'No, 'tan't, massa; takes more'n tu ter make de Union.' 'Yas, I knows; it gin'rally takes ten or a dozen: reckon it'll take a dozen with ye.' 'John, ye mustn't talk so ter th' sarvents; it spiles 'em,' said his wife. 'No it doan't; do it, Aggy?' 'Lor', missus, I doan't keer what massa say; but I doan't leff no oder man run on so ter me!' 'No more'n ye doan't, gal! only Cale.' 'Nor him, massa; I makes him stan' 'roun', _I_ reckon.' 'I reckon ye du; ye wudn't be yer massa's gal ef ye didn't.' When the meal was over, I visited with my host the negro houses. The hour allowed for dinner[2] was about expiring, and the darkies were preparing to return to the field. Entering one of the cabins, where were two stout negro men and a woman, my host said to them, with a perfectly serious face: 'Har, boys, I've fetched ye a live Yankee ab'lishener; now, luk at 'im all roun'. Did ye ever see sech a critter?' 'Doan't see nuffin' quar in dat gemman, massa,' replied one of the blacks. 'Him 'pears like bery nice gemman; doan't 'pear like ab'lishener;' and he laughed and scraped his head in the manner peculiar to the negro, as he added: 'Kinder reckon he wudn't be har ef he war one of _dem_.' 'What der _ye_ knows 'bout th' ab'lisheners? Ye never seed one; what d'ye 'spose the' luk like?' 'Dey say dey luk likes de bery ole debil, massa; but reckon 'tan't so.' 'Wal, the' doan't; the' luk wuss then thet; they'm bottled up thunder an' lightnin', an' ef the' cum down har, they'll chaw ye all ter hash.' 'I reckon!' replied the darky, manipulating his wool and distending his face into a decidedly incredulous grin. 'What do you tell them such things for?' I asked good-humoredly. 'Lor' bless ye, stranger, the' knows th' ab'lisheners ar thar friends, jest so well as ye du; and so fur as thet goes, d--d ef the' doan't know I'm one on 'em myseff, fur I tells 'em ef the' want to put the' kin put, an' I'll throw thar trav'lin 'spenses inter th' bargin. Doan't I tell ye thet, Lazarus?' 'Yas, massa; but none ob massa's nigs am gwine ter put--lesswise, not so long as you an' de good missus am 'bove groun'.' The darky's name struck me as peculiar, and I asked him where he got it. '_'Tan't_ my name, sar; but you see, sar, w'en massa fuss hire me ob ole Capt'in ----, up dar ter Newbern-way, I war sort o' sorry like--hadn't no bery good cloes--an' massa he den call me Lazarus, 'case he say I war all ober rags and holes, an' it hab sort o' stuck ter me eber sense. I war a'mighty bad off 'fore dat, but w'en I cum down har I gets inter Abr'am's buzzum, I does,' and here the darky actually reeled on his seat with laughter. 'Is this woman your wife?' I asked. 'No, sar; my wife 'longs to Cunnel J----; dat am my new wife--my ole wife am up dar whar I cum from.' 'What! have you two wives?' 'Yas, massa, I'se two.' 'But that's contrary to Scripture?'