BESIDE THE FENCE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2159, 26 January 1881, Page 4

BESIDE THE FENCE.

“Do you answer to the name of Charles Henry McGill ?” asked his Honor of a dilapidated specimen of the negro race, whose bare feet were half covered with patches anc, plasters. * I reckon I does, sah.” “I don’t remember of having seen your name in the proceedings of the Lime-Kiln Club."

“ No, sah, kase I ain’t a member, sah. I ’plied to git in, but Pickles Smith gin me de black ball.”

“ What do you do for a living ?” “ I plays de fiddle and keeps two dogs.” “ Mr, the officer says he found you last night hidden alongside a fence, close to a hencoop ?” “ OJus to a hen-coop, sah ? ” Fo’ de Lawd ! but Izo dreadfully 'stonished, sah. I didn’t 'speot dar war a hen-coop willin’ a mile of me.”

“ Perhaps not, but the officer heard a noise among the poultry, saw some one run, and overhauled you while you were hiding. The case has a bad look.”

“I was in de fence oo’ner fast asleep, sah. Izo in de habit of sleeping Broun’ since de skeetors began to bite. I hadn’t de immoderatest ideah of stoalin’ hens—no, sah. I’m not de sort o’ pusson dat would lay a ban’ on what didn’t long to me.” “ Nevertheless, I shall have to send you up for thirty days.” “ Not now, Squar’—not jist as de watermelyon sezun am ’bout to boom; wait till late in de fall, an’ you kin make it sixty days an’ I won’t say a word.” When he found he had to get ready for the omnibus he sent out a mouth organ by a boy, to exchange for a watermelon, and remarked to Bijah—- “ If de ole woman comes round here axin’ fur me, I wish you’d sorter depress de ideah or her mind dat I've tooken a short trip to Kennedy to buy a boss.”