"They worked in my house, and my fields, from the rising uv the sun to the goin down uv the same. "Wuz they lazy? I catted them till they wuz cured thereof; for lo! they wuz ez a child under my care. "Did they run away? From Kentucky they run North, and lo! the Locofoco Marshals caught them for me, and brought them back, and delivered them into my hand, without cost, sayin, lo! here is thy nigger--do with him ez thou wilt (wich I alluz did), wich is cheeper than keepin dogs, and jest as good. "Solomon wuz wise, for he hed uv konkebines a suffishensy, but we wuz wiser in our day than him. "For he hed to feed his children, and it kost him shekels uv gold and shekels uv silver, and much corn and oil. "We hed our konkebines with ez great a muchness ez Solomon, but we sold their children for silver, and gold, and red-dog paper." And all nite long the bereaved old patriarch, who hed alluz bin a father to his servants (and a grandfather to menny uv em) poured out his lamentations. In the mornin the niggers wuz called up, and ez they all hed their koats on, and hed bundles, I spect they must hev heard the news. The old gentleman explained the situation to em. "Yoo will," sed he, "stay in yoor happy homes--you will alluz continue to live here, and work here, ez yoo hev alluz dun!" The niggers all in korious, with a remarkable unanimity, remarkt that ef they hed ever bin introdoost to theirselves, they thought they woodent. In fact, they hed congregated at that time for the purpose uv startin life on their own hook. [Illustration: EFFECT OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION IN KENTUCKY.] A paroxysm uv pain and anguish shot over the old man's face. Nearest to him stood a octoroon, who, hed she not bin tainted with the accurst blood uv Ham, wood hev bin considered beautiful. Fallin on her neck, the old patriarch, with teers a streamin down his furrowd cheeks, ejackilated,-- "Farewell, Looizer, my daughter, farewell! I loved yoor mother ez never man loved nigger. She wuz the solace uv my leisure hours--the companion uv my yooth. She I sold to pay orf a mortgage on the place--she and yoor older sisters. Farewell! I hed hoped to hev sold yoo this winter (for yoo are still young), and bought out Jinkins; but wo is me! Curses on the tirent who thus severs all the tender ties uv nachur. Oh! it is hard for father to part with child, even when the market's high; but, Oh God! to part thus--" And the old gentleman, in a excess uv greef, swoonded away genteely. His son Tom hed bin caressin her two little children, who wuz a half whiter than she wuz. Unable to restrain hisself, he fell on her neck, and bemoaned his fate with tetchin pathos.