HUMEROUS ECHO.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1275, 25 July 1883, Page 2

HUMEROUS ECHO.

— — ♦ v A coloured man belonging to a regiment of the army of the Confederate States of America during the war, slipped off when near Fort Donelson, and making, his way on board a passing steamboat, was found beside the smoke-stack, sitting on a bundle of dilapidated home-spun, trying to warm himself. The following colloquy ensued between a passenger and the negro :— Were you in the fight ? ' ' I had a lit.tle taste of it, sa,' 1 Stood your ground, did you 1 ' • No, sa, I runs,' 'Run at the first fire, did you 1 ' ' Yes, sa, an' would hay' run soona, had I kuow'd it.wascomiuV ' Why, that wasn't very creditable to your courage.' . ' Dat isn't in ray line, as ; eookin's my perfesshun.' ' Well ! but have you no regard for your reputation V 'Reputation's nuffin to me by de side of life ' • Do you consider your life's worth more than other people's 1 ' • It's wuff more to me, sa.' ' Then you must value it very highly?' 'Yes, sa, I does ; more dan all dis world, more dan a million dollars, sa ; for what would that be wuth to a man wid do bref out of him ? Self-preser-is de first law wid me.' 'But why should you act upon a different rule from other men 1 ' ' Cause, sa, different men sets different value upon derselves ; my life is not in de market.' ' But if you lost it you would have the satisfaction of knowing-, that you diecljfor your country.'. ... . ",. .-> 'What- satisfaction -would datlJe to m<», when der power of feeliu' Was gone?' 'If all our soldiers were like you, our Government might have been broken up without resistance.' • Yes, sa ; der would have been no help for it. I wouldn't put my life in de scales' against any gnbernment dat never existed, for no guberinent could replace de loss to me.' ' Do you think any of your company would have missed you if you had been killed 1 ' • May be not, sa ; but I'd a-missed Myself, and dat was de pin^ wid me.' 'Then patriotism and honor are nothing to you 1 ' 'Nuffin whatever, sa; I consider them as among de vanities.'