4 J. COLE.

intending to enter anybody’s service ; he looked
so childish and wistful, and yet with a certain
honesty of purpose shining out of those big,
wide-open eyes, that interested me in him,
and made me want to know more of him.
“You are very small to go into service,”
I said, “and I am afraid you could not do the
work I should require; besides, you should
have waited to hear from me, and then have
come to see me, if I wanted you to do so.”
“Yes, I know I’m not very big,” said the
boy, nervously fidgeting with his bundle;
“leastways not in hite; but my arms is that
long, theyll reach ever so *igh above my ’ed,
and as for bein’ strong, you should jest see
me lift my father’s big market basket when
it’s loaded with ’taters, or wotever is for mar-
ket, and I hope you'll not be angry because
I come to-day; but Dick — that’s my brutther
Dick —he says, ‘You foller my advice, Joe,
he says, ‘and go arter this ’ere place, and
don’t let no grass grow under your feet. I
knows what it is goin’ arter places; there’s
such lots a fitin’ after ’em, that if you lets so
much as a hour go afore yer looks ’em up,