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low words to you. Buyin' property and all dat sounds very good. but a mule is perishable. and you are liable at any time to lose it. 80 much money gone. Your former owner, you say. will sell you land. well! kia you be certain de tities Is good. Can you know of It is not tied up in mortgages? Your risks are very great: you may lose all your money. Let me advise you to wait awhile. Taxes now is very high. de people here are growin' each year less able to meet dem. the State will soon own large estates, and much property will be sold at public sales. By waitin you will be able to buy a plece of land by merely payin' de taxes, and your Publican friends will see dat de title is made good. We expect BOOD to crowd out dese land owners. I'm a good friend of yourn, Mrs. Trap. and I love de colored people. I feel very sorry for dere condishun, poor creatures. I want to see dem rise to de world. crush these stiff-neck rebels out. and take dere places as far better citizens. Now we have a bank called de Freed man's Bank, run in deintrust of de colored people. where we will guard your money as de apple of our eye. No rebel sb 11 touch a penny of it. Put your money In our bank and we will pay you six per cent. intrust- very handsome income for you. Only think white you are laying back in your chair 'joicing your pleasure your money will be growin'. No mule to perish. no land devoured by taxes. but when you want money jist tote yer book to de bank. and draw! He talked beautiful. and I was getting greedier and greedier. and could see myself switchin my silk coat gwine round to dat Freedman's Bank to draw my intrust. while de storekeepers were a-bowin and scrapin' axing Mrs. Trap to walk in an examine dere time charge things. I felt rite qualityBed. I'll you nuffin for my services." sed he thro' bis seedy red nose. I'is a pleasure I issure you. Let me look at your money, lady.' I handed him de roll. You think you'll deposit in bank?' Yes. I belieb I will, said. He brightened up. Jist wait here, and I will flx it all for you in ten minutes." Den he stepped off and soon came back with a little book in his hand. All rite! here's yer bank book. Look when you want your money carry dat book to de bank and you be 'tended to. I went home happy as a frog. I laid awake all night, and counted de strings of sassengers and de smoked hams I'd swing from de joists. de pipes I'd smoke. and de chickens I'd hab in coop. I met old Marse one day he will hab bis joke; besed: Well, old lady. how is de Freedman's Bank Fus trate! I done drawed two dollars, sir.' Two dollars 1 am fraid dat's about all you will eber draw. "Why,sir?" De concern in Washington, I hear. has fallen into the hands of swindlers what is stealing all de money, and you'd better go and git yours while you kin. went ober to Sister Harriet's, and she made her son-in-law ddle up and go rite strait to de bank. When de boss man found Witson done come to draw out de money be was "stonished. What do you want to do that for? Dis bank is as good as gold? Don't you know Gen. Grant would die afore he'd see your money lost. Some fool of a Demoorac's been tellin' you lies. Come in here. man. He took Wilson in an showed him a drawer full of greenbacks. Do you think ais bank kin break and all dat money dere? Wilson was shamed of hisself, come back home. and sed Mary, don't be a fool! You're allus flyin' off de bandle. Your money is jist as fe in dat bank as if you had it here. Fred. Douglass is head man in Washington : he is a colored man like weall. and be ain't gwine let us suffer. De Gubberment will hab to brea up before dat bank. feel rite mean! Dem men at de bank's doin' all de good for we all. and we ain't willing to trust 'em.' So I didn't say no mo': but I'd better minded old Marster, and I wouldn't be scratchin' a poor house head now! I cried all de way here. and leff Sister Harriet on de rodeside broke down wid trubble. Like me, she lost both her husband and sons in de arm v. and now her money has been cheated. and fooled off it's more dan we pore critters kin bar. You don't know how desolate and lonesome we feel since our last hope's been swept away. We ve no prop to stand OD. no Marster, no Misstiss. DO husband. DO sons. no money, no friends. Our friends was our wuse enemies. Dey roboed us to our last loaf. We hab nuff Our bank books ain't worf a crooked stick, and den we get laffed at for trustin' to our friends. who sneak across de streets when dey sees us comI in'. I can't car to go back to my cabin If gits sick what I got to pend on? I'm 'bout skuffled out! Here, overcome by the picture of her unhappy condition that she had drawn. Mother Trap gave way to another hysterical outburst of sobs and mournful ejaculations. rocking her withered form to and fro in the intensity of her grief. Greatly touched by her distress. her kind white friends endeavored to comfort her with words of encourazement. and before she left they provided her with a basket of those household luxuries which the colored people specially prize. At last, wiping her eyes and armuring her thanks. the poor victimi of Washington ras cality tottered off toward her home-which she was never again to leave. The next day the good. pious old creature was found dead in her lonely cabin. She had died of a broken heart|
