Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: who acted a lxtrtor betrayed no surprise when be saw the person who applied for admission, and every movement of the black denoted preparation and readiness for his reception. 1 Hvliiung his invitation to enter, however, the Alderman placed his back against the iron railing of the stoop, and opened a discourse with the negro. The latter was aged, with a grizzled bend, nose that was levelled nearly to the plane of his face, features that wore wrinkled and confused, and with a form which, though still wlid, was bending with its load of years. u Brave cheer to tluv. old Cupid !" commenced the burgher, in tho hearty and cordial manner with which the masters of that period were wont to address their indulged slaves. " A clear conscience is a good night-cap, and you look bright as the morning sun ! I hope my friend the young Patroon has slept sound us yourself, and that he has shown his face already to prove it." The negro answered with the slow clipping manner that characterized his condition and years. " He'm werry wakeful, Masser Al'erman. I t'ink he no sleep half he time lately. All he a'tivorty and wiwacerty gone, an'ho do no single'ting but smoke. A gentle'um who smoke alway, Masser Al'erman, get to be a melereholy man at last . I do Cink 'ere be one young lady in York who be he deaf some time !" " Well find the means to get the pipe out of his mouth," said the other, looking askance at the black, as if to express more than he uttered. " Romance and pretty girls play the deuce with our philosophy iu youth, as thou knowest by experience, old Cupid." " I no good for any t'ing dat-a-way now, not'imy," calmly returned the black. " I see a one time, when few color' man in York hab more respect among a fair see', but dat a great while gone by. Now, de modder of your Eucl...