258 WILD SPOETS IN THE SOUTH. 



stopped ? — ^Poetry ma'm, is suggestive of dinner and din- 

 ner of poetry, for 



" When the oldest cask is opened, 



And the brightest lamp is lit, 

 When the chestnuts glow in the embers, 



And the kid turns on the spit ; 

 Then then the story is told, 



And the rhyme so bold " 



" Doctor, your pates are burning." 



" Dear me, what a miserable operation I You Sam, 

 why didn't you see that coal snap ?" 



" Didn't like fur to stop maussa's speech." 



" Ha ! ha !" laughed Jackson, " you had better get tho 

 plates ready, Scip ; where are the plates ?" 



" All here, sah," said Scipio, bringing in a dozen or 

 more pieces of white birch bark neatly rounded and 

 smoothed Avith the knife ; and behind him came Csesar 

 with the tin cups all brightly scoured. Some of the men 

 had reared a wooden table when we first came to the 

 island ; this unusual luxury for a camp was elevated about 

 two feet from the ground, and formed a convenient cen- 

 tre for the family that sat around on the sand where 

 fancy dictated. The plates were arranged on the table, 

 one to each guest, and a pile in store for other courses, 

 for it was a thing unknown in this camp of plenty 

 to use a plate the second time. 



" Turn the pumpkin, some one ; don't you see it 

 browning." 



