father paid you the price of bread- A poor drunkard's wife next appeared; At her prayers and sobs he had sneered: "I begged of you through my fast-falling tears, My husband was killed in a drunken brawl, A fair, blue-eyed boy, with a crimson gash Full many a drunkard, with blood-shot eyes, Lingered near, to mock him, with jeering cries, There were little children, crying for bread, And maidens, whose lovers to crime were led, Blind babes, deaf mutes, and children deformed Their sentence passed on the penitent wretch Vainly he prayed in those hours for relief, Oh! 'tis sad to think how many to-day, And that they must reap at some future date And Nemesis follows, to find their home A mountain whose walls are rocks of remorse Where serpents of pain and dragons of grief Oh, pause, ere too late, beware of your fate, The curse of the lost is the certain cost THE ONE-LEGGED GOOSE.* F. HOPKINSON SMITH. "Wust scrape I eber got into wid old Marsa John was ober Henny. Henny was a young gal dat b'longed to Colonel Lloyd Barbour, on de next plantation to ourn. I tell ye she was a harricane in dem days. She come into de kitchen one time where I was helpin' git de din *From "Colonel Carter of Cartersville, " by permission of the author. ner ready an' de cook had gone to de spring-house, an she says: 'Chad, what yer cookin' dat smells so nice?' "Dat's a goose,' I says, 'cookin' for Marsa John's dinner. We got quality,' says I, pointin' to de dinin'-room do'.' "Quality!' she says. 'Spec' I know what de quality is. Dat's for you and de cook.' "Wid dat she grabs a caarvin' knife from de table, opens de do' ob de big oven, cuts off a leg ob de goose, an' dis'pears round de kitchen corner wid de leg in her mouf. "'Fo' I knowed whar I was Marsa John come to de kitchen do' an' says, 'Gittin' late, Chad; bring in de din. ner.' You see, Major, dey ain't no up an' down stairs in de big house, like it is yer; kitchin an' dinin'-room all on de same flo'. Well, sah, I was scared to def, but I tuk dat goose an' laid him wid de cut side down on de bottom of de pan 'fo' de cook got back, put some dressin' an' stuffin' ober him, an' shet de stove do'. Den I tuk de sweet potatoes an' de hominy an' put 'em on de table, an' den I went back in de kitchen to git de baked ham. I put on de ham an' some mo' dishes, an' Marsa says, lookin' up: "I t'ought dere was a roast goose, Chad?' "I ain't yerd nothin' 'bout no goose,' I says. 'I'll ask de cook.' "Next minute I yerd old Marsa a-hollerin': "Mammy Jane, ain't we got a goose?' "Lord-a-massy! yes, Marsa. Chad, you wu'thless nig ger, ain't you tuk dat goose out yit?' "Is we got a goose?' said I. "Is we got a goose? Didn't you help pick it?' "I see whar my hair was short, an' I snatched up a hot dish from de hearth, opened de oven do', an' slide de goose in jes as he was, an' lay him down befo' Marsa John. "Now see what de ladies 'll have for dinner,' says old Marsa, pickin' up his caarvin' knife. 666 What'll you take for dinner, miss?' says I. 'Baked ham?' 66 6 No,' she says, lookin' up to whar Marsa John sat; I think I'll take a leg ob dat goose'-jes so. Well, Marsa cut off de leg an' put a little stuffin' an' gravy on wid a spoon, an' says to me, 'Chad, see what dat gemman 'll have.' "What 'll you take for dinner, sah?' says I. 'Nice breast o' goose, or slice o' ham?' "No; I think I'll take a leg of dat goose,' he says. "I didn't say nuffin', but I knowed berry well he wa'n't a-gwine to git it. "But, Major, you oughter seen ole Marsa lookin' for der udder leg ob dat goose! He rolled him ober on de dish, dis way an' dat way, an' den he jabbed dat ole bone-handled caarvin' fork in him an' hel' him up ober de dish an' looked under him an' on top ob him, an den he says, kinder sad like: "Chad, whar is de udder leg ob dat goose?' "It didn't hab none,' says I. "You mean ter say, Chad, dat de gooses on my plantation on'y got one leg?' "Some ob 'em has an' some ob 'em ain't. You see, Marsa, we got two kinds in de pond, an' we was a little boddered to-day, so Mammy Jane cooked dis one 'cause I cotched it fust.' for "Well,' said he, lookin' like he look when he send you in de little room, 'I'll settle wid ye after dinner.' "Well, dar I was shiverin' an' shakin' in my shoes an' droppin' gravy an' spillin' de wine on de table-croth, I was dat shuck up; an' when de dinner was ober he calls all de ladies an' gemmen, an' says, 'Now come down to de duck pond. I'm gwineter show dis nigger dat all de gooses on my plantation got mo' den one leg.' "I followed 'long, trapesin' after de whole kit an' b'ilin', an' when we got to de pond"-here Chad nearly went into a convulsion with suppressed laughter--"dar was de gooses sittin' on a log in de middle of dat ole green goose pond wid one leg stuck down--so-an' de udder tucked under de wing." Chad was now on one leg, balancing himself by my chair, the tears running down his cheeks. 'Dar Massa,' says I, 'don't ye see? Look at dat ole gray goose! Dat's de berry match ob de one we had today.' Den de ladies all hollered an' de gemmen laughed so loud dey yerd 'em at de big house. 66 "Stop, you black scoun'rel!' Marsa John says, his face gittin' white an' he a-jerkin' his handkerchief from his pocket. Shoo!' 66 Major, I hope to have my brains kicked out by a lame grasshopper if ebery one ob dem gooses didn't put down de udder leg! 66 6 Now, you lyin' nigger,' he says, raisin' his cane ober my head, 'I'll show you' "Stop Marsa John!' I hollered; ''t ain't fair, 't ain't fair.' "Why ain't it fair?' says he. 'Cause,' says I, 'you did n't say "Shoo!" to de goose what was on de table.'" ST. PETER'S POLITENESS. As Peter sat at heaven's gate A maiden sought permission, And begged of him, if not too late, "What claim hast thou to enter here?" He cried with earnest mien; "Please, sir," said she, 'twixt hope and fear, "Enough!" the hoary guardian said, And the gate wide open threw; "That is the age when every maid |