President of the nation, had departed with his boys; the punch-bowl
had been emptied nine times; and still the cry from our republican
society was, "Fill up!"

A pair of young men, unacquainted with each other, pressed at the same
time to the punch-bowl, and Jack, the chief ladler, turning from the
younger, a clerk in civil dress, helped the elder, a tall naval
officer, to a couple of glasses. The clerk, young Utie, who was
somewhat flushed, addressed the chief ladler and remarked:

"You dam nigger, didn't you see my glass?"

"See it, sah? Yes! I've seen it seval times afo, dis evening."

Black Jack then received the current allowance of curses for his color
and his impudence, all of which he took meekly, till the officer,
Lieutenant Dibdo, interrupted on the negro's behalf.

"It's none o' yo affair, I reckon!" cried Utie sullenly.

"The man had no intention of slighting you," said Dibdo. "You have
been drinking too much, boy, and your coarseness is coming out."

A fresh crowd of thirsty people pressing up at this point gave Jack
his opportunity to cry: "Room around de punch-bowl!"

And the disputants were separated and squeezed by the promenading
tides into different rooms.

The officer presently forgot all about it, but not so young Utie, who